07/02/2026
Salt vs. Electrolytes
Salt is extremely important in your horse's diet, especially as the heat rolls in and they begin sweating more. It is essential for normal body function, hydration, nerve signaling, and muscle function.
Salt is made up of two minerals: sodium and chloride, both of which are electrolytes. Electrolytes are minerals that carry an electrical charge when dissolved in body fluids. In horses, the primary electrolytes are sodium, chloride, potassium, calcium, and magnesium.
Sodium is one of the most important electrolytes because it helps regulate hydration, blood volume, nerve impulses, and muscle contractions. Chloride works alongside sodium to maintain fluid balance and is also a key component of stomach acid, which is necessary for proper digestion.
Forage typically contains plenty of potassium and often adequate amounts of calcium and magnesium, but it is naturally very low in sodium. This is why horses should have access to salt year round, regardlesss of their workload. As horses sweat, they lose electrolytes, but sodium and chloride are lost in the greatest amounts, making salt replacement especially important during hot weather.
It's also important to remember that many horses do not consume enough salt from a salt block alone. A general guideline is that if your horse is not consuming roughly one standard salt block every 30 days, they likely are not meeting their sodium requirements. This is one reason many owners choose to provide loose salt in addition to free choice salt blocks, or even better, offer free choice loose salt.
While electrolyte supplements can be beneficial for horses that are exercising heavily, traveling, competing, or dealing with extreme heat and humidity, they don't necessarily need to be supplemented every day like salt does. Many horses can meet their needs through a balanced diet and adequate salt intake. Electrolyte supplementation becomes more valuable when losses through sweat exceed what can reasonably be replaced through normal feed and salt intake alone.
A good rule of thumb:
Salt is the foundation. Electrolytes are the additional support.
Every horse needs access to salt. Electrolyte supplements are a useful tool when work, travel, illness, or environmental conditions increase electrolyte losses beyond what salt alone can replace.
My personal recommendations:
For salt, I typically recommend plain noniodized table salt from the grocery store or Sea-90 salt, which can be found at Tractor Supply
For electrolytes, my go-to recommendation is Peak Performance Nutrients Perfect Balance Electrolytes. If you need something readily available locally, Apple Elite Electrolyte from Tractor Supply is a solid option in a pinch.
