Sweat contains electrolytes which means heavily exercising horses have significantly higher dietary Na and Cl requirements than their idle counterparts. | Photo: Stephanie L. Church/The Horse

It’s common practice to provide the minerals sodium (Na) and chloride (Cl) together in the form of sodium chloride or common salt.

Interestingly, a substantial portion of history appears linked to the human race’s desire to seek out and obtain salt. Historically, salt was associated with wealth and consequently a popular item used for trading purposes, and extracting salt from salt-containing water sources was already an established practice for thousands of years B.C.

Although often discussed together, Na and Cl each play distinguished roles within the body. Sodium is involved in central nervous system function, which includes nerve impulse transmission and transporting numerous substances (e.g. glucose) across cell membranes. In addition, it is an important electrolyte involved in maintaining body fluids’ acid-base balance and osmotic pressure regulation