Mineral Buffets – Thoughts?

[Kirikou]

I’ve been hearing a lot about “mineral buffets” lately, particularly from the chiropractor/DMV who works on my horses (she’s really effective with chiro work). She keeps mentioning “mineral buffets” – I think it’s called something like “Little Avalon” or… something magical like that. She’s apparently convinced that if I set up a “station” with these minerals, all my ponies’ issues will “magically” disappear.

Now, I’ve always been told by ag scientists that horses, goats, etc just eat whatever tastes the best to them, with zero correlation to what they actually need. Pretty sure I’ve been told that only rats can reliably pick out the minerals they’re missing. So, am I missing something here?
Anyone have thoughts or experience with these “mineral buffets”? Could they be the key to my ponies’ happiness?

Would love to hear your thoughts!

[JB]

Ignore anything your chiro has to say about nutrition, given her idea that horses can “self medicate” nutrients.

Salt. Salt is what they "self medicate’ with. That’s it.

A horse may understand he’s nutrient deficient if it’s severe enough, malnourishment, and continue eating things, often inappropriate things, in an effort to get “things”

Otherwise, it’s about taste, nothing more, and minerals tend to taste icky but some like a few of them

[Kyrabee]

My horse’s mineral buffet is dirt. She has licked dirt her whole life and she turns 23 this year.

I remember a phase years ago when someone local was pushing free choice minerals. I foolishly tried it. They didn’t touch most of them. Waste of $$$.

Otherwise, I just supply her salt.

[Alterration]

I’ve seen many people experiment with teas, and it does seem that different horses enjoy different teas at different times. I’m not sure if it’s some inherent internal knowledge of what they need or if it’s more of a “oh hey, variety, this is interesting”.

Horses are really inquisitive so sampling different things is just a part of their natural mental state.

I do use herbals to support my personal rehab horses but not free choice. I do custom blends because it’s a lot cheaper and I can control the proportions. All cleared with the vet and all “normal” things you find with equine supplements.

[GraceLikeRain]

I don’t think there’s ever been any research to support it but I’m seeing a lot of it as well. Social media gurus waxing about how horse A is seeking this herb because their stomach is hurting but yesterday they knew they needed more anti inflammatory support because it was cold.

[Kirikou]

@GraceLikeRain

Social media gurus waxing about how horse A is seeking this herb because their stomach is hurting but yesterday they knew they needed more anti inflammatory support because it was cold.

And their tummy troubles are clearly linked to the planetary alignment of Jupiter and Saturn. They’ve been eyeing that herb since Mercury went retrograde. Yesterday they were ALL about anti-inflammatory support because the moon was waxing, obviously.

[Scribbler]

Feed a good ration balancer or VMS that covers all your bases, in a mash.

Many horses love teas with sweetener whether natural like licorice or added molasses. Or with salt. They also love sweet fruits and veg, carrots and apples, and often baked goods. One summer my mare loved lemonade slushies and my old pony would share my apple juice at the corner store. My mare will eat blackberries off the vine. Etc.

I do think horses have an instinctual need to graze green things, even when well fed on hay, but that doesn’t translate to instinctively knowing they are deficient in zinc.

Btw what about horses that make a beeline for the mildly toxic plants? I’m caretaking a mare that dives for horse tail, buttercup and Bracken fern.

[Texarkana]

I have been so tempted to try this for my own entertainment after reading Dr. Holliday’s experience. I don’t have high hopes of anything “magikal” happening but I really would like to trial it for and giggles.

I’ve been eyeing this kit: https://www.abcplus.biz/Equine_Kits

My main hang-up, besides my skepticism, is the fact that I don’t have a good place to set up a mineral buffet.

[2DogsFarm]

Interesting… But pricy!

& Since my 3 play Musical Stalls, no way of knowing who et what or which one said Eeewwww! & knocked the whole setup onto the ground.
Since, to date, all are in good health, none have any issues that aren’t addressed by decent grass hay, oats & BOSS (+ gingersnaps) I’ll leave the buffet to those with deeper pockets.

[Texarkana]

@2DogsFarm

& Since my 3 play Musical Stalls, no way of knowing who et what or which one said Eeewwww! & knocked the whole setup onto the ground.

That’s my issue. The horses only use their stalls for meals and in extreme weather. But I tend to rotate my paddocks and who is turned out together pretty frequently depending on weather. I’d go nuts setting up multiple mineral buffets. Plus two of mine get grazing muzzles and I don’t know how that would complicate things. In the end, making any sort of mineral buffet station would be more complicated than it’s worth, especially when I have no real reason for wanting to do it besides curiosity.

[just_shoot_me]

Back in the late 90s I had an Appendix quarter horse ex polo pony mare. ABC had come out with their free choice minerals and salt. I set it up in Gypsy’s stall and watched her the 1st time she had access to it. There was 1 slot she really wanted nothing to do with but she kept going back to it. She cleaned that slot out. My friend’s Quarab helped clean out the same slot on refill. Once they balanced themselves, they never touched it again. Never had to buy refills of any of it. She balanced herself on the buffet in her stall and never touched it again.

[Texarkana]

@just_shoot_me

Back in the late 90s I had an Appendix quarter horse ex polo pony mare. ABC had come out with their free choice minerals and salt. I set it up in Gypsy’s stall and watched her the 1st time she had access to it. There was 1 slot she really wanted nothing to do with but she kept going back to it. She cleaned that slot out. My friend’s Quarab helped clean out the same slot on refill. Once they balanced themselves, they never touched it again. Never had to buy refills of any of it. She balanced herself on the buffet in her stall and never touched it again.

Did you notice any changes in the horses before and after?

[Kyrabee]

That is the system I tried. Cute little feeders and all. My horse didn’t partake in any of them that I can remember.
I think I had 4 feeders with various minerals. Like I said a waste of $$$ and they were a lot cheaper back in the day (20-25 years ago). They must get people to go for it if they are still in business .

[sherian]

the self treating cause they know what they need theory is lovely but I don’t believe it personally. All 7 of mine like to snack on willows from the oldies to the youngsters so I doubt it’s the oldies looking for anti-inflammatory, I think they are just tasty and something different.

[Texarkana]

@Kyrabee

That is the system I tried. Cute little feeders and all. My horse didn’t partake in any of them that I can remember.
I think I had 4 feeders with various minerals. Like I said a waste of $$$ and they were a lot cheaper back in the day (20-25 years ago). They must get people to go for it if they are still in business .

When I’ve tried free choice mixed minerals in the past, my experience has been the same.

But I’m still curious to try again, specifically with simpler, separated mixes.

The overwhelming professional concensus is that horses do not self-regulate for minerals. And I believe that.

Yet behaviorally, it is so interesting to watch individual grazing preferences. They may be just that— preferences. But as we investigate the microbiome and complex nutritional needs of all domesticated living things, there is increasing belief among some that maybe our ability to self-regulate has been “disabled,” for lack of a better word, by modern lifestyle and nutrition. And I think it’s intriguing to play with that idea.

[StormyDay]

A little over a year ago I was gifted several Himalayan salt blocks. I always feed pre-measured salt in my horses’ feed because my first horse refused to use a salt block. But because I had them I put one out in the overnight turnout.
The next day I discovered one of my mares had spent the whole night eating that salt lick. She had pretty much single-handedly eaten the entire thing in about 16 hours. She had explosive diarrhea all over the barn. It was everywhere and on everything. Despite the fact that she was violently ill she was still eating that salt lick.

So, uh, some horses can’t self regulate anything. She was fine. My barn had to be pressure washed.

[paintedpennypony]

I tried a “water buffet” for my horses today! I put buckets out of different types of water: turmeric and chia seed, ACV, salt, peppermint tea. All with a handful of alfalfa pellets in it. It was cute to see their reactions to the different “teas.” Way cheaper than a “mineral buffet” and better for them, just by getting them to drink extra water! Surprisingly, the turmeric and chia seed bucket had the best reception

[cardinale]

My 3-yo would definitely be interested in a mineral buffet…as a toy that provides entertaining opportunities to sling something expensive all over the ground while the human shouts and gesticulates wildly.

[Texarkana]

@cardinale

My 3-yo would definitely be interested in a mineral buffet…as a toy that provides entertaining opportunities to sling something expensive all over the ground while the human shouts and gesticulates wildly.

My 3yo is one of those “logistical challenges” preventing me from trying a mineral buffet with my herd, too.

[just_shoot_me]

Sorry for the late response. Between the free choice ABC stuff and Missing Link for Equines (also newly out at the time) she seemed happier in her body. Definitely less clicking in her joints. She stopped licking rocks and eatitng dirt. I stuck with the Missing Link stuff for a quite a while until my friend sent me a sample of of an equine joint supplement with sea cucumber, msm and glucosamine. Again when I offered her a handful she wanted NOTHING to do with it. She sniffed it for days but turned away until 1 day she ate it. It was pelleted and much easier to feed and she had even better results while on it. The sea cucumber stuff won hands down for both of us (I took the human version) until they changed the formula.