Do you know what horses need magnesium for?

Do you know what horses need magnesium for?


And what is the most effective form of magnesium?

Magnesium is an essential mineral that horses need for optimal muscle function and nerve transmission. It participates in energy metabolism, enzyme function, electrolyte balance, and the recovery of muscle tissue after exercise. Magnesium acts as an electrolyte in the horse’s body. It also participates in protein synthesis and in over 300 different metabolic processes. It is especially important for growing horses and heavily trained horses, because magnesium is lost through sweat.

Magnesium can help relieve muscle pain and cramps after hard training. In addition, it may have a performance-enhancing effect, because it supports improved oxygen delivery to muscles, muscle strength, and metabolic processes. For this reason, magnesium is particularly important for heavily trained sport horses that sweat a lot, to support performance and recovery. In young horses, growing bones and muscles require magnesium. Pregnant and lactating mares also have a higher magnesium requirement.

It is also good to be aware that stress depletes the body’s magnesium stores, which is why magnesium supplementation is often recommended for nervous horses. Too little magnesium in the body can increase sympathetic nervous system activity. Studies conducted at Charles Sturt University in Australia and the Waltham Equine Studies Group in the UK suggest that magnesium may positively affect the behaviour of nervous horses.

Magnesium is also recommended for horses suffering from insulin resistance, because magnesium helps cells respond to insulin and therefore affects insulin resistance and equine metabolic syndrome. Magnesium plays a central role in converting glucose from feed into energy. For this reason, adding magnesium to the diet may improve insulin sensitivity, especially in overweight horses.

An important macro-mineral

Magnesium is a macro-mineral, meaning it is needed in larger amounts than many other minerals. Grass and hay do not usually provide enough magnesium, so it must be obtained from other feeds. A 500 kg horse at rest needs about 8 grams of magnesium per day from its diet. The amount increases with exertion so that a horse in light work needs 10 grams, moderate work 12 grams, and heavy work 15 grams. A higher amount helps a training horse compensate for magnesium lost through sweat and helps muscles recover after exercise. Calcium and magnesium have a balancing effect in the body, so they should be in a ratio of 2.5:1 to 3:1. Magnesium toxicity is unlikely in horses, because excess amounts are efficiently excreted in urine. In horses with kidney failure, magnesium dosing must be handled carefully. In horses, about 60% of magnesium is bound in bones, making it essential for maintaining a healthy skeleton and for calcium absorption. The remaining 40% is bound in extracellular fluids and soft tissues.

Organic vs. inorganic

Supplemental magnesium can be either inorganic (magnesium sulphate or magnesium oxide) or organic (chelated) magnesium.

Minerals originate naturally from the earth and are essential for maintaining all physiological functions in the body. As supplements, two types of minerals are available for horses: inorganic and organic (natural) forms. Organic magnesium is the form that horses can utilise most effectively from a biological perspective. Organic minerals more closely resemble the natural compounds found in plants. For this reason, the body recognises them more easily at absorption sites and transports them from the small intestine into the bloodstream. The absorption rate of the best magnesium chelates is about 30%, which is significantly higher than that of inorganic forms.

The most common inorganic forms of magnesium are magnesium oxide and magnesium sulphate. The body does not recognise inorganic forms as naturally occurring molecules, and therefore they do not break down as easily into smaller units that can be transported through the intestinal mucosa into the bloodstream. For this reason, magnesium oxide, for example, has been reported to absorb very poorly—at most only about 4%—which means that a much larger amount is needed to ensure the same magnesium intake.

Magnesium oxide requires the acidity of stomach acids to release the mineral molecule for absorption, and it may therefore cause stomach irritation and diarrhoea. The biological form is more absorbable, more stomach-friendly, and it reduces the risk of negative interactions associated with inorganic minerals. For this reason, organic forms are always better and safer. The organic form is efficiently utilised and provides maximum benefit.

CdG ORGANIC MAGNESIUM - magnesium for horses

CdG Organic Magnesium, 37,50 €

Magnesium deficiency

Horses that do not receive enough magnesium in their diet may be irritable or nervous. They may have chronic muscle tightness or problems with stamina. In addition, stumbling and teeth grinding can be signs of magnesium deficiency. It has been estimated that as many as 20% of all horses, and over 50% of sick horses, suffer from magnesium deficiency! Severe magnesium deficiency can be life-threatening, but such a condition is rare in horses. High fibre, phosphate, fat, or grain levels in the feed can reduce magnesium absorption in horses.

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