Horses’ bodies don’t naturally produce salt, but do they need it?
Your horse’s body does not produce salt, but he needs this important mineral for him to live a healthy life. Some of the roles and benefits of salt for horses include:
- Electrolyte Balance: Sodium and chloride are electrolytes that help maintain the balance of fluids within your horse’s body. This balance is crucial for many bodily functions, including nerve impulses and muscle contractions.
- Hydration: Your horse’s thirst mechanism is regulated, in part, by sodium. Adequate salt intake encourages horses to drink enough water, which can help prevent dehydration and other health issues that can result.
- Muscle Function: Sodium is essential for proper muscle contraction, including the muscles involved in keeping the heart pumping.
- Nerve Function: Vital for the transmission of nerve impulses, sodium plays a key role in the communication between nerve cells to facilitate various functions in the body.
- Balancing Blood pH: Chloride helps to balance blood pH and water flow (osmotic pressure) in and out of the cells.
- Digestive System: Chloride is involved in the production of stomach acid (hydrochloric acid or HCI). This is important for the digestion of protein in the horse’s gastrointestinal tract, as well as for immunity since HCI helps protect against harmful microbes.
So with these six reasons to add salt to your horse’s diet, let’s add one more: right now get FREE salt for one year with every NEW autoship SmartPak over $40. Available for a limited time at SmartPak.
