02/07/2024
A great article by Stable-Ised Equine regarding salt supplementation for horses and myth busting.
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π΄ I love reading about misconceptions when it comes to feeding horses, but today Iβd like to debunk some common myths about good old sodium chloride.
π§ Myth #1: Salt only needs to be fed when the weather is hot.
π΄ Truth #1: Salt needs to be fed 365 days a year because it is vital for many bodily processes and is excreted in sweat, saliva, mucous and urine. Even in the midst of winter, horses need salt.
π§ Myth #2: Horses instinctively know to drink water regularly, especially when they are hot and sweaty.
π΄ Truth #2: A horseβs thirst reflex is triggered by sodium, which is a component of salt. Horsesβ sodium requirements need to be met in order for them to seek water.
π§ Myth #3: A horse can meet their sodium and chloride requirements with a salt block alone.
π΄ Truth #3: Unlike cattle, horses do not have an abrasive tongue and are not designed to lick harsh surfaces to extract nutrients. While it is technically possible for a horse to consume their daily salt requirement from a salt block, it is much less work and more physiologically-appropriate for them to consume loose salt that is either provided in a meal or left out free-choice.
π§ Myth #4: Horses know what nutrients they need and can self-medicate with supplements such as vitamins and minerals.
π΄ Truth #4: Salt is the only nutrient horses have been studied and proven to actively seek out when it is required. They will not seek out other nutrients βbecause they know they need it.β Look at how much salt and molasses (palatable additives) are added to free-choice supplements.
π§ Myth #5: Himalayan rock salt is better for horses than plain salt.
π΄ Truth #5: Himalayan rock salt contains naturally occurring components other than sodium and chloride. Some may view this as a positive; however, it is usually a more expensive means of supplementing salt, and often contains traces of iron which almost never needs to be supplemented given horses are generally oversupplied iron by their forage intake alone.
π Your horseβs diet should be providing a minimum of 10g of salt per 100kg of body weight each day; typically more after exercise, intense weather, or illness. Ensuring your horse always has access to clean, cool, and fresh drinking water will ensure they remain well-hydrated and if by chance they intake more salt than necessary, the water they drink allows them to excrete excess very effectively. The best kind of salt to feed is plain sodium chloride such as table salt, unless the diet is deficient in iodine which makes iodised salt more appropriate.
