By Juliet M. Getty, Ph.D.
Magnesium – you hear about it a lot these days, particularly when it comes to treating obese horses, especially those with the telltale sign of insulin resistance – stubborn fat deposits along the crest of the neck and back, and behind the shoulders. And since magnesium is also involved with maintaining normal neuromuscular activity, supplementing it can have a dramatic impact on calming behavior, easing sensitivity, and improving muscle function and endurance.
The insulin resistant animal responds well to large amounts of supplemental magnesium[i]. However, magnesium needs to be balanced with calcium because calcium competes with it for absorption; therefore the magnesium content should be at least half that of calcium. Forages grown in areas of acidic or clay soils are typically low in magnesium. Compound this with low bioavailability, and your equine friend may be getting just enough to prevent a deficiency but not quite enough to maintain normal hormonal and nervous system functioning.
To help with regional fat deposits, I recommend supplementing magnesium to bring it in line with calcium. A 2:1 ratio of Ca:Mg is appropriate and can be as high as 1:1.
Consider this example: Your hay contains .25% magnesium and .60% calcium. Twenty pounds provides:
Assume that only 50% of the magnesium from your hay is absorbed; therefore, only 11.35 grams of magnesium is provided by this hay. Supplement additional magnesium to bring the Ca:Mg ratio to 2:1[ii]. So in this example, you should supplement an additional 16 grams of magnesium to bring the Ca:Mg ratio into balance.
Obviously it is best to test your hay before supplementing magnesium. If this is not feasible, offer your 1000 lb horse a more conservative amount -- say 10 grams per day. Continue supplementing until you see the fat pads start to diminish (can take several months); then reduce the amount of magnesium by half.
To help with behavior or muscular issues, experiment by adding 3 to 10 grams of magnesium to the diet. Results should be seen within a week; if not, magnesium is not the issue.
Magnesium found in forages and feedstuffs is not well absorbed – only 40 to 60 percent. This has a lot to do with competition from calcium. Consequently, inorganic sources such as magnesium oxide, citrate, and sulfate have a higher absorption rate (70%) than magnesium found in natural sources.[iii] Comparisons between three inorganic sources are shown below:
Commonly Supplemented Inorganic Magnesium Sources and Concentrations
|
|||
Source |
Percent Magnesium |
Amount needed |
Comments |
Magnesium oxide |
56.2% |
8.9 grams |
Readily absorbed and most concentrated. |
Magnesium citrate |
11.0% |
45.5 grams |
Most easily absorbed but low concentration, necessitating larger amounts. |
Magnesium sulfate |
9.8% |
51.0 grams |
Epsom salt. Poorly absorbed and has a high laxative effect. |
The magnesium found in natural sources is chelated (bound) to another molecule, such as an amino acid, to facilitate absorption. While the absorption rate is slightly diminished by calcium, whole foods boost your horse’s overall diet by adding additional minerals, as well as vitamins, fats, and protein.
Whole food sources of magnesium are not nearly as concentrated as a magnesium supplement. But they can aid in reducing insulin resistance, as well as protect your horse’s nervous system and muscles. These foods are especially high in magnesium, and are listed from high to low levels (found in one cup):
Not likely. According to the National Research Council[v], the maximum tolerable concentration is 0.8 percent. Twenty pounds of hay testing at this level would provide a whopping 72.64 grams (72,640 mg) of magnesium. The gastrointestinal tract only absorbs what the body needs and the rest is excreted in the manure. However, since the kidneys are responsible for excreting magnesium, supplements should never be given to a horse with impaired kidney function; this would result in high blood magnesium levels, leading to neuromuscular symptoms such as depressed behavior and ataxia.
Many horses experience a borderline deficiency of magnesium because of its poor absorption rate from forages. Regional fat deposits, indicative of insulin resistance, can be reduced through magnesium supplementation (in combination with low starch/sugar diets and exercise), offering some protection against laminitis. Neuromuscular and behavioral sensitivities can also be alleviated with added magnesium.
This article originally appeared on Getty Equine Nutrition and is published here with permission.
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by Allyson Coluccio
An expert in importing, Allyson Coluccio provides her take on what to look out for before buying a horse from across the pond
I have been importing horses since the early 90’s. Well, I suppose it actually started with the ponies! I started with importing British Riding Ponies from England. At the time, Warmbloods were just becoming more popular, so in 1995, I began importing horses as well.
To date, I’ve imported hundreds of horses from Europe to the United States, primarily focusing on horses from Holland, Belgium, and Germany. While at this point I’m a seasoned professional in the importing business, I still manage to learn new things everyday—and I hope to share that sentiment with others that are interested in importing.
While finding the horse that fits your needs for the ring you wish to compete in is important, I encourage buyers to seek out the most amateur-friendly horse you can find. While these do exist in America, I find that the horses in Europe with the best brains are actually less expensive than here.
In Europe, they value a little more blood than the average person in America. While they have caught on to the idea of “hunter-izing,” you may be able to get the slow and steady horse for a purchase price of $40,000 that would otherwise cost six figures in the United States.
Outside of the potential savings you could get from this type, the obvious reason to buy the best-brained horse is for safety and assurance in the ring and on the ground; that quieter horse means less prep, which means less wear and tear on the horse.
I currently have a horse that I think is the best horse we have ever had. It doesn’t matter if he hasn’t been turned out or ridden consistently. Every day that he comes out, I am just as likely to put an eight-year-old on him as I am an eighty-five-year old. That’s what makes him great!
A Common Trap
As an expert, even I have been fooled by the rumored “X-ray swap.” I recently purchased a horse from someone that I have bought from before, and sure enough, the X-rays I was given were not the ones that belonged to the horse. Luckily, they were mediocre X-rays exchanged for other mediocre X-rays, but it’s important to make sure you do everything possible to ensure this doesn’t happen to you!
Even if a seller has X-rays for a horse, be sure to pull your own and confirm that the name, microchip number, or other identifying qualities match with the horse that you are purchasing.
On the subject of X-rays, I’d like to stress the importance of sometimes looking beyond the X-rays. As a whole, what comes up in films is very rarely what becomes an injury to a horse. More horses get soft tissue injuries due to the excessive work we do in America. That’s not something that has anything to do with an X-ray; that’s a people problem!
If you’re on a budget, I highly recommend you consider the horse with a blemish. Consult your vet to see how it may impact them long term. Who knows, you may end up with the WEF hack winner at a fraction of the price as it would be in America.
Importing can be a super fun way to find your next partner. Just make sure you’re smart about the buying process and find the one that is the best fit for you.
This article originally appeared on The Plaid Horse and is published here with permission. All photos courtesy of The Plaid Horse.
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Cornell Equine Seminar Series - "Pre-purchase Headaches in the Sport Horse: Risky Bone Chips, Lumps, Conformation and More!" presented by Dr. John Pigott, recorded April 18, 2023 via Zoom.
This lecture discusses common abnormalities and questions that veterinarians, buyers and sellers face during pre-purchase examination of the sport horse. If there is a bone chip, is it ok to still buy the horse? What are the chances of a conformational abnormality turning into a problem in the future? This seminar will explore the concept of risk assessment during pre-purchase and how to make the most informed decision when questions arise.
The following is an excerpt from How Two Minds Meet: The Mental Dynamics of Dressage by Beth Baumert.
Horses are herd animals, and when it comes to riding horses, the importance of this fact is often overlooked and underestimated. All successful horse and rider partnerships are based on understanding the herd mentality.
By instinct, horses are “fight-or-flight” creatures, so they need a responsible leader to protect them in the face of threats. That’s how horses are in the wild, and those inclinations are still with horses that have been domesticated. They still need a leader and they will either fight or run away in the face of danger. Although your horse may come to trust you as his leader, it will serve you well to keep his innate needs in mind.
Emotionally, horses are as innately as different as people are, or as dogs are. Some are friendly, self-assured, and trusting like a Labrador; some are scrappy like a Jack Russell Terrier; others are insecure and unreasonably fearful. But unlike dogs who love you no matter what, horses require that you earn their affection.
When horses are wronged, they certainly don’t come back for more like dogs often do. They’re closer to cats on the spectrum of showing positive emotion. They might, in fact, feel love, but they don’t express it like dogs. Horses are matter of fact when it comes to what they like and what they don’t like. They’re more apt to show their fear than their positive responses. As a trainer working on gaining their trust, you try to reverse this trend. In the face of a fearful situation, a trained horse ideally turns to his rider for direction.
Being the leader isn’t always as simple as it sounds. Some horses wander aimlessly and don’t act as if they want to follow you. Others are pushy, and don’t appear to see you as the leader, either: they invade your space and don’t seem to want to be a follower. A horse might not be safe and trustworthy; you need to find a way for him to accept your leadership so you can trust him. Trust has to go both ways.
There are many different exercises and tasks that you can do to establish trust, like teaching your horse to respect your space, playing games together, being clear with your aids, and being trustworthy yourself.
When a new mare came into my daughter Jennifer Baumert’s life, she was eager to listen to everything the horse had to say. She wanted to get to know the new mare, so her first time in the saddle, she asked lots of questions: “How are you? How do you feel today? What’s your opinion of this and that?” The first day went well. Despite some basic connection issues, Jennifer felt she had a great rapport with the mare. The next day, Jennifer was armed with an agenda that she felt was a positive and appropriate plan. But the mare could feel Jennifer’s determination and felt threatened. In the past, other riders hadn’t been very kind and fair leaders, so the mare was immediately concerned about her rider’s position as leader. Jennifer was surprised that the mare suddenly became defensive.
Individual horses determine the limits to your leadership, especially when it comes to mares and ponies. There is a saying, “You ask a stallion, tell a gelding, negotiate with a mare, and pray with a pony.” Some might say you submit a 10-page request form to a mare! The bottom line is that all horses are different. When, over time, Jennifer’s mare grew to trust her, she was a very willing partner, but Jennifer always respected her leadership limitations—always made small talk during the warmup to check on the mare’s basic comforts.
Mares have a reputation for being opinionated because they have a keen sense of fairness. Ones with a history of less than ideal riding are particularly guarded. It isn’t simply about gender and temperament, but about history and whether the horse is trusting or not.
To be seen as trustworthy, you need to be consistent, clear, kind, and fair. This doesn’t mean you spoil your horse. Consistency and clarity require the physical skill and ability to follow the horse precisely, then to give exactly the same aids for the same request every time. This helps the horse better understand what, exactly, you are asking. This is important in all aspects of horsemanship, whether you are working with your horse on the ground or under saddle.
How Two Minds Meet: The Mental Dynamics of Dressage
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This excerpt from How Two Minds Meet: The Mental Dynamics of Dressage is reprinted with permission from Trafalgar Square Books. Visit them online at Horse & Rider Books. All photos courtesy of Horse & Rider Books.
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