Question: Does my horse need a mineral supplement?
Answer: Mineral deficiencies in horses are not common. Good quality hay or pasture will have all the minerals a horse needs. Growing foals may need extra feed that contains calcium and phosphorus if they do not have access to high quality pasture.
In some areas selenium has been depleted from the soil and the horse’s diet may be lacking in that mineral. A salt block with mineral may be all that is needed. In some areas selenium levels are very high in the soil. You need to be careful then of adding a selenium supplement as over supplementation can be dangerous. Contact your local agricultural extension or veterinarian to find out what, if any mineral supplements are recommended for your area.
