as for your question, my horses mineral appetites go up and down. and varies from horse to horse. some will ignore and others will gobble it like a pig when I leave it out free choice. What I do... I leave out a salt block all the time, a brown one with minerals too. Then I do the free choice minerals in the feed buckets about once a week if no rain. (If it rains the rain melts it and its wasted). I figure this way, maybe I'm wrong, they can have the 24/7 salt block take care of some needs so at least they donbt gobble down all those expensive minerals just cause they need salt... does that make sense? probably totally faulty logic which if it is someone on here is sure to point out haha.
But I have no grass at all, and my iceys and my donkey and one of my walkers are such easy keepers I feed them almost nothing and worry they arent getting nutrients. So I make sure they get their loose minerals especially. I feed gro strong by alliance. I am blessed that I live close enough to drive to jeffers warehouse and pick things up, otherwise could not pay shipping! I see where minerals, like the gro strong I use, etc, some of them have a kind expressley for animals on alfalfa. My gro strong come in an alfalfa formula. as for magnesium, i have the worst memory, but saw something the other day that it does other than calm... but anyway, I gave it to my stonewall for calming and he turned into a zombie haha. he would stand out in the pasture all alone (he is not a loner AT all) like he was thinking "I know I should be FEELING something"... haha but it sure didnt hurt him and I plan to experiment with less, a half dose. My Jaspar has turned into a brat lately, feeling his oats as they say, becuase he has not been ridden hardly at all and has been eating the most fattening things known to horsedom. he is fired up as they say. But him fired up just means a happy stepping pace :) But I do see him biting the others etc but he lost his herd leader spot when he lost all his weight and now he feels better I think he is trying to get it back. he is jumpy and nervous on sweetfeed products and on hoof supplement product with biotin. I dont think protein is a big culprit like people used to think! Because mine eat strategy which is 14% protein and they are all calm as can be. Jaspar got froggy when I started feeding him equine senior. Molasses just sends him over the edge or something haha. Janice -- even good horses have bad days sometimes.
