The first time choosing can cause confusion

Often, when a mineral buffet is placed for the first time for horses who are not familiar with it, it can go two ways. Either they don't understand what to do with it and completely ignore it, or out of enthusiasm, the buckets are immediately emptied. But both are a sign that horses are not consciously choosing to drink a specific water. And that's quite logical because our current horses are far from their natural state of being. They are fed and given water that we as owners provide, so they don't have to choose or search for anything themselves anymore. Many horses don't even look/smell at what they eat anymore, they just eat it blindly.

We would rather see picky horses, as they can already make a conscious choice whether they need something or not. And sometimes you hear the remark that horses choose what they like, but this is mainly seen in horses that have not learned to listen to their instincts. The horses that are further removed from nature. And of course, a horse will also choose what it likes, but will have a brake on it if the horse is in balance. With picky horses, horses that choose consciously and eat/drink based on their instincts, you see that they often stop using the mineral buffet after a few weeks.

Congratulations! Your horses choose consciously!

And that is fantastic! The intention is not for a mineral buffet to be empty every day because that would mean that the horse is always lacking something and has not had the opportunity to replenish properly. Apparently, something is going wrong in the overall diet. It is quite normal for horses to have periods where they do not need extra herbs/minerals. After all, in nature, not everything is always available, then they also move through areas where almost nothing grows and use their reserves. Each season is different, so the needs of horses also vary each season.

But if the mineral buffet is completely empty in periods, but also not touched in other periods, that is completely normal and good. The horses then choose very consciously and know exactly what they are doing!

Refresh the water or temporarily remove it

If you notice that the mineral buffet is not being used, that is not a problem at all. It does mean that you have to think about what to do with it at that moment. The water is not indefinitely stable, it will turn green and dirty. In winter, depending on the temperature, you can leave it for several days, but in summer, you usually have to refresh it every day. So, if the horses do not need the mineral buffet for a while, choose:

• Remove mineral buffet for 2-3 weeks
• Refresh water every 3-4 days

After a few weeks, you will notice that the need will naturally return. Sometimes this is very specific to a certain mineral/herb, sometimes all buckets are suddenly popular again.

Mineral buffet is a choice option

Do not get frustrated if horses do not need the mineral buffet. The reason you have made it is to give the horses a choice option. To let them choose what they need, to motivate their instinct, and to offer them a piece of natural behavior. So if the horse chooses not to use it, that is a conscious choice of the horse!

If your horse has access to a mineral buffet for the first time and still hasn't touched it after two weeks, make the buckets less strong, as the horse may really need some time to get used to it and learn.