If you are active in equestrian sports, you have probably already heard of the term "electrolytes. Your horse loses important salts and minerals, or electrolytes, that are essential for water balance during sweating. It is therefore important to replenish them in a timely manner to avoid discomfort. Electrolyte deficiency can lead to:
- A dull coat
- Fatigue
- Tense muscles
- Reduced work ethic
- Dehydration, possibly resulting in severe kidney problems
- Performance loss
Why an electrolyte supplement can be beneficial to your horse's health and how to ensure proper recovery after exercise, find out in this blog!
What are electrolytes for horses?
Electrolytes are substances that dissolve in body fluids and form electrically charged ions. A well-known example is table salt (NaCl), which splits in water into sodium (Na+) and chloride (Cl-) ions.
Electrolytes are crucial to your horse's health. They regulate fluid balance, energy balance, pH balance, muscle contractions, and nerve signal transmission. Since your horse's body cannot produce electrolytes itself, they must be replenished through food and drinking water.
The most important electrolytes for horses are chloride (Cl-), sodium (Na+), potassium (K+), calcium (Ca2+) and magnesium (Mg2+). Each has its own function within the body:
| Electrolyte | Function |
| Sodium | Helps regulate the body's fluid balance, blood pressure and proper functioning of muscle and nerve cells. |
| Potassium | Essential for the contraction of muscle fibers and for proper conduction of nerve impulses. |
| Chloride | Provides fluid balance in the body, along with sodium and potassium |
| Calcium | Helps build strong bones. |
| Magnesium | Involved in the formation of bones and teeth and the transmission of nerve impulses. It also ensures normal muscle function. |
How can I supplement electrolytes?
Global Medics Electrolytes are specially formulated to help horses maintain optimal hydration and support their overall health and well-being. Our new formulas and volume options make it easy to add the supplements to water or feed, so your horse gets the essential nutrients to stay healthy and fit.
Our Electrolytes formula guarantees sufficient essential electrolytes even during intense work.
Available products:
When is it wise to supplement electrolytes?
During hot days or after strenuous efforts, it is advisable to give your horse extra electrolytes, because in high temperatures your horse will sweat more and thus lose large amounts of minerals and salts.
The table below shows how much sweat and salt horses lose on average according to sweat score:
| Sweat Score | Features | Average sweat loss | Salt loss per day |
| 1 | Under the saddle is partially damp and sticky. The neck and flanks are slightly darker than normal. | 1 to 4 liters | 2 to 7 teaspoons |
| 2 | Under the saddle and on the neck it is wet. There is some foam here and there where the reins touch the neck and along the saddle. | 4 to 7 liters | 7 to 12 teaspoons |
| 3 | Under the bridle, the neck and flanks are visibly wet with some foam spots here and there. | 7 to 9 liters | 12 to 16 teaspoons |
| 4 | Neck and flanks are completely wet. There is white foam between the hind legs. | 9 to 12 liters | 16 to 21 teaspoons |
| 5 | Same as sweat score 4, but there is also sweat dripping above the eyes and abdomen. | 12 to 18 liters | 21 to 32 teaspoons |
Tip: Want to know quickly if your horse is fluid or electrolyte deficient? Take a fold of skin on the neck between your thumb and forefinger and release. Does the fold not disappear immediately? Then the water and electrolyte balance is probably disturbed.
What else can I do in hot weather?
In addition to supplementing electrolytes, when temperatures are high, you can take the following measures to make your horse more comfortable:
- Provide plenty of fresh drinking water. A horse normally drinks up to 30 liters of water, but this can increase to 60 liters in hot weather.
- Avoid training during the hottest hours of the day. Give your horse a rest day if it is too hot.
- Provide cooling, such as by spraying your horse with fresh water or using a cooling blanket.
- Use sunscreen on horses with light skin around the nose to prevent burning.
- Keep an eye on the quality of pasture grass. During heat, the nutritional value of grass can drop, recognizable by a yellowish color and dryness. In that case, supplement roughage.
Where can I find more information?
Not sure if your horse needs electrolytes? Or do you still have questions after reading this blog? If so, feel free to contact us. Our Global Medics team is always ready to advise you.
