Horse kicking out with hind legs when eating grain

[geten]

to start off, this is a new behaviour which is why im looking for some answers.
over the past 2-3 weeks ive noticed my guy has been kicking out with a back leg and sometimes bucking when he gets the first few bites of his grain. he settles down after the first few bites and eats and drinks fine. this is a new behaviour for him, he has never bucked or kicked in general at anything.
we did just add magnesium oxide to his feed around this time and now that i’m typing this out i wonder if that has anything to do with it.
other than the addition of magnesium he hasn’t had any changes to his feed or routine. he is generally an anxious guy around feed time but this is a bit of an escalation in behaviour.

does this sound like ulcers or a behaviour/ husbandry problem?
i’ve asked the vet for omeprazole in any case so we’ll see if that has an impact
any ideas or input appreciated

[sascha]

[quote=“geten, post:1, topic:801685”]
we did just add magnesium oxide to his feed around this time and now that i’m typing this out i wonder if that has anything to do with it.
other than the addition of magnesium he hasn’t had any changes to his feed or routine. he is generally an anxious guy around feed time but this is a bit of an escalation in behaviour.[/quote]

Magnesium can be hard on the guts.

@geten

does this sound like ulcers or a behaviour/ husbandry problem?

Ulcers.

[RAyers]

In humans, oral magnesium can cause stomach upset. I doubt ulcers. I would get rid of the magnesium and see if your horse settles back down.

Magnesium is not a benign element when given beyond a normal dietary amount. It can cause bone malformation due to competition with calcium uptake. Additionally, it can cause irregular heartbeat etc. in those sensitive to it.

[beowulf]

Is he being stalled, fed in a confined area? Is this immediately after coming in from turnout? Is he still actively eating hay in his turnout as he is brought in, if so?

Does he have neighbors he is reacting to?

Many boarded horses are proprietary about their grain time, especially if they are coming off being turned out with no available forage. I would hang up a stall mat if this is happening within the stall. You do not want him hurting himself or damaging barn property while this happens - I have seen horses seriously injure themselves or others kicking out in stalls.

I think starting with omeprazole is a good start, but if the behavior continues, consider putting him in a quieter area (if this is while stalled) and having him have access to hay 24/7. You may want to scope also.

[geten]

i didn’t know magnesium could adverse effects, was told it couldn’t hurt. def gonna stop the mag

[RAyers]

This is how lots of people make money selling things to the general public. “Natural” does not mean harmless or no side-effects.

You can kill an animal/human with magnesium (even oral) if done correctly.

[cilla1]

What @beowulf said, my old gelding used to do this because he was claiming his grain as his, it would escalate depending on how hungry he was and who was his neighbour in that moment. He stopped when I brought him home when he had food all day long and his beloved mare as only companion