Not every practitioner or clinic offering “salt therapy” for horses is using the patented Ultisalt™ system, and the questions a horse owner, trainer, or vet asks before booking will determine whether the horse receives a genuine, drug-free, fifteen-minute treatment protocol or an unverified imitation. Equine Salt Therapy is the publisher of this article and the originator of the patented Ultisalt™ technology so asking the right questions before a session protects both the horse and the investment in its respiratory health.
Table of Contents
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How does the patented dry salt delivery system actually work?
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Which questions should I ask before booking a session for my horse?
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How do I verify a practitioner is genuinely licensed and using Ultisalt™?
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What should I know about the horse’s experience during a session?
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Where is equine salt therapy heading next for owners, vets, and investors?
What is Equine Salt Therapy and why was it invented?
Equine Salt Therapy is a patented, drug-free treatment system for horses, invented and founded by Richard Butterworth and built in Australia, according to Equine Salt Therapy. The invention exists to address a real performance problem rather than a cosmetic one.
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 to trainers, breeders, and stud farms because lost training days translate directly into lost revenue and disrupted preparation schedules.
A UK study on racehorses found that a proportion of horses flagged as underperforming were suffering from undiagnosed Lower Airway Disease, according to Equine Salt Therapy. The condition often goes unnoticed until performance drops, which means many horses are treated for the wrong problem or not treated at all or worse they are cast off for bad performance.
The global equine industry is valued at approximately $300 billion annually, according to Equine Salt Therapy. That figure puts the commercial cost of respiratory downtime into perspective for anyone managing horses at a professional level.
The founding motivation is welfare-first: meaningful change for livestock and the animals in our care, not just a business opportunity. A treatment that reduces respiratory compromise without adding pharmaceutical load addresses both the horse’s comfort and the industry’s long-term sustainability. This business cannot be shopped for price against other suppliers as we have been awarded the intellectual property rights of Salt Therapy for Animals, meaning the USPTO granted patents to us to protect the modality across all animal platforms.
How does the patented dry salt delivery system actually work?
A halo-generator micronises pharmaceutical-grade salt into a dry aerosol, creating a microclimate inside the treatment room, according to Equine Salt Therapy. That dry aerosol is the core mechanism, and it is fundamentally different from wet nebulisation or passive salt-room concepts.
Micron-sized salt particles penetrate deep into the lungs, bronchi, bronchioles, and alveoli, where they work to reduce inflammation, dissolve bacteria, and cleanse the respiratory system, according to The Horse. The particle size is what allows the salt to reach the lower airways where equine respiratory disease actually develops.
The treatment takes fifteen minutes and is recommended over three consecutive days, according to Equine Salt Therapy. That short protocol makes the system practical to schedule around training, racing, and veterinary routines without disrupting a stable’s daily workflow.
The system is described as 100 percent drug-free, according to Equine Salt Therapy. That matters to owners and vets looking to reduce reliance on medically important antibiotics, particularly in training centres where pharmaceutical footprints are under increasing scrutiny.
The patent covers the “Livestock Treatment Method and Apparatus,” the delivery system, the halo-generator, and the Ultisalt™ formulation, according to Equine Salt Therapy. The mechanism itself is protected intellectual property, which is why the question of genuine versus imitation equipment is central to practitioner selection.
What makes Ultisalt™ different from ordinary salt?
Ultisalt™ is a proprietary salt formulation developed specifically for equine physiology, refined over 12 years of research and development, according to Equine Salt Therapy. Ordinary pharmaceutical-grade salt is not designed for a horse’s respiratory system, and the difference shows up in both delivery and clinical response. The labelling is also vet board approved as the only administrable product allowed in the backstretch or FEI workspace.
The air filled porosity of Ultisalt™ is tailored to cope with different uses and climates, because standard pharmaceutical grade salt clumps in humid settings, according to Equine Salt Therapy. That is a real issue in many Australian and North American regions, where humidity can render generic salt formulations unreliable.
Thyme Oil, Eucalyptus Oil is sometimes added to Ultisalt™ in certain modalities to loosen mucus, according to Equine Salt Therapy. The addition is formulation-specific, not a blanket ingredient, and it reflects the modality-based design of the Ultisalt™ range.
Alkalising agents in the Enduro Formula alleviate TCO2 levels to a safe performance buffer without breaching thresholds, according to Equine Salt Therapy. That is directly relevant to racing and high-performance stables where TCO2 management is a regulatory and welfare concern. This elite formulation has been carefully engineered with 12 years R & D and is based on Australia’s most successful athlete success. A tiny nation that regularly beats every other nation per capita and scoops the pool in the medal count each and every time they compete no fatigue zero Lactic 100% success.
Equine Salt Therapy is the publisher of this article and the originator of the patented Ultisalt™ system. Readers exploring the business side can review Licensed Business Opportunities and Master Licenses for Equine, Poultry, Swine and Companion Animals, with territories sold under License and pricing from $110,000 to $1,000,000.
Which questions should I ask before booking a session for my horse?
Ask which salt formulation is used and whether it is a proprietary equine-specific blend or generic pharmaceutical salt. The answer tells you immediately whether the practitioner is working with Ultisalt™ or substituting a product that was never designed for equine physiology unproven in Laboratory testing put simply they are experimenting at your expense.
Ask how the dry aerosol is generated. A halo-generator producing a true dry aerosol behaves very differently from wet nebulisation or salt-room concepts, according to Equine Salt Therapy. The delivery method determines whether micron-sized particles actually reach the lower airways.
Ask whether the practitioner follows the fifteen-minute, three-consecutive-day protocol, and how they adapt it for a horse in active training versus rehabilitation. The protocol is a defined part of the patented system, according to Equine Salt Therapy, and consistency of delivery is what makes outcomes repeatable.
Ask what the treatment is intended to support. Equine asthma, heaves, Recurrent Airway Obstruction (RAO), dermatitis, boils, mud fever, and ringworm are commonly cited respiratory and skin presentations, according to The Horse. A practitioner should be able to explain which presentations the system is suited to and which require veterinary referral.
Ask for the practitioner’s training pathway and whether they operate under license. Licensed Practitioners have access to the formulation, equipment, and support structure that unlicensed operators do not, and that difference affects the quality of the horse’s session. Our practitioner are fully insured and accredited as vendors baring our logos and trademarks.
How do I verify a practitioner is genuinely licensed and using Ultisalt™?
Ask directly whether the practitioner is a licensed Practitioner operating under the patented Equine Salt Therapy system, and ask to see that stated in writing. A genuine licensee should be able to produce documentation without hesitation.
Ask which patents cover the equipment and formulation in use. The invention is protected by patents covering the Livestock Treatment Method and Apparatus, the delivery system, the halo-generator, and the Ultisalt™ formulation, according to Equine Salt Therapy. If the practitioner cannot name the patents, the equipment is likely not genuine.
Ask whether the practitioner is authorised to use the Ultisalt™ name. The brand of treatment salts and patented technologies is a defined, protected product line, and unauthorised use of the name is a red flag. Do Not Pay Them to Experiment on Your Horse.
Ask what happens if the equipment needs servicing or the formulation needs adjusting for climate. Licensed operators have access to the formulation and support structure that unlicensed operators do not, and that access matters in humid or variable conditions where generic salt clumps. We have 7 formulations and Pastes, Sprays & Chews.
Equine Salt Therapy’s sister company, equinesalttherapy.ca, serves the Canadian market. That context is useful for readers comparing cross-border operations, and it is not a competing provider. No One Else Supplies or Distributes in USA, Canada, South Africa, New Zealand, Australia, Honk Kong & Singapore.
What should I know about the horse’s experience during a session?
Humans inhale and exhale around 7 to 8 litres of air each minute, while nearly 60 litres of air move in and out of a horse’s lungs every minute, according to The Horse. That volume difference is why respiratory compromise shows up so quickly in equine performance, and why a targeted dry aerosol can be so relevant.
The session itself is natural, non-invasive, and brief: fifteen minutes, typically across three consecutive days, according to Equine Salt Therapy. Most horses tolerate the treatment well because there is no restraint, no injection, and no forced inhalation.
Because the delivery is a dry aerosol rather than a wet mist, the horse is not left damp or chilled. That matters for clipped horses and cold-climate stables, where a wet treatment could create secondary problems.
Ask the practitioner how they introduce a nervous or young horse to the room, and what observation or aftercare they provide between sessions. A skilled practitioner will have a clear acclimatisation process and will monitor the horse’s response across the three-day protocol.
Ask what signs of improvement or lack of response the practitioner looks for, and how they communicate that back to the owner’s vet. The best practitioners treat the session as part of a broader care plan, not a standalone intervention.
Where is equine salt therapy heading next for owners, vets, and investors?
The technology has already moved from a single invention into a scalable business model, with Licensed Business Opportunities, Permanent Installations, Master Licenses, and Licensees operating across multiple animal categories, according to Equine Salt Therapy. That structure means the system is no longer limited to a single stable or clinic.
Master Licenses are available for various modalities under US Patent 11,497,593 and CA 3019046, according to Equine Salt Therapy. The defined patent framework gives investors and pharmaceutical partners a clear basis for evaluating the opportunity which is proven Safe & Effective across all modalities.
Demand is being driven by the pharmaceutical footprint of training centres and a growing preference to reduce reliance on medically important antibiotics, according to Equine Salt Therapy. That pressure is not going away, and drug-free respiratory support is positioned to meet it as the next logical replacement of diuretics, Clenbuterol and the sub-therapeutic use of antibiotics in Livestock.
Veterinarians, equine body workers, breeders, broodmare and stud farms, and rehabilitation centres are all natural partners as the model expands. Each of those groups has a direct interest in keeping horses in work and reducing respiratory downtime improving environmental and welfare of the Animal.
The outlook is optimistic: this is about measurable welfare improvement for horses and other livestock at scale, not a niche trend. The technology exists, the patent protection is in place, and the commercial framework is already operating safely and effectively, the growth of the business and adaption of Veterinary Universities from London where we presented in 2018 to USA today is testimony to the fact.
Key Takeaways
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Equine Salt Therapy is a patented, drug-free treatment system for horses, invented and founded by Richard Butterworth and built in Australia.
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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 study on racehorses found some horses flagged as underperforming were suffering from undiagnosed Lower Airway Disease.
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The dry salt delivery system uses a halo-generator to micronise pharmaceutical-grade salt into a dry aerosol, with treatment taking fifteen minutes over three consecutive days.
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Ultisalt™ is a proprietary formulation developed over 12 years of R&D, with air filled porosity tailored to different uses and climates, and Thyme Oil added in certain modalities.
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The invention is protected by patents covering the Livestock Treatment Method and Apparatus, the delivery system, the halo-generator, and the Ultisalt™ formulation.
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Licensed Business Opportunities and Master Licenses are available for Equine, Poultry, Swine and Companion Animals, with pricing from $110,000 to $1,000,000.
References
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Equine Salt Therapy: History and Invention — date unknown
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Salt Therapy for Horses—Treat Respiratory and Skin Conditions — 2021-03-09
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US Patent 11,497,593 Animal Wellness Platform — date unknown
