opinions on vits and mins for field kept horses

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laura_1983

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Long story but im basically planning on buying back an old horse of mone who's being passed around and i want to get him back and give him best life i can offer, this means moving my pony back out to grass 24/7 and the big horse joining him.

Neither of them need feeding over the summer, i can get my old field back which is very good grazing, point to the post now - does putting a vit and min lick in the field provide them with all they need, i dont understand how they know how much to take at a time etc.

i also know theres treats i can buy that gives them what they need each day but although they'd be checked on twice a day it wouldnt always be me that does it, dont really want to be handing round boxes of treats to my mum/gran/the farmer lol!!
 
My horse lives out 24/7 and I feed him top-spec feed balancer as part of his diet.

We also have a "saracen pasture lick" for the horses to have free access to. The first lick lasted 3 horses 3 months but the next one (same type) they had 1/3 of in a week so I have decided to limit it bit as it looks molasses based and my friends 2 horses are fatties! I got the lick as like you I wanted to make sure everyone had access to vits and mins.
 
during the summer no they don't need extra vits and mins. The grass should have all they need. You can have the soil etc analyzed which isnt too opricey and will give you an idea on the quality of your grass.

For peace of mind I feed either a little happy hoof a day or a cheap chaff with a multi vitamin added (Dodson and Horrel do a good one for about £7 which lasts ages).

But genreally you shouldnt need a lick, I can't see the point in them personally.
 
As i havent had my soil and grazing analysed I provide a himalayan salt lick in the field, full of nutrients and wont encourage them due to sugar/molasses as its natural. Im a firm believer that horses are able to know and select what nutrients etc they need within their diet.
 
My lad lives off hay and grass all year round. I give him Feedmark's Benevit in a couple of handfuls of chaff every dayand he looks brill on it. Always has a shiny coat, even when shedding and never a sick or sorry day. (Touch wood).
 
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during the summer no they don't need extra vits and mins. The grass should have all they need. You can have the soil etc analyzed which isnt too opricey and will give you an idea on the quality of your grass.

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IMO most people arent lucky enough to have good enough grazing to provide all they need. And as you say, getting soil analysed is a good idea as ALL areas have something they are deficient in. All mine get fed all year round which includes a high-spec vit & min supplement as our grazing isnt good enough.

Licks could be tried but TBH they are all high in molasses. Ive bought licks in the past for mine and they decide if they're either tasty or not, tasty ones are devoured within a few days and nasty ones arent touched!
 
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