The Best Supplement Ever - at $1 per Kilo

Salt. Yes, salt.

Salt is essential for horses for several reasons:

1. Muscle contraction and nerve impulses: Sodium, a component of salt, is important for muscle contraction and the conduction of nerve impulses.

2. Digestion: Sodium aids in the digestion of protein.

3. Nutrient absorption: Sodium plays a key role in the absorption of essential nutrients within the small intestine.

4. Maintenance of blood pH: Chloride, another component of salt, enhances the transport of carbon dioxide from tissues to the lungs and is essential for the maintenance of blood pH.

5. Hydration and fluid balance: Salt, being an electrolyte, helps to maintain fluid balance and hydration. It is continually lost through body fluids such as sweat, saliva, and urine, therefore it must be constantly replenished. Before you buy electrolytes, try salt.

6. Stimulates thirst: A horse’s sodium levels are what signals them to drink, stimulating their thirst response.

If a horse does not have access to salt for a prolonged period, salt deficiency will develop. Possible symptoms may include pica (eating unusual things), dehydration, lethargy, lack of sweat, decreased appetite and weight loss, reduced muscle coordination, and lowered milk production in lactating mares.

When you are heading in to warmer weather, if you rug your horse, or your horse is in work, it's important to monitor your salt supplementation. The standard 500kg horse requires approximately 30-50 grams of salt daily throughout the year just to meet its essential maintenance needs. Salt or mineral blocks can be offered to your horse, but they're not the best option, because it's difficult to determine how much salt your horse is consuming, particularly if it is in a herd that all have access to the same block. Also, some commercially available blocks contain sulphur, which they generally don't need, or molasses, which they definitely don't need.

Alternatively, loose salt can be added directly into your horse’s daily feed at a rate of approximately 2 tablespoons per day for a 500kg horse. Always add some water to dampen your feed and mix through your feeds well. Horses excrete excess salt in urine.

The cheapest salt is pool salt. You can buy these in 20kg bags from your produce store, Bunnings or local pool shop. If you are buying it from a pool shop, make sure it's salt, and not magnesium, as some pools run on Epsom salts (magnesium chloride) rather than sodium chloride.

Magnesium is great, but not in the pool mag form. If you're looking for a magnesium supplement, check out Calm Mix.

For more information about magnesium supplementation, read this blog post.

Calm Mix

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