Is it safe to add salt to a horses feed? Or should I just purchase a salt block>?

Question

I'm getting a new horse soon and have been doing a whole lot of research. I heard that some horses don't get enough water in the winter and then that's when people add table salt to their horses feed to make them drink more. But I'm confused. Should I just get a salt block or add salt to a horses feed? And as far as electrolytes, should I give them to a horse that rides for about 2 horse a day and does shows? Is the electrolytes important or can I pass them up?

Answer 1

It's best to provide a plain white salt block (sodium chloride) without additional minerals, vitamins, or flavorings that the horse can access by choice 24/7. Horses need more sodium than any other mineral, and should be able to meet the need for it without having to ingest other minerals that are not needed. Palatability of water over winter is mostly about its temperature. I use heated water buckets which keep the water at drinking temperature and are very safe and easy to maintain. The heating unit is built into the walls of the bucket so it never needs cleaning, and the cord is housed in a flexible metal sheath. You can buy a 5 gallon flat back bucket for a stall or a 15 to 16 gallon bucket for more an area such as in a run in shelter. I actually use a 15 gallon heated bucket inside of my emptied water trough over winter since I tried trough heaters and they were a royal pain to maintain.



Anyway, I keep the salt block next to the trough so the horses are encouraged to use it and to drink more water, I also supply a trace mineral block to give them the choice, but horses only crave sodium chloride, so they use the mineral block much more rarely. My mineral block is not sweetened, which would encourage over-consumption.



Other than free choice access to a white salt block, electrolyte supplements should not be fed daily as a matter of routine. Feeding daily extra minerals such as calcium, for example, could limit his ability to mobilize calcium from his reserves when he needs it, and overfeeding of electrolytes has been linked to development of gastric ulcers. As a rule, you'd consider supplementing electrolytes a couple hours before stresses such as transporting and shows or heavier work than the horse is used to, or in hot weather and stressful conditions when horses sweat heavily and may dehydrate.



Most of what horses lose in sweat or use up during stress is sodium and potassium chloride. Unless your horse is involved in high stress activities or extreme sports, additional minerals in electrolyte supplements are seldom needed and can even be harmful.

Bicarbonates are added to some electrolyte supplements that are specially formulated for horses with diarrhea, but can be harmful for horses during periods of stress and exercise, so be sure you know what is in whatever products you use. if your horse is sweating profusely or working more than he's accustomed to, then electrolyte supplementation is warranted. Look for powders or pastes containing sodium chloride, potassium chloride, calcium chloride or calcium acetate, and magnesium. Sometimes I just mix regular table salt with lite salt which contains potassium chloride as well as sodium chloride which is sufficient to replace sodium and potassium chlorides lost through sweating or stresses.

Answer 2

For most horses, 24/7 access to a salt block is the best option, unless you have a horse like mine. She would lick a ton of salt all at once, then go and guzzle down her water, and the result was constant diarrhea. Had the vet out and he said to give her a teaspoon of table salt three days per week instead of the salt block. That's what I've been doing. So yes, table salt is fine, but if your horse does well with a salt block, he doesn't need anything added in...he will lick the salt when he knows he needs it.



As far as electrolytes, the best one to consult is your vet. Tell him your horses's workload and he'll be able to determine whether electrolytes are really a necessity.

Answer 3

If a horse needs salt, then he will automatically use a salt lick, and then drink.



It is the same with humans, if we need it we want it and use it, and when we do not, we do not use it so much.



I would give your horse his normal feed, watch what he drinks and whether he is using the salt lick, and if he is not drinking very much, then it would be good to add a bit of salt to the FEED, not the water. Salt water will do nothing to quench his thirst.



You can tell if a horse is well hydrated by pinching a piece of skin on his neck or shoulder. If it springs back straight away then he is well hydrated. If it takes a little while to go flat again, then the horse is in need of more fluids and electrolytes, but electrolytes are only good for a horse that has done a race or a heavy cross country course and sweated profusely.



Another way to tell if a horse is well hydrated is to ride him, take him into his stable and watch him pee (you might have to be a bit patient as some horses are shy!) and if the urine comes out in a strong stream and is pale in colour then he is fine. Darker urine might suggest that he needs more to drink.

Answer 4

Give them the salt block, or better yet, a mineral block. I would only use salt granules mixed with feed if the vet said the horse was lacking it and the horse will not use the salt block.

Oh, and for electrolytes, our vet says we can put a certain amount of gatorade in our horses water. We only do this in the summer as shows where they will be outside, hot, and sweaty all day. They guzzle the water when it tastes good! haha

Answer 5

Get a salt block and let them regulate their own salt levels. Remember that guidelines are just that, guidelines, and just like people every horse is different. Some need a little more, some a little less than the average horse.



If you notice your horse isn't drinking enough, then you can add a little extra salt to their feed to encourage it. But most often the same can be accomplished by simply supplying warm water. Luke warm of course, not so warm that drinking it is uncomfortable.

Answer 6

Get them a MINERAL block, not a straight salt block.



Free access to a mineral block should get them all the electrolytes they need, unless they are getting terribly sweaty. Have a talk with your vet as to what is best for YOUR horse.



To keep your horse drinking in winter, have a water heater that will keep the water warm enough that it doesn't freeze. Many horses just don't like really cold water.



PS- In many states, it is mandatory to provide a mineral block for your horses. Weird that many of the same states have lax laws about feeding your horses, but that's another topic entirely, lol.

Answer 7

Most horses do not struggle to drink enough, if you're supplying good clean fresh water and have a healthy horse then most horses do not need encouragement to drink.



That said, using a mineral block in general can do a horse a lot of good. They lose all sorts of minerals through sweating when worked, and also in the winter they will lack a lot of minerals that good grass supplies. Giving a mineral lick will help them maintain the minerals they need in their body, and keep them all over healthy.



I've never used electrolytes, nor know anyone who has, but they work similarly to a good all round mineral lick in that they supply all the correct minerals a horse needs. You need to be careful how much you're feeding of these however, as you can easily use too much. By supplying a mineral lick a horse can use it as they choose, and most horses are good at knowing when they need more minerals or not.

Answer 8

Get a salt block. Not salt. If you give them salt, then they will drink too much water, and then their stomachs will bloat.

Answer 9

You should purchase a salt block.