Himalayan salt licks from SmartPak: anyone tried them?

[cllane1]

Yes, I'm probably a complete sucker for thinking about shelling out almost $20 for a small salt lick. But these have caught my eye for a while and I was wondering if anyone has bought them for their horsess, how long they lasted, etc.: http://www.smartpakequine.com/ProductClass.aspx?productclassid=4870&cmPreserveSource=true&cmPreserveCategory=true

[sublimequine]

I HEARD they last longer (MUCH longer) than a salt block, but I can't vouch for or against that.

I CAN say I have seen a lot of horses who NEVER touch a salt block go to town on one of those. So they must taste better or something. :D

[Hollywood]

I was a sucker and ended up buying some. I still have two hanging in in two of my stalls that I bought over a year ago. To be honest, out of 5 horses, I have only seen ONE lick on them - and this horse eats anything/everything! I bought mine from Chamisa Ridge. Some people swear by them - though I cannot say I would purchase one again.

[AppJumpr08]

I use them and love them!

They don't fall apart like the pressed blocks, and the horses use them just as much as they used the mineral blocks I had before.

I order mine though the feed store, and they come out to roughly $6.95 each when bought by the case - much cheaper then ordering them individually (I have 10 stalls, so it adds up!)

[ChocoMare]

I bought four from Horseloverz.com cuz they were on sale (the round ones....salt on a rope :D for $5 each). Both my mares and the 2 geldings that board with me (friend's horses) LOFF THEM. My ClydeX thinks it's crack! :lol:

[freshman]

I don't have a himalayan salt block per say, but I do have a himalayan salt lamp. Think salt block, drill hole, insert bulb. It was a gift.

These things are hard, hard, hard! I've licked it and it is, well, salty. I couldn't resist. Honestly, the bulb is burned out and I'm tired of looking at it. I may just break the base off and throw it to the horses. It never was an asset to the decor, anyway.

[saddleup]

I bought two of them and hung them in my geldings' stalls. Neither one of them would even touch them. Ever.

After six months I threw them away.

[Lieslot]

They last F O R E V E R ;).

My guys enjoy them. They go through phases, there'll be days they can't get enough of them and then we have weeks, they barely look at them. :)

[deltawave]

Lord, what next? Yuppie horse salt blocks from the Himalayas! :rolleyes: :lol:

[sublimequine]

Lord, what next? Yuppie horse salt blocks from the Himalayas! :rolleyes: :lol:

They're only slightly more expensive than regular salt blocks and last longer, thus are more economical. Hardly "yuppy" material, Ms. Skepticism. :lol:

[deltawave]

That's DR. Skepticism! :lol: ;) :winkgrin: :p

But HONESTLY, do they need to be touted as HIMALAYAN salt? What gives? Does that lend the stuff special powers or something? And does lasting longer mean simply that it's too difficult for the horse to get as much as they want? Mine gobble 2-3 50 pound blocks per year. Would they take in less if they had to work harder or got sore tongues from trying? Is that a GOOD thing?

[iownapaint]

I don't have a himalayan salt block per say, but I do have a himalayan salt lamp. Think salt block, drill hole, insert bulb. It was a gift.

I take it that the gift giver wasn't a really *good* friend? :lol::lol::lol:

Anyway, I have the ones from Horseloverz for just under $5. Yes, smaller than the smartpak ones, but a good deal none the less. I will order more the next time I get something from them on eBay. My horse loves regular old salt blocks anyway (she thinks they're fun to crunch, but not actually eat) and these last her longer. She swings it around on it's rope, she licks it, she stares at it. Really, how much more all purpose do you get?

[sublimequine]

That's DR. Skepticism! :lol: ;) :winkgrin: :p

But HONESTLY, do they need to be touted as HIMALAYAN salt? What gives? Does that lend the stuff special powers or something? And does lasting longer mean simply that it's too difficult for the horse to get as much as they want? Mine gobble 2-3 50 pound blocks per year. Would they take in less if they had to work harder or got sore tongues from trying? Is that a GOOD thing?

Who cares what it is called? Call it pink rock salt then if it bothers you so much, it makes no difference anyways. :lol: And it lasts longer because it is harder, thus horses can't bite off large chanks of salt as some are apt to do with salt blocks.

[cholmberg]

I've been wanting to get some of these for my horses. . . they look downright yummy to me. But then I'm one who buys all the natural sea salts from different locals. So the best place to get it is from equiteric/horseloverz on ebay?

[sublimequine]

I've been wanting to get some of these for my horses. . . they look downright yummy to me. But then I'm one who buys all the natural sea salts from different locals. So the best place to get it is from equiteric/horseloverz on ebay?

They seem to be the cheapest for price, yeah. :)

[iownapaint]

So the best place to get it is from equiteric/horseloverz on ebay?

Well, if you buy something fro Equiteric on ebay they send you an email invoice and it says you can add up to $50 of merchandise from their site for no extra shipping. That's why I tried them.

They are significantly smaller than the smartpak ones, but I didn't really want to drop almost $20 on something that I didn't know if she was going to like.

So, now you need to find something Equiteric is selling on eBay that you "need" :D On a side note...I've ordered many times from them and have always been happy, but there are others that don't like them.

[AppJumpr08]

That's DR. Skepticism! :lol: ;) :winkgrin: :p

But HONESTLY, do they need to be touted as HIMALAYAN salt? What gives? Does that lend the stuff special powers or something? And does lasting longer mean simply that it's too difficult for the horse to get as much as they want? Mine gobble 2-3 50 pound blocks per year. Would they take in less if they had to work harder or got sore tongues from trying? Is that a GOOD thing?


Because the salt is mined in the Himalayas ;);)

I think that the horses would get sore tongues from licking the "particle blocks" as opposed to these - the Himalayan salt blocks are very smooth where the horses lick them - you can't see the different particles like you can in the mineral blocks...

Oh, and the best part? Since I keep salt blocks in my horse's feed tubs, these ones don't get wet and fall apart like the mineral blocks :) On hot humid days, or if the horse drools in their tub, or dribbles water, or whatever - these blocks don't dissolve like the particle ones do :)

Obviously to each their own, but now that I've gone through a couple cases of the Himalayan salt blocks I wouldn't go back to the mineral bricks :D

[griffox]

I don't have a himalayan salt block per say, but I do have a himalayan salt lamp. Think salt block, drill hole, insert bulb. It was a gift.

These things are hard, hard, hard! I've licked it and it is, well, salty. I couldn't resist. Honestly, the bulb is burned out and I'm tired of looking at it. I may just break the base off and throw it to the horses. It never was an asset to the decor, anyway.

:lol::D I licked mine, too!! They look really pretty and clean when they are freshly delivered. My Perchie filly LOVES salt! Unfortunately, she was on 24/7 turnout this summer and her himalayan got rained on and melted into nothing...that was after she somehow flipped it out of the plastic holder thingy.

I would recommend putting your $1.10 salt block outside and your himalayan in the stall. I haven't been able to justify plunking down another $30 for another one.

[Woodland]

http://www.horseloverz.com/100-percent-Natural-Himalayan-Rock-Salt-pr-225266.html

My guys love them!

[hey101]

Since I'm a sucker for advertising, I bought one for each of my horses, and they managed to house them as quickly as a regular salt block. Harder, my ass! :lol: Although I'd say my girls definitely LOFFED them!

Back to the regular ol' blocks for me. Since these spiffy HImalayan ones were a lot more $$. :eek: And it's only SALT, after all! ;)

[FleetwoodStarr]

"But HONESTLY, do they need to be touted as HIMALAYAN salt? What gives? Does that lend the stuff special powers or something?"

Deltawave- I believe Himalayas has been the location of Shangri-la in some books (ie: the land of immortality, happiness, bla bla bla) Although I think most people don't actually go Himalayan = immortality :lol: there is a subtle persuasion to choose something from that area. I've this sort of advertising technique used in some clothing/ household catalogues I've looked through- they seem to use the Himalayan/ Shangi-la reference. Of course this could just be me overanalizing the power of literature on our culture :D

[kcmel]

They are reported to have less toxic impurities than regular ol' salt blocks, but who knows. I ordered one from Charisma Ridge, and I can't say my horses are crazy about them, but one of them does lick it more than a regular salt block (the other one isn't interested in any salt block, but he gets electrolytes in his feed).

[Roney]

" I believe Himalayas has been the location of Shangri-la in some books (ie: the land of immortality, happiness, bla bla bla) Although I think most people don't actually go Himalayan = immortality :lol: there is a subtle persuasion to choose something from that area.

Hmmmm.... come to think of it, my accident-prone gelding has had a miraculous ZERO vet visits since I put the Himalayan salt block in his stall...... :winkgrin:

If that ain't Shangri-La, I don't know what is!! :lol:

[horsegirl520]

I saw these and was thinking about trying one for my horse, as his is in the bottom of his feed bucket and I can't hang up a salt lick holder... but I could probably tie up a string....

[Eventer55]

Not to burst anyone's bubble, but the Himalayan mountains are also in Tibet and as we all know China overran Tibet in 1950, sooooooooooo they are probably full of toxic poisons:eek::eek::eek::eek:

Where are they coming from exactly???

[Auventera Two]

I was intrigued by them because you can hang them, which would give a bored horse in a stall something to play with. My horses are not really in long enough each day to get bored, but the Arab does like to play with things, even if she's in for just a short time. Youthful, never ending energy... :o

I can vouch for Horseloverz (equiteric) on Ebay. They are great people to work with, and have some really great stuff for super incredibly CHEAP. I bought 2 beautiful Masta fleece stable sheets for my mares for around $7.00 each plus shipping! :eek: I've bought stirrup irons, chaps, blankets, grooming stuff, lycra sheets, a bridle, you name it. Fast shipping, cheap fees, great communication.

I have a small brick holder in each stall, which have bricks in them, but I give loose mineral salt also. They prefer the loose over the bricks. I think their tongues get sore licking and licking. If they have loose available, they just grab a mouthfull.

[LisaB]

I seriously doubt they are REALLY from Himalaya. Anyway, I decided to give one a whirl since my horse doesn't do salt AND he doesn't drink. Kinda not a good combo for an eventer. Anyway, he LOVES it. And I'm a happy camper because he's drinking more.

[Bluey]

I thought that the idea of a salt block is that horses get their salt from it?
IF they are harder and some don't even eat it, are we not defeating the purpose?
In the summer heat, salt helps with electrolite balance and to make them drink more
In the winter drinking more keeps them well hydrated and less apt to get impaction colic, when a horse may not drink enough.

Our regular white 50# salt blocks for horses are out of the weather and they lick a little most days, as they stand around after eating and drinking and then go out to graze.
Two last four horses a year or more.

[AppJumpr08]

When I say the ones in my barn "last longer" I'm referring to the fact that they don't fall apart in my horse's feed tubs. My yearling (the biggest salt consumer in the barn) doesn't take longer to go through his himalayan block then he did his pressed one, but he also doesn't have a salty sludge on the bottom of his tub... which caused me concern because I was afraid he was getting TOO MUCH salt.

[Cashela]

LOL I'll throw in something else...

What about the fact that supposedly hard salt blocks aren't meant for horses because they do not have a rough tongue like cows? :D

[deltawave]

Yep, given the fact that Chamisa Ridge has been advertising them, I totally believe that they're banking heavily on the fruitcake, Shangri-La element. Love it! :lol:

I bet they're the same thing as the "Mighty Deer" blocks they sell in the feed store during hunting season. Pink, knobby looking lumps of salt, but aimed straight at the heart of hunters by intimating that there are "secret ingredients" to grow bigger antlers, etc. :p

[AdAblurr02]

http://www.bruha.com/pfpc/html/himalaya.html

IE, don't believe all the advertising you read!

On the other hand....

http://www.mii.org/Minerals/photosalt.html

http://www.wolfcreekranch.net/redmond_1.html

http://waltonfeed.com/salt.html

I'd tend to believe the stuff about heat processing and trace mineral imbalance. Critters do naturally tend to search out the salt and mineral licks in the wild.

[Marcella]

Grandma bought them for her boys for Christmas. I haven't used them yet...waiting to use up the regular salt block.

[zagafi]

You can also get loose Himalayan salt in SmartPaks.

[deltawave]

The stuff we get from the salt mines in Detroit is just lacking in panache, I guess. :p

[cllane1]

Wow, I post this thread then leave it for 24 hours and look at all the responses!

I am probably a catalog copywriter's dream, as I get totally sucked into the "mythology" of the product...and I think the description said something about salt being one of the few things they can export/make money with, poor villages, etc.

Anyway, interesting feedback, all! I might try the cheaper ones from Equiteric/Horseloverz. I do like the fact that you can hang them and that they seem to stay harder.

Maybe my eventer and I can be magically transported to Shangri-La (read: better dressage scores) through this magical salt lick!:lol:

[zagafi]

The stuff we get from the salt mines in Detroit is just lacking in panache, I guess. :p

Well, I'll bet it's not pink. Fooey on the pedestrian white salt! :D

[UT]

when global warming is such an issue, should we really be creating all the extra carbon? shipping salt from the Himalamas? Does this salt make any documentable difference in our horses' well being? performance?:

[griffox]

I think the idea is that it comes straight from the earth, not sent to a factory boiled, evaporated, add some minerals, put in a mold, stuck in an oven, etc. I don't know...that's just what I gathered. :confused:

this is where I ordered my salt block:

http://www.americanbluegreen.com/salt_facts.html

[deltawave]

Never considered the fuel cost getting those salt blocks from the Himalayas. Good point. Not that I was about to buy one anyhow...I can just feel smug, then. :p

[hey101]

Well, I'll assuage my enviromental guilt by thinking of the poor Himalayan villager that I helped employ, however briefly, to dig my salt block up. :p

[Katy Watts]

If we're done de-bunking this salt source, would anyone like to proceed to 'colloidal minerals' ?

Google 'leonardite colliodal mineral coal'.

Would you guys pay a lot of money to feed brown coal to your horses?
from:
http://www.petroleumtimes.com/glossary/index.php?offset=2480&id=&span=&sort=&by=&id=&action=&subid=
1. n. [Drilling Fluids]

The mineral leonardite, similar to brown coal. Lignite is found in surface deposits worldwide. Lignite is mined and put into piles where it can oxidize in the air before it is dried, ground and bagged for use in drilling fluids. The humic acid content of lignite, which varies widely, controls its solubility. The soluble and colloidal lignite components both help in fluid-loss control. Soluble components serve as clay deflocculants and improve filter-cake quality. Colloidal lignite helps plug off the permeable parts of filter cake. When straight lignite is added to a mud, caustic soda is also needed to make it dissolve. Precaustisized lignite is available, which contains NaOH or KOH already mixed. Adding chromium salts improves high-temperature performance, but their use is limited by HSE concerns. Organophilic lignite is a straight lignite that has been treated with quaternary amine compounds to make it oil dispersible in oil- and synthetic-base muds.

See: buffered mud, carbonate ion, chromate salt, chrome lignite, chrome-free, conventional mud, deflocculant, deflocculated mud, HSE, humic acid, hydrolysis, leonardite, mud additive, neutralization, oil mud, organophilic lignite, polymer, quaternary amine, redox, seawater mud, synthetic-base mud

But here, the same stuff sounds like a miracle cure for everything.

http://www.earthclinic.com/CURES/fulvic_acid.html

[goldponies]

Have two and horses have never touched them in 6 months.

[FleetwoodStarr]

But Katy the people selling it said it was from when the dinos roomed (sp) the earth- how cool is that???:lol::rolleyes:

[Bluey]

Not only we need to consider what all goes into any product as far as shipping, but to produce, package and market it.

All that against all possible values, be they the properties of the product itself against others and also, as someone mentioned, adding the social value of it, the people that employs all down the line, to get it made and to us.

It would be very interesting if someone would measure a product in ALL possible ways.
We would be very surprised, I think, about what is really green, what kind of carbon footprint it uses and what social values it gives back.

[tds]

I picked up one of these in early December, and damnit, I didn't even realize it was speshul majikal himalayan salt! I thought it was overpriced rock salt on a rope. But I was in a mood to spend money. I went up to a horse show with a friend and felt very smug that I was not spending horse show $$ to show on an unbelievably cold day. So I felt rather benevolent as I gave one of the horse show vendors my $21.

So far after 13 years of owning my current show horse, our record is pretty dismal on the topic of salt bricks. Put it in his feed bucket and he destroys it. Doesn't lick it, just destroys it. And hates his food because it has salt particles in it. Put itit in salt brick holder and it is ignored. Buy a big one and put it in the stall, next to the hay, next to the water trough, on the back of a passing pony, it does not matter. It is ignored.

So I felt like a bad horse momma. Oh sure, for 13 years this horse has avoided any obvious signs of NaCl deficiency, but still... I still felt deficient. In the over-managing horse mother department, you understand.

Have I mentioned this horse has an upper crust sense of style? If there are two treatments, medications, tests, shoes, bandages, whatever for any condition, it's a given he will need the more expensive one. It is and has ever been, so sayeth the Horse Lord, Amen.

So for shits and grins I bought the soap, er, salt on a rope. Tied it up next to his grain bucket.

He has been working on it regularly ever since. With gusto. I have to turn it to keep one side from wearing out. :eek:

So majikal properties aside, I can afford 2 or 3 of those things a year, so I guess he's in luck. It makes me happy. Now a whole barn full of horses? Not bloody likely. I'm guessing you are going to have to show me you a) are talented and worth the expense and b) you absolutely won't eat the other kind and have dedicated 13 years of your life to that end. Then we can talk.

[BigMick]

Both my horses have licked the heck out of theirs.

Mick is an equine garbage disposal despite the fact that he puts on pretentious airs. Behind closed doors, he's lying on the couch, watching sports with one hand in the potato chip bag and the other scratching himself. He loves the thing.

Solo is older and wiser with more discriminating tastes. He loves it too.

I like that it doesn't break apart and has lasted for at least 6 months now.

I rotate them regularly so they wear evenly.

[ShowMeTheGlory]

My guy won't touch his. :no:

[myhorsefaith]

i have a 3 of them... mixed reviews

horse #1 LOVES his. i have to rotate it on the rope so he wears it down evenly.

horse #2 rarely, if ever touches hers. She's never been interested in salt much, no matter the kind.

horse #3 is in a herd of 3...so i have the bigger one for them. since they are convinced that they MUST have whatever is in my hands, I let them play sniff and lick it while i was holding it. from there i tied it up under a dry overhang and they seem to use it- i can see a growing indentation, but i don't know which of them is using it.

once horse #1's is done i'll move #2's to his stall and give #2 the cheap stuff.

i do like the block for #3 because it has lasted quite long- dont know when i'll have to replace that one.

[RidesAHaflinger]

... whose horses refuse to eat their Himalayan salt blocks, kindly pack 'em up and send 'em to me? My horses can't get enough of the stuff. They have 3 kinds of salt blocks available to them and naturally they go for the expensive pink ones. :winkgrin:

[Auventera Two]

Just a thought -

For all the people who say "horse hasn't touched it in X months" couldn't that be becuse the horse is getting enough in his normal diet? For instance the forage and grain is rich enough in salt and minerals that he doesn't need to lick another salt source? Not necessarily that the salt "isn't good" but that the horse just simply doesn't need it?

Also - just like in humans - each individuals' salt needs will be different based upon how your body utilizes electrolytes, and how active you are. There's at least one physician who posts here, I'm sure she would agree that each individual is genetically unique and may have needs very different than someone else.

I can't help but think there's nothing necessarily "wrong with the salt" because a horse "doesn't like his" but rather that that individual simply doesn't need it.

[deltawave]

I do agree, but would argue that unless horses are discovered to actually be indigenous to the high Himalayas that NO EQUINE "needs" anything derived from the tops of mountains. :lol:

[J Swan]

when global warming is such an issue, should we really be creating all the extra carbon? shipping salt from the Himalamas? Does this salt make any documentable difference in our horses' well being? performance?:


THANKYOU!

Geez louise. Salt isn't a scare commodity. We don't need to ship it in from Tibet in order for our horses to survive.

Wasteful. Completely and totally wasteful. There are salt mines all over the world. Salt mines are not scarce either. I've even been in one. Pretty cool. You know - they don't break it out in big chunks; it has to be processed just like salt in the US. So we process it into rectangles and someone else figured out people will pay a lot more if the product looks like a rock and it's shipped from thousands of miles away.

It's just salt. It may have some minerals in it that you'd freak out about if they were in your well water.

[deltawave]

J Swan, CLEARLY you have STILL not restocked on the Kool-Aid. :)

[Auventera Two]

I do agree, but would argue that unless horses are discovered to actually be indigenous to the high Himalayas that NO EQUINE "needs" anything derived from the tops of mountains. :lol:

No no, I mean "salt" in general. I have 3 horses. Two of them are pretty decent salt eaters. The third not so much. I don't think it would occur to me that "oh my god her salt must be bad" because she doesn't eat it. I just think she doesn't need it.

[J Swan]

J Swan, CLEARLY you have STILL not restocked on the Kool-Aid. :)

Need more Scotch. A lot of it.

I think it's rather odd that "green" has become fashionable - yet people are being even more wasteful and consumptive about it. Being "green" means not consuming as much. Making do with what one has. Purchasing local products.

Including salt. Mine make do (poor souls) with regular old sodium chloride. Somehow, despite being given rectangular salt blocks...... they manage... somehow..... to survive. They are quite a pathetic sight.... having to live with goats... and a pig.... who lick the same salt block as they do......

[kookicat]

I have one of these for the big lad (I didn't buy it- it was a gift!) and he loves it. Still going strong now. It seems like he can't bite big chunks off it.

[Mozart]

Hey come on. It was transported down steep mountain passes on the backs of yaks! Don't let their efforts be in vain! :winkgrin:

[deltawave]

"green" has become fashionable

I totally agree. Yet the Cool People drink their (VILE tasting) "Fiji" water all the same, even though it's flown to their corner store in a big jet-fuel powered cargo plane stinking up the atmosphere from that pristine spring in Fiji. :lol: :rolleyes:

[J Swan]

Hey come on. It was transported down steep mountain passes on the backs of yaks! Don't let their efforts be in vain! :winkgrin:

Yak abuse!! I'm calling PETA!!!!!:lol::lol::lol:

[hey101]

Glass houses.

Horses are excessively consumist.

Big trucks to pull trailers.
Big trucks to import hay from god knows where since all the local areas are crapped out this year.
Big trucks and machinery to build barns. And dig and bring gravel for rings. And haul materials to shows to build jumps.
Big trucks to distribute anything and everything horse people use across the country- tack, feed, veterinary supplies, etc.

There are probably hundreds more but those are off the top of my head.

So let's not throw stones, shall we? ;)

[Katy Watts]

I do agree, but would argue that unless horses are discovered to actually be indigenous to the high Himalayas that NO EQUINE "needs" anything derived from the tops of mountains. :lol:

Well yes this is reasonable.... but people don't think. I had a guy come up to me at one of my clinics to ask "is is true that sea salt has the exact mineral balance that a horse needs?" Who makes this stuff up? Why would anybody believe that Gia or Mother Nature would do such a thing? I told him it made no sense whatsover, unless he has evidence that horses evolved drinking seawater. Maybe seahorses. Honestly the way peoples brains work, or don't work is a constant amazement to me.
Makes me want to give up trying to teach science and find some gimmic to get rich on like everyone else.

How about.......a dietary supplement based on a diverse selection of native shrubs......all natural.....what wild horses eat....balanced by the soil where native horses roam....
Hey, anybody want a part time job chopping rabbit brush next summer? I'll give you shares in the company. Anybody want to participate in a field trial? 'My horse did so much better on the ShrubSaver. Thanks for saving him from laminitis, cancer and shelly hooves".
Folks getting rich selling brown coal to horse people. I wanna peice, too.
Katy

[2Jakes]

OK, For what it's worth, I get them for Jake. He love, love, LOVES his himmy salt. A $20 Himalayan lasts him about 6 weeks. It gets smooth and he practically sucks on it. Consequently he drinks A LOT of water, which is fine with me. I may be a sucker for the pink color, or the marketing, but we are "hooked". I guess I could find them cheaper but we get SmartPaks (easier for BO and traveling) so the free shipping and convenience wins out.

[cebesue]

I yahooed Himalayan salt blocks and found a site in Canada that was cheap and also had free shipping at the time I ordered.The name had Himalayan in it.They sold the salt lamps and all,also.In fact you could get 13 to 14 pound blocks!I haven't read through all the posts so if some has already posted about this place,sorry.If not,I will find it and post it here or pm it to whom ever wants it.

Here is the website: http:// www(.)himalayansalt(.)com/saltcart/home.php?cat=52

[deltawave]

Yes, I own a big truck for hauling which I need when I'm not driving my hybrid or sitting at home in my geothermally heated house after cleaning my barn and composting all of my manure. :lol: (all of the above is true) My point is, I don't walk around calling myself an environmentalist, green, or any other such bogusness while drinking bottled water that cost more fuel to produce than the container itself holds. :lol: Tap water's fine with me! Or Diet Dr. Pepper ... :p

[BigMick]

Tap water's fine with me!

There's nothing like drinking out of the hose on a hot summer day after riding and working in the barn. Much better than anything in a bottle.

[hey101]

Yes, I own a big truck for hauling which I need when I'm not driving my hybrid or sitting at home in my geothermally heated house after cleaning my barn and composting all of my manure. :lol: (all of the above is true) My point is, I don't walk around calling myself an environmentalist, green, or any other such bogusness while drinking bottled water that cost more fuel to produce than the container itself holds. :lol: Tap water's fine with me! Or Diet Dr. Pepper ... :p

for the record, I agree with you on bottled water. Now about that soda can...

MY point was, I think very few folks who owns horses can truly call themselves green or environmental (I sure don't). But the smugness of some of the posts on here would lead me to believe that some folks think otherwise of themselves. Yes, something might be PURCHASED locally, never mind the fact that it was trucked in from hundreds or thousands of miles away.

[J Swan]

I"m not smug about it - I'm a bit disgusted that folks would drink the kool aid and actually think that this salt is BETTER for their horses.

It's one thing to purchase a product that cannot be found locally, or that in fact is superior to a local product.

I get a real hoot about folks that think this stuff is BETTER; and that is the justification for buying this stuff.

It's your money - and you can buy want you want to with it. There's a sucker born every minute - and it seems that horse folks have more money than sense.

Salt isn't scarce. It does not need to be imported for horses to live. It doesn't even need to be imported because that salt is "better" than the salt sold in feed stores.

It reminds me of the "brown sugar" and "brown eggs" marketing ploy. There is no difference. They're just more expensive because people have been led to believe they are better.

I'm not smug; I'm a cynic and a skeptic. It's one of the reasons I was able to stop working before the age of 40. I don't waste my money on crap.;)

[tds]

Wow, that's one tall horse you are mounted on, can you see the human specks from that perch? Are they amusing?

It could be that many people who buy it are not particularly fond of Kool Aid, nor have they consumed any lately, and that indeed they realize it is overpriced rock salt, and hey, they just don't care. I'm sure there is some $20 purchase you have made that I would consider both crap and dumber than dirt. I'm just polite enough not to tell you as much. Well, that's not true. I'm not polite (obviously). It's just I'm not invested enough in your buying habits to care.

[J Swan]

Wow, that's one tall horse you are mounted on, can you see the human specks from that perch? Are they amusing?

It could be that many people who buy it are not particularly fond of Kool Aid, nor have they consumed any lately, and that indeed they realize it is overpriced rock salt, and hey, they just don't care. I'm sure there is some $20 purchase you have made that I would consider both crap and dumber than dirt. I'm just polite enough not to tell you as much. Well, that's not true. I'm not polite (obviously). It's just I'm not invested enough in your buying habits to care.

This is the problem with bulletin boards. If a person posts about a product they like - it's unrealistic to assume that everyone is going to agree with the poster. It's not a giant hug fest. If you don't want to read an alternative or dissenting viewpoint - a bulletin board may not be for you.

The fact that folks would probably not care about my buying habits is exactly the reason why I don't share that information over the Internet.

In case you missed it - I don't care how folks spend their money either. Products like this salt are marketed as "green" and "natural" and there are even sites that claim this stuff has medicinal properties.

Folks who believe that are suckers. You wanna pay for overpriced rock salt - go for it. I'll continue to take exception to any claim that the product is superior or an environmentally responsible product.

[AppJumpr08]

Speaking for myself, the reason I use these blocks is it's actually much more economical. At $7 for a lump that lasts for nearly 2 months (depends on the horse..some more, some less), it beats buying all the pressed salt blocks at $3 or $4 each and watching them dissolve into salt crumbs in my horse's feed tubs within days or a few weeks.


Personally, it has nothing to do with where they are from or what the advertising says... just the plain simple fact that my horses use them and they aren't as messy as pressed blocks.

[Roney]

All's I know is that my horse sprouted wings last night, and I"m pretty sure it's from the magikal Himalayan salt block...

[J Swan]

All's I know is that my horse sprouted wings last night, and I"m pretty sure it's from the magikal Himalayan salt block...

Now there's a good reason to buy them!:D Maybe soon they will lay a golden egg, too. Finally a way to make a profit in the horse business!

[tds]

I'd believe you when you say "In case you missed it - I don't care how folks spend their money either" except for the part below where I think you quite enjoyed your backhanded compliments.

It's your money - and you can buy want you want to with it. There's a sucker born every minute - and it seems that horse folks have more money than sense.

Right, sure ... you don't care what people spend their money on and yet in the very next breath you call them a sucker, then later you let us know that by god you are smarter than that and have the early retirement to prove it. Still you may have a point. You may not care how they spend their money, but it does seem you enjoyed an opportunity to appear superior. And over a stupid overpriced brick of salt no less.

[J Swan]

Oh for God's sake - get over it.

Take a pill. Drink a glass of wine. Lick a salt block. :rolleyes:



I'd believe you when you say "In case you missed it - I don't care how folks spend their money either" except for the part below where I think you quite enjoyed your backhanded compliments.



Right, sure ... you don't care what people spend their money on and yet in the very next breath you call them a sucker, then later you let us know that by god you are smarter than that and have the early retirement to prove it. Still you may have a point. You may not care how they spend their money, but it does seem you enjoyed an opportunity to appear superior. And over a stupid overpriced brick of salt no less.

[CosMonster]

Back when I was managing a farm, one of my boarders moved out of state and left a few odds and ends behind, including one of those blocks (which had hung in her horse's stall for 6 months and I hardly ever saw him using). I was in need of a new block for my three pasture-kept horses, so I figured I'd see what they thought.

One of my horses is a salt fanatic. I have never seen a horse eat so much of it. He's really friendly, too, and whenever I'm in his pasture he follows me around. When I bring in a new salt lick he generally follows beside me and licks it until I get it into its bin, then will lick it for as long as I'm willing to stand there and scritch him (he follows me away when I leave). So I brought in the Himalayan salt lick and he comes galloping up from the other side of the pasture, sniffs at it, and stops dead in his tracks and got what I can only describe as a sour look on his face. He sniffed it again, though, and since he will try just about anything once, he went ahead and licked it. Pretty much as soon as his tongue touched it, though, he made an even uglier face and--I kid you not--spun around and GALLOPED to the other end of the pasture, then wouldn't come back. I went ahead and hung it up anyway seeing as he can be a bit melodramatic at times, but I never saw any of the horses in the pasture so much as touch it. I saw them at the regular salt block I picked up the next day a lot, though.

I don't know, maybe mine was defective? Possessed by evil spirits? Still smelled of yak? I just know I'm not going to shell out money for one after that!

[tds]

Oh for God's sake - get over it.

Take a pill. Drink a glass of wine. Lick a salt block. :rolleyes:

Wine + salt? Dear god in heavens, no. What would Pocket Trainer say?

[jme]

I have one hanging in the barn. The only salt Chilli licks. We've had it for a couple months. I bought it because I thought it was pretty. I'm totally kidding. I figured, what the heck... I have a picky TB, let's see how he likes his salt on a rope.

I live in farm country and we try to buy a lot of our food local and as much of it as organically as possible. It's usually local over organic, just because that is what we have access to. Once you start eating farm grown tomatoes you won't ever go back! Oh, and beef and eggs and... anyway, I even scored a load of locally grown certified organic grass hay this year.

I think it's good to support both your local economy as well as the global economy. So my tomatoes are from next door, but my horse's salt is from another continent.

[hey101]

it beats buying all the pressed salt blocks at $3 or $4 each and watching them dissolve into salt crumbs in my horse's feed tubs within days or a few weeks.


Personally, it has nothing to do with where they are from or what the advertising says... just the plain simple fact that my horses use them and they aren't as messy as pressed blocks.

And this would be why I tried them too- they were supposed to be harder and last longer. I didn't find that to be the case, and so I won't buy them again.

But nowhere on here did I read that people thought they were "better" for their horses. It is, after all, salt.

It is entirely possible to offer a dissenting opinion on a product without a holier-than-thou attitude. For example, as CosMonster just did. She didn't like it because her horses didn't. All exchanged very plesantly.

[J Swan]

Sorry folks - if you don't like posts that aren't all happy happy joy joy - then you'll just have to deal with it. Somehow I suspect you will all go on to lead happy fulfilling lives despite the anonymous ramblings of an Internet poster.

In case y'all missed it - the himalayan salt block thing has been around a while, and it has indeed been marketed as more healthy, more natural, better than regular salt - and not just for horses. But for people.

When I saw it in the Smart Pak catalog - I got the whole rolly eye thing going. Have y'all read the posts by people who insist that worming their horses with tincture of black walnut is better because it's "natural"? Or the chick who was told worming her horse with menthol cigarettes was good for horses with ulcers? How about the mullet lady using a rolling pin on her horse's leg injury?

You wouldn't believe (or would you?) what people are stuffing down their horse's throats because they believed some marketing hype about a "natural" product.

So you'll just have to excuse me if I think such folks are one beer short of a six pack. If your horse prefers this salt lick over a regular one - fine. Any other claims will be met with the rolly eye icon.

[TBrescue]

Given the choice he prefers the pink to the regular mineral block. I agree to buying from Horselovers, they have the lowest price around

[J Swan]

Who on this thread said the salt was better for their horses? I must have missed it. They said they are harder and hold together better in the wet environment of the feed tub or the horse prefers one over the other. (Probably because it's smoother on the tongue). Whew. Lucky for you, looks like you don't have to do anymore preaching for the day since that's all cleared up! :winkgrin:

Sure - it can be your turn now. Start a barefoot thread and see what happens!

(at the risk of overusing the rolly eye icon - I'd ask you to google the product and you'll see that in the marketplace - the salt is often said to be better and natural) I don't get all my info from this BB. ;)

[tds]

You know, I wondered where all this majikal properties BS came from so I went through the whole damn silly thread. Here's all I came up with, and it's a pretty sad sample of people BELIEVING (as in I BELIEVE, Praise the lawd, amen!) that overpriced rock salt has some property above being um, salt. And two, count 'em TWO paragraphs was all I came up with. Quel shock!

I'd tend to believe the stuff about heat processing and trace mineral imbalance. Critters do naturally tend to search out the salt and mineral licks in the wild.I think the idea is that it comes straight from the earth, not sent to a factory boiled, evaporated, add some minerals, put in a mold, stuck in an oven, etc. I don't know...that's just what I gathered. :confused:However I did count about 20 posts from Deltawave and J Swan mostly terribly amused with our gullibility and concerned we are expecting more than, um, salt, out of this stuff (all evidence to the contrary). So I think that ground is nicely covered, thank you very much. But judging by the vast majority of the 80+ posts on this thread, it seems most of us realize that it is:

a) salt, and not much else.
b) pricey salt, and not much else.
c) Pricey salt with a hole in it, and not much else
d) Pricey salt with a hole in it that sometimes comes with a rope, and not much else.

(Please note our complete failure to mention that it was somehow better than any other salt with a hole and a rope supplied except the part where some of us noticed it doesn't fall apart and turn into a giant useless mess in the bottom of the feed bucket ... so if by "better" one means that, I think I have to agree with that observation. If that means I drank the kool aid, I plead guilty.)

But thank you for your concern. Should we at any time turn this conversation over to the idea that this overpriced rock salt with a hole and a rope means our horses will somehow be healthier/faster/live longer/need less carrots than they might with another salt brick (with or without hole and rope), please feel free to remind of us how stupid we are. Until then your concerns seem somewhat ahead of the actual conversation.

[J Swan]

You're welcome, but I wasn't concerned. And if you bothered to read my post, you'd have realized that I the basis for my comment was not the posts on this thread in particular, but the fact that the marketing for this product, as a whole, is all about how much better and more natural it is.

So I'll repeat it - again - since you do not appear capable of reading for comprehension. I don't get all my information from this BB.

Wow. 63 posts and you think that you can deliver a good smackdown. Sorry tds - better folks than you have done it. Your attempt doesn't qualify. :cool:

[hey101]

Actually I thought she did rather a nice job. And I've been :lol: all day about viewing the amusing human specks from your tall horse (in a good way tds :)).

[deltawave]

We all have our things that get under our skin. Massively overhyped products whose only special qualities are that they're "natural" are one of mine. Apparently strong opinions that are expressed with any sort of color or evidence of personal feelings are one of tds's. :) I'm not sure I would bother to even post if I didn't feel at least lukewarm about something, and hey, at least I come by my opinions honestly. :) Not asking anyone to agree with them, vet them for political correctness, or blindly follow them. They're just out there--like everyone else's--on the days when I have time and energy to share them. Sometimes you feel like a nut, sometimes you don't. ;)

[J Swan]

Actually I thought she did rather a nice job. And I've been :lol: all day about viewing the amusing human specks from your tall horse (in a good way tds :)).

Alas - my horses are not tall. Well, except the Baby Horse and I'm about to start putting bricks on his back.

She didn't do a good job; though it was a good try. In order for a smackdown to be effective, the targeted poster has to shut up and go away.

I've yet to shut up - or go away. Better luck next time.:D

[kcmel]

Wow. 63 posts and you think that you can deliver a good smackdown. Sorry tds - better folks than you have done it. Your attempt doesn't qualify. :cool:

No offense, J Swan, but I think I'm going to like tds!

[xeroxchick]

My horses love theirs.
I have no problem with it.

[deltawave]

I keep seeing "tds" and thinking "technically difficult study" which is what we say when we can't see the pictures on an ultrasound. :) No offense to tds him/herself...it just has been making me smile for a while.

[J Swan]

No one HERE has said the salt is magikal. They just say it works better for them, and the horses like it. The end. So no need to lecture the people HERE over something they never said.


I don't recall I said anything of the sort - so no need to lecture me either, m'dear. Besides - you know that no smackdown can truly be called a smackdown unless one is lampooned in TLB. You know you've arrived when you have a nickname on that BB. I'm not sure folks like the destination - but they arrive, nonetheless.

deltawave - I must be dyslexic - because I kept reading tds as std and thinking that was a pretty odd username - right up there with HungLikeAStallion. I must be buying some pretty cheap scotch to wash down the kool-aid!!!:D

[tds]

She didn't do a good job; though it was a good try. In order for a smackdown to be effective, the targeted poster has to shut up and go away.

I've yet to shut up - or go away. Better luck next time.:D

J Swan, I didn't fall off the turnip truck yesterday, and I didn't just discover this or BBs in general just last month. I had no illusions you would shut up or go away. I was pretty sure that would be considerably less likely than seeing majikal results from rock salt.

Deltawave, tds is somewhat related to my signature, but you can go with technical difficult study, if you like. It probably fits. And damn, I'd be right there with you if people were carrying on about this stupid salt like they can carry on about "generic" legend or adequan, the "proven" value of oral joint supps, or some other natural substances that will absolutely cure [insert terrible condition] absent any proof. But I just don't see the point of doing an internet smackdown on people just because they like an overpriced block of salt when by all appearances they seem to fully understand it is just an overpriced block of salt.

[J Swan]

J Swan, I didn't fall off the turnip truck yesterday, and I didn't just discover this or BBs in general just last month. I had no illusions you would shut up or go away. I was pretty sure that would be considerably less likely than seeing majikal results from rock salt.

Deltawave, tds is somewhat related to my signature, but you can go with technical difficult study, if you like. It probably fits. And damn, I'd be right there with you if people were carrying on about this stupid salt like they can carry on about "generic" legend or adequan, the "proven" value of oral joint supps, or some other natural substances that will absolutely cure [insert terrible condition] absent any proof. But I just don't see the point of doing an internet smackdown on people just because they like an overpriced block of salt when by all appearances they seem to fully understand it is just an overpriced block of salt.

Oh - now I get it. You're laboring under a false assumption. You assumed I was trying to smack someone down. I wasn't. If I had - I would have been very clear that I was doing so. I took exception to a few things about a product, its origins, and the gullibility of some consumers - and based my opinion on product information outside this BB. And if you noticed, my first post quoted someone else who took issue with the same thing - but for some reason didn't attract your attention.

I'm not sure where you're going with this - since first of all, it's a little weird that you're taking a BB comment so seriously - and second - I'm not sure anyone is needing you to intercede on their behalf. Particularly since no poster has been singled out specifically except me and Deltawave. And last I checked - I didn't ask you for your help defending me from internet meanies.

[SaddleFitterVA]

:lol::lol::lol:

Who knew you could have such a long thread on salt blocks?

I've never worried over the amount of salt my horses consume.

I toss a loose mineral salt mix in the feed when it is really hot, so I suppose you could extrapolate a "worry" from that.

[tds]

You assumed I was trying to smack someone down.

You assumed wrong. I wasn't actually addressing you in that paragraph. And no, I didn't really pay much attention to your little posts until I read that condescending little number I initially referenced. High horse, much?

[J Swan]

You assumed wrong. I wasn't actually addressing you in that paragraph. And no, I didn't really pay much attention to your little posts until I read that condescending little number I initially referenced. High horse, much?


Oh my - guess since you were pretty much directing your posts at me I was supposed to arrive at a different conclusion. And here I was thinking I could actually learn a lot about how to write a condescending post just by reading yours.

And I already told you - my horses are short. Do you think if I fed them himalayan salt they'd get any taller?

[WildBlue]

Besides - you know that no smackdown can truly be called a smackdown unless one is lampooned in TLB. You know you've arrived when you have a nickname on that BB. I'm not sure folks like the destination - but they arrive, nonetheless.


Then, uh, I guess belated congratulations are in order.

[hoopoe]

Do you think if I fed them himalayan salt they'd get any taller

No , not likely

I would worry about hairballs, however.

[FleetwoodStarr]

No JSwan- the magikaal himelayan salt won't make you're ponies taller, but I'm working on the supplement that will. It's secret ingredient is arctic penguin feathers. These feathers are the missing link found in every horse's diet. This supplement will also cure founder, ulcers and heal you're lame horse in half the time! :lol:

TDS- I don't think JSwan was mocking those who give the salt because their horses liked it, she Deltawave and I were mocking those people who spend half their time searching through catalogues looking for the new "miracle" supplement for their horse. Look at all those items out on the equine market today that have absolutely no clinical evidence of working.

[simply kim]

Do my horses have a special Himmie salt lick?Nope.Have I ever used it . You bet! Love the stuff.Stopped my sugar cravings in their tracks. There is a lot of info about this product on the internet but I would buy it from a reputable spice dealer. Makes a wonderful soaking bath as well.There is a lot of info out there about mineral imbalances . Doubters might want to check out Mayo clinic website in regards to mineral effects on hypertension and diabetes.

[J Swan]

Then, uh, I guess belated congratulations are in order.

Very belated - already know what you girls get up to! But I think you have a special place reserved in your collective heart for certain other posters. Difference is - it doesn't bother me.

Fleetwood Starr - I predict you will make millions off your new supplement!:D

[Cherry]

Posted by Eventer55:
Where are they coming from exactly???
Want to know my theory??? They are chunks of Redmond Salt, smoothed, with holes drilled in them! :winkgrin:

I buy Redmond Salt chunks by the pound from a farm supply store up around New Holland! :yes: The last time I bought them it costs something like 25 cents a pound--I forget what my chunks weighed, I bought several of them.... If you send me twenty bucks, or however much these Himalayan salt licks are I will send you the exact same item and I'll be rich!!!!! ;) :winkgrin:

Although I can't find any information on the chunks themselves you can see them here in the background--those big chunks: http://www.realsalt.com/ . They're like an all day sucker; they are much smoother in texture than the traditional salt block and it was recommended to me by my homeopathic vet (he's a "real" vet too, BTW, a license to practice, and all :lol: ).... :) If you want to know where to buy these salt chunks call the Real Salt folks at 1-800-367-7258..... I'm sure you'll find them less expensive than the "Himalayan" brand.... Oh, and they also sell 50 pound bags of loose salt for livestock as well.... ;)

Can I interest anyone in a "Himalyan" salt lick???? :lol:


Edited to add:

I just went back and read all the threads to this post. Geeze, did this thread ever deteriorate! ;)

I don't think I really even thought whether this salt was better or not--I think I thought it would just be different, and it is. My horse has had a bum knee for a couple years now and I can't ride her so I don't need to buy any clothes or equipment and I'll probably have to put her down soon due to that knee. :cry: My only vice is buying her stuff to eat that I think she'll like and I waited thirty-five years to get her--can you please give me this little bit of happiness???? After all, I am the original scrounge--I don't think I paid more than a couple bucks for any of her Redmond salt licks--is that so bad??? And it didn't even come with a rope.... Good golly gosh! :( Have some mercy people!!!!! :uhoh:

[Tory Relic]

Cherry, I'm with you. And with Deltawave and JSwan.

This has been one of the most entertaining threads I've read in awhile.

I use the loose stuff that I buy at the feed store. 50# lasts quite awhile and it's not artificially (:lol::lol:) molded into some sort of block. I put some in my horse's feed and when it's hot out, I put some out in a feed tub.

[Cherry]

Well, the first time I read about these Himalyan salt licks I knew what they were! Geeze, what a racket!!!!! :eek:

But instead of criticizing people how about helping them find a way to better spend their money and leaving them with some shred of dignity! :winkgrin:

Good grief..... :(

[tds]

Do you think if I fed them himalayan salt they'd get any taller?

um, not unless you think salt does that sort of thing? :confused:

Fleetwood, I admit, the image of people scanning the catalogs for some new "nacherul" product amuses me as well. I just saw no evidence of it on this thread. Being criticized for spending X dollars on salt because it yanks your chain is all well and good, but if it means that other people get their chains yanked by those who stand in judgment of such things (be it salt, saddles or show horses), then I guess its off to the races we go. Either way, it was amusing while it lasted, but now there are horses to ride, stalls to clean, jumps to be jumped, possibly even overpriced bricks of salt to be purchased...

[kcmel]

Cherry, what is the name of the farm store?

[hoopoe]

darn it Jswan I appreciated your joke

everyone else is too serious

:no:

[Tory Relic]

Well, the first time I read about these Himalyan salt licks I knew what they were! Geeze, what a racket!!!!! :eek:

But instead of criticizing people how about helping them find a way to better spend their money and leaving them with some shred of dignity! :winkgrin:

Good grief..... :(

Sowwy. Didn't mean to step on your tail. :eek::eek:

[Cherry]

Didn't mean to step on your tail. :eek::eek:
How did you know I had one???? :confused: :uhoh: :lol: Incidentally, it's not my tail I'm concerned about--there are ways to get one's point across without trying to embarrass other people.... I admit it's a long lost art, but something worth striving for.... :winkgrin:

Kcmel--it's Hess' Farm Supply. It's a mom and pop outfit so you'll have to call ahead before you go (the day before) to make sure someone will be there! Get directions at that time cause it's kind of hard to find if you're not familiar with the area. ;) Their number is: (717) 354-7972.

They have fifty pound bags of loose salt for livestock and shakers of people salt too! :yes:

[the_other_mother]

So....what is so special about the himilayan blocks? Are they supposed to be healthier or something? What's the attraction or benefits?

[cllane1]

Wow! It makes me laugh to see how contentious this thread has gotten! When I asked about them, I was interested mainly in hearing if they really were harder and last longer than regular salt blocks, not b/c I think they are somehow mo' bettah for the ponies than any other kind of salt. Interesting observations, everyone!

[Ghazzu]

Critters do naturally tend to search out the salt and mineral licks in the wild.

However, it has been shown experimentally that the only substance for which there is specificity is salt.

[Katy Watts]

However, it has been shown experimentally that the only substance for which there is specificity is salt.

I've been told by equine nutrition PhD's they will also seek out phosphorus, although I don't have a citation at hand. P deficient cows and horses will chew on bones.
When I discovered that my horse's diet was severly deficient in P, I got some mono sodium phosphate. It tasted like CRAP, I know cause I tasted it. My very fussy eaters licked it straight out a rubber tub. Bizzare.
Katy

[Lookout]

I don't know, maybe mine was defective? Possessed by evil spirits? Still smelled of yak?
Cured in a stall for 6 months?

Where did someone say these were better? I missed that part. And when did salt become a supplement?

Who would've thought there could be 6 pages on SALT?? Even for COTH :no:

[Lookout]

So I'll repeat it - again - since you do not appear capable of reading for comprehension. I don't get all my information from this BB.

So, you're criticizing the folks for gullibly falling for 'all the natural marketing info', which you have seen, but they have not.

Wow. 63 posts and you think that you can deliver a good smackdown. Sorry tds - better folks than you have done it. Your attempt doesn't qualify. :cool:

Shall we take a vote? :cool:

[Ghazzu]

I've been told by equine nutrition PhD's they will also seek out phosphorus, although I don't have a citation at hand. P deficient cows and horses will chew on bones.


That rings a faint bell. I should track it down.
Great--something else to divert me while I should be putting my spring lecture schedules together.

[Katy Watts]

Great--something else to divert me while I should be putting my spring lecture schedules together.

I know the feeling. I'm formatting a bibiography. yuck.
Katy

[FleetwoodStarr]

Who would've thought there could be 6 pages on SALT?? Even for COTH

Lookout- its another affect of the salt- long debates on horse care forums :lol:

[Lauren!]

7 pages on salt is pretty impressive.

Both my horses have Himalayan salt licks, as well as regular pressed white blocks. I haven't noticed any special preferences for the fancy blocks, but they do last a long time, even the one that's outside. I paid about $6 each at a local tack shop, but I have not noticed any magical properties, and my horses are still only 15.3. It's possible my salt licks were counterfeit and not actually magical. They ARE salty though, I tasted them... they were yummy.

[Tory Relic]

How did you know I had one???? :confused: :uhoh: :lol: Incidentally, it's not my tail I'm concerned about--there are ways to get one's point across without trying to embarrass other people.... I admit it's a long lost art, but something worth striving for.... :winkgrin:


Probably the same way you know I can't get my point across without embarrassing other people? :confused: What DID I say?

[zagafi]

I can't believe we've gone 7 pages without any mention of what is MOST important about the Himalayan Salt.
It's PINK, people! What can be cooler than salt in my favorite color?? For the record, I do have one, but not for any "majikal" reasons. Doofus didn't seem to like the white salt blocks, so I gave it a try. He really likes it, too!

[flypony74]

Personally, I feed free choice loose salt and (separately) a high quality free choice loose mineral. I don't think can easily meet their salt requirements from licking a block.

[deltawave]

That would be my biggest concern with an "extra hard" salt block: that my horses would simply get discouraged (or sore tongues) and not bother. I totally don't mind them chomping and slurping their way through 3 50 pound blocks a year...I figure they'll quit if they don't want it, but don't want them quitting out of frustration.

[Cherry]

Tory, I wasn't speaking of you in particular, it was a generalization--sorry for the confusion. (But I do have a tail! :yes: :lol: ;) ) It's just that in some of the posts on this board there are people who rip some posters from one end to the other.... :eek: Admit it!!!! :winkgrin:

[amdfarm]

I almost hate bringing this thread back to the top, but here it is. It was a great read though. ;)

I just got my Himalayan block today. We'll see how they like it compared to their regular trace mineral block. If it doesn't get burried in the snow. It's smaller than I expected and my horses are on pasture. BF put it out, so I'll have to ask him where so I can find it. If it lasts longer, I may continue to buy them at $13.95 a pop. :eek: There's 7 of them trying it. I may switch it back and forth between them and see if the others like it, too. I should of had him put it next to the other block so they can choose and I can find it. Might have him do that. :)

I ordered so much and needed a bit extra to get the free shipping and this is what I got.

[Ambrey]

I bought four from Horseloverz.com cuz they were on sale (the round ones....salt on a rope :D for $5 each). Both my mares and the 2 geldings that board with me (friend's horses) LOFF THEM. My ClydeX thinks it's crack! :lol:

Yep, my horses like them too- completely ignored the other salt licks.

I got them for $5 on horseloverz though.

eta: LOL, I missed the 5 pages of random arguing. I can't see how anyone could argue that SALT on a STRING is superior! It's salt-it's a toy!-it's salt-it's a toy!

Anyway, that's why I figure my guys like them ;)

[amdfarm]

Yeah, this thread is over a year old. I was entertained by the squabbling. :)

[MelantheLLC]

Hey come on. It was transported down steep mountain passes on the backs of yaks! Don't let their efforts be in vain! :winkgrin:

And if it's from Pakistan, which is pretty close to the Himalayas, it's providing jobs in an unstable region, thus bolstering our national security. :cool:

My horse doesn't like his much though. :cry:

[amastrike]

It's already been bumped, so I don't feel bad posting..

A couple horses at my barn have been given himalayan salt on a rope. From what I've seen, they really enjoyed it. My horse get plain old flavored mineral blocks... not that the flavoring matters.. I tasted his candy apple one, and it just tasted like salt! I was very disappointed at the lack of candy apple goodness :cry: . But he goes through it pretty quickly, so I guess he's getting enough salt. I might consider a fancy-schmancy salt block if my horse wouldn't touch ordinary salt, but not otherwise.

[retired4now]

My horse is a bonafide salt-aholic. I would normally never fork out for something so stupid as salt on a rope... HOWEVER...

My mare likes to rip regular salt lick holders off the wall... so as a solution we tried putting her salt lick in her feed tub...

BUT...

She shits in her feed tub!

So in order for her to get the salt she wants, I forked out for a salt lick with a hole in it so that I could suspend it from a rope and take away the feed tub...

Worth EVERY penny to me!

[Ambrey]

My mare likes to rip regular salt lick holders off the wall... so as a solution we tried putting her salt lick in her feed tub...
[/QUOTE]

Yep, ripping the wall ones off, only the one in his feed bin just got somehow ejected from the food bin and buried in shavings. *sigh*

Salt on a rope is a Good Thing.

[equineartworks]

I cook...alot. I cater seasonally as well. I am a salt addict

Various salts come from all corners of the earth and I have a kaliedascope of beautiful colored salts all over my kitchen to use to flavor different dishes.

The truth is that Himalayan Salt is very sweet. Probably why horses enjoy it so much. Each will have a very distinctive flavor set and contain various levels of minerals that may only be indiginous to the area where it is mined. The Himalayan Salt is almost always mined in India.

For example, Hawaiian black salt has an earthy dusky taste and it is pitch black from lava. There is also a red hawaiian salt...VERY pretty! I use the Hawaiian salts for quail eggs with lavender that is a favorite client appetizer. Fleur de Sel from France tastes a bit like the sea...you can taste the salt breeze in it. It is perfect for fish of course! And anythign with lemon....WOW! Another favorite is Bolivian Rose salt. It has a very light flavor and is a gorgeous light pink. So pretty on light fleshed fish like tilapia.

Salt is actually an extremely fascinating subject...I love them all!

God, I am such a dweeb...:D

[Half Halt]

My horse just loved it. He ate it in 3 days. At least it lasted longer than his Lik-It. LOL

[buck22]

my horses adore them! I would never be without again.

and I got several pounds for me to cook with too.... it is good, though I don't taste the sweetness, its got more of an earthy minerally taste to me which is nice in game suppers, etc. And its somehow less salty tasting, like kosher salt... it brings out flavor in dishes without making them as salty tasting.

[kcmel]

My horses like theirs too. They ignore a regular salt block (hey, I think I already posted on this thread. Like a year ago!:lol:)

[TrueColours]

All 8 of my horses got an inch layer of of dust on their blue / red / white regular salt blocks. They wouldnt touch them. They didnt as much as lick them, not even once

They all LOVE their Himalayan's and will happily lick away at them

I found it easiest to just toss one into their feed tubs as they dont break down and dissolve into a salty mess like the regular blocks do

A huge thumbs up for the Himalayan's! :yes:

[deltawave]

I'll bet it's secretly rock candy, not rock salt. :D

[Huntertwo]

My mare will not touch a salt lick, so I bought her a Himalayan salt block from SmartPak and she loves it! It had some rougher edges to it when I bought it, but she has licked them smooth.

I didn't hang it on the rope that comes with it. Like I mentioned she never touches a salt lick, so I put it in her feed bucket instead.

4 horses at the barn I work at also have them, and they are constantly licking them. :yes:

[SarahandSam]

I used them for my horse, who loved them... but on his last one, he decided to bite into it, and cracked a tooth.

Though it seems to be a fluke, and I've never heard of that happening before, I decided to not get another one... am going to order some loose salt and he's chowing down on his cheapie blocks in the meantime at his usual ridiculous, "put-everything-in-my-mouth" silly-pony rate...

[deltawave]

I just saw what equineartworks wrote--about some salt being "sweet". Is there a "guaranteed analysis" anywhere on Himalayan salt?

[TrueColours]

Is there a "guaranteed analysis" anywhere on Himalayan salt?


No - because each piece is literally one of a kind. No two are alike and the mineral content will vary from where it has been mined from. The colours within the blocks will tell you if the mineral content is higher or lower

If you have seen one, they are a myriad of different colours so one area of the block may have a higher mineral content than another part of it

Im sold on them. I wouldnt have any other kind to be honest

[Pookah]

I confess I don't have the patience to read through the whole thread, but I use these. My horses seem to not like them less or more than any others, but I LOVE that they are on a rope for hanging. So much more convenient than holders, or throwing in feed troughs, etc.

[RidesAHaflinger]

Have not read all the posts either but I have one horse who is clearly addicted to the pink salt (could it be the opium in it? :lol:) and another who likes it but is not addicted. Both have access to white and mineral blocks and they also lick those often. I indulge my little addict by buying the pink salt 10 large blocks at a time from Chamisa Ridge. Sometimes they run a free shipping offer and that makes it a good deal. He can go through a block in a month or two.

But I've always wondered about the comments I see here on COTH about hard salt blocks and horses with sore tongues from all that licking and that salt blocks are made for cows not horses, etc. For 40+ years I've provided salt blocks to my horses and have not seen evidence of sore tongues but I'd read enough here to make me think I've been wrong about this. So my horses had a power float last Friday and thinking about salt blocks and sore tongues, I expected to look over the dentist's shoulder into their mouths (esp. the addict) and see nasty sores and ulcerations from licking all that hard salt. I was thinking "Uh, oh, maybe some new graphics for a "House" episode..." :D:eek: But no, their tongues were smooth, pink and very healthy. So, hmmmmm. :confused:

[deltawave]

I just wonder how much sugar is in them. :) Anyone licked one? :lol:

Any chemistry students out there who need an extra credit project?

[RidesAHaflinger]

If there were sugar in them in any appreciable amounts, both of my treataholic Haflingers would be biting hunks off and chowing them down within moments. :winkgrin: They simply will not leave any sweet thing alone. Lik-its vanished immediately in spite of how cleverly I hung them in difficult-to-reach ways. They don't get Lik-its any more.

[SonnysMom]

I did read somewhere that the Himalayan Salt lick have high potassium content so those of you with HYPP horses should not use them. (Or at least do some more research on the actual potassium content)

[ChocoMare]

I did read somewhere that the Himalayan Salt lick have high potassium content so those of you with HYPP horses should not use them. (Or at least do some more research on the actual potassium content)

Ditto. I'm now limiting my mare's access to them. Vet saw it and went "EEK".... she's pulled blood on a few horses that had free access to lick to their heart's content for hours (stalled horses, of course) and all of them showed very high potassium levels.

So now if the mare is stalled overnight for horrid weather, it's flipped up out of her way. Otherwise she'd spent 10 out of those 12 hours licking her "crack." :lol:

[Ambrey]

Ditto. I'm now limiting my mare's access to them. Vet saw it and went "EEK".... she's pulled blood on a few horses that had free access to lick to their heart's content for hours (stalled horses, of course) and all of them showed very high potassium levels.


OK, my horses don't love them that much! They are stalled, with free access, and the danged thing last months. I also agree that they aren't sugary- my big guy wouldn't leave it for a second if it was sugary!

[ChocoMare]

Definitely not sugary (yup, I licked one :eek:)

My Percheron will lick it and leave it. One round lasted her over a year. So no worries there.

The Clyde-X is the "pink crack" addict. She gets minerals balanced for our pastures, yet the Pink Crack is her thing. Gotta control her addiction :D

[sublimequine]

I got one for my pastured mare.. it's hung on her hay feeder. The main reason I like it is that it doesn't melt in a rainstorm or snowstorm or icestorm like regular salt does! :lol:

I've never actually seen her lick it, but it has gone down in size as well as the one I got for her pasturemate.. so I'm assuming they're using them at least occasionally. :winkgrin:

[NCSaddleFitter]

Wow, am I the only one who didn't like these? I only skimmed the replies, so I may have missed some. My horses are out most of the time, so I need salt for the pasture. The packaging said it would not dissolve on the elements so I bought two of them.

The first or second night I had them, it rained. I found one of them on the ground because it had dissolved off of the rope, and the other one was about the size of a golf ball. The horses never touched them.

The $1.50 blocks I get from the feed store hold up WAY better!

[sublimequine]

Wow, am I the only one who didn't like these? I only skimmed the replies, so I may have missed some. My horses are out most of the time, so I need salt for the pasture. The packaging said it would not dissolve on the elements so I bought two of them.

The first or second night I had them, it rained. I found one of them on the ground because it had dissolved off of the rope, and the other one was about the size of a golf ball. The horses never touched them.

The $1.50 blocks I get from the feed store hold up WAY better!

I'm surprised, mine haven't done that. What brand did you get, and from where?

[NCSaddleFitter]

I got the 4-5# blocks that came from Toklat. I threw away the packaging, or I'd tell you exactly which ones they were. I paid about 10 bucks for each of them.

[sublimequine]

I got the 4-5# blocks that came from Toklat. I threw away the packaging, or I'd tell you exactly which ones they were. I paid about 10 bucks for each of them.

I'm surprised. I got the ones that are like donuts and fit in Likit holders. It may actually have been the Likit brand.

EDIT; Dont have em in Likit holders though, theyre on a string of twine. :lol:

[luvs2ridewbs]

I love the salt on a rope. My horse had one for the past two years hung on the rope in his stall. I know he used it because he licked a tounge shaped smooth area onto the rock. Eventually, he liked it off the rope and it went into his feed tub. I will definately get another one.

[Renn/aissance]

Tip has a similar one. He isn't terribly enthused, but he got it as a Christmas present and he's not one who loves salt this time of year anyway. He does like to play with it and nose it around on its rope, though.

[Woodsperson]

Two of my horses won't touch the pink ones (out of the two, one of them will use a regular salt block). The third horse really likes them better than regular block, but he is sane about it. The fourth horse is not allowed to have them any more. He shoves them up against the wall and bites off huge chunks and eats them. He licks a regular salt block though.

[Penthilisea]

My salt-a-holic TB likes his, and so I hung one in each run in shed (two run ins, 3 horses) and they seem to be slowly licking them away. This is a vast improvement over the mineral salt blocks, which even in the holders or in the feed buckets lasted days, not weeks with my guys.

[pony4me]

My two horses both seem to like them, but are not addicted. They got them in December, and there's still plenty of salt left.

[Huntertwo]

Just a thought -

For all the people who say "horse hasn't touched it in X months" couldn't that be becuse the horse is getting enough in his normal diet? For instance the forage and grain is rich enough in salt and minerals that he doesn't need to lick another salt source? Not necessarily that the salt "isn't good" but that the horse just simply doesn't need it?

Also - just like in humans - each individuals' salt needs will be different based upon how your body utilizes electrolytes, and how active you are. There's at least one physician who posts here, I'm sure she would agree that each individual is genetically unique and may have needs very different than someone else.

I can't help but think there's nothing necessarily "wrong with the salt" because a horse "doesn't like his" but rather that that individual simply doesn't need it.

OTOH, my mare who the day before wouldn't touch a normal salt lick, suddenly loved her Himalayan. Unless there are different ingredients in these??

[Huntertwo]

when global warming is such an issue, should we really be creating all the extra carbon? shipping salt from the Himalamas? Does this salt make any documentable difference in our horses' well being? performance?:

Kool-Aide anyone??? :rolleyes:

[Rienzi]

I've got pounds and pounds of Himalayan salt, two really big chunks. I paid $1.99 each. They were on sale at the Rite-Aid after Christmas as lamps. I thought, what a great savings, I can unsrew the lamps and give the salt to the horse, package says all natural. My mother saw them and wondered --"?" She won't let me feed them to Louie. She says there might be something wrong with them. So now I have two large hunks of valuable Himalayan salt in my living room next to the statue of Mary, doing nothing. Every now and them I plug them in to make me feel better.

[Huntertwo]

Speaking for myself, the reason I use these blocks is it's actually much more economical. At $7 for a lump that lasts for nearly 2 months (depends on the horse..some more, some less), it beats buying all the pressed salt blocks at $3 or $4 each and watching them dissolve into salt crumbs in my horse's feed tubs within days or a few weeks.


Personally, it has nothing to do with where they are from or what the advertising says... just the plain simple fact that my horses use them and they aren't as messy as pressed blocks.

Thank you - Finally someone with common sense, plain and simple. :yes:

I bought my first one and it was a small Himi at the Equine Affaire in November and my mare still is licking off this one! That is how long it has lasted.

Now compare that to the plain salt licks that crumble and fall apart when it gets damp or slobbered on. (I place mine in her feed bucket)

I don't care where it comes from as long as it gets her to drink more water. :winkgrin:

[Ambrey]

OTOH, my mare who the day before wouldn't touch a normal salt lick, suddenly loved her Himalayan. Unless there are different ingredients in these??

The himalayan salt licks are glued together by magikal gypsy vanner farts.

[Huntertwo]

The himalayan salt licks are glued together by magikal gypsy vanner farts.

Ah, So that's the secret... I knew there had to be a better explanation...thanks!:)

Oh gosh, it just hit me that I did lick it for the heck of it...ewww:dead:
Does that mean I just consumed a magikal gypsy vanner fart?? :lol:

[Ambrey]

A
Does that mean I just consumed a magikal gypsy vanner fart?? :lol:

Yep! It's like fairy dust, don't you feel a little bit lighter now?

[Huntertwo]

Yep! It's like fairy dust, don't you feel a little bit lighter now?

Actually I would describe the feeling as being a bit nauseous...:eek:

[amdfarm]

I found where BF put it, but I can't tell if any of them are licking on it or not. He put it in a plastic feed tub though (DUH)... so if they try and lick it, it and the tub just slide acrossed the snow and ice making it a tad harder to manage. Tub hasn't really moved so I'm guessing they know it'll move on them. :) I need to find a better place for it.

Where I ordered mine from (Valley Vet) says it contains more than 86 minerals to benefit your horse, but doesn't list them.

[TheOrangeOne]

Isn't there a black one that's supposed to be good for the stomach? I remember being educated on salts in aspen once when instead of a shaker, they had a tray of 5 type, but I can't remember why the black kind would benefit the digestion.

[marta]

we have a fjord at our place who eats them like candy. his owner keeps buying him new ones every 2 weeks or so, well maybe less frequently now that it's winter.
i mentioned to the owner that maybe his consumption of salt is responsible for the amount of urine he produces (i basically have to strip half his stall on daily basis) but she assured me that fjords are known for urine production and he was like that before he started eating these blocks.

[Ames]

you can get these from dover for like $6 or $7. I have to use them b/c a regular white or even a mineral salt block my horse will devour within 48 hours - no lie. With these, it lasts about 2 weeks :)

[MelantheLLC]

we have a fjord at our place who eats them like candy. his owner keeps buying him new ones every 2 weeks or so, well maybe less frequently now that it's winter.


Maybe he should have his blood pressure checked! :winkgrin:

[bornfreenowexpensive]

Well I'll admit that I bought some. My horses get loose mineral salt in their feed...and there are large 50# mineral salt blocks in their fields. Normally we haven't put anything in their stalls....but now I've had two on extended stall rest so thought they should have a block in their stall since they can not get to grass, ground or their mineral blocks in the field. I only bought these for one reason...they came on a rope. We have no place to hang a salt block holder in the stall (metal grate stalls with cinder block) and the BO doesn't like them anyway. On the ground and just loose in the feed tub was ruled out as well.....so these were handy, already on a rope and not very expensive at the feed store. Can't say I've notice a difference between them or other mineral salt blocks.....but it is handy to have it tied and hanging in their buckets.


Now the Uncle Jimmy Hanging Balls (especially peppermint) have been very popular with the horses on stall rest:lol: