Horse salt lick advices? Start with a quality feed program and add a natural horse mineral supplement like Redmond Daily Red. Fortified Mineral Formula. Includes a boosted horse minerals package—including zinc, manganese, copper, iodine, selenium, and cobalt—to enhance antioxidant function, improve immunity, digestion, energy, muscle, tissues, and joints. (See our fortified mineral analysis here.) Vitamins for Vitality. Added vitamins A, D and E support vision, reproduction, strong bones and joints, healthy nerve and muscle function, and a robust immune system. Excellent Hydration Aid. Contains essential electrolytes for horses that trigger thirst and encourage drinking. Mined in America: 100% of our mineral salt is mined in central Utah from an ancient Jurassic Era sea deposit.
According to this article by Kentucky Equine Research, sweat is predominantly made of sodium, chloride, and potassium, with other electrolytes like magnesium and calcium present in smaller amounts. The amount of electrolytes a horse loses through sweat depends on heat, humidity, and how hard and long a horse is worked. Electrolytes are also lost through urine and feces, particularly diarrhea. When large amounts are lost, they need to be replaced to help horses rehydrate and recover. See even more information at why do horses need salt.
Compensate your horse’s extra effort by increasing feed rations after a ride and giving a good electrolyte to replace minerals and encourage water consumption. And of course, always make sure they have access to fresh water immediately upon returning home. Winter weather brings unique challenges for horses, one being a disinclination to drink. Redmond products can help your horse from becoming dehydrated. Both Rein Water and Electrolyte replace critical electrolytes, contain over 60 trace minerals for horses, and help water consumption stay consistent in cold months. Click the button below to try a sample pack of both products!
Another boarder’s mare, KC, was experiencing a bout of colic. She’d undergone the usual treatment and was receiving IV fluids because she wouldn’t drink. This had been going on for several hours and caused a lot of stress, especially to the owner, who felt helpless. I tried to be supportive and offered my friend one of my Redmond salt rocks. I told her how my horse loved them, and maybe it would encourage her mare to drink. She accepted my offer, figuring it couldn’t hurt, as she’d already unsuccessfully tried several things to help her horse, including molasses in her water and a wet mash. I brought a Redmond Rock on a Rope and hung it in KC’s stall. Immediately she started licking it. The horse owner was impressed because she said her horse normally doesn’t like salt licks. She was so thrilled she was in tears!
Temperature: Some like it hot, and some not. Horses like their water tepid–not too hot or cold. This article in The Horse noted research indicates horses prefer lukewarm (68°F) water, especially during cold weather. Acidity. Water acidity affects palatability. According to Kentucky Equine Research, a University of Guelph study found horses are more likely to drink water with a pH of 7.5 (slightly alkaline) than water with acidic levels. Dirty. Unclean or stagnant water can be a floating Petri dish of bacteria and algae. Horses sense when a potential intestinal problem is lurking in murky water and will avoid it. Read additional information on horse prerace electrolytes.