My vet has looked at Sweetie and short of
a muscle biopsy, we are thinking she is hypo magnesium. I was grooming
her for international endurance, but she can be very nervous at the vet
checks to the point that she does not pulse down. I have tried her on
MVP magnesium, 7000mg a day, but needed 7000mg to see a
difference. It took at least a month to see improvement and two months
to have a safer horse. The low magnesium seemed to be the problem.
I am a very experienced endurance rider,
30+ years breeding and training my own horses. Sweetie's daughter is
much worse. No difference with 7000mg a day of magnesium. We call her
Emma the dilemma. She is 6 and energy explodes out of her face. These
are happy, healthy horses, but extremely sensitive to new surroundings
and anything touching their skin when not on magnesium. They have both
been to a very quiet, understanding trainer who did wonders, but the
physical problems with the muscles tremors and panic attacks very much
worried my vet, who is also my friend and worried about my safety. The
magnesium almost got rid of all the muscle tremors and panic attacks
are gone, but both mares are still nervous.
They are not worse in "season". Sweetie just goes a little faster down the trail and is much hungrier at the endurance ride.
This will be Sweetie's third endurance year. She is as nervous at
home as at the ride. She is still very insecure, even on trails we
train on all the time. She has learned to let horses pass her and pass
horses. She does not get very amped up when she is passed as she is
well trained. I do not allow any horses to be dangerous, spin and be
stupid. We step out of the situation and do some dressage work until
the horses are calm.
The trainer actually sent Emma home until
I could get her magnesium level figured out as she was not on it for
the two months that he had her. The trainer felt he could not do as
good a job with Emma wanting to blow at any moment. She never did as
she is cooperative, but I need to figure out how to control the
energy. The trainer worked with both horses, so he knew I had a
genetic issue with Emma and the low magnesium.
Both horses are on a good joint supplement and vitamin supplement with probiotics.
I work in emergency medicine and it is wonderful to talk to you, as you are asking all the appropriate questions.
Have a good New Years!
Karen