Salt lick for horse tips and high quality online stores? Is your horse receiving the full spectrum of nutrients needed for optimum health and performance? Though we all want to provide our horses the best possible feed and nutrition, sometimes they still experience deficits that cause negative health consequences. Dr. Sarah L. Ralston at Rutgers University said, “Nutrition is frequently implicated as a cause of disease or poor performance of horses,” and deficiencies can result in clinical problems. Here, we’ll learn about vitamin and mineral nutrient deficiencies in horses, what causes them, associated symptoms, and how to resolve deficiencies. But first, what are nutrients and how do horses obtain their daily store?
According to this article by Kentucky Equine Research, sweat is predominantly made of sodium, chloride, and potassium, with other electrolytes like magnesium and calcium present in smaller amounts. The amount of electrolytes a horse loses through sweat depends on heat, humidity, and how hard and long a horse is worked. Electrolytes are also lost through urine and feces, particularly diarrhea. When large amounts are lost, they need to be replaced to help horses rehydrate and recover. See extra info on best mineral block for horses.
Cooling down your horse is crucial in winter. A sweaty horse can easily become chilled in cold or damp weather once exercise is over. Cool your horse slowly by walking at least ten minutes, then dismount and hand-walk your horse for several more minutes before removing the saddle. Make sure to dry your horse thoroughly before putting her back in the paddock/stall or turning her out to feed. Winter exercise burns up more calories, and your horse is already expending a lot of energy just to stay warm. Working in cold weather can also increase your horse’s risk of dehydration, since horses are less interested in drinking during winter months.
All horses need salt and minerals in their diet. They’re necessary to regulate fluids, combat dehydration, and maintain nerve health and muscle contraction. Salt is also essential to triggering your horse to drink. For these reasons and more, horses should always have access to a quality mineral salt lick. Which Mineral Salt Lick is Best for my Horse? There are a lot of horse licks out there. So which is best? Should you choose a mineralized pressed block or a natural mineral rock? And since we’re talking mineral rocks, is Himalayan rock or Redmond Rock better? Is there really a difference? Let’s talk about horse blocks and salt rocks, and why we believe Redmond Rock is the absolute best source of salt, minerals, and electrolytes available for horses.
Water is essential to life, and a horse that’s not drinking can become dangerously dehydrated in just a few days. Your horse’s health is important, and hydration is key—but horses are sometimes fussy about water. Certain situations can cause horses to stop drinking, quickly putting them at risk for dehydration and colic. This is especially true when they’re on the road. You want to keep your horse healthy when traveling and ensure she’s drinking the minimum eight gallons of water a day. So how do you do that? We have some suggestions, but first… See additional details on salt lick for horse.