Friday, June 20, 2014

The Value Of Himalayan Salt For Horses

By Ina Hunt


Horse owners usually care as much for their animals' health as they do for their own. You may already be aware that feed stores often carry Himalayan salt for horses. You may just not know why you should buy a rough, pinky-brown, shiny block rather than the conventional white or reddish one you have been accustomed to.

The general belief that humans and animals need a constant supply of salt has been challenged over the years. It's now known that, although sodium is an essential mineral, too much can cause problems of dehydration, hypertension, and pH imbalance in both humans and animals. Part of the problem is the form in which sodium is supplied. The commercial product, sodium chloride, is neither natural nor beneficial.

Paul Bragg was a major voice in the opposition to common table-salt being part of a healthy diet. He himself never consumed it, even when hiking in Death Valley, the hottest place in America. He was, however, a strong advocate for supplementing the sodium naturally present in many foods with minerals. He discovered that natural salt-licks frequented by wildlife actually contained no sodium but many nutritious minerals.

Most people keep their horse in confinement, either in stalls, paddocks, or fields that don't have trace mineral-rich soils. Feed and forage generally will not make up for this deficiency. Neither does providing a conventional white or even 'mineral' salt-block manufactured in a chemical lab and processed into a hard, squared-off shape. It's up to the owner to make sure all essential minerals are supplied.

Sodium chloride is not a natural product, and commercial blocks and shakers also may contain additives which make it impossible for either the human or the equine system to assimilate sodium properly. Eliminating excess sodium is also inhibited. Horses crave the salty taste associated in the wild with a complete mix of minerals and can get too much sodium. If elimination of the excess is compromised, health will suffer. Himalayan salt is unprocessed, has no additives, and contains 84 essential minerals.

There's a well-researched theory that the pink deposits in high mountain mines hold a negative electrical charge. This 'ionization' allows the minerals to be readily absorbed at the cellular level, giving cells all the macro and micro minerals they need for growth, reproduction, and repair. Many people who use this instead of commercial products claim to feel more energetic.

The pink crystals also taste better, which may be a minor plus. However, horse owners who love the taste on their own food may enjoy pampering their animal companions with this treat. If something that tastes good is also a boost for total health, so much the better.

Check at your local feed store for pink or pinkish-brown, rough-cut, semi-transparent blocks to give your animals the best source of sodium and valuable trace minerals. Supplementing 84 minerals is hard to do otherwise. Free of toxins and never chemically processed, this natural mineral source can replace the mass-produced, highly-processed, chemical blocks most of us have used for so long.




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