Monday, June 16, 2014

Using Himalayan Salt For Horses

By Ina Hunt


You may be aware of the pink salt sold in shakers in grocery and health food stores. Maybe you've even noticed rough-cut, pinkish blocks at the local feed store. However, you might not know why this Himalayan salt for horses and people is rapidly gaining in popularity. Many health benefits have been identified by researchers studying this mineral-rich, natural source of sodium.

It is commonly believed that both humans and horses need a constant supply of sodium to maintain health. It is true that sodium is an essential mineral that must be supplied in the diet, but both people and animals can get an overdose, especially if they consume the commercial white compound (sodium chloride) sold for the dinner table. Many health advocates, notably Paul Bragg, have said that enough sodium is found in food to make supplementation unnecessary. What is needed, they say, is minerals.

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.

The Himalayan variety is known for its full complement of 84 minerals, the same ones found in healthy blood. The crystalline form is not changed by processing, and no minerals are lost during the trip from mine to feed store shelf. As horses satisfy their craving for a salty taste, they get all 84 minerals. There are no additives, such as found in conventional products, to interfere with the digestion, assimilation, and elimination of this natural sodium.

There is another reason that this mountain product is healthy for people and animals. The minerals all have a negative charge and are called 'ionized'. The theory is that bodies often have an overload of positive ions; minerals with a negative charge are readily drawn into the tissues, giving each individual cell nutrients it needs for growth, repair, and replenishment.

Human users attest that this spice tastes great. Although this might not impress some horse owners, many people love to pamper their animals with treats as well as supplements. Providing a natural, unprocessed Himalayan salt-block can enhance both health and happiness.

Look at your feed store for reddish-brown, semi-transparent blocks with the rough shape that mining gives. These are not products of mass-production in a chemical laboratory but natural pieces of ancient deposits rich in life-giving and energy-enhancing minerals.




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