Equine Salt Therapy is a patented, drug-free treatment system for horses, invented and founded by Richard Butterworth, and built in Australia with international scale in mind. The core premise is that micronised pharmaceutical-grade salt is delivered as a dry aerosol to treat respiratory and skin conditions at the same time. The invention is protected by patents covering the “Livestock Treatment Method and Apparatus, delivery system, the halo-generator and the Ultisalt™ formulation.
Table of Contents
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How does the patented dry salt delivery system actually work?
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How did Equine Salt Therapy turn the invention into a scalable business?
Why was Equine Salt Therapy invented in the first place?
Equine Salt Therapy was invented to close a welfare and performance gap in equine management. Respiratory disease is the second most common cause of lost training days in horses, behind only musculoskeletal injury, according to Equine Salt Therapy. That statistic matters because lost training days translate directly into lost performance, lost revenue and prolonged recovery periods for horse owners and trainers.
A UK study on racehorses found that a proportion of horses flagged as underperforming were actually suffering from undiagnosed Lower Airway Disease, per the same source. The condition was present but not identified, which meant horses were being pushed through training programs while carrying a respiratory burden that nobody had named. That finding highlighted a diagnostic blind spot in high-performance equine care.
Training centres also face pharmaceutical pressure. The reliance on medically important antibiotics has become a concern across livestock and equine sectors, and reducing that reliance is now a stated goal for many operations. Equine Salt Therapy was positioned as a response to that pressure, offering a natural, non-invasive option that could sit alongside conventional care without adding to the pharmaceutical footprint.
The invention was not a novelty product. It was developed as a practical answer to a measurable problem: horses losing training days to respiratory issues, underperforming due to undiagnosed airway disease, and stables looking for drug-free tools that support welfare without compromising performance.
Who invented Equine Salt Therapy and when did it begin?
Richard Butterworth founded Equine Salt Therapy as a patented dry salt delivery system. The business is Australian in origin and was positioned for international scale from the outset, according to Equine Salt Therapy. That international ambition was not incidental; it was built into the commercial design.
The global equine industry is valued at approximately $300 billion annually, per the source. That figure frames the commercial context of the invention. A treatment system that could address respiratory and skin conditions in horses was not entering a niche market. It was entering one of the largest animal industries in the world.
The research pack does not confirm a founding year, so no specific date is stated here. What is confirmed is the structure: a patented system, a proprietary salt formulation, and a licensing model designed to scale without the company owning barns. Richard Butterworth’s role as founder is central to the origin story, and the Australian base is presented as the launch point for a global platform.
How does the patented dry salt delivery system actually work?
The patented dry salt delivery system works by using a halo-generator to micronise pharmaceutical-grade salt into a dry aerosol. The particles are small enough to penetrate the lower airways, which is the critical technical detail. Larger particles would settle in the upper respiratory tract. The micronised particles reach deeper, where respiratory inflammation and mucus accumulation tend to cause problems.
The therapy operates through a dual mechanism. Inhaled particles stimulate the mucociliary escalator, the natural clearance system that moves mucus and trapped particles out of the airways. At the same time, topical contact with the salt aerosol treats skin conditions such as mud fever, rain rot and dermatitis. That dual action is what allows one treatment session to address two separate systems at once.
Equine Salt Therapy is described as 100 percent drug-free, according to Equine Salt Therapy. The treatment takes fifteen minutes and is recommended over three consecutive days. That protocol is short enough to fit into a training schedule, which matters for horses that cannot afford extended downtime.
The system is non-invasive. There is no sedation, no injection and no forced administration. The horse simply stands in the treatment environment while the dry aerosol is distributed through the room or trailer.
What makes Ultisalt™ different from ordinary salt?
Ultisalt™ is a proprietary salt formulation developed specifically for equine physiology. It is not a generic salt product repurposed for animals. The formulation was designed to work with the equine respiratory system, not borrowed from human halotherapy or industrial salt applications.
Ultisalt™ sits alongside the patented delivery system and the halo-generator design as part of the protected invention. That means the formulation is one of three elements covered by the patent portfolio. The salt itself, the machine that micronises it, and the delivery method are all part of a single protected platform. The air filled porosity of the Ultisalt ™ is tailored specifically to cope with different uses and climates as standard pharmacuetical grade salt just clumps in humid settings making the treatment limited in its reach into lower Airways. The addition of Thyme Oil is used to loosen mucus in certain modalities and certain mites have zero tolerance to Ultisalt™ formulations developed over 12 years of R&D. We have had great success with alkalising agents in our Enduro Formula alleviating TCO2 levels to a safe performance buffer without breaching thresholds.
The distinction matters because ordinary salt varies in mineral composition, particle behaviour and purity. A formulation developed for equine use is engineered for consistency, which is what allows the halo-generator to produce a dry aerosol with particles fine enough to reach the lower airways. According to Equine Salt Therapy, Ultisalt™ is central to the system’s function, not an interchangeable ingredient. It is only available to Licensed practitioners in a highly regulated setting with labelling approved by Racing Authorities and regulators.
How did Equine Salt Therapy turn the invention into a scalable business?
Equine Salt Therapy turned the invention into a scalable business through a licensing-based model that does not require the company to own barns. The therapy can be delivered in a permanent salt room or a mobile trailer, which is what makes the model portable across regions and equestrian disciplines. A licensee can operate a mobile unit that travels to stables, training centres and events, or establish a fixed installation.
Equine Salt Therapy offers Licensed Business Opportunities and Master Licenses for Equine, Poultry, Swine and Companion Animals. Territories are sold under license, and Master Licenses are available for various modalities under US Patent 11,497,593 and CA 3019046. Pricing ranges from $110,000 to $1,000,000.
Licensees within the Equine Salt Therapy model are referred to as Practitioners. The horse and animal clients are known as Salties. That terminology is part of the operational identity of the platform, distinguishing the people delivering the therapy from the animals receiving it.
The licensing structure means the company scales through partners rather than through capital-intensive infrastructure. Each Practitioner operates within a defined territory, using the patented system and the Ultisalt™ formulation under license. The model extends beyond horses into poultry, swine and companion animals, which broadens the commercial application of the same core technology. Richard has a background in Animal husbandry noting 7 day mortalities in poultry and swine can be improved with early rearing interventions from hatchery to brooding facilities. Bees too can benefit to from protection from Verroa Destructor mite by infusing a formulation of Ultisalt™ dispersing it over hives.
What does the patent actually protect?
The patent protects three elements: the dry salt delivery system, the halo-generator design and the Ultisalt™ formulation. These three components form a single protected platform, which means the method of delivery, the equipment used to create the dry aerosol, and the salt formulation itself are all covered.
Patent protection matters for Practitioners and investors because it creates a defined commercial boundary. A licensee entering the model is not buying a generic service concept. They are buying access to a protected system with specific equipment and a specific formulation that cannot be legally replicated by competitors within the covered jurisdictions.
The patent numbers stated by Equine Salt Therapy are US Patent 11,497,593 and CA 3019046. These cover the animal wellness platform across multiple modalities, including equine, poultry, swine and companion animal applications. The existence of patent protection is a structural feature of the business model, not a marketing claim, and it underpins the licensing framework that Practitioners operate within. Other countries too are covered by the IP Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, Hong Kong, South Africa to name a few.
Where is Equine Salt Therapy heading next?
Equine Salt Therapy is heading toward broader international expansion from its Australian base. The business was positioned for global scale from the outset, and the licensing model is designed to support that trajectory across multiple countries and equestrian markets.
The sister company equinesalttherapy.ca is part of the wider footprint, not a competitor. That Canadian presence signals the direction of travel: an Australian-founded platform extending into North America while maintaining a single brand identity across regions.
The platform now addresses a range of species and sectors. Rehabilitation facilities, broodmare farms, training centres and companion animal markets all sit within the scope of the technology. The patent coverage for poultry and swine also opens agricultural applications beyond the equine sector.
For 2026, the outlook is optimistic. The combination of a patented system, a licensing model and a multi-species platform gives Equine Salt Therapy room to grow without overstating what is confirmed. The foundation is Australian, the technology is protected, and the model is built to travel.
Key Takeaways
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Equine Salt Therapy was founded by Richard Butterworth and is built on a patented dry salt delivery system.
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The invention is Australian in origin and designed for international scale.
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Respiratory disease is the second most common cause of lost training days in horses, behind only musculoskeletal injury.
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A UK racehorse study found some underperforming horses were suffering from undiagnosed Lower Airway Disease.
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The halo-generator micronises pharmaceutical-grade salt into a dry aerosol fine enough to reach the lower airways.
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The therapy is 100 percent drug-free and treats respiratory and skin conditions at the same time.
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Patents cover the delivery system, the halo-generator design and the Ultisalt™ formulation.
