Post by bellajack on May 20, 2007 21:22:58 GMT -1
Been very cheeky and pinched all this from EE.!!
JackieJATaylor
EE Society Member
Sr. Member
Salt - Daily Requirement?
« Reply #2 on: January 23, 2007, 10:57:32 PM »
Yes, it's a good idea to add a 15ml tablespoon day if they don't take a lot themselves.
Jackie
ros
EE Society Member
Sr. Member
I'm really not sure about deliberately adding salt to feed. It's one of those very basic needs that you'd think horses would take in themselves if they need it, wouldn't you? When I was younger I used to add a little salt to each feed, but now I just make sure there's always salt available for the horse to take if he wants it, and to be honest it's very rare that mine have done, even when they've sweated up. It's what puts me off "force-feeding" it, if you like to call it that.
JackieJATaylor
EE Society Member
Sr. Member
That's the problem - they don't always take it when they do actually need it.
Jackie
ChrissieW
Hero Member
That is what I have found Jackie, my mare will under no circumstances what so ever self select salt from a lick etc, but I have recently added salt to her feed and once again have seen an improvement in feet/pulses (lack of thankfully!), so she obviously needed it.
The "all horses need basic diets and no supplements" approach may work for some horses and I once believed in it, but my experience with my mare has made me realise that some need to be micro managed and specific supplements added to patch up deficiencies - certainly the case with my mare. I was always trying to keep her diet simple as possible which just lead to signs of laminitis, but she has improved so dramatically healthwise since I have started to investigate diet more and add specific additional supplements to her general balancer, ie Rosehips, CalMag, Salt etc.
I do get laughed at by my friends about the amount of supplement pots I have, but on the other hand, they are always commenting on how well and shiny my mare looks!!
Chrissie
West Sussex, UK
JackieJATaylor
EE Society Member
Sr. Member
Yes, that's what most people find Chrissie. Sodium is also required to balance excess potassium eg in spring grass and much hay, and it is required for the utilisation of magnesium.
Absolutely, potassium is usually the last thing you need. NRC lists sodium requirements as between .10% at rest and .30% in work. That's 10-30g a day for a 500kg horse eating 10kg - or 25-75g table salt. Obviously they get some from their feed, but whilst I have had hays supplying 26g from 10kg, some I have tested only supply 3g, which would be less than a third of even maintenance.
Jackie
JackieJATaylor
EE Society Member
Sr. Member
Salt - Daily Requirement?
« Reply #2 on: January 23, 2007, 10:57:32 PM »
Yes, it's a good idea to add a 15ml tablespoon day if they don't take a lot themselves.
Jackie
ros
EE Society Member
Sr. Member
I'm really not sure about deliberately adding salt to feed. It's one of those very basic needs that you'd think horses would take in themselves if they need it, wouldn't you? When I was younger I used to add a little salt to each feed, but now I just make sure there's always salt available for the horse to take if he wants it, and to be honest it's very rare that mine have done, even when they've sweated up. It's what puts me off "force-feeding" it, if you like to call it that.
JackieJATaylor
EE Society Member
Sr. Member
That's the problem - they don't always take it when they do actually need it.
Jackie
ChrissieW
Hero Member
That is what I have found Jackie, my mare will under no circumstances what so ever self select salt from a lick etc, but I have recently added salt to her feed and once again have seen an improvement in feet/pulses (lack of thankfully!), so she obviously needed it.
The "all horses need basic diets and no supplements" approach may work for some horses and I once believed in it, but my experience with my mare has made me realise that some need to be micro managed and specific supplements added to patch up deficiencies - certainly the case with my mare. I was always trying to keep her diet simple as possible which just lead to signs of laminitis, but she has improved so dramatically healthwise since I have started to investigate diet more and add specific additional supplements to her general balancer, ie Rosehips, CalMag, Salt etc.
I do get laughed at by my friends about the amount of supplement pots I have, but on the other hand, they are always commenting on how well and shiny my mare looks!!
Chrissie
West Sussex, UK
JackieJATaylor
EE Society Member
Sr. Member
Yes, that's what most people find Chrissie. Sodium is also required to balance excess potassium eg in spring grass and much hay, and it is required for the utilisation of magnesium.
Absolutely, potassium is usually the last thing you need. NRC lists sodium requirements as between .10% at rest and .30% in work. That's 10-30g a day for a 500kg horse eating 10kg - or 25-75g table salt. Obviously they get some from their feed, but whilst I have had hays supplying 26g from 10kg, some I have tested only supply 3g, which would be less than a third of even maintenance.
Jackie
