Minerals for horses tips? What are Nutrients? Nutrients are compounds essential to life and health. They provide energy, the building blocks for repair and growth, and help regulate chemical processes.2 Horses need six main classes of nutrients: water, fats, carbohydrates, protein, vitamins, and minerals. Most vitamins are found in green, leafy forages, while vitamin D is obtained from sunlight. Minerals are found in water, soil, rocks, and plants. They’re necessary to maintain body structure, electrolyte balance, nerve conduction, and muscle contraction in horses.
Should You Give Your Horse Salt or an Electrolyte Supplement? So your horse has been working or sweating hard and needs additional electrolytes. Should you give salt or an electrolyte supplement? Yes! Horses need salt daily and occasionally an electrolyte supplement. Salt is a necessary part of a horse’s everyday diet and should always be available. Ensure your horse receives adequate salt by offering a quality free-choice mineral salt lick like Redmond Rock or by adding Redmond Rock Crushed loose mineral salt into feed. Discover additional info at https://www.redmondequine.com/red-edge/.
On the topic of safety, riding with friends is always a smart decision. Group riding is safer and often more fun. Your horse will also appreciate the company of a few extra friends on the trail. And speaking of trails… Keeping to marked, well-used paths is especially important. Avoid riding off-trail in wintertime, in secluded areas, or through heavy snow where hazards like limbs, rocks, or debris may be hidden. And remember, plodding through deep snow is strenuous for your horse. You want to avoid working her too hard or getting her too sweaty before heading back to the barn. Which leads us to cooling down.
All horses need salt and minerals in their diet. They’re necessary to regulate fluids, combat dehydration, and maintain nerve health and muscle contraction. Salt is also essential to triggering your horse to drink. For these reasons and more, horses should always have access to a quality mineral salt lick. Which Mineral Salt Lick is Best for my Horse? There are a lot of horse licks out there. So which is best? Should you choose a mineralized pressed block or a natural mineral rock? And since we’re talking mineral rocks, is Himalayan rock or Redmond Rock better? Is there really a difference? Let’s talk about horse blocks and salt rocks, and why we believe Redmond Rock is the absolute best source of salt, minerals, and electrolytes available for horses.
Try giving salt. Rub loose salt over your horse’s tongue. Some suggest this encourages horses to drink soon after. Of course, you should also always offer your horse a salt lick or loose mineral salt to replace electrolytes and trigger drinking. Add flavor to water. Horses prefer tastes that are sweet or salty. Consider adding a natural equine electrolyte drink mix like Redmond Rein Water or a sweetener like apple juice to your horse’s home water several days prior to a trip. Once you’ve arrived at your new destination, use the same electrolyte or flavor to mask the taste of unfamiliar water and give your horse a taste of home. Find more details on minerals for horses.