Minerals in our horses’ diets are essential in order for the body to work properly – for growth, for utilization in muscles, nerves, and turning the food our horses eat into energy. Most of all they are essential for maintaining a state of health and well-being.

Different minerals are required by the horse’s body in different amounts and many are synergistic. They are classified in groups of trace minerals, major minerals and minerals.

No nutrient or minerals can alter the horse’s well-being single-handedly.  Nutrients and minerals need to be balanced. While a “healthy” diet will provide all the essential minerals we find it hard-pressed to find a diet suggested for horses that does not include GMO, GE, and foods heavily processed with chemicals, artificial flavors, colors and preservatives. Add that to grains that are heavily herbicided, pesticided and fertilized — its a sad commentary on what we consider ‘healthy’ for our horses today.

What might be considered adequate minerals intake will include the following minerals as listed in this chart from webmd.com …

Macrominerals

Major minerals
Mineral	Function	Sources
Sodium	Needed for proper fluid balance, nerve transmission, and muscle contraction	Table salt, soy sauce; large amounts in processed foods; small amounts in milk, breads, vegetables, and unprocessed meats
Chloride	Needed for proper fluid balance,stomach acid	Table salt, soy sauce; large amounts in processed foods; small amounts in milk, meats, breads, and vegetables
Potassium	Needed for proper fluid balance, nerve transmission, and muscle contraction	Meats, milk, fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains, legumes
Calcium	Important for healthy bones and teeth; helps muscles relax and contract; important in nerve functioning, blood clotting, blood pressure, blood regulation, immune system health	Milk and milk products; canned fish with bones (salmon, sardines); fortified tofu and fortified soy milk; greens (broccoli, mustard greens); legumes
Phosphorus	Important for healthy bones and teeth; found in every cell; part of the system that maintains acid-base balance	Meat, fish, poultry, eggs, milk, processed foods (including soda pop)
Magnesium	Found in bones; needed for making protein, muscle contraction, nerve transmission, immune system health	Nuts and seeds; legumes; leafy, green vegetables; seafood; chocolate; artichokes; “hard” drinking water
Sulfur	Found in protein molecules	Occurs in foods as part of protein: meats, poultry, fish, eggs, milk, legumes, nuts

Trace minerals (microminerals)

The body needs trace minerals in very small amounts. Note that iron is considered to be a trace mineral, although the amount needed is somewhat more than for other microminerals.

Trace minerals
Mineral	Function	Sources
Iron	Part of a molecule (hemoglobin) found in red blood cells that carry oxygen in the body; needed for energy metabolism	Organ meats; red meats; fish; poultry; shellfish (especially clams); egg yolks; legumes; dried fruits; dark, leafy greens; iron-enriched breads and cereals; and fortified cereals
Zinc	Part of many enzymes; needed for making protein and genetic material; has a function in taste perception, wound healing, normal fetal development, production of sperm, normal growth and sexual maturation, immune system health	Meats, fish, poultry, leavened whole grains, vegetables
Iodine	Found in thyroid hormone, which helps regulate growth, development, and metabolism	Seafood, foods grown in iodine-rich soil, iodized salt, bread, dairy products
Selenium	Antioxidant	Meats, seafood, grains
Copper	Part of many enzymes; needed for iron metabolism	Legumes, nuts and seeds, whole grains, organ meats, drinking water
Manganese	Part of many enzymes	Widespread in foods, especially plant foods
Fluoride	Involved in formation of bones and teeth; helps prevent tooth decay	Drinking water (either fluoridated or naturally containing fluoride), fish, and most teas
Chromium	Works closely with insulin to regulate glucose levels	Unrefined foods, especially liverl, brewer’s yeast, whole grains, nuts, cheeses
Molybdenum	Part of some enzymes	Legumes; breads and grains; leafy greens; leafy, green vegetables; milk; liver

Other trace nutrients known to be essential in tiny amounts include nickel, silicon, vanadium, and cobalt.

Truth be told, in ancient mines one will find 78+ minerals – all of which are needed in order to keep our horses in a healthy state of homeostasis.  Compare the chart above with this chart from Window Peak Minerals, NV:  (far cry from what we’re led to believe is all that is necessary)

Aluminum	Al	Holmium	Ho	Rhodium	Rh
Antimony	Sb	Hydrogen	H	Rubidium	Rb
Arsenic	As	Indium	In	Ruthenium	Ru
Barium	Ba	Iodine	I	Samarium	Sm
Beryllium	Be	Iridium	Ir	Scandium	Sc
Bismuth	Bi	Iron	Fe	Selenium	Se
Boron	B	Lanthanum	La	Silicon	Si
Bromine	Br	Lead	Pb	Silver	Ag
Cadmium	Cd	Lithium	Li	Sodium	Na
Calcium	Ca	Lutetium	Lu	Strontium	Sr
Carbon	C	Manganese	Mn	Sulphur	S
Cerium	Ce	Magnesium	Mg	Tantalum	Ta
Cesium	Cs	Mercury	Hg	Tellurium	Te
Chlorine	Cl	Molybdenum	Mo	Terbium	Tb
Chromium	Cr	Neodymium	Nd	Thallium	Tl
Cobalt	Co	Nickel	Ni	Thorium	Th
Copper	Cu	Niobium	Nb	Thulium	Tm
Dysprosium	Dy	Nitrogen	N	Tin	Sn
Erbium	Er	Osmium	Os	Titanium	Ti
Europium	Eu	Oxygen	O	Tungsten	W
Fluorine	F	Palladium	Pd	Uranium	U
Gadolinium	Gd	Phosphorus	P	Vanadium	V
Gallium	Ga	Platinum	Pt	Ytterbium	Yb
Germanium	Ge	Potassium	K	Yttrium	Y
Gold	Au	Praseodymium	Pr	Zinc	Zn
Hafnium	Hf	Rhenium	Re	Zirconium	Zr

Key to above mineral chart —

Green = essential element for some or most plants
Red = essential trace mineral for humans*
Fuchsia = essential trace mineral for livestock and pets**
Black BOLD = macro mineral essential to both humans and animals
Underlined Black = electrolyte essential to all animal life
Plain Black = unconfirmed application to human and/or animal nutiritional needs

* Chlorine and Fluorine are noted in their elemental gaseous state. In Window Peak Trace Minerals these elements combine with other elements to produce the minerals Chloride and Fluoride. Fluorite, a crystal resembling a translucent rock is yet another compound of Fluorine. Also note that Oxygen is also required by animal life, but is a gas and therefore not a mineral. Besides, we all need it in “macro” amounts.

** Livestock and pets also need the minerals listed in red.

All of them in a montmorillonite clay base to help bind and carry toxins out of the body.
Now, think of the feral horse that lives out in the wild … what do they need? What do they get? Depending on the area in which they live and graze, they’ll get pretty much all of what is listed above. How do they get it?  By grazing forages and eating or licking dirt. Simple.

What does YOUR horse get?  Take a look at the ingredient list on your supply of minerals. I can guarantee that you won’t find any like you’ll find from Window Peak, NV.  And so many people moan about their horses licking rocks or eating dirt. Why do they do that?

Because they NEED MINERALS!

So, where can you GET Window Peak Minerals?

Well, that’s easy!  You can get them from me. I get a small percentage of each ‘sale’; I am NOT a distributor.  But when I found NATURAL HORSE MINERALS and tried them out I swore I’ll NEVER CHANGE to another AND I have to tell others about them simply because I love helping horses and their humans.  Here’s where you can order them: http://www.thepenzancehorse.com/wordpress/?p=85

Or, simply write to me at gwen.santagate@gmail.com and request an order. It’s as simple as that.

Once you switch or add these minerals to your horses’ diets you’ll never switch back to anything else.

I promise.