The importance of extra electrolytes for your horse in the summer

Why does your horse need electrolytes?

A horse needs electrolytes to retain water. The most important electrolytes are sodium, potassium, magnesium, calcium, and chloride .

When a horse sweats, it not only loses water, but also electrolytes, which are essential for maintaining body balance. It's important to replenish these electrolytes to reduce the risk of dehydration . Electrolytes provide the four essential plasma salts—sodium, potassium, calcium, and magnesium —in water. A horse needs additional electrolytes when the weather becomes very hot and humid. Also, when a horse is ill, transported, or exerting itself heavily, it loses significant amounts of sweat, and therefore electrolytes. Supplemental electrolytes are therefore essential.

Sweating is important for a horse to cool down properly

Sweating is necessary for cooling down. It causes heat loss. A horse's normal body temperature is between 37.5 and 38.2 degrees Celsius. During strenuous exercise, the body temperature can rise to 40 degrees Celsius, and the horse will sweat profusely to cool down. Especially in summer, a lot of body salts are lost through sweat. At an outside temperature of around 20 degrees Celsius and during light exercise, a horse loses approximately 4 liters of fluid and 30 grams of salt.

Take extremely hot weather into account

In extreme heat, besides supplementing with electrolytes, it's also wise to adjust training sessions. For example, ride early in the morning or late in the evening, when it's cooler outside. Of course, it's also important to ensure sufficient water . An adult horse weighing around 600 kg can drink 40 to 60 liters of water per day in very hot weather.

Salt lick for extra salt

Salt licks give your horse the opportunity to absorb additional salt as needed. A Himalayan salt lick contains not only pure basic salt but also other minerals and trace elements. There are also various flavored licks available !