| For heat dissipation and body cooling, a horse trotting | | | | under the supervision of a veterinarian. |
| at 11.2 mph loses about 3.3 gallons of sweat per hour | | | | Horses do not "store" sodium, potassium or chloride. |
| under moderate conditions. The salts/electrolytes | | | | Adding daily electrolyte supplementation would not be |
| sodium, potassium, chloride, magnesium and calcium | | | | necessary, when feeding a balanced feeding program, |
| are also lost with this loss of fluid. These electrolytes | | | | unless the horse is being worked/trained hard daily and |
| are responsible for the transfer of water through cell | | | | losing a large amount of sweat. When preparing for an |
| membranes, for nerves to fire and muscles to | | | | event, choose an electrolyte formula that is palatable |
| contract. Large losses of electrolytes can result in | | | | acceptable to your horse, and don't wait until the day |
| several neuromuscular and systemic disturbances | | | | of the competition to find out. Use caution if adding |
| including muscle cramping, tying up, synchronous | | | | electrolytes to water due to the possibility of |
| diaphragmatic flutter (thumps) and systemic alkalosis. | | | | decreased water consumption. |
| Our goal as the equine caretaker is to prevent | | | | There are lots of opinions about appropriate |
| electrolyte imbalance and dehydration in the | | | | administration schedules and dose rates. Follow the |
| performance/stressed horse thru proper fluid and | | | | instructions per the brand that you choose. Learn and |
| electrolyte replacement. Balance can greatly prolong | | | | adjust to your horses specific needs and weather |
| reaching the point of fatigue and also decrease | | | | conditions. Train your horse to the level needed for the |
| recovery time. | | | | event. Increased electrolytes will not replace proper |
| If you're feeding a well formulated commercial ration | | | | conditioning. |
| intended for a performance horse, the chances are | | | | Electrolytes containing bicarbonate are formulated for |
| good that they've met the electrolyte needs of the | | | | horses with diarrhea. These can be harmful when |
| lightly to moderately worked horse, under most | | | | used as an electrolyte supplement for stress and |
| conditions (always make plain salt available). Electrolyte | | | | exercise. |
| availability can become a problem when the rate of | | | | Feeding electrolytes without proper water consumption |
| loss exceeds the rate of replacement. If the horse | | | | will cause water to be absorbed from the bloodstream |
| sweats for a prolonged period of time, due to extreme | | | | into the intestine, resulting in greater dehydration. From |
| weather conditions (high humidity, high heat), prolonged | | | | a non-working to a heavy working saddle horse, the |
| exercise (endurance type work), heavily worked | | | | water intake can increase 7 - 10 gallons/day. Check |
| trained horses (race horses in training) or stressed | | | | for signs of dehydration regularly and don't wait until |
| horses (transporting), electrolyte needs will not always | | | | your horse looks dehydrated to administer electrolytes. |
| be met through their feed. For these horses, electrolyte | | | | Learn to perform skin pinch, capillary and jugular refill |
| supplementation becomes necessary to maintain body | | | | and mucous membrane testing as well as listening for |
| functions at an optimum level and to increase water | | | | gut sounds. Continue with electrolyte supplementation |
| intake preventing dehydration. Electrolytes should not | | | | when the event is completed to aid in recovery if |
| be given to a horse that is already dehydrated, except | | | | necessary. |