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An ion is any atom or group of atoms that holds one or more positive or negative electrical charges. Positively charged ions are known as cations while negatively charged ions are called anions. Ions are formed by the addition of electrons to, or the removal of electrons from, neutral atoms or molecules or other ions. Additionally, the splitting of the bond between two atoms such that a portion of the electrons shared by the previously joined atoms are split between the two now individual atoms. Examples of this include the reaction between a sodium atom and a chlorine atom to form sodium chloride (NaCl), now comprised of a sodium cation and a chloride anion. Some important cations for horse health are calcium, hydrogen, magnesium, sodium and potassium, while the important anions are bicarbonate, chloride and phosphate, to name a few.
Minerals are found throughout nature, although oftentimes the forms they are found in are not well utilized by the horse. In physiology, it is known that in order for an organism to properly and completely absorb minerals, they must have an electrical charge attached in order to penetrate cellular barriers. This cellular barrier, known as the cellular membrane, is the ultimate gatekeeper, deciding exactly what enters and exits the cell. The fluid surrounding the cells is saturated with both cations and anions, as is the fluid inside of the cells. Because of this separation of atoms with specific electrical charges, an electrical gradient, or current, is formed across the cell membrane. Because of this current, the movement of the charged mineral particles that the cell requires tends to flow more easily across the cell membrane.
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