Dehydrated horse tricks and high quality online shopping? Start with a quality feed program and add a natural horse mineral supplement like Redmond Daily Red. Fortified Mineral Formula. Includes a boosted horse minerals package—including zinc, manganese, copper, iodine, selenium, and cobalt—to enhance antioxidant function, improve immunity, digestion, energy, muscle, tissues, and joints. (See our fortified mineral analysis here.) Vitamins for Vitality. Added vitamins A, D and E support vision, reproduction, strong bones and joints, healthy nerve and muscle function, and a robust immune system. Excellent Hydration Aid. Contains essential electrolytes for horses that trigger thirst and encourage drinking. Mined in America: 100% of our mineral salt is mined in central Utah from an ancient Jurassic Era sea deposit.
Sodium, chloride, and potassium are the three most important electrolytes for horses. Salt, or sodium chloride (NaCl), is created when the top two electrolytes are combined. Thus, salt is an electrolyte, and one of the most important for horses. Why Do Horses Need Salt and Other Electrolytes? What roles do salt and electrolytes play in the equine body? Are they needed daily? What functions do they serve? Let’s look at both. Horses don’t always know when they’re thirsty. Salt is necessary to trigger the thirst response that tells horses to drink. Without salt, most horses won’t consume enough water on their own, and risk becoming dehydrated. Water is paramount to health, and salt increases horses’ water consumption. See even more information at why do horses need salt.
Speaking of staying warm, it’s vital to warm up your horse slowly in cold temperatures. Like us, a horse’s muscles, bones, and joints become stiff in cold weather and grow more flexible with gradual activity. So walk your horse a minimum of ten minutes before moving her into a trot, and consider using a half sheet or exercise sheet during warm-up. Your horse will also thank you for warming her bit before fitting it in her mouth. A cold bit is a quick way to start your ride off on the wrong foot. Which leads us to hoof safety.
Redmond Rock and Himalayan rock are both solid, unrefined sea salt rocks. Both are mined deep in the earth and contain electrolytes and a plethora of beneficial trace minerals for horses. Both are natural horse salt licks and better options than a manmade pressed block. So is Redmond Rock salt a better choice than a Himalayan rock? Yes, we think so! Here’s why: 100% of Redmond sea salt rock is mined from our Jurassic Period mineral deposit in Central Utah and packaged right here in the USA. Redmond Rock contains around 93% salt and 7% natural mineral content compared to 3% mineral content of most Pakistani-mined Himalayan rock.
Temperature: Some like it hot, and some not. Horses like their water tepid–not too hot or cold. This article in The Horse noted research indicates horses prefer lukewarm (68°F) water, especially during cold weather. Acidity. Water acidity affects palatability. According to Kentucky Equine Research, a University of Guelph study found horses are more likely to drink water with a pH of 7.5 (slightly alkaline) than water with acidic levels. Dirty. Unclean or stagnant water can be a floating Petri dish of bacteria and algae. Horses sense when a potential intestinal problem is lurking in murky water and will avoid it. Discover even more info at horse salt lick.