Horses have a defined
appetite for sodium, which means most will self-regulate without
overconsumption problems. Some horses will develop a hypernatriemia
(too much sodium), but it is not very common. Sodium, potassium, and
chloride are essential for good health, especially in the hot and
HUMID climates. These electrolytes are regulated easily by the body
in the healthy horse.
Problems may arise when the horse only has red
(mineral) salt available. They eat the red salt to get the sodium,
but because they are on a complete grain ration, they overconsume
copper, zinc, and manganese. (I have seen TB yearlings eating 15 -
20X the Cu and Zn requirement).I will also guarantee that most hay
does not fit average values , but if in doubt, sample your hay and
have it analyzed for Na, K, and microminerals. I have not seen any
new information, but I cannot imagine anyone telling you NOT to feed
salt to your horse - endurance horses need special monitoring, they
go above and beyond what most horses have to do, and thus are
considered "elite". Most commercial feed contain less than 0.1% salt,
which does not even meet requirements for horses in maintenance.
Allow your horse access to free choice loose white salt, and the
majority will be fine, and better off when asked to "go the
distance!"....Lynn Taylor, MS, PhD
Department of Equine Science
Otterbein College
Westerville, OH
email: ltaylor@otterebein.edu