Salt for Horses
Why It's Essential and How to Provide It
As we know, salt helps horses drink. Many owners only focus on salt in the hot summer months when horses are sweating. However, it is a critical nutrient, NOT ONLY essential for maintaining proper hydration, and electrolyte balance, but overall health. Without sufficient salt intake, horses may experience a range of health problems, including dehydration - and related issues as well as improper nerve, muscle, and intestine function. In this article, we'll explore the role of salt in the equine diet, how much salt horses need, and the best ways to provide it.
Why is Salt Important for Horses?
Salt, also known as sodium chloride, is a vital mineral that plays a crucial role in many physiological processes in the horse's body. Sodium ions are necessary for the proper functioning of nerve and muscle cells, the regulation of fluid balance, and the maintenance of acid-base balance. Higher intakes of sodium and chloride increase calcium and phosphorus absorption and retention as well. Horses require a minimum of 10 grams of sodium per day (up to 50g/day have been used without acidifying the blood) to maintain these critical functions. Heavy work, excessive sweating, high temperatures, and pregnancy may increase the need for salt.
Some essential functions in horses that are improved by salt are:
The production and secretion of sweat, saliva, intestinal tract fluids, urine and mucus
Skeletal muscle contraction
Heart contraction
Nerve function
Intestinal movement (and other involuntary smooth muscle contraction, such as the uterus)
Absorption of nutrients across the intestinal wall and into the body cells
Maintenance of normal acid-base balance (pH)
Maintenance of normal hydration (the body contains roughly 70% water)
Preventing tying up
Preventing fatigue
As you can see, a deficiency of salt can cause huge problems in your horses performance and overall health. And yes, salt is also essential for encouraging horses to drink enough water. Horses natural thirst drive is triggered by the presence of salt in their diet. When horses consume salt, it changes the blood and encourages them to drink more water to solve the blood problem. Water is essential for maintaining proper hydration levels and preventing dehydration.
How Much Salt Do Horses Need?
The amount of salt that horses need varies depending on a range of factors, including their age, size, and activity level. In general, adult horses require a minimum of 1-2 tablespoons of salt per day, while lactating mares and heavily exercised horses may require more. Keep in mind, sodium chloride is also provided in concentrated feeds, grass, and hay.
Two of the most popular ways to provide salt to horses is through free-choice access to high-quality salt blocks or loose salt. This allows horses to regulate their own salt intake based on their individual needs and preferences. However, it's essential to ensure that the salt provided is high quality WHITE salt and free from contaminants, such as heavy metals or pollutants. Providing white salt is a must because horses that lick a mineral block to satisfy salt needs can easily take in other minerals to a toxic level (think iron)
Another option for providing salt to horses is through the addition of salt to their feed. This is particularly useful for horses that are picky eaters or have difficulty accessing or using salt blocks. However, it's important to ensure that the salt is mixed thoroughly with the feed and that horses have access to fresh water at all times to prevent dehydration.
Monitor horses kept in stalls, as they may overeat loose salt out of boredom. Salt toxicity is rare, but signs include; colic, diarrhea, frequent urination, weakness and recumbency (leaning, lounging, or lying down). The best cure is to dilute the blood by providing adequate fresh water. A ample water supply is also the best salt toxicity preventative.
Are Salt Blocks Effective for Horses?
While salt blocks are a popular method of providing salt to horses, there is some growing debate over their effectiveness. Some argue that salt blocks are too hard for horses to use effectively, especially when compared to loose salt. Others suggest that salt blocks can be an effective source of salt for horses, particularly if their diet has been shown to provide sufficient sodium otherwise.
One factor that may influence the effectiveness of salt blocks for horses is the type of papillae [pa-pil-lae] (bumps) found on the horse's tongue. Horses have long, thin papillae that are adapted to grazing on coarse grasses and are less effective at extracting salt from hard surfaces such as salt blocks. In contrast, cows have short, stubby papillae that are better suited to sanding and grinding the salt from a compressed block. In addition, cows use their tongues in different ways than horses. With no top teeth, cows use their tongues to lasso grasses to pull into the mouth for grazing, while horses use their incisors to snip grass to be ground by the back teeth. These factors may lead to a horse giving up on a salt block before they are satisfied.
In general, the best approach is to provide horses with a range of salt options, including salt blocks, loose salt, and a necessary amount added in the feed. This way you ensure their minimum intake is covered while allowing them to ‘top off’ with a free-choice supply. Even horses who abandon a salt lick are likely to get all they need to maintain proper health and function with this method.
TLDR
Salt is a critical nutrient for horses, essential for maintaining proper hydration, electrolyte balance, and overall health.
Horses require a minimum of 10 grams of sodium per day (general rule is 1-2 tablespoons), which can be obtained through a combination of dietary sources and salt supplementation.
The best way to provide salt to horses is to add loose salt to their daily ration and free-choice access to high-quality salt blocks or loose salt.
Free access to clean water is essential to prevent salt toxicity.
Salt toxicity is rare, but more likely with horses that overeat out of boredom.
By ensuring that horses have adequate access to salt, horse owners can help promote overall health and prevent a range of health issues such as dehydration, electrolyte imbalances, and poor nerve and muscle function.
Resources and further reading:
https://ker.com/equinews/sodium-potassium-chloride-working-horse-diets/