A horse that consumes 10kgs of cool season pasture grass will get about less than one gram of salt from that grass. Remember grass has NO requirement for salt so doesn’t bother to uptake it. Grass has no interest in the health of your horse or whether you and your horse have a terrible time or not! READ: Horse Wound-Care Guide] Making homemade first-aid recipes can help your horse if you are in a pinch! Horse&Rider Epsom salts have been shown to relieve pain, making them an excellent addition to your horse’s pain management plan, particularly for conditions causing discomfort like hoof abscesses or muscle strains. Dioctyl Sodium Sulfosuccinate (DSS) is a laxative but rarely used in the USA due to the potential of inducing a severe colitis. As for the type of loose salt, my go-to is regular iodized table salt, because I find that the small amount of additional iodine is often beneficial in the ration, unless the horse is receiving kelp-based supplements. Kelp-based supplements typically provide several times the daily National Research Council requirement for iodine, and, therefore, I’m not keen in these instances to add more.

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. Where possible, monitor one thing at a time. For example, if you are concerned about spooky or erratic behaviour, you might try a magnesium supplement. You might also try a mycotoxin binder. The diuretic effect of Epsom salts can also disrupt the balance of electrolytes in a horse’s body. Electrolytes, such as sodium, potassium, and magnesium, are essential for nerve and muscle function. Imbalances can result in muscle weakness, fatigue, irregular heartbeat, and other health issues. It is recommended to monitor electrolyte levels and consult with a veterinarian before and during Epsom salt treatments. 3. Gastrointestinal Upset

Treatment

Mechanisms affecting magnesium uptake in a horse are complex, and not always related to too little magnesium in the diet. It is just as likely that magnesium deficiency is caused by too much potassium in the diet inhibiting uptake.

Deficiencies in magnesium can result in nervousness, muscle tremors, incoordination, increased respiration and even death. Many commonly used feed ingredients (e.g. Lucerne, beet pulp) contain about 0.1 to 0.3 percent magnesium with an absorption rate of approximately 40 to 60 %. Excessive magnesium will be excreted in the urine, but overdoses have been linked to decreased calcium and phosphorus uptake, compromised intestinal integrity, heart conduction problems and renal trouble, so it’s important not to over supplement. Horses may display anxious behaviour when they are experiencing a magnesium deficiency. However, there is no significant scientific evidence to demonstrate that providing magnesium in excess of daily requirements has a calming affect. If sand : psyllium 0.5 g/kg PO BID or 1g/kg PO SID combined with the same dose of magnesium sulfate or with 2L mineral oil. Psyllium is the main ingredient in metamucil; it is a soluble fiber that is hard to digest and pulls water into the manure. Magnesium sulfate is also an osmotic laxative has been shown more effective than mineral oil. The concoction can be given in place of oral water via nasogastric tube. You can read more about sand impactions in the impactions chapter. Another benefit is that a single dose of flunixin—250-500 mg for a horse weighing 450 kilograms (about 1,000 pounds)—generally will not mask a surgical lesion for an extended period of time, he said.

only_me - that is very interesting - I had never noticed that before. Makes you wonder about all these special feeds that are around. I wonder if quantity is the key for that one as the action of the quantity I've stated would not work as a laxative. Mueller said veterinarians have several options for getting endotoxemia under control, including antiserum, equine plasma, and the antibiotic Polymixin B. These products help neutralize, bind, or eliminate the endotoxins from the bloodstream. Epsom salts work on drawing out abscesses by a process called osmosis. Osmosis is the transport of water-soluble material through a semipermeable membrane from a region of high concentration to a region of low concentration. Epsom salts work by the imbalance in water concentration. For example, an abscess is more concentrated in the hoof than in Epsom salt. When you soak or use an Epsom salt poultice, the abscessed material moves out of the hoof into the lower-concentration region in the salt.