Like us, horses need to consume a number of different minerals to stay healthy.
Though many minerals are plentiful in grass, hay, and feeds, magnesium is one that you might want to
consider supplementing, especially in spring when fast-growing grasses become depleted of
this mineral.
Magnesium is involved in many different functions in the body: it’s an essential component of
bones and teeth, with up to 60% of the body’s magnesium contained in the skeletal system.
However, only 30% of that amount is available to be used by other parts of the body, when
needed.
Magnesium also works alongside calcium to facilitate nerve transmission and muscle function.
Another important function of magnesium is to protect against inflammation and free-radical
damage in the body.
For horses with Equine Metabolic Syndrome (EMS) or insulin resistance (IR), adequate
magnesium levels are vital for normal secretion of insulin and uptake of glucose. Magnesium
can help break down the fatty deposits these horses often develop along their neckline or rump.
However, when supplementing magnesium, keep in mind that it needs to be balanced with
calcium since they compete with each other for absorption. In the muscles, calcium is charge of
contraction while magnesium helps with relaxation. Horses typically need a calcium to
magnesium ratio of anywhere between 2-3:1. However, IR and EMS horses may benefit from a
ratio as high as a 1:1.
If your horse shows any of the following symptoms, they may be in need of more magnesium:
- Irritability
- Hypersensitivity when being brushed or saddled
- Inability to relax, physically or mentally
- Muscle twitching or spasms
- Inability to tolerate long periods of work
- Difficulty with collection
- History of tying up
- Excessive spookiness
- Painful heat cycle
- Teeth grinding
- Irregular heartbeat
- Anxiety/nervousness
- Gait disturbances
Magnesium can be lost through sweat and urine, and horses deficient in magnesium may crave
salt, leading them to excessively lick salt blocks. Calcium-rich diets. such as those high in
alfalfa, can easily create a calcium-magnesium imbalance, necessitating magnesium
supplementation as well.
The good news is that magnesium is easy and affordable to supplement, and toxicity situations
are rare. One of the most common forms of magnesium for horses is magnesium oxide, which
is considered the most cost effective and safest magnesium supplement. It can be found
through many different equine supplement companies such as HorseTech or Mad Barn.
