Electrolytes

What are Electrolytes?

But what are electrolytes and what do they do for your horse? These substances help regulate the metabolism within the horse’s body. In addition, electrolytes are the catalyst for the functioning of your horse’s muscles and nerves.

Electrolytes is the collective name for minerals such as magnesium, potassium, chloride and sodium. A horse often gets these important minerals from roughage. Sometimes an electrolyte deficiency can occur for various reasons.

When to supplement electrolytes for horses

Just like humans, horses sweat during different types of exercise. A horse loses moisture and part of the stock of electrolytes in the body. Compared to humans, horse sweat contains a lot of electrolytes. Healthy horses quickly replenish their stock when eating roughage. Then supplementing with electrolytes is not yet necessary. A salt lick can be a nice alternative to extra sodium and chloride. However, licks usually do not contain magnesium or potassium.

If a horse regularly sweats excessively, it becomes a different story. This includes regular transport for sport horses. Or participating in competitions and strenuous training. Then it is possible that your horse has an electrolyte deficiency because horse sweat contains a lot of electrolytes. Supplementing electrolytes is indispensable in that case.

An electrolyte deficiency in horses can be dangerous

If your horse has a shortage of electrolytes, this is not good for the fluid balance. Your horse can dehydrate, which is detrimental to the supply of nutrients and the removal of waste. This can lead to poor muscle function and recovery. By supplementing electrolytes, the metabolism can recover.
The following points can indicate an electrolyte deficiency. If your horse can tick one or more of these points, it may be wise to add extra electrolytes.

• Disease in a horse
• Regular transportation
• Delivering strenuous and prolonged exercise
• Excessive sweating during exercise or stress
• Hot or humid weather conditions
• Nursing a foal

Do you have doubts about the health of your horse? Always contact a horse vet for a check-up. Don’t just add electrolyte supplements.

Types of electrolytes at sport horse doctor

To meet the needs of every horse, we sell different types of electrolytes for horses. It just depends on which supplements your horse likes best. At Sportpaardenarts.nl we sell these types:

Ready-to-use liquid electrolytes for your horse

At Sportpaardenarts we have various liquid electrolyte supplements in our range. You can easily mix this form of nutrients with your horse’s regular diet. An advantage of liquid electrolytes is that it cannot be blown away by a horse’s breath. Try the Audevard or Twydil brands for liquid electrolytes or ready-to-use syringes for horses.

Add electrolytes in powder form

An alternative to horse electrolytes is the powder form. This variant can easily be mixed with roughage or concentrates. It is smart to dissolve it in water beforehand. This makes the electrolytes easier to administer and the horse cannot blow it away. The Twydil brand has the perfect electrolyte powder supplements for this.

Buy horse electrolytes at Sportpaardenarts

At sport horse doctor we always put the health of an animal first. In our webshop you will immediately find the best quality electrolyte supplements. Approved by equine doctors, the products contain only high-quality ingredients.

Do you recognize an electrolyte deficiency or does your horse sweat excessively? Then it is smart to add these supplements. If you are not sure about the deficiency, it is best to contact a veterinarian. When in doubt, always contact us to make an appointment.