Should I add salt to my horse’s feed?

When horses sweat they lose vital water and salts (electrolytes) including sodium, chloride, magnesium, potassium and calcium. Prolonged sweating during exercise or travelling can result in dehydration and this can contribute to reduced performance, early fatigue, muscle cramping and other problems. 

All Connolly’s Red Mills horse feeds contain electrolytes.  However, if a horse has sweated, whether that is through work or because of excessive environmental heat (for example during the hot summer months in the UAE) or is on a low intake feed (e.g. a balancer) then additional electrolyte supplementation will be required.   

Providing a salt lick or adding some common table salt to the feed should be sufficient for horses in light work. For horses that are working and competing regularly, a commercial electrolyte supplement will provide the wider range of electrolytes they need to optimise performance. This should be fed according to the manufacturer’s instructions and the horse should always have access to water. 

For more information on electrolytes supplements visit www.foranequine.com