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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. 

Currently, I am discontinuing new questions. This may change in the future, but in the meantime, please know that It has been a true pleasure serving you. 

Take a look at my Nutrition Library and Tips of the Month for a variety of answers on selected topics. Be sure to sign up for my monthly e-newsletter, Forage for Thought

I also have a growing number of recordings on "Teleseminars on Nutrition Topics that Concern You" as well as the new, Spotlight on Equine Nutrition Series -- printed versions of favorite teleseminars.

And finally, look for my articles in a variety of local publications and online newsletters, as well as the Horse Journal, where I am the Contributing Nutrition Editor.  

 

All the best,

 Dr. Getty 

 



Ask the Nutritionist: Dr. Getty's Forum for Equine Nutrition
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Chromium supplement

Dr. Getty,
Is there a chromium supplement you recommend other than Quiessence? My IR horse is on Purina Wellsolve L/S and is getting your recommended amount of Magnesium from the Wellsolve. He is currently on 2 scoops of Quiessence daily but I am wondering if I should be concerned about giving him too much magnesium.

He is a 12yr old Arabian Gelding, about 1,000lbs., hard keeper w/cresty neck and regional fatty deposits. We show Hunter Pleasure and are currently conditioning for show season. He gets a mixed grass hay (all he wants), soaked alfalfa cubes and he is also on Nutra Flax (3 scoops daily).

Any advice or recommendations would be very much appreciated.

Erika

Where are you from? Indiana

How did you locate this forum? your Book

Re: Chromium supplement

Hi Erika,

The correct amount of magnesium would be 5 grams (5,000 mg) per 250 lbs of body weight. So your horse should have 20 grams per day.

One pound of Purina Wellsolve L/S provides 2.27 grams of magnesium.

Two scoops of Quiessence provides 10 grams of magnesium and 2.5 mg of chromium.

So, you would need to feed approximately 4.5 lbs of Purina Wellsolve to get the full 20 grams of magnesium. If you're feeding more than that, consider cutting back and examining why he is having trouble gaining weight. Poor teeth, ulcers, and "unhealthy" hindgut microbes are common reasons. Ration Plus is very effective in helping the microbial population derive more calories from his forage.

I hope this is helpful.

All the best,

Dr. Getty

Erika
Dr. Getty,
Is there a chromium supplement you recommend other than Quiessence? My IR horse is on Purina Wellsolve L/S and is getting your recommended amount of Magnesium from the Wellsolve. He is currently on 2 scoops of Quiessence daily but I am wondering if I should be concerned about giving him too much magnesium.

He is a 12yr old Arabian Gelding, about 1,000lbs., hard keeper w/cresty neck and regional fatty deposits. We show Hunter Pleasure and are currently conditioning for show season. He gets a mixed grass hay (all he wants), soaked alfalfa cubes and he is also on Nutra Flax (3 scoops daily).

Any advice or recommendations would be very much appreciated.

Erika

Where are you from? Bayfield, CO

Re: Chromium supplement

Dr. Getty,

Thank you for your reply. Since he is getting the recommended amount of Magnesium from the Wellsolve, is there a Chromium Supplement that you could recommend?

Erika

Where are you from? Indiana

How did you locate this forum? your Book

Re: Chromium supplement

Hi Erika,

Thank you for your patience.

Yes, I highly recommend Quiessence because it provides magnesium and chromium, as well as some B vitamins in a palatable pellet. Each one ounce scoop provides 5,000 mg (5 g) of magnesium.

Best regards,

Dr. Getty

Erika
Dr. Getty,

Thank you for your reply. Since he is getting the recommended amount of Magnesium from the Wellsolve, is there a Chromium Supplement that you could recommend?

Erika

Where are you from? Bayfield, CO

Re: Chromium supplement

Hello again, Erika,

You asked about a chromium supplement, not magnesium ... my apologies. If your horse is already getting enough magnesium from Wellsolve, then he may already be getting some chromium from his hay. If you live in the southwest where soils tend to be alkaline, a chromium supplement would be helpful. Go with a human preparation of chromium picolinate to provide an additional 1000 mcg (1 mg) of chromium.

All the best,

Dr. Getty


Erika
Dr. Getty,

Thank you for your reply. Since he is getting the recommended amount of Magnesium from the Wellsolve, is there a Chromium Supplement that you could recommend?

Erika

Where are you from? Bayfield, CO