In the Equestrian world, the health of your horse is of utmost importance. Every rider, groomer, and trainer knows this. Because without your horse’s health, you well… have no horse. Supplementation and daily vitamin regimens are nothing new to the industry, but one particular supplement is gaining traction and gratuitous amounts of positive praise.
This supplement is magnesium. Praised as the “Miracle Mineral”, magnesium is responsible for over 300 enzymatic reactions within the body; human and animal alike. Playing a fundamental role in bone development, the cardiovascular and muscle system, and energy metabolism, magnesium is an invaluable mineral for any living creature. But these benefits are especially helpful to our Equine friends.
Best taken transdermally (directly rubbed into the skin), magnesium can benefit instantaneously in some cases but certainly after long periods of use. Oral magnesium supplements are also sold, but are not as effective. A horse’s kidney is a powerful filter, and separates out much-needed magnesium through ingestion, and due to over farming and irrigation, magnesium has been depleted from our soil. These factors lead to horses receiving less and less magnesium and becoming deficient. Transdermal magnesium is more readily absorbed as well, due to magnesium’s function as a vasodilator causing it to be quickly taken in through skin tissue.
As a horse’s magnesium levels rise they can actually feel more calm and relaxed. This is due to magnesium’s effects of reducing tension in the muscle and cardiovascular system. People have reported horses that spook easily, no longer experiencing the tension of quick movements or other animals. Magnesium deficiency is the possible reason for a spooky horse. Better sleep is also reported when magnesium is supplemented.
Magnesium can also help a horse’s muscle contractions or cramps. When a muscle contracts itself calcium is released to lock in the muscle, and then magnesium is released to knock out the calcium to relax the muscle again. When there is a magnesium deficiency or an abundance in calcium the muscle cramps and contracts painfully. Supplementing magnesium through muscle soaks with Magnesium Chloride can prevent and relieve this ailment in horses.
The most effective way to use transdermal magnesium on horses is through soaks with Dead Sea Magnesium Chloride. The Dead Sea in Israel is the world’s oldest health retreat, amassing thousands of visitors each year. Along with the highest levels of magnesium chloride in the world, the Dead Sea’s salts also offer high levels of over 20 other essential minerals for wellbeing. This is why we recommend soaking your horse’s hooves in Dead Sea Salts and warm water for 15 minutes per hoof. This soaking session will do wonders for your horse and relax them.
As well as soaking their hooves, soaking towels in hot water with Dead Sea Salts and placing the towels on top of the neck, where the saddle lays, and on the horse’s haunch instantly will calm the horse and help with magnesium absorption. It is also recommended that you pour Dead Sea Magnesium Oil on these towels as well for an added boost.
The added magnesium supplementation will help your horse in a variety of ways including:
Calming and Relaxing the horse
Easing strain on the muscles after a training or riding session
Improve sleep
Help build and repair bones
Prevent the occurrence of cramps and sprains
Help heal joint issues
Reduce the likelihood that the horse will “spook”
Greatly increase cardiovascular health within the heart
Prevent and subdue “ticks and jerks” that the horse may have
Benefit the nervous system
Another great thing about trans-dermally supplementing magnesium to your hooved friend, is that it's near impossible for a horse to overdose on this natural mineral. With the added
magnesium a horse will be using the reserves in its system more productively and efficiently
burning it off in healthy ways faster preventing the already improbable chance of overdose.
Magnesium is an all-natural biological necessity. If your horse or even you yourself are deficient, then that could relieve any problems that may be occurring. There are no risks and all the gains.
Want to see the benefits of transdermal Magnesium therapy for yourself? Check out our Equine Health products.