Jenquine Magnesium for Horses: Nature’s Calmer and Muscle Supporter

 

 

Magnesium for Horses: Nature’s Calmer and Muscle Supporter

Magnesium (Mg) is gaining recognition in equine health circles for its calming effects and support of muscular function. Long celebrated anecdotally by horse owners and vets, recent studies are now confirming what many have observed for years.

One standout Australian study compared oral magnesium to the sedative acetylpromazine (ACE) using a “reaction speed test.” Horses startled in a chute moved at 5.3 m/sec before treatment. After ACE, their speed dropped to 3.5 m/sec. Remarkably, after seven days of 10g magnesium daily, their speed fell further to 3.1 m/sec, showing magnesium’s superior calming effect.

Another study measured stress responses during a weighbridge loading task. Horses given magnesium or ACE had significantly lower heart rates and cortisol levels than unsupplemented horses. These findings suggest magnesium can be a natural alternative to sedatives.

Magnesium’s calming power is linked to its role in activating thiamine (vitamin B1), which also reduces anxiety. A deficiency in magnesium can lead to a secondary thiamine deficiency, compounding stress and excitability. Historical data from 1961 showed racehorses given thiamine were noticeably calmer, confirmed by trainers and jockeys unaware of the treatment.

When mares are in-season, ionised levels of magnesium in the blood fall – contributing to behavioural issues that can be ameliorated with correct magnesium supplementation.

For horse owners seeking a natural way to manage anxiety, irritability, and muscular issues, magnesium supplementation offers a promising solution. In addition to its calming and muscular benefits, magnesium plays a vital role in several veterinary conditions. It is involved in insulin resistance and equine metabolic syndrome, where horses with insulin dysregulation show lowered intracellular magnesium, contributing to elevated blood insulin levels. Magnesium imbalance is also linked to synchronous diaphragmatic flutter, a condition common in endurance, event, and racehorses. In young horses, magnesium supports skeletal development and mineralisation, helping to prevent developmental bone and growth disorders. Magnesium deficiency is further associated with tetany, including both grass and transit-related forms, which affect neuromuscular function. However, magnesium is not involved in the condition known as “bighead” (nutritional secondary hyperparathyroidism). Studies confirm that oxalates do not impact magnesium status in horses, unlike in ruminants such as cows and sheep, highlighting the importance of species-specific research.

Jenquine EzyMAG+ for muscles and mind

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