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Benefits of electrolytes
for performance horses
A well-balanced diet is essential
for working horses to ensure they
receive all the required nutrients
that are important for fitness,
recovery and overall health. Plenty
of forage and a well formulated
performance horse feed is a great
start, however when deciding on
which supplements to include,
the huge amount of different
products available in the market
can sometimes make this a
challenging decision.
While the majority of these supplements
offer considerable benefits and play
an important role in the diet, the first
supplement that should be considered
for a working horse is electrolytes.
Electrolytes are salts that play an
important role in maintaining osmotic
|A well-balanced diet is important for the fitness, recovery and overall health of working horses.
the competition already dehydrated.
requirements can be based on
pressure, fluid balance and normal
Some horses sweat more than others,
different amounts of sweat loss.
nerve and muscle activity. The most
important electrolytes are sodium
so it's important to monitor sweat
Body weight loss during exercise is a
loss to determine what needs to be
good way to estimate the amount of
(Na+), potassium (K+), chloride (CI-)
replaced. Underestimation of sweat
fluid loss, where 1kg of body weight
loss equals 1 litre of body water and
and magnesium (Mg++). These are
lost daily through sweat and urine in
losses can occur on hot dry days due
to rapid evaporation from the skin
salt loss.
vast amounts when the weather is
as the horse may dry quickly even
When choosing an electrolyte, it is
hot and the horse is working hard,
though there has been a considerable
electrolyte loss.
important to select a product that
trying to dissipate excessive body
heat. The major losses are of chloride
contains the correct proportions of
Substantial loss of electrolytes
the nutrients lost in sweat. McMillan
followed by sodium and potassium.
causes fatigue and muscle weakness,
eventually decreasing the thirst
Electrolytes are available from
Therefore these are the most
Farmlands and have been formulated
important electrolytes to replace.
response to dehydration. Research has
to mimic the composition of horse's
All horses that work hard enough
also found that electrolyte deficiencies
are a significant causative factor for
muscle soreness and tying up in
sweat, so all nutrients are replaced in
to break a good sweat will require
electrolytes if they are to recover
the correct proportions.
For further assistance and advice
quickly and rehydrate. Travel and
stress can also induce heavy sweating
- a horse travelling a few hours to a
horses. The restoration of correct
on designing a diet for your
dietary electrolyte balance can
significantly improve this condition.
Since most of the electrolyte loss in
performance horse, consult a
competition on a hot day may lose up
reputable equine nutritionist.
to 25 litres of sweat and if these losses
the horse occurs through sweating,
one method of calculating electrolyte
Article supplied by Luisa Wood, Equine Nutritionist
are not replaced, the horse may start
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Farmlands Co-operative Society Limited | February 2021. All rights reserved.
THE FARMLANDER | 33