Horse prerace electrolytes advices? What Causes Nutrient Deficiencies? Numerous factors increase a horse’s risk for nutrient deficiency. Let’s look at six of the most common. Caloric deficiency. Insufficient calorie intake, or not eating enough, is the most obvious way horses may become nutrient deficient. All-hay diet. Hay satisfies horses urge to chew and provides essential nutrients, but because it’s dried, even high-quality hay may not provide all the nutrients horses need. Deficient soil. Intensive farming practices have left many soils depleted of life-giving minerals and nutrients. That means crops grown in these soils, and which we feed our animals, are also deficient. Stall confinement. Many horses spend time in trailers, stalls, and paddocks. We limit horses’ access to sun exposure and diverse forage when we pull them from their natural habitat of pastures and prairies. Copious sweating. High-performance horses can lose up to 12 to 18 liters (3 to 4.75 gallons) of sweat with intense exercise.5 That sweat also contains critical nutrients and equine electrolytes. Pregnancy. Pregnant mares’ nutritional needs change during pregnancy, requiring more nutrients to support fetal growth.
Sodium, chloride, and potassium are the three most important electrolytes for horses. Salt, or sodium chloride (NaCl), is created when the top two electrolytes are combined. Thus, salt is an electrolyte, and one of the most important for horses. Why Do Horses Need Salt and Other Electrolytes? What roles do salt and electrolytes play in the equine body? Are they needed daily? What functions do they serve? Let’s look at both. Horses don’t always know when they’re thirsty. Salt is necessary to trigger the thirst response that tells horses to drink. Without salt, most horses won’t consume enough water on their own, and risk becoming dehydrated. Water is paramount to health, and salt increases horses’ water consumption. See additional information at salt lick for horses.
Speaking of staying warm, it’s vital to warm up your horse slowly in cold temperatures. Like us, a horse’s muscles, bones, and joints become stiff in cold weather and grow more flexible with gradual activity. So walk your horse a minimum of ten minutes before moving her into a trot, and consider using a half sheet or exercise sheet during warm-up. Your horse will also thank you for warming her bit before fitting it in her mouth. A cold bit is a quick way to start your ride off on the wrong foot. Which leads us to hoof safety.
Another boarder’s mare, KC, was experiencing a bout of colic. She’d undergone the usual treatment and was receiving IV fluids because she wouldn’t drink. This had been going on for several hours and caused a lot of stress, especially to the owner, who felt helpless. I tried to be supportive and offered my friend one of my Redmond salt rocks. I told her how my horse loved them, and maybe it would encourage her mare to drink. She accepted my offer, figuring it couldn’t hurt, as she’d already unsuccessfully tried several things to help her horse, including molasses in her water and a wet mash. I brought a Redmond Rock on a Rope and hung it in KC’s stall. Immediately she started licking it. The horse owner was impressed because she said her horse normally doesn’t like salt licks. She was so thrilled she was in tears!
Temperature: Some like it hot, and some not. Horses like their water tepid–not too hot or cold. This article in The Horse noted research indicates horses prefer lukewarm (68°F) water, especially during cold weather. Acidity. Water acidity affects palatability. According to Kentucky Equine Research, a University of Guelph study found horses are more likely to drink water with a pH of 7.5 (slightly alkaline) than water with acidic levels. Dirty. Unclean or stagnant water can be a floating Petri dish of bacteria and algae. Horses sense when a potential intestinal problem is lurking in murky water and will avoid it. See additional information at loose minerals for horses.