With summer in full swing, the topic of equine electrolytes
becomes very relevant. Electrolytes are mineral salts that create the
electrical current in the horse and are necessary for a variety of biological
processes, including:
- Muscular contraction
- Water balance
- Regular heartbeat
As the summer gets hotter you find yourself with a sweaty
horse, but a quick hose down is not all he needs after a good workout. Horse
sweat is hypertonic, meaning it contains more mineral salts or electrolytes
than water. If electrolytes are depleted from the horse and not quickly
replenished, numerous health problems can occur, such as:
- Dehydration
- Diarrhea
- Inability to contract and relax muscles
- Cramping
- Irregular heartbeat
While a horse’s electrolyte level needs to be maintained all
year round, the summer becomes most critical due an increase in sweating. The
most important electrolytes to consider when evaluating an electrolyte product
or your horse’s electrolyte level are:
- Chloride
- Sodium
- Potassium
- Calcium
- Magnesium
Substances like dextrose and sucrose are sugars, not mineral salts and therefore should not be
incorporated into an electrolyte mixture except in very small amounts which
helps with the absorption of minerals into the blood stream.
To prevent dehydration and electrolyte depletion in your
horse during the summer time (and anytime of the year!), be sure to have plain
white salt and fresh water available at all times when the horse is stables and
turned out. You can add a couple of tablespoons of salt to the feed, but do not
add salt or electrolyte mixture to the water as horses will not drink salty
water. Paste electrolyte products that are formulated with the correct
concentration can be used if necessary. If your horse is severely depleted, a
veterinarian should administer intravenous fluids at once.
We will discuss more about electrolytes later on, so stay
tuned!
