Ask the Nutritionist: Dr. Getty's Forum for Equine Nutrition
Welcome to my forum.
Here you will find more than 6 years of questions and my answers. It is searchable and offers a great deal of information.
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All the best,
Dr. Getty
Hello Melanie,
Thank you for your patience. Your horse sounds like a very healthy fellow but there is a chance that he could benefit from additional magnesium in his diet. Most horses do not get enough of this mineral, and deficiencies, even those that are borderline, can manifest themselves in behavioral problems such as lack of attention, inability to concentrate, and sometimes irritability.
These is a supplement called Quiessence that I can ship to the UK if you like, but you may be able to avoid the hefty shipping charges by finding something similar locally. You'll want to find a magnesium supplement that will provide an additional 5,000 mg per 225 kg of body weight. So if he is 400 kg, for example, he'll need approximately 9000 mg of elemental magnesium.
Try this for two to three weeks and see if you notice a difference. If you do, then you've identified the problem. If this does not help, then we can investigate further.
All the best,
Dr. Getty 
I have an irish cob 15.1h in great condition with a good weight but not overweight.
He is a wonderful chap but is very very laid back. I am competing in dressage and when we compete away from our yard he works well but when schooling at home it is almost impossible to encourage him to stay forward. I have been working with my instructor and trying various feeds but nothing seems to work.
I have had him on pony nuts, competition mix and other mixes fed at the recommmended weights.
I ride him six days a week for approx 3/4 to 1.5 hrs.
4 days schooling and 2 days hacking. He is stabled at night and on haylage. He lives out during the day.
He is in very good health. He doesn't need to put any more weight on.
There seems to be lots of supplements for calming horses but not for injecting some forward thinking!
I would appreciate any help you could give.
Thankyou
Melanie.
Where are you from? Bayfield, CO