I had two react to it - they go VERY hormonal. A TB stallion and a pony mare, I took them off it and they settled and went back to normal.
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Interesting, what makes you think it’s hormonal? Mine gets SUPER reactive to MSM, but I don’t think it has anything to do with her hormones. I don’t even understand how that would work, mechanistically.
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What does the reaction look like? I assume much more than just feeling good and kicking up their heels! Angry? Spooky? Pain reaction?
Ok I found this old thread. Spooks. Sounds quite worrying. Since it’s mares and geldings both I would assume not a hormone issue.
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With my 30 something (that I owned for almost all his life), a veterinarian who kinda specialized in the tougher cases suggested MSM. Told me it would take at least a few weeks to see an improvement, but this horse went from only trotting when turned out to cantering with the younger set, and kicking up his heels within days.
It was such a noticeable and rapid difference that the BO asked me what had changed (then told me she wished it would work for her aged mom). Clearly the MSM was helping, because when a re-order was delayed, and didn’t arrive before I ran out, my horse reverted to his old not-really unsound but not as celebratory state. MSM worked well for him until it didn’t, then we tried Legend (almost unnoticeable results, not worth the money), then Adequan (worked okay).
He did not become anxious or spooky while taking MSM, but he’d always been a quick, responsive horse, and that was still present.
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Apparently MSM can cause nausea and GI disturbance in some people, and that could be enough to make a horse spooky.
That said, my horse was on a VMS that includes MSM for years with no issues so I figure she tolerates it.
In my case the stallion got way over the top studdy and the mare went into season extremely strongly after having minimal to no signs. After taking them off MSM they went back to normal behavior. Both were homebreds and in their teens when I tried the MSM.
How odd. I will pay attention to all symptoms if I go.ahead and try MSM.
I agree, yes of course. As I mentioned, I have had no joint issues, but there are many other components, as I am aware as well. 
That quote about the horse suddenly becoming spooky in the arena, and in particular focusing on the one wall, makes me think there is something going on behind or in that wall that the horse can sense - ie a family of racoons?
Anecdotally I have a stallion who, like all my horses gets it, and he is the antithesis of spooky, as are all my horses (mares)… I wouldn’t say hormonal either.
But, a friend of mine who has gut issues herself can’t use it, and for that reason she won’t feed it to her old horse who is prone to colic. I have no evidence of this myself.
Well I ordered MSM along with my next Omniety shipment. Mare was on a VMS with MSM in the past with no side effects. But I will still keep an eye on her.
She expresses discomfort by getting depressed and balky. I’ve ridden other horses that express discomfort by getting spooky. A few years ago I was riding an older mare who stopped silly spooks on the trail once I got her hoof boots. If she had one visible ouch step on a ride it correlated with her being spooky. And lots of horse get spooky over ulcers. Random pain makes them anxious.
My main mare is hugely embarrassed on the rare occasions she does startle but she is a bit of a sensitive flower and will refuse to participate in Physical Education if anything at all is uncomfortable.
Most horses don’t seem to have a spooky/reactive reaction to MSM. But mine does, and I know of at least one BNT that has had the same experience (but again, it’s super rare - most horses will be totally fine).
My boy is fine at lower doses of MSM, but when we upped it, he was spookier than usual. I backed it down and he was back to his usual self.
I decided a few years ago that of all the oral supplements, MSM was the only one that had reasonable research behind it, so that’s what I’ve kept my retired mare on. She also has mild asthma and allergies, and 20000 mg of MSM (split into two doses) per day hopefully helps with that, too.
Some horses get really hot on this amount of MSM, but I don’t think she is one of them.
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My MSM and my order of Omniety Premix shipped today. Expect them to arrive reasonably soon next week. I also re-started flax this week. I ran out over the summer and was so annoyed at the rats making a mess in my paddock eating manure for the whole flax seeds that I put it on pause.
I finally decided I would grind the flax at home because no way can I grind it in my loft without getting flax flying everywhere and attracting rats. So I’m grinding a cup every morning and taking a container. Going into Day 3.
Yesterday was after her first flax dinner the previous night and maresy was high energy in turnout and more alert and playful naughty than she’s been in ages, but I think that’s just cooler fall weather and a couple days off due to my work schedule. It was fun seeing her seem so much younger yesterday!
The problem with a sample of one. If this nice fall day happened right after I started MSM I would be singing it’s praises
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