Salt lick for horse tricks and the best online shopping? 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.
What are Equine Electrolytes? According to this article in Scientific American, electrolytes are chemicals that, when dissolved in water, produce ions with an electrical charge. “These ions have either a positive or negative electrical charge, which is why we refer to these compounds as electro-lytes. In the world of nutrition, we use the word “electrolyte” more specifically to refer to minerals dissolved in the body’s fluids, creating electrically charged ions.” See even more details on hot poultice for horses.
Cooling down your horse is crucial in winter. A sweaty horse can easily become chilled in cold or damp weather once exercise is over. Cool your horse slowly by walking at least ten minutes, then dismount and hand-walk your horse for several more minutes before removing the saddle. Make sure to dry your horse thoroughly before putting her back in the paddock/stall or turning her out to feed. Winter exercise burns up more calories, and your horse is already expending a lot of energy just to stay warm. Working in cold weather can also increase your horse’s risk of dehydration, since horses are less interested in drinking during winter months.
Salt and mineral blocks are heat-pressed, manmade licks. Most contain around 90% salt, with 6 to 8 trace minerals added in. So why is a manmade block an inferior choice as a horse salt and mineral supplement? Pressed blocks only contain a fraction (6 to 8) of the full spectrum of trace minerals horses need for optimum health. Horses often resort to chewing blocks to get more mineral quantity. Some contain unnecessary fillers or dyes (like those blue horse blocks). Many contain sweeteners to improve palatability and entice licking. Pressed blocks dissolve quickly in humidity or wet weather.
Why Wont My Horse Drink Away Water? Smell. A horse’s smell is more acute than humans. They smell things we don’t and are much more sensitive to those smells. With a sniff, horses can detect aversive chemicals or odors emanating from water or containers. Flavor: Think water doesn’t have a flavor? Think again. A horse accustomed to well water at home may refuse treated water on the road because of the taste of chemicals, chlorine, or fluoride. Find extra information at equine mineral products.
