The magnesium supplement thread in Off Course got me thinking to put my horse on one.
What is your favorite magnesium supplement that is legal but also cost effective? We are not doing any big shows, but I would like to keep him on something I won’t have to change later on when we start to do more than schooling shows.
He’s not a hot mess, but is reactive and slightly spooky. He’s on grass hay with all day turnout. He has been treated for ulcers.
Hmmm. Don’t people just feed magnesium? Not sure which form is more bioavailable but the info is out there.
Check magnesium in his current diet. A deficiency can cause nervousness, so correct supplementation can fix that. But more magnesium does not equal more calm, just diarrhea 
As far as I know, magnesium as a legitimate mineral in nutrition is not illegal. Anything fed to change mood rather than improve nutrition is technically illegal but I don’t see magnesium could be illegal any more than Vitamin E. You feed what your horse needs and stay short of creating diarrhea.
I have heard it’s cheaper to just try magnesium instead of test him. I’m seeing a ton of calming supplements which include it, but unsure of their legality.
As I said magnesium is not illegal. Magnesium plus some herbs could be. You can look up what’s illegal.
Why not just feed straight magnesium at an appropriate dose? Not expensive not illegal no other ingredients.
In USA, Mag Restore magnesium pellets. One small scoop is 10,000 mg of magnesium malate. Sold by Performance Equine.
Anything that is used to alter temperament is banned under USEF guidelines.
That being said, they can’t test for magnesium (or many other substances) and many horses are on it for the benefits it provides for the digestive system. I get magnesium from ukele. It’s the cheapest per ounce.
Many times you see a supplement that says ‘will not test’ not ‘usef approved or safe’
I’m pretty sure no one is planning to feed metallic magnesium, but just in case…
Please don’t feed straight magnesium. It’s a metal: often sold in rolls of strips that don’t look terribly palatable. You want magnesium ion, so the metal form minus two electrons. The Mg2+ ion needs a companion anion of some sort. Oxalate, oxide, maleate, and more are options. I’ve used epsom salt which is magnesium sulfate (heptahydrate), but it’s a laxative and thus not appropriate for all horses.
End of chemistry lecture.
There are a lot of options out there that aren’t in combo “calming” supplements. I prefer MagRestore. If your horse doesn’t need any more magnesium in its diet for its personal needs you won’t see any effect on the sensitivity stuff. If you feed too much, it can cause some GI upset same as with people.
Magnesium is simply one of the latest crazes in horse calming. There’s really no difference in brands, despite what they want you to think. It works if your horse has a deficiency. If your horse is not deficient it will not work at all. I used Remission for magnesium/hoof issues.
I buy it from MadBarn for my mare who is deficient. Good prices and fast shipping and not combined with anything else. It doesn’t make her any calmer but it sure makes her more comfortable!
I’ve never had luck with magnesium on it’s own for calming behaviour, I use it actually for relaxing muscles. In my experience, B1 vitamins have been more useful to take the edge off. Many calming supplements have mag, B vitamins, and tryptophan. Valerian is another commonly used calming agent however that one will test, so if you compete do not use it.
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