Feeding Minerals To Horses In Pens, Pastures & Group Settings

Real Practices vs. Expert Guidance

Feeding minerals to horses living outdoors comes with unique challenges. Horses kept in pens, group pastures, or run-in shelters can’t always be fed like stalled horses. Owners must balance convenience, herd dynamics, weather protection, and the horse’s nutritional needs.

This article explores how real horse owners manage mineral and salt feeding in the field—and what equine nutritionists recommend for optimal health.

Why Micronutrients Matter

If you’re not thinking in micronutrients, minerals and vitamins, when balancing your horse’s diet then you are leaving big gaps in your horse’s health.

Minerals may make up just a tiny fraction of your horse’s total intake, but they drive everything: bone density, nerve transmission, hydration, hormone signaling, oxygen delivery, immune response—you name it.

The problem? Most horse owners are still guessing. They’re tossing out red salt blocks or trace mineral licks and hoping for the best. But blocks often deliver too little, and horses can’t reliably self-regulate bitter minerals like zinc or copper. Meanwhile, hay nutrients—especially vitamins—drop significantly once it’s been baled and stored for more than a few months.

Test your forage. You can’t guess mineral content—especially when hay from selenium-poor or zinc-deficient soils can lead to long-term issues.

Balance the calcium-to-phosphorus ratio. Too much alfalfa? You risk phosphorus deficiency. Too much grain? You could flip that ratio and end up with “Big Head Disease” (nutritional secondary hyperparathyroidism).

Use horse-specific mineral products. Blocks made for cattle might contain additives that are flat-out dangerous for horses. Stick to equine-formulated loose minerals or fortified supplements that match your forage type.

🐴 How Horse Owners Feed Minerals in the Real World

Horse owners have come up with a wide variety of ways to offer salt and minerals in outdoor group settings:

• Loose Minerals in Weatherproof Feeders
  Many use DIY setups like plastic barrels cut with side holes, secured in tires to prevent tipping. Others use cement tubs with flaps or cattle-style covered feeders like the High Country Plastics BMF-250 or the Tarter Super Duty Mineral Feeder to keep minerals dry in the field.

What Equine Nutrition Experts Recommend

While owner ingenuity is commendable, not all setups ensure horses get what they need. According to equine nutritionists and research from KER and the NRC, several principles are important:

• ❌ Salt Blocks Aren’t Enough on Their Own
  Most horses don’t lick enough from hard blocks, especially in cold weather. Red blocks are mostly salt with very low levels of copper, zinc, or selenium—nutrients that are often deficient in forage-based diets.
• ✅ Feed Loose Minerals Based on Forage Analysis
  A proper mineral mix should be matched to your hay or pasture. Ideally, use a complete loose mineral (like Vermont Blend, Mad Barn Omneity, or Redmond Daily Red Fortified) in a controlled, measured dose to ensure adequacy.
• ❓ Can Horses Regulate Their Own Mineral Intake?
  Some owners believe horses self-regulate, especially if offered loose minerals free-choice over time. Others observe horses overindulging or avoiding bitter minerals like zinc. Research shows inconsistent results—so it may depend on the individual horse, the formulation, and how well it matches their needs.

Best Practices for Feeding in Group Settings

🔍 Choosing the Right Mineral Supplement

When selecting a mineral mix, prioritize:

• Loose format with no molasses and no added iron
• Contains copper, zinc, selenium, iodine, and vitamin E
• Balanced calcium:phosphorus and appropriate magnesium
• Designed for your region’s hay or pasture type

Top picks include:

• Redmond Daily Red and Fortified (with or without garlic for fly control)
• Vermont Blend (a popular no-iron loose mineral for horses eating grass)
• Mad Barn Omneity for targeted balancing
• Purina Free Balance 12:12 for palatibility and complete nutrition (contains molasses)

💡 Seasonal Tip: Use garlic-infused loose minerals (like Daily Red Garlic) in spring/summer to help repel flies, and switch to plain formulas in winter.

Final Thoughts

No matter your setup, these principles will help ensure your horses get the minerals they need:

• Always provide free-choice plain white salt
• Use a loose mineral mix that complements your forage
• Feed measured doses when possible, or carefully monitor free-choice use
• Avoid molasses-based if you have a horse sugar sensitive horse or block-only systems for full mineral support

When managed well, salt and mineral supplementation supports hydration, hoof quality, coat condition, energy levels, and immune function. Whether your horses live in a field, paddock, or mixed system, mineral balance is a key pillar of equine wellness.

*Here’s a little transparency: Our website contains affiliate links. This means if you click and make a purchase, we may receive a small commission. Don’t worry, there’s no extra cost to you. It’s a simple way you can support our mission to bring you quality content **