September 5, 2025: Salt Blocks, Electrolytes, and Real Hydration
Let us talk salt. Not the trendy pink lamp version, the day in, day out mineral your horse needs to drink well and stay balanced. The front herd licks multi-mineral blocks and her feed contains salt. Here is why we do both.
Why salt matters
Salt is sodium chloride. Horses lose sodium and chloride in sweat, and they need both to maintain fluid balance, nerve signals, and muscle function. Salt also triggers thirst. If intake is too low, drinking can lag behind losses, which raises the risk of dehydration and impaction. That is why salt matters in August and in January.
Blocks, loose salt, and what to choose
White salt blocks. Simple sodium chloride. Easy to offer in stalls and pastures. Some horses love them, others barely touch them. Blocks are hard, and horses have smooth tongues, so they can be slow to consume enough from a block alone.
Trace mineral blocks. Usually red or brown with small amounts of minerals like iron, copper, zinc, and iodine. Fine for many horses, but the trace mix may not match your feed program.
Loose salt. The most reliable way to meet a daily target. Top dress plain table salt or a livestock grade loose salt so you can measure intake.
A practical plan is to keep a white block available and also feed a measured amount of loose salt each day. That covers the base while letting horses self serve as needed.
How much salt
A common maintenance target is about one to two ounces of salt per day for an average horse, with needs rising in hot weather or during work. In heavy sweat conditions many horses benefit from closer to two to four ounces. Introduce changes gradually, split larger amounts between meals, and always provide unlimited fresh water. For a kitchen estimate, one ounce of salt is a little less than two level tablespoons.
Salt is not only for summer
Winter. Cold water can reduce drinking. Salt keeps thirst active and pairs well with slightly warmed water.
Travel days. Offer loose salt the day before and the day after hauling to support thirst and recovery.
Light work weeks. Keep the maintenance dose steady so hydration does not yo yo.
Where electrolytes fit
Electrolyte mixes add potassium and other ions on top of sodium and chloride. They are useful after hard sweat sessions or multi day competitions. They are not a replacement for daily salt. Give electrolytes with plenty of water, and follow label directions. If your horse has a specific medical condition, ask your veterinarian before making big changes.
Barn setup that helps
Place blocks at chest height where they stay clean and dry. Keep them near water but not inside the trough. Refill buckets and scrub troughs often so salt driven thirst is rewarded with fresh water. Track intake by weighing or measuring how much loose salt you feed, and note block replacements on a whiteboard so patterns are easy to spot.
Bee’s routine
Bee has access to two salt blocks in the front pasture. Her feed also contains salt but we may supplement during heat waves or after longer rides. On rest days she still gets her baseline so her thirst stays steady. Simple, boring, and effective.
If your horse has metabolic, renal, or gastrointestinal disease, check with your vet for tailored guidance. Otherwise, salt is one of the simplest, highest return habits you can add to barn life.
Sunny licking the block!
Mini’s need the same salt, minerals, and electrolytes! Pearl’s turn!