Give salt to the horses.

Salt is one of the foundations of life itself. Proper nutrition is essential for a horse's health and well-being, and salt, in the right amounts, is essential for a horse's health and contributes to its overall well-being and performance.

Salt is sodium chloride (NaCl), an ionic compound formed by a cation (ion with a positive electrical charge) of sodium (Na+) and an anion (ion with a negative charge) of chloride (Cl-).

The sodium and chloride that make up salt are macrominerals (such as calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, etc.), that is, minerals that are needed in large quantities compared to trace elements (iron, iodine, selenium, copper, etc.)

Sodium and chloride are two of the main electrolytes (minerals dissolved in the blood and body fluids that carry an electrical charge). The other main electrolytes are potassium, calcium, and magnesium. Between them, these electrolytes ultimately control everything in the body.

Horses, like humans, require a delicate balance of electrolytes to maintain their health.

Electrolytes such as sodium and potassium play a crucial role in regulating bodily functions, such as nerve impulses, muscle contractions, and fluid balance in the body.

Giving salt to horses helps ensure they receive an adequate supply of these essential electrolytes.

Horses grazing on green, growing, overgrazed, or stressed pastures may ingest much more potassium and nitrogen than they need daily.

As grasses increase their potassium and nitrogen levels, their sodium levels do not increase accordingly, so we must provide them with salt.

If horses eat more hay and less green grass or alfalfa in their diet, their potassium intake will be lower and, therefore, their need for salt will be lower.

In conditions where plants have high nitrate levels (frost, drought-breaking rains, green shoots, or fertilizers), it is essential to have sufficient sodium to excrete excess nitrates as sodium nitrate.

A horse loses about 20 g of salt per day through urine and manure, even when resting in a paddock.

You lose even more if you sweat on a hot day or while working, but if you eat 10 kg of grass you will only get about less than a gram of salt.

Since plants have little or no need for salt, and salt is vital to life, horses, like all mammals, have an innate instinct to seek it out. If there isn't enough in their diet, they lick and chew everything in sight. This is why horses chew things, especially wood, and also why they lick our hands.

A lack of sodium prevents the horse from feeling thirsty and from drinking enough water. If the horse sweats, this can lead to dehydration.

When sodium levels rise, thirst is triggered, so the body immediately absorbs more water.

Proper hydration is essential to prevent problems such as impaction colic due to lack of fluid.

The horse's kidneys are very efficient at maintaining a constant level of sodium in the body by adjusting the amount of water and/or sodium excreted in the urine.

Sodium must reach a certain concentration in body fluids. The balance between the amount a horse drinks and the amount it urinates is how the body maintains the correct sodium concentration.

Failure to do so triggers a series of metabolic dysfunctions that cause the horse to be affected by grass. If there is not enough sodium, nutrients cannot cross cell membranes, and therefore, the cells cannot obtain them, regardless of the amount of feed. If the horse does not ingest an adequate amount of salt, it will lose weight rapidly.

Sodium, along with potassium, is responsible for the transmission of nerve impulses and is also critical for muscle function, blood volume regulation, blood pressure, bone integrity, and many other functions.

While sodium is the main cation (with a positive charge), chloride is the main anion (with a negative charge) and is necessary, among other things, to maintain an adequate body pH and for the production of hydrochloric acid (HCl) in the stomach, which is essential for the correct digestion of the horse.

While horses can adapt well to reduced sodium intake due to their regulatory mechanisms, horses that do not consume adequate salt may experience dehydration and other symptoms such as loss of appetite and weight, muscle weakness, decreased milk production, constipation, and uncoordinated muscle contractions, among others.

In addition, they are more likely to suffer from heat stress and electrolyte imbalances.

So it is vital that horses have a sufficient supply of salt (as a source of sodium and chloride) and access to clean, fresh water, as adding salt to their diet will make them want to drink more.

We can provide salt to a horse in block form that can be hung in the field so that horses can access it whenever they want.

Although horses have soft tongues and can't extract much salt by licking a block, salt blocks are generally made for cows; their tongues have rough surfaces and they can lick anything.

Another way to provide salt to horses is with mineral salt rocks, whole or crushed, which are more natural than manufactured salt blocks. Horses are intelligent animals, so they will tend to lick and nibble them only when they need to.

However, providing free access to salt can cause some horses to consume more salt than they need, but this is not a problem if plenty of fresh, clean water is provided, as excess sodium is mainly excreted in the urine.

If your horse is fed grain or feed, you can add granulated salt to its ration. This is a good way to control the exact amount of salt your horse is receiving. The recommended dose is about 30 g per day.

Incorporating salt into your horse's diet is a simple yet effective way to promote their overall health and well-being. From maintaining electrolyte balance to promoting hydration and preventing mineral imbalances, salt offers numerous benefits.