Is your horse getting enough salt?

If your horse is on quality pasture or hay, odds are it’s getting an adequate amount of nearly every vitamin and mineral it needs to be healthy.  There is one exception to this, and that is salt (sodium chloride).  Salt is a crucial mineral and is necessary to maintain optimum pH, body fluid equilibrium, and proper nerve, digestion, and muscle function (Warren, 2020).

How much salt does my horse need?

According to Horse Health Products, a typical 1,100-pound horse just chilling on the farm needs 25 grams of salt a day (Eldredge, 2019).  But this will more than double for horses in moderate work.  If your horse has access to a natural salt block this means a horse in moderate work should consume a 4-pound salt lick in about 36 days or less.  It’s a good idea when determining how much salt your horse is consuming to check the label on your concentrated feed.  Most concentrates include sodium Chloride.

What type of salt should I feed my horse?

All horses need a salt supplement, but not all horses prefer the same type of salt.  Salt can be provided as a solid lick, loose free choice, or added to your horse’s existing supplements.  Sea Salt and Himalayan salt, and even your plain unrefined table salt are all options. 

Best practices

There is a lot of opinions out there that horses just can’t consume a salt lick fast enough to keep up with their salt needs.  I’m not sure this is always the case as one of our older mares will sit and lick her salt for hours.  You can see the salt lick get smaller every day.  Other horses on the ranch seem to never use their salt licks unless it becomes super-hot. They sit in the stall unused and collecting dust.  For this reason, we hang Himalayan salt in all the stalls but we also supplement their nightly grain with salt.  The extra supplementation is used in three main situations: the horse is in work, the weather is hot, or it’s below freezing.  

Where to purchase salt?

Most feed stores will carry one or two types of salt options.  But, I have found that you can find deals online that can save you money.  Buy in bulk when you find a good deal, if the salt is not exposed to the air it will last forever. 

Resources:

Eldredge, DVM. (2019, March 27). Salt vs. Mineral Block | Horseman’s Report. Horse Health Products. https://www.horsehealthproducts.com/horsemans-report/nutrition/salt-vs-mineral-block

Warren, M. W. (2020, October 8). Why Horses Need Salt & Why Salt Blocks Are Not Enough. Hay Pillow®. https://www.thehaypillow.com/blog/why-horses-need-salt-why-salt-blocks-are-not-the-answer