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Why are electrolytes important for horses?

If you train in the summer months, your horse can sweat a lot. You often hear that you should give electrolytes. Why is that? What are electrolytes actually? When should you give them and what is the most absorbable form?

Electrolytes

Skin

Minerals

Feeding

7 June '22 • 3 min reading time

The official description of electrolytes in chemistry is as follows: they are ions of salts, acids, and bases that are in liquid form in the body. Sounds complicated, but what it comes down to is: they are soluble salts. The most important electrolytes for mammals are sodium, chlorine, and potassium. Sodium chloride is also known as table salt. In addition, magnesium and calcium are also important electrolytes for the functioning of the nervous system and muscles of both horses and humans. Electrolytes play an important role in recovery after exertion and in keeping the muscles supple.

Horses heat up faster!

For horses, the optimal ambient temperature is around 15 degrees Celsius. So in the summer months, it is often a bit warm for them. And heat means: sweating. During heavy exertion or hot weather, horses can lose up to 10 to 15 liters of sweat per hour. In that sweat, there are many electrolytes, often visible in the salt crusts on your saddle pad or in the foam between your horse's hindquarters. So, a lot of electrolytes are lost during a trail ride or training on a summer day.

When do you give electrolytes?

A horse functions best when its electrolytes are at the right level. In warm weather, your horse loses a lot of electrolytes, especially when training hard. To help your horse recover quickly, keep the muscles supple, and allow the nervous system to function properly, you need to replenish these electrolytes. Electrolytes are also important for maintaining the correct fluid balance in cells. Electrolytes also play a role in regulating the body's acidity. But it's not just about replenishing after the fact! Horses cannot store a reserve. If you expect a heavy performance from your horse in warmer weather, it's smart to top up the electrolytes beforehand. So, start with an electrolyte supplement about two days before the exertion. This ensures better performance, especially for a multi-day competition or a long trail ride. An additional benefit is that electrolytes stimulate your horse's thirst, encouraging them to drink more.

Easily absorbed and in the right concentration

An electrolyte supplement is actually a kind of sports drink for horses. And by that, we don't mean those caffeine bombs that supposedly make you fly, but a scientifically sound sports drink that riders in the Tour de France (for example) also use. You should always give these types of supplements in liquid form, as they are most efficiently absorbed into the blood. Liquid electrolytes are also mixed in the right ratios. The absorption of minerals is best with isotonic beverages. 'Isotonic' means that the number of dissolved particles per liter is equal to that in your horse's blood. A little vitamin B2 ensures that the electrolytes are even better absorbed. Fortunately, there are electrolyte supplements on the market that already contain added vitamin B2.

Conclusion: Maintaining electrolyte levels

For hot days and strenuous activities, an isotonic electrolyte supplement is recommended. Start two days before the activity and continue giving the supplement until a day after. It is important to provide a supplement that is well-suited for horses, which is quickly absorbed. The right concentration of minerals (isotonic) and a pinch of vitamin B2 are important for this.

Sources:

  1. J. Diamant & K. Guggenheim. 1957. Electrolyte Metabolism in Pyridoxine, Riboflavin and Pantothenic Acid-Deficient Rats. American Journal of Physiology.

https://journals.physiology.org/doi/abs/10.1152/ajplegacy.1957.191.1.108?journalCode=ajplegacy

Effect of aevite and riboflavin on the electrolyte balance in the wall of the hepatic blood vessels in experimental toxic hepatitis. Farmakol Toksikol. 1986. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/3709781

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