IDEAS TO HELP WITH FIREWORKS AND HORSES:
Did you know that if you give your horse (a full-sized horse of 15-16h) a tablespoon of magnesium mixed into some feed, that it can aid relaxation and help some horses cope better with the anxiety and distress caused by fireworks.
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This is because when Magnesium oxide/chelate/proteinate or a blend of the 3 is fed in high dose rates like those recommended below that it acts as a muscle relaxant and mild sedative.
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Please be aware that this should not be used as a regular occurrence for horses, as giving them magnesium like this can prevent the uptake of many other essential minerals, as it needs to be fed in the correct ratios with other minerals to benefit the body. So, we recommend only using it like this as a one-off for a stressful event.
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We have used Magnesium with rescue horses like this for floating, vet visits etc....to help keep them calm for many years to pleasing results and we use this with our herd in the following dose rates:
minis-5g-teaspoon
pony-10g
cob 20g
horse-25g
warmblood-30g
draft-35g
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Please be sure you are not adding these rates to other magnesium sources already fed to your horse, as that could be too much. Whilst magnesium is passed through the body when fed at too high of a dose rate, it can be hard work on the horse's kidney and liver if given at too high of a rate and, therefore, is not recommended to be fed long-term at high dose rates.
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Putting out plenty of hay or even a snack ball to keep the horse occupied is another good idea to take their mind off the firework noise etc...
Bright tape or flags etc... added to fencing can also help to prevent your horse from jumping out of your paddock should they get a scare as it shows them the fence is there.
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Making sure they are not alone, such as being in with a buddy, can also help alleviate their fears as the horse's mindset always says that there is safety in numbers when out are a horse.
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Try to check on your horse throughout the evening to ensure they are ok.
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If you are close enough to the fireworks it can be a good idea to check the paddocks the following day for any fireworks debris
We hope this will help your horse get through the dreaded fireworks season.
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We sell Magnesium and an Equine Calmer to help with times of stress for horses.