Feeding Salt, what do you use ?

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Spangles

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Non table salt such as Science Supplements is so expensive so just asking what does everyone use and how much ?

Bit worried about normal table salt irritating the hind gut but are there are any good options without breaking the bank ?

Horses in question have a salt lick but realise salt intake is pretty limied on a daily basis.

Horse 1 : approx 560kg and in medium work (how much daily)
Horse 2 : approx 470/480kg hacking only (how much daily)

Thanks for any advice or help
 
I use table salt with no issues. Mine get about 25gms added to their feed as they wont eat if theres more than that, and they do get some from their actual feed itself. They get more if they get sweaty.
 
Pure white de icing salt from Cheshire mines in 25 kg bags. It's all NaCl, whether it's labelled table salt or road salt. Sea salt might have some more minerals, but since Cheshire salt was left by a disappeared sea, I wouldn't think so and there's no pollution in it, it was laid down too long ago.
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i always feed table salt unless i get one who is too fussy to eat it, in which case they get flavoured electrolytes (not too many fusspots fortunately!)
 
I am confused about the current advice for feeding salt and/or electrolytes tbh. I have tried feeding salt to one horse who absolutely refuses it, even in small quantities. Thankfully he has worked hard most of his life and shown no adverse effect from not eating salt but I always think I should give it! How much do people give per kg bodyweight? Re: electrolytes, I understood that they should really only be given after work/sweating and I was planning to test a few different ones this summer with my young horse to see what she is prepared to take.
 
they generally say to feed electrolytes all the time rather than just sporadically.
I routinely chuck a tablespoon or 2 of salt in per day, nothing is in any work to speak of at the moment. Some do also use a salt lick but i wouldn't expect that to supply anything meaningful.
 
Spangles said:
All the info out there says they don't get enough from salt licks alone and horses tongues aren't really made for excessive licking like cows :)
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Yup yet some People still believe that a lick is adequate.

Don't ever believe anything that is stated as fact by anyone on this forum on any subject and do your own research!
 
Spangles said:
Non table salt such as Science Supplements is so expensive so just asking what does everyone use and how much ?

Bit worried about normal table salt irritating the hind gut but are there are any good options without breaking the bank ?

Horses in question have a salt lick but realise salt intake is pretty limied on a daily basis.

Horse 1 : approx 560kg and in medium work (how much daily)
Horse 2 : approx 470/480kg hacking only (how much daily)

Thanks for any advice or help
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Table salt is fine (and very cheap). You need to be feeding 10g of salt per 100kg of bodyweight daily.

Salt licks are not a good or consistent way to get salt into a horse.
 
I tried to give up giving mine salt last month. Joe's droppings went so small and hard that I was afraid that he would get an impaction colic, so after 3 days I started it again and they were back to normal after 48 hours.

I'm not risking stopping it again any time soon.
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palo1 said:
Am I the only person to have a horse that really won't eat more than a teaspoon of salt?! I just gave up with him tbh but I might try the others with salt from now on.
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Mine it depends on on the size and tastiness of feed. In winter I can generally get 25ml in morning and evening feeds. Spring / summer when grass growing, if feed is smaller. I might not be able to feed that much. Then I tend to support with apple electrolytes too.
 
Spangles said:
All the info out there says they don't get enough from salt licks alone and horses tongues aren't really made for excessive licking like cows :-)
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And also that if the potassium in the grass is high, like in spring, their bodies won't recognise that they need the sodium as they are chemically so close, is what I've read. I don't know how true that is.
 
Spangles said:
All the info out there says they don't get enough from salt licks alone and horses tongues aren't really made for excessive licking like cows :)
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Never had a problem to be honest. They dont lick excessively when they need it is there for them. A bit more googling and you would have seen it depends on the work they do and that much of the feed they have has it in already.
 
Spangles said:
Non table salt such as Science Supplements is so expensive so just asking what does everyone use and how much ?

Bit worried about normal table salt irritating the hind gut but are there are any good options without breaking the bank ?

Horses in question have a salt lick but realise salt intake is pretty limied on a daily basis.

Horse 1 : approx 560kg and in medium work (how much daily)
Horse 2 : approx 470/480kg hacking only (how much daily)

Thanks for any advice or help
Click to expand...
I use Himalayan salt lick hanging in stable. Recently some facebook users said it can help when phosphates are low, which cause more spooking, so I started putting a teaspoon in 2 weeks ago and she is def better. I just use table salt, and incidentally I used it in 80s before the blocks came with no issues.
 
I use the asda 2kg table salt bags.
Each horse gets about 2 tablespoons a day, just worked up to that gradually and they all eat up no problem.

They also have himalayan rock salt licks in their stables and the field, some use them and some don't touch them.
 
I use table salt unless the horse is in hard work, sweating up more than x2 a week in which case I would use electrolytes daily.
 
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