The delicate balance between two key minerals in horses’ diets More than 2,000 mineral species exist in nature, ranging from the sodium and chloride that make up your table salt to expensive diamonds. In the context of nutrition, minerals contribute to hundreds of vital functions in the body—everything from brain activity to heartbeat. Minerals are essential for life, growth, and metabolism. Therefore, it is important to understand not only the amounts your horse requires but also their intricate relationships with one another. Due to these complex interactions, an excess or deficiency of one mineral can impair the absorption and utilization of others.