Electrolytes are essential minerals that play a critical role in the overall health and performance of horses. Key electrolytes, such as potassium, sodium, and chloride, are important for maintaining fluid balance and muscle functions. This article delves into the importance of these electrolytes by explaining how they work within a horse’s body to support vital physiological processes. Additionally, we will explore when it becomes necessary to provide additional electrolytes to your horse. Finally, we’ll discuss various sources of electrolytes, from natural dietary options to commercial supplements, ensuring your horse remains healthy and hydrated.

What are electrolytes for horses?

Electrolytes are minerals and are sometimes also referred to as body salts. The most important electrolytes for horses include sodium (Na), chloride (Cl), and potassium (K). Electrolytes are crucial for fluid exchange within the body, as well as muscle and nerve functions.

Unlike some other nutrients, horses do not have a storage system for electrolytes next to their digestive tract. This means a horse’s daily intake needs to be sufficient. In exercising horses, sweating leads to substantial electrolyte losses, thus increasing requirements. Large amounts of sodium, potassium, and chloride can be lost quickly. For example, up to 25% of total chloride can be lost within just two hours of exercise with high sweat rates. Particularly, the amount of lost electrolytes is influenced by factors such as the horse’s fitness level and environmental conditions.

The equine body can regulate electrolyte levels through different excretion pathways. Excessive amounts of electrolytes above the requirements in the ration are removed by the body, for example, through urine. However, when electrolytes are lost through sweat, the equine body can compensate by reducing renal excretion (reducing the concentration of these electrolytes in urine). Hence, when sodium, chloride, and potassium are expelled through sweat, their excretion through urine decreases, maintaining a balance within the horse’s system. This adaptive mechanism is therefore very important to keep electrolyte levels stable despite varying rates of intake and loss.

When should I feed my horse electrolytes?

Electrolytes are absorbed primarily in the small and large intestines of horses. Consequently, conditions like diarrhea can lead to significant electrolyte losses. If your horse is prone to diarrhea, it may be beneficial to explore solutions like the Hartog Digest to help prevent excessive electrolyte depletion.

Generally, there are also other reasons for losses in electrolytes. So, when should you consider giving your horse additional electrolytes?

1. Heavy exercise: Intense physical activities increase the need for electrolytes for your horse because horses lose electrolytes through sweating. This requires specific dietary supplementation of especially sodium and chloride. 
2. Hot weather: High temperatures can also cause horses to lose electrolytes through sweating. Ensuring that your horse receives plenty of electrolytes during warm weather is crucial for maintaining their balance.
3. Diarrhoea: Like mentioned, horses can also lose a lot of electrolytes because of diarrhoea. It can be wise to add additional electrolytes to the ration of your horse after a period of diarrhoea.

Next to the above-mentioned cases there are certain horses, such as endurance, race and eventing horses, which require a tailored approach. Are you curious if an electrolyte supplementation is required for your horse or do you need help with your ration? Please contact us for personalised feeding advice.

How do you replenish electrolytes with horses?

Replenishing electrolytes plays a big part in maintaining the health and performance of the horse. Especially during periods of increased activity or heat. Here are some effective methods and sources to ensure your horse receives electrolytes:

1. Low workload: Forage is a rich source of potassium. A diet based on forage generally provides sufficient potassium and chloride levels but often lacks sodium. Also for horses with a low workload. To supply a horse with a low workload with enough sodium it is advisable to provide a salt block. There are multiple options for this, a plain salt block without any additives is a good choice.
   
2. Medium – high workload or hot weather: When your horse has an increased electrolyte requirement additional sodium (Na) and chloride (Cl) should be added to the ration. Potassium levels from forage are still sufficient. Adding plain/kitchen salt (for which the formula is NaCl) over feed or in water is an excellent source of sodium and chloride in addition to a salt block when requirements increase. When choosing kitchen salt make sure to pick kitchen salt free from added iodine. Generally, salt for humans often contains added iodine, for horses you only want to add sodium and chloride.
   
   IMPORTANT: when providing salt through the water always make sure to provide normal, plain, water as well.
   
3. Electrolyte supplements: Next to salt blocks and plain salt, there are also specially formulated equine products which are designed to replenish the electrolyte levels of your horse. These come in many different forms such as powder, liquids and as an electrolyte mash. One such product is de Hartog Recovery Mash. This is especially interesting when your horse does not like the taste of added salt to its feed or water.
   

What does the Recovery Mash do?

The Hartog Recovery is an electrolyte mash which not only provides high levels of electrolytes, but also helps to replenish lost energy. Its high palatability makes it an easy and effective way to increase the electrolyte levels of the ration of your horse. When implementing these methods, you can effectively manage and replenish the electrolyte levels of your horse, ensuring optimal health and performance.

General tips and advice

The best time for feeding electrolytes is after the losses have occurred. Keep in mind when providing your horse with additional electrolytes that providing water is crucial. Water and electrolytes are interdependent; they work together to maintain the fluid balance. Ensuring that your horse always has access to fresh water is essential for optimal hydration.

While it sounds easy to provide water and electrolytes the truth is that most horses don’t want to drink after exercise. To solve this, you can provide an electrolyte mash like the Hartog Recovery mash. This highly palatable mash is often accepted by horses even when they’re not keen on eating/drinking. An added advantage of the Hartog Recovery is that is does not require soaking. You can simply add water to it and feed it directly, making it a convenient option for post-exercise electrolyte and hydration replenishment.

While it might sound tempting to give your horse electrolytes after reading this, please keep in mind that not every horse requires supplemental electrolytes. In many cases, a diet of forage combined with additional feed (such as concentrates or a balancer) and access to a salt block is adequate. Electrolyte supplementation is beneficial for horses that engage in intense physical activity or sweat heavily, as these conditions lead to fluid and electrolyte loss.

As read above, by understanding and responding to your horse’s specific needs, you can effectively manage their electrolyte balance. This way you’re ensuring their health and performance remain at their best.

Problems with deciding your horse’s needs? We provide free feeding advice here.