3 Dangerous Myths About Salt
Chances are you feed your horse some sort of salt or electrolyte supplement. But did you know that not all salt is created equal?
There are so many different types or forms of salt available on the market today, each with their own benefits and drawbacks. But before we talk about your options or make any big decisions, let’s dive into three common misconceptions about salt that you might even believe yourself.
Salt and Electrolytes are the Same Thing: Wrong
While salt is a type of electrolyte, salt is needed daily for regular maintenance of your horse’s body and electrolytes are needed only at particular times. Salt itself needs to be consumed at about an ounce per day (that’s two tablespoons) to keep your horse’s body functioning normally.
2. Horses Can Get All the Salt They Need from a Block: Nope
So many people give their horse a salt block and assume that the horse is getting what they need. In reality, it is hard for a horse to lick a salt block enough to get an entire ounce every day, leaving the horse deficient. Also, all that licking can lead to a raw tongue, pointy spikes on the salt block that can harm the horse, and some horses will even try to chew off chunks of the block, leading to tooth damage. On top of all of this, the binders used in many pressed salt blocks can build up to toxic levels in a horse. Yikes!
3. Mineral Salt is Always Better: False
While some mineral salt can be a good source of bioavailable minerals, some may also be highly unavailable, leading to excretion or toxic build up while the horse remains deficient. Natural salt, like Himalayan or red salt, can be a great source of available minerals, however the exact amount in each batch is highly unknown. If you are feeding your horse other sources of bioavailable minerals in their feed or through a chelated mineral supplement, you could be overdoing it on some.
So now that we have that out of the way, let’s dive a little bit more deeply into the variety of salt available, and which is the best option for you and your horse.
Pressed Blocks
I said a bit about these above, so I’ll keep this short: don’t use these if you can help it. Yes, they are affordable, but they are often not bioavailable (meaning the body can’t use the nutrients in them anyway) and the binders used can be unhealthy for your horse. In my opinion, the $5 spent on a salt block that leaves your horse deficient in the good stuff and overloaded with bad stuff is $5 poorly spent.
Natural Blocks or Rocks
These tend to be a little better than the pressed ones, but still shouldn’t be your horse’s sole source of salt. While the minerals in these are bioavailable, it is important to cross check with any other minerals you are feeding to make sure you aren’t overdoing it. It is also important to remember that a horse won’t get all of their salt needs met from the rock alone, and will need supplemental loose salt as well.
Iodized Table Salt
This is a great option as it is cheap and easy to measure. You can feed this free choice in a mineral feeder or top dressed on a bucket of grain. The thing to watch here is that 2 tablespoons of iodized salt has about 2mg and a horse should not eat more than 6mg of iodine per day. So, if you are feeding kelp or other sources of iodine, you’ll want to stay away from this type of salt.
Kosher Salt
Kosher salt is non iodized and loose, giving the same benefits as the iodized salt above, but without the risk of iodine overdose. This is the safest option and easiest way to make sure your horse is getting plenty of the good stuff and none of the bad.
Hopefully this helps to clear some stuff up for you regarding salt and your horse’s diet. You can take salt right from your kitchen to the barn so you can start your horse on a great salt regimen today.