How to Feed Loose Minerals to a Horse

Healthy horses require small quantities of magnesium, sodium, potassium, sulfur, calcium and phosphorus. They also require trace elements, including copper, iodine and iron. Horses consume some of these elements naturally through normal grazing, or they can receive them through supplemental feeding, according to the College of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Minnesota. You can feed mineral supplements to your horses in block or loose form.

Things You'll Need

  • Loose mineral feeder
  • Scale
  • Dried molasses
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Instructions

    • 1

      Position the mineral feeder in an area where the horses commonly gather. You can buy a commercial mineral feeders or build your own. The feeder is basically a covered trough to prevent rain from damaging the loose mineral.

    • 2

      Monitor the horse's mineral consumption. Expect each full-size animal to consume about two ounces of loose minerals each day.

    • 3

      Move the mineral feeder if consumption is not as high as expected.

    • 4

      Add dried molasses to the mineral mix to increase consumption. Other factors that affect consumption include mineral clumping, caused by humidity or rain, and competition from dominant horses. Horses will only consume enough mineral supplements to meet their needs, but dominant horses may prevent other horses from reaching the mineral feeder.