Do horses use salt licks?
Do horses regulate their salt requirement themselves via a salt lick? A study by Back & Houpt, 2023, investigated this.
Salt licks for horses – all under control?
Many people think horses regulate their own salt requirements via a salt lick. However, a recent study shows: this doesn’t apply to all horses!
The study found that training increases the use of the salt lick, as the horses then also sweat more. But a third of the horses in the study didn’t touch the lick at all – regardless of whether they were trained or not (Back & Houpt, 2023).
Our marstall tip: Make sure your horse gets sufficient electrolytes, especially when it sweats and the salt lick remains unused. And don’t forget to always provide enough clean water!
