Magnesium Sulphate (Epsom Salts)
$9.50
Epsom Salt (Magnesium Sulfate)
For horses and humans.
Traditionally used in a weekly mash and to replace lost mineral salts after exertion, but also valuable as a salt bath.
Epsom salts, or magnesium sulfate, is becoming an increasingly common supplement for horses.
Magnesium plays an important part in nerve and muscle function, and horses deficient in this important element can show signs of nervousness, wariness, excitability, and muscle tremors.
This gives magnesium its reputation for having a calming influence on equines.
A deficient horse is likely to have a poor tolerance to work and its muscles will tie up quite quickly.
Magnesium is also known to play an important part in reducing equine obesity, and can lessen the risk of laminitis in animals prone to it during periods of strong spring grass growth.
Epsom salts is best known as a laxative.
Give your horse an overly generous amount and, just like people, they’ll be feeling the effects of diarrhoea.
Anything greater than one level tablespoon a day per 100kg of your horse’s bodyweight is likely to result in a case of the runs.
Excessive magnesium will be excreted in the urine, but major overdoses have been linked to heart conduction problems and renal trouble, so it’s important you don’t overdo it.
The magnesium requirement of a typical horse was put at 13 milligrams per kilogram of bodyweight per day.
Horses that are growing, lactating, or in work will use more each day.
For example, a lot of magnesium can be lost in sweat.
For such animals, the quantity could be increased 1.5 to 2 times the maintenance dose.
Opinion appears to vary on whether magnesium supplementation is needed at all.
It will, of course, depend in part on whether the soils on which a horse is grazing are deficient in the element.
Any such deficiency will be reflected in the grass grown.
In general, a horse is likely to get between 60 per cent and 100 per cent of its daily magnesium needs through a normal forage diet.
Deficiencies are most likely in spring, during periods of strong grass growth, and even in winter on pastures in milder areas where grass is being pushed along with fertiliser.
Supplementation of magnesium in a deficient horse will have a huge effect on its wellbeing.
INTESTIN PURIFIER / LAMINITES.
Very useful if the rectum has to been cleaned fast, f.i. with acute laminites, when toxins heap up due to a hold-up and are the kick start for this painful condition.
EXITABLE NERVOUS HORSES.
Some nervous or over exitable horses can benefit by Epsom Salt.
One tablespoon (± 10gr.) in the morning and 1 in the evening can be useful.
WHITE HORSES.
Epsom salt is also used to make the coat of white horses whiter.
HOOF ABCESSES / INFLAMMATION.
A dilution of Epsom Salt in water makes a perfect soaking against abcesses and inflammation.
MUSCLES.
A (contrast)bath with Epsom salt acts relaxing on the muscles (see below).
HEADSHAKERS / RESPIRATORY PROBLEMS DUE TO POLLEN.
Epsom salt has an beneficial effect against pollen problems.