Salt is the most crucial mineral required by horses and often overlooked in the equine diet.  Despite providing a salt block, the vast majority of equine diets do not provide sufficient sodium.

Salt supplementation is required for optimum health - regardless of the season. It is imperative to: 1) Ensure the minimum requirements are consumed daily in feed; 2) Provide an ample supply of fresh water; and 3) Offer an additional free choice supply of either loose salt or a white salt block. Read on to learn why, when and how much.

Meeting your horse's needs for optimal gut health is not the same as meeting his caloric requirements.  If your horse is not underweight and basically healthy, suffice it to say his caloric (not necessarily nutrient) requirements are being met. Considering horses are grazing herbivores and their digestive tract is designed for almost continual trickle feeding (16-20 hours a day) of fibrous feeds - the question isn't are you feeding enough calories - but are you feeding in a way that promotes optimal gut health?
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Read on to learn why gut health is so important, how common feeding practices affect it, and how to improve it by feeding more in line with your horse's digestive tract design.