OD on Salt Lick???

[Helenabbey]

I got new horse a month ago. He devoured a biggish salt lick in less than a week, then I got him a big stable lick with molasses and lots of different minerals in. It said on the side of the lick that in would last 2-3 weeks but it was gone in 7 days. I now want to get him another salt lick but it can't be good for him to devour them the way he does? Or should i just give him them?

 

[Mid]

Get one of those ones that are in a pot. You know, surrounded by plastic on all sides but one. That way he'll actually have to _lick_ it

 

[sharni]

I would avoid anything with mollasses.it tempts them to eat, it is toffee after all. try adding a tablespoon per day to his feed and removing the salt lick all together. that way he cannot OD

 

[Helenabbey]

I would try that but he is a fat welsh sec D and doesnt get any hard feed, only haylage.

 

[Pidge]

molass lick is on rations otherwise it goes very quickly. Salt lick is now one of those pinkish hard ones, sorry can't remember the name, that they can only lick. Has lasted months whereas the normal white soft one only lasted 2 weeks as he destroyed it

 

[tigers_eye]

I wonder about this too. Both my geldings race through their salt licks, they like plain ones best, one actually bites it. I find it odd, I know we humans have a lot of salt "hidden" in our food, but we're always being told to cut levels of it...

 

[Helenabbey]

I just worry about giving them too much, my older pony doesnt bother with his salt lick too much but he is stabled with a goat who is always nibbling it!!

 

[vicijp]

I use the Himalayan salt licks - wonderful things. See most nags licking them a few times a day, tend to last 4 weeks (medium size).
I had a horse in the summer who would demolish his in 5 days. Vet said that was bad enough, but he wasnt drinking either. The horse turned out to have kidney problems - only showed up when he had the excess salt.
I would definetly take the lick away. Maybe get one of the Himalayan ones - they are rock hard. If he is drinking plenty I wouldnt worry too much, but if not would get a blood done.

 

[Helenabbey]

Oh, great, wil look for the Himalayan one. Am not too worried about his kidneys. He is 3 and a half, much much too fat, and is being worked everyday since I have had him. I don't do much with him, hacks and schooling, and last week discovered his teeth are sharp, so am loose schooling him til the dentist comes. He does sweat because of the excess weight/lack of fitness, so I think he will need a bit of salt.

 

[RachelB]

It's difficult for a horse to overdose on pure salt, but with sugary licks then yes it's all too easy for them to have too much, as with us! I saw on the Brinicombe Equine stall at Your Horse this year they have a new sugar-free lick, it may be worth trying that and seeing if it is tempting to lick but not to chew?

 

[Fiona]

Please be careful using the molasses based licks if you horse eats them really quickly. My 2 mares gorged themselves on one. One developed blisters all over her neck/shoulder and is still scarred, the other has developed an "allergy" to sugar/molasses and now has to be fed very carefully.

Please consider very carefully whether to give your horse another one.

BTW - have no objection to the salt licks, just the sweet molasses ones in tubs.

Fiona

 

[Salcey]

I use the Himalayan salt licks and really like them, but I have to say my mare can finish one off in just over a week, whilst the welshie still has his 4 weeks later. I don't know what it is about her, any type of lick you give her she just has to polish it off. I wouldn't be tempted to give him too many, and if its not possible to give him a feed, maybe just let him have access to one for a limited time.

 

[Helenabbey]

After hearing that I won't give him another molasses one! I think I will give him a salt one to lick whilst I am at the yard only, and only every few days. The reason for the molasses one was that I wanted to get a few minerals into him before I started to work him as I wasnt sure what he had had before and what he was short of.

 

[SusanFlynn]

I personally never use those licks as the molasses are so high, and so many feeds have molasses in them . it is serious overload of sugar

Horses do not need mollasses or sugars certainly not at the rate some feed companies and lick manufactures would have us give out horses.

I love those Himalayan Rock salt licks..

 

[icestationzebra]

Is it a Horselyx one? My horse loves the respiratory green one. I was worried at the rate she was going through it to start with. I went and had a chat with them at Burghley and was reassured that there was absolutely no harm in them racing through them except to my pocket. I was told that if they have them adlib continuously then they soon self regulate. My mare now makes her stable one last at least 6 weeks.......

 

[Theresa_F]

I give Chancer the good old plain salt lick on the wall - at first he ate them at an amazing rate - in under 2 weeks but now gets through one in about a month to 6 weeks.

The molassed ones are very tasty and when I used to give these to my girls, only put them in for a couple of hours a day or they would eat them within the week.

 

[SusanFlynn]

[ QUOTE ]
Is it a Horselyx one? My horse loves the respiratory green one. I was worried at the rate she was going through it to start with. I went and had a chat with them at Burghley and was reassured that there was absolutely no harm in them racing through them except to my pocket. I was told that if they have them adlib continuously then they soon self regulate. My mare now makes her stable one last at least 6 weeks.......

[/ QUOTE ]

the manufactures might well say it isnt a problem to go through them so quickly as they get to sell more. But look at the contents and mollasses comes up very high in content. If you want to give your horse supplements do it by simply giving them the supplements and leave off the mollasses and save your horses the unwanted sugar in their diet. It isnt needed and not good for them.
You get to control what they have and need. If in doubt contact Trinity Consultants who will bespoke your horses needs for you.