Page 86 - Speedhorse May 2019

EPSOM SALT
by Denise Steffanus
. . . Epsom salt is not salty. It contains no sodium. The technical name is magnesium sulfate. Magnesium is important for muscle function, a healthy nervous system, sound bones, and healthy kidneys.
Epsom salt is a staple in every horseman’s tack room. Principally used in poultices and hoof packings, Epsom salt draws water out of the
body, making it excellent for reducing swelling and removing toxins. If applied as a paste, it gen- erates soothing heat. Because of its ability to pool water, Epsom salt sometimes is used as a laxative to draw water to the intestines to soften stool.
But what, exactly, is it? And how does it do its work?
First of all, Epsom salt is not salty. It contains no sodium. The technical name is magnesium sulfate. Magnesium is important for muscle function, a healthy nervous system, sound bones, and healthy kidneys. It is important in the formation of strong bones, with 50% of the body’s magnesium found in the horse’s skeleton.
Sulfur is a macronutrient, which is required in large amounts by the body because it is
o on n e e o o f f t t h h e e b b u u i i l l d d i i n n g g b b l l o o c c k k s s o o f f D DN N A A . . S S u u l l f f u u r r i i s s one of the most abundant elements on Earth. Methylsulfonylmethane (MSM), a popular antioxidant supplement, has a sulfur compo- nent, as does DMSO (Dimethyl sulfoxide).
Epsom salt is available in two grades: USP (United States Pharmacopeia) and technical. Epsom salt with the USP designation is safe for human and animal use. This grade is manufac- tured, tested, and certified to meet the stringent regulatory standards of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the United States Pharmacopeia. Technical grade is not as pure, so it is used for agricultural and industrial purposes.
E E P P S S O O M M S S A A L LT T I I N N T T H H E E D D I I E E T T
N N u u t t r r i i t t i i o o n n i i s s t t D D r r . . M M e e l l y y n n i i W Wo o r r t t h h , , f f o o u u n n d d e e r r of Foxden Equine in Stuarts Ford, Virginia,
studied magnesium while developing her calm- ing supplement Quiessence, a combination of m m a a g g n n e e s s i iu u m m o o x x i i d d e e a a n n d d m m a a g g n n e e s s i iu u m m p p r r o o t t e e i i n n a a t t e e with chromium piccolinate.
“There is some use of Epsom salt orally, but it is very limited because the sulfate ion is very irritating.
It gives them diarrhea very quickly,” she said. For that reason, Epsom salt can be fed as a
laxative, no more than two tablespoons for a 1,000- pound horse. When fed in combination with psyl- lium fiber, Epsom salt has been shown to carry sand out of the intestines in horses prone to sand colic.
Laxatives rarely are given to horses because of the potential to make a bad situation worse, should the horse have an intestinal blockage or twisted gut. Never feed a horse Epsom salt without your veterinarian’s approval.
Toxicity is not a threat if magnesium is given orally, but if injected, it can be fatal.
“The body controls magnesium very tightly, but when you inject, you override those controls,” Worth said. “Then the magnesium level goes up very high, and it stops the heart, hits the brain, and the horse dies. Taking it by
mouth, it can’t be toxic because it has a laxative effect. It just comes flying out the other end.”
She cautioned that Epsom salt in the diet can upset the balance of the gut microflora, the col- ony of bacteria that maintains a healthy gut. She warned not to give it to a horse whose gut already is compromised or in horses with impaired kidney function or restricted access to water. Symptoms of excess magnesium are depression, muscle flaccidity, and uncoordinated gait.
Signs of magnesium deficiency are nervous tension, irritability, muscle tetany, and neurological problems. Additionally, because the largest store
is in the skeleton, magnesium is drawn out of the bones when it is needed to support other functions. No test for magnesium deficiency exists.
“The best way to test is to give magnesium and see if the horse gets better,” Worth said.
STORED MAGNESIUM
T T h h e e l l a a r r g g e e s s t t s s t t o o r r e e f f o o r r m m a a g g n n e e s s i i u u m m i i s s i i n n t t h h e e h h o o r r s s e e ’ ’s s s s k k e e l l e e t t o o n n , , w w h h e e r r e e 5 5 0 0 % % o o f f t t h h e e b b o o d d y y ’ ’s s m m a a g g n n e e s s i i u u m m i i s s f f o o u u n n d d . . T T h h e e r r e e , , i i t t i i s s d d r r a a w w n n o o u u t t o o f f t t h h e e b b o o n n e e s s w w h h e e n n needed to support other functions.
84 SPEEDHORSE, May 2019