# Possible high potassium levels in horses = feed salt?



## Ali27 (19 August 2012)

My daughter's pony is being extra spooky and has even started refusing jumps which is not like her. My horse feels stiff behind and is being very grumpy and hard to catch. Their field mate has very loose stools, has become grumpy and came up in hives last week. 
I came across a New Zealand website which suggests that grass in fields can cause different problems. Our horses are in a field covered in White clover and is very green after all this rain and sun. The soil is also clay which is apparently is usually high in potassium.
http://www.calmhealthyhorses.com/solut/salt.html
I started feeding our girls salt tonight so hopefully it will help solve the problem.
Any one else had problems with clover/ clay soil?


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## Pearlsasinger (19 August 2012)

Rather than guessing what mineral levels are, why not ask your vet to do a blood test?  this will give you a definitive answer about mineral levels/deficiencies.  In the meantime, rather than adding salt to the horses' feed, so that they cannot avoid it, I suggest providing a Himalyan salt lick.  This way if the horses need it they can access it.  If they don't they will leave it alone.


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## Ali27 (19 August 2012)

Pony is due vaccinations next week so will ask for blood test too! Apparently they find it hard to get enough salt from a lick so have tried adding salt to feed for next few days to see if it helps.


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## Pearlsasinger (19 August 2012)

Ali27 said:



			Apparently they find it hard to get enough salt from a lick so have tried adding salt to feed for next few days to see if it helps.
		
Click to expand...


I've never heard that before!

I am wary of putting things in their feed, as they can't not eat it, unless they leave all their feed, which seems unlikely in most cases.  I have had more than one experience of supplements causing more trouble than they solved.  But it's not long for you to wait until the vet comes.


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## Mrs_Wishkabibble (19 August 2012)

Sounds more like too much protein in the lush grass. I would be tempted to limit the amount they have and see if that makes any difference.

One of mine is ridiculously silly on too much grass, very spooky at the most silly things, I  limit her grass and she is a different horse.


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## Mince Pie (20 August 2012)

I've started offering my lad 2 separate buckets of water once a day, one bucket has salt added and the other doesn't. I have noticed that some days he will drink all the bucket with the salt in, others he will take a mouthful or two or none at all.


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## Miss L Toe (20 August 2012)

Mineral imbalances can be very complex, so I would be wary of thinking you can solve it with a dash of salt, in fact I did read somewhere about using lo salt, again difficult to know where to start and when to stop.
I would suspect magnesium also to be a factor, most  UK soil is deficient. 
Grass clover mixes are too rich for ponies and horses in general, see if there is some other field available.
Bloods don't tell the full story.


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## Ali27 (20 August 2012)

Thanks for all suggestions. Jenny from calm, healthy horses has responded to my Facebook message and is going to send me her products to trial. I am on right track with salt but need to get magnesium levels up now. I will also speak to vet about blood test and suggestions. I also need to get them off clover.


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## Shay (20 August 2012)

I know I'm cynical about a lot of things but this does rather sound like a way to sell you a lot of stuff you may not need.

If you are worried about the grass quality get it tested.  But if you are feeding a balenced diet then the chances of a serious deficiency is really fairly slim.

The chemist in me it at a loss as to how salt - Sodium Chloride - can posibly help with a potassium imbalence.  The mammalian body has a Potassium / calcium pump which works in balence.  If you feed something high in potassium - like Bran - for a long period you balence it will something high in Calcium like Limestone Flour or Sugar Beet.  The two minerals work in balence.  Neither Sodium nor Chloride have any impact on that pump. 

Fizzy behaviour on green grass - and loose droppings - are more usualy a response to increased sugar and protein.

However the Magnesium part is probably right.  Almost all commercial calmers have a strong magnesium base.  There are herbs which are more effective - but banned for competition.


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## Ali27 (20 August 2012)

The lady is actually sending me out her stuff free of charge to trial. There are amazing success stories on her website. I have found another New Zealand website with information about high potassium levels, magnesium deficiency, using salt etc.

http://www.horsetalk.co.nz/health/magnesium-121.shtml

It all totally makes sense. The calmer I have been feeding is magnesium free so it looks like my horses are magnesium deficient due to high potassium due to clover in field. By feeding them salt with the magnesium it will help with the absorption. 
It will be interesting to see what vet says too!


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## Flibble (24 May 2013)

Sorry to resurrect an old post but what was the outcome.


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## Ali27 (24 May 2013)

The products Jenny sent me completely transformed pony! I have moved to a new yard this year and I am just feeding salt and her alleviate rather than the provide it supplement too! When I run out, I will definitely be buying it! I'm still on the free sample I now have a pretty sane pony who only spooks occasionally, hacks out on own and can be brought in on her own. She is back to her normal jumping self too!


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## Flibble (24 May 2013)

Oh thank you for being so quick this is my symptoms chilled out cob who has been through mill.

Grass is very short he is out 24/7 gets quite snorty and has become very jumpy and twitchy.

Has regular physio and has proper EDT do his teeth. Cani just give him a tbsp salt (he gets a smidgen of Fast Fibre with a general supplement.


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## Ali27 (24 May 2013)

Yep, I just give 1 - 2 Tb spoons of regular table salt with fast fibre.


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## amandap (24 May 2013)

Great outcome.


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## Flibble (24 May 2013)

Roughly how long did it take for you to see a difference.


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## TigerTail (24 May 2013)

Is that table spoons or teaspoons please? 

Im aware of the CHH site and feed 2 x 25ml scoops of salt anyway with balanced minerals from forage analysis but have one who is showing signs of headshaking and spookiness.


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## Ali27 (24 May 2013)

2 table spoons and took a few weeks before I noticed a difference. I would also try the CHH products as think they helped too!


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## Holly Hocks (25 May 2013)

Salt I think helped mine too.  Mine was very fizzy and was always restless in her box.  I started feeding salt as well as bicarb of soda for any gut issues.  I noticed a huge difference quite quickly.  I've been away for a week  and a friend has been looking after them.  I didn't tell her to put any salt in the feed and when I got back last night she was weaving and very very restless in her stable when I brought her in.  She has been out all day every day, so no lack of turnout issue.  She was also manic to hack out this morning.  I dont' know whether it is the salt that has made a difference, but I'll be starting to use it again straightaway.


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