Femke explains: "I started offering minerals in water. First with two buckets and then I would switch them out. At my new stable, there are now six buckets hanging on the wall, like a buffet. Each bucket contains different minerals."

As needed

"I believe that horses in nature can choose for themselves, they know what they need and engage in self-medication. This is called zoopharmacognosy. You can see with horses that have the choice, that they eat specific plants in certain periods. Or for example, choose certain herbs or bushes when they are weaker or feeling unwell. Our domesticated horses have little variety in their diet, they are fed food that is not suitable for horses or have various abnormalities in digestion and metabolism. This sometimes makes it difficult for a horse to know what it needs and for self-medication", explains Femke.

Do not mix too much

"A healthy horse will only take what is necessary, the same goes for salt for example. That's why I am not a fan of mixed salt licks, because they contain other minerals. The more you mix minerals, the less the horse can distinguish what it needs. That's why I offer a mineral as pure as possible. I only mix Celtic sea salt and seaweed occasionally. Otherwise, I use only one ingredient per bucket."

Which minerals are in the buffet?

Femke uses the following minerals and raw materials in her mineral buffet:

• Peat extract
• Silicon
• Mother earth
• Icelandic seaweed
• Celtic sea salt
• Liquid nettle
• Organic apple cider vinegar
• Spirulina
• Electrolytes

Each of these minerals serves different purposes. Liquid silicon is good for tendons, muscles, ligaments, and joints. It stimulates collagen production. Liquid nettle is mildly detoxifying. And liquid electrolytes help replenish deficiencies in hot weather or during intensive training when the horse sweats a lot.

Simple system

"The best thing is to offer at least three or four buckets, so that the horses can choose", says Femke. "Always make sure that clean drinking water is nearby, so that horses don't drink from the mineral buckets due to thirst. A simple system with a few buckets next to each other is fine. It's important that horses have little trouble making a choice. You often see them go along with their noses and sometimes taste a bit. This way, they scan which ones they need. The need varies by season and by horse. It's useful to write down which bucket was emptied first, what the weather was like, if your horse had any abnormalities during that period, and other noticeable things. Then you start to recognize patterns."

Happy with it

"I am very happy with my mineral buffet", says Femke. "I have been doing this since 2018 and see a pattern every year. In a certain period, the horses have no need for some minerals and in other periods they need a lot." Femke recommends not leaving the buckets for longer than 48 to 72 hours. "If they don't finish it all, you can pour it over the plants, as they are also good soil improvers. If you are offering a mineral for the first time, you can also choose to give only half a bucket with half the dosage. This way you can see what happens first," concludes Femke.

Femke Dölle has the smallest Browsing Paddock® in the Netherlands at just 1,600m2. She is a true inspirator, horse influencer, and innovative thinker in the field of natural housing. Femke guides horse owners with training, feeding management, and housing of their horse and is also an Official Ambassador Passive Physio®.

www.femkedolle.nl