Best Loose Salt for Picky Horses

March 11, 2022

Does your horse struggle to use a salt lick? Are you worried about salt deficiency and dehydration? Many horses turn up their nose at free choice salt blocks, leaving them to gather dirt and manure in the corner of the stall. For horse owners, the situation can be frustrating and expensive, especially if you're trying out (and throwing out) a lot of licks.

Here's the good news: the solution to your horse's picky palate and potential salt deficiency is actually pretty simple. Read Terri's story below about how she swapped out her horse's mineral block for a loose salt and got great results.

My Horses Won't Use a Salt Lick

Before I found Redmond Rock mineral products, my horses Sadie and Midnight totally ignored every single brand of salt lick I purchased. Their disinterest was both frustrating and discouraging, and I worried they weren’t getting enough minerals or taking in adequate water.

Redmond Rock Crushed loose mineral salt was the answer to my horses’ picky palates! Unlike solid salt licks, they actually liked Redmond's mineral salt that comes in granular form.

Redmond Rock Crushed makes it easy to ensure each of my horses gets the right amount of salt and minerals every day. I simply add it to their wet feed and my horses lick it clean. Even my Texas Heeler loves it and will eat it right out of the feeder!

With Redmond, I feel satisfied my horses are getting the minerals they need and staying hydrated, and I’m not wasting money and time on salt licks they hated.

—Terri Koberstein

Do Horses Like the Taste of Salt?

If your horse is finnicky about using a lick, the issue likely isn't that your horse doesn't like the taste of salt. Horses have an instinctual craving for salt and will seek it out on their own. Rather, it's likely the source of the salt that is the problem. Here are two reasons some horses won't eat salt in the form of a lick or block:

• Horses have smooth tongues which may become sensitive or sore after trying to lick salt.
• Manufactured salt and mineral blocks are heavily processed and may have a bitter or artificial taste horses find unpalatable.

Both of these reasons can discourage a horse from licking salt and may result in a deficiency that leads to greater problems.

What Happens if a Horse Doesn't Get Salt?

Salt is critical in a horse's diet! It provides a trigger for thirst and is necessary for hydration, proper muscle contraction, and healthy nerve impulses throughout the body and brain.

Salt deficiency is common in horses that either won't eat salt in block form or are not provided a salt supplement at all. The lack of sodium decreases water consumption and can spur serious issues like tying up and impaction colic. The Merck Vet Manual also notes these additional symptoms of a salt-deficient horse: 

• Tires easily
• Stops sweating
• Exhibits muscle spasms if exercised strenuously
• May lose weight
• Experiences pica (learn why horses eat dirt and what to do about it)
• Decreased milk production in lactating mares

Sometimes horses exhibit deficiencies in more subtle ways. Watch the video below to learn other physiological and behavioral signs horses lacking salt and minerals may show—and how Redmond Rock Crushed loose mineral salt can help.

An All Natural Loose Salt Horses Love

You know salt deficiency in horses is serious and the worry of potential side effects is real. But solving the problem of a horse that won't use a salt lick or block is easy. Just switch to Redmond Rock Crushed loose salt! Many experts and equine nutritionists recommend feeding horses a loose salt to reduce the risk of deficiency and meet horse's energy demands.

Crushed is completely natural and harvested from Redmond's prehistoric mineral deposit in Utah, USA. In addition to adequate salt intake, Crushed offers these benefits:

• 60+ natural trace minerals in balanced, complementary ratios
• Easily vary the serving to meet your horse's needs
• Add directly to feed to ensure consumption
• Won't irritate or burn your horse's tongue
• Provides a proper trigger for hydration
• Horses love the taste of the many minerals

If you're tired of wasting money on salt licks your horse won't eat, it's time to switch to Redmond Rock Crushed. We guarantee you'll be happy with the product or we'll refund your money. Click below to shop our full line of loose trace mineral salt, including Crushed with Garlic for natural fly control, and Daily Red fortified mineral supplement.

Learn More

• Many horses struggle to lick a pressed mineral or salt block. Learn four reasons why and what to do about it. 
• Discover where your horse's salt comes from and why it makes a difference in equine nutrition.