Hi Dr. Getty,
I've written to you a couple times on some other issues and I want to thank you for your advise. I have a new concern for my 8 year old thoroughbred.

Where I'm boarding right now the lady that owns the horse next to mine free feeds her horse Crystalyx in a tub. I thought these were meant for cattle but she tells me it's a mix especially for horses. I read on their website that its a form of concentrated molasses, hydrolyzed vegetable oil and minerals.

I'm concerned because sometimes her horse pushes the tub into my horse's stall, which he loves, but I don't know how long he has had access to it. Could he colic or founder from consuming something so high in sugar? My horse's diet consists of free fed grass hay and 2lbs of Purina Platform Pleasure each day.

Thank you for your advise.

Where are you from? Wyoming

How did you locate this forum? search

Hi Lori,

I took a look at the website for Crystalyx and it seems that there are a variety of supplements marketed under that name. However, you did mention that this product is basically a sweetened mineral block in a tub. The “advantage” of feeding it in a tub is that horses cannot break off large chunks of it.

Nevertheless, I do not like feeding sweetened salt or mineral licks. Horses love them and they typically consume too much (not to mention get a sore tongue!).

Colic and founder are unlikely – so I wouldn’t worry about that. But, if your horse is overweight, additional sugar is not the best thing to offer. If your horse is craving salt, I would suggest that you place a plain, white salt lick in his stall. And, if you find that he is licking it excessively, go ahead and add 2 tablespoons of plain, iodized salt to his feed.

All the best,

Dr. Getty