Mineral Licks For Horses

‍Why to feed a Mineral Lick to your horse

‍Forage availability and quality are a growing concern for many horse owners at the moment, particularly in light of recent hay shortages and an increase in challenging weather conditions. The nutritional content of forage is naturally variable, with important vitamins and minerals often significantly reduced during the hay-making process. Grass quality can also fluctuate significantly depending on soil type, season, and plant species. While fortified concentrate feeds can help to meet nutritional gaps, mineral licks for horses offer a practical and increasingly popular solution, especially for those kept at pasture or in herd systems.

Key Benefits :

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One of the key benefits of mineral licks for horses is that they are low calorie and cost-effective. For horses and ponies who hold their weight easily,adding nutrients without increasing their energy (calorie) intake can be a challenge. Saracen Horse Feeds Pasture Lick has a recommended intake of just 250g per day for a 500kg horse, which is significantly less than that of atypical low-calorie feed balancer. The use of licks also allow horses free-access to vitamins and minerals, without the need for an additional feed.They are also highly practical for group feeding situations. In herd environments, it can be difficult to remove horses from the grazing to receive a bucket feed, and so the use of a lick allows individuals free access,reducing the risk of competition at feeding time as well as keeping labour down for owners.

Another important benefit of offering a mineral lick is the natural licking behaviour itself. Offering a lick can help to stimulate saliva production,which plays a vital role in digestive health and providing natural stomach buffer. It can also help to provide added enrichment to the horse, helping to reduce boredom and encourage foraging behaviour, particularly for horses on restricted rations or on box-rest.

The Saracen Horse Feeds Lick Range

‍Here at Saracen Horse Feeds we offer both a Pasture Lick, as well as our popular Gar-Licks. The formulation is designed to be low in sugar, making it suitable for horses or ponies with a history of metabolic issues (when fed at the recommended feeding rate). The licks are specifically formulated to be fed alongside a range of forage types, and the Gar-Lick contains garlic to provide a natural deterrent to insects during the summer months. In addition, we have recently updated our packaging to a 100% bio-degradable tub. This decision was made to not only support a reduction in single-use plastics, but to also support horse safety and to remove the risk of plastic shattering and creating sharp edges. The packaging is designed to slowly degrade over time, and so can be easily recycled and/or placed in a feed bowl if necessary. The Pasture Lickis available in both a 10kg and a 20kg, making them very useful for use at large yards who are feeding large herds of horses who are out at grass and receiving plenty of calories from their forage intake. The Gar-Lick is in a handy 10kg size and can be placed in both the field and stable when insects are more prevalent.  

Conclusion

Mineral licks for horses provide a practical,low-maintenance solution to support balanced nutrition in a wide range of management systems. Whether used to complement variable forage quality, support horses at pasture, or simplify group feeding, they offer a reliable source of essential nutrients without adding additional calories or complexity. With additional benefits such as digestive support, behavioural enrichment, and improved yard efficiency, they remain a valuable tool for modern horse management.

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