Salt junkie foal

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stimpy

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My 6 month old foal seems to be a salt junkie! She has been very keen on the salt lick that is out on the yard from when she was a few weeks old but I haven't left her with a salt lick unsupervised until a couple of weeks ago when I put a himalayan salt lick up in the stable that she and her mother are in overnight. Looking at it today, comparing it to the one I put up in my TB gelding's stable at the same time I see that she has eaten nearly two thirds of it!

Should I be worried that she seems to want the salt so much? Her mother is on a good quality balancer, the foal doesn't get fed short feed as such, she just gets a handful of Mum's feed and she is still visiting the milk bar. She is healthy overall, everyone calls her the monster foal as she is somewhat strapping but should I be trying to restrict her salt intake? Her peeing hasn't changed, and it's difficult to know how much water she is drinking as I often see her at the trough but she is generally messing around with it, blowing bubbles and splashing rather a lot :rolleyes:
 
My foal found the salt lick at a few days old. i removed it. not sure when to give it back (shes now 1 1/2) but my theory was too much salt is v.bad for babies so prob would be for foals.
 
Not much help to you, but just to say that my 6 month old weanling is also really a salt lover. *waits for an answer from someone more knowledgeable*.
 
Provide a horse is healthy and has free access to water there is no evidence that horses can overdose on salt and this is the only mineral they are able to self regulate. See below:


http://www.calmhealthyhorses.com/solut/salt.html
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salt, not electrolyte supplements, needs more attention during hot months

Your horse sweats more during the summer, making electrolyte supplementation worth considering. But electrolytes alone will not protect your horse against dehydration. Your horse needs to have enough sodium (salt). One ounce per day (two Tablespoons) is adequate for maintenance during cool months, but hot, humid weather calls for at least two ounces per day (and more if your horse works). One way to accomplish this, provide a plain, white salt block in close proximity. But make sure your horse licks it – many do not due to tiny scratches that form on the tongue. Even better, is to offer salt free choice by pouring granulated table salt in a bucket (iodized only if your horse is not receiving iodine from another source). You can also add salt to each meal. Mineralized salt blocks are often neglected due their bitter taste. Be aware that electrolyte supplements should only be given to a horse that is already in good sodium balance. They are designed to replace what is lost from perspiration and should contain at least 13 grams of chloride, 6 grams of sodium, and 5 grams of potassium. If your horse works more than two hours at a time, provide a dose of electrolytes after exercise by adding it to a gallon of water (be sure to keep fresh, clean water nearby).

http://www.gettyequinenutrition.com/


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The National Research Council suggests that horses at rest need only 25 grams of sodium cloride per day. However, other researchers have concluded that heavy work could increase the sodium requirement eight- or ninefold, which would necessitate providing 200 grams of sodium cloride or more in the diet or with electrolyte solutions.

If your horses perform a modest level of work, they might need about 55 to 65 grams of sodium cloride per day, which is about four teaspoons of table salt. However, there is probably already salt in their grain mix, so check the nutrient contents on the label to determine just how much more you'll need to provide.

Harold Hintz, PhD, is a nutritionist at Cornell University in Ithaca, N.Y.
 
Thanks for the responses.

So, horses can't overdose on salt? How interesting.

I am relieved to hear that my foal is not the only one who is a salt junkie, and I'm glad to know that if I let her indulge her habit it shouldn't do her any harm :D
 
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