Mineral Feeding Options

 
There are so many different approaches to feeding minerals and what to feed that it pays to do your research keep up to date with new information find what works for your horses and how best to give them access to minerals.
Here are a few examples of how horse owners approach the mineral puzzle
What minerals? My horses should get all they need from the pasture what if the pasture is lacking?I get whatever the local feed store recommends or has on special How do you know it is the right one for your horse at their stage of life?Isnt that what a salt lick is for? Yes but horses will need more than salt especially if they are working breeding or growing I feed the same as my friends do Is your horse and property exactly the same as your friends?I only give them minerals if they have a problem or look deficient It can take a while for problems to show up and for them to be corrected I read up on it and mix my own depending on what I can afford and what my horses need Thats probably ok if youve done an equine nutrition course!I get an equine nutritionist to formulate a diet for me and that includes minerals Excellent!I feed a commercial horse mix and that has minerals added Thats ok if you feed the recommended daily amount which is often too much for most horses and if the feed mix is appropriate for the life stage or work your horse is doing.

As you can see there are many and varied approaches some good and some not.
Minerals are manufactured in the soil so where your horses feed is grown will dictate the minerals it has. If your horse is mainly pastured its a good idea to have your soil tested and if its lacking then address that by supplementing the pasture as well as the horse.
Be extremely cautious when supplementing minerals to your horse as one mineral may interfere with the absorption of others and imbalances and toxic levels may occur. Its best to use a balanced mineral mix with feeds that arent premixed that include minerals.
Minerals can be organic or inorganic. Organic minerals are simply substances that are bonded to an organic material. In the old days these types of minerals were referred to as chelates but you may now also see names such as proteinate or a description of the organic mineral such as polysaccharide mineral complex. Inorganic versions of these compounds are usually referred to as sulfates or oxides.
Organic minerals properly supplied with a balanced diet prevent muscle abnormalities developmental orthopedic disease and other health issues. Problems may arise when the