[Krystan]

I live in Texas and it is really hot and humid. I was wondering if I should feed my horses electrolytes. Do you guys have any info on elec.?

[Idrivetrotter]

I am in south Florida and it is very hot and humid here also. I have racing standardbreds so I have to feed electrolytes to my horses. I don't use commercial brands as most have preservatives and sugar in them. I use a mixture of lite salt, table salt, and epsom salt and I have no problems with tying up and they all cool out good after training and racing.

[cassidy]

over here i put normal table salt in my horse feed.
do you no exactly how much i should be putting in?

[Krystan]

Well mine don't work that hard but I wondered if there were any disadvantages. I thought it would be good to feed them in the winter too to help them drink water.

[cassidy]

i dont think there any disadvantages but i supppose if it makes them drink alot that will stop constipation LMAO

anyway if i were u id use it you havent got anything to lose

[SammyDoodle]

Like cassidy I use table salt (not that I get too many hot days here to require it!)

[SammyDoodle]

Hi - Found this in Horse and Hound:

Are electrolytes really necessary?

by Bill Vandergrift, Ph. D.
Article donated by the mane points horse resource center.

While the use of electrolytes in equine diets has become commonplace, misunderstandings and confusion remain as to their need and the best way to supplement them.

Providing high levels of electrolytes on a daily basis can be counter productive. You will get more effective utilization of electrolytes if you feed them at very low levels between competitions or major events, and at recommended dosages for two to three days before and one to two days after the activity.

The mineral sodium, chloride and potassium are the major electrolytes; calcium, magnesium and sulfur are secondary electrolytes. If you are going to give your horse electrolytes, make certain the product you are using contains a high proportion of major ones. Some commercial equine electrolyte preparations are mostly sugar.

HORSES WORKING at light to moderate levels and receiving a balanced diet should require little more than salt as their electrolyte supplement (salt products are made up of sodium and chloride). Horses in this category should rarely have a problem getting enough potassium, because pastures and hays usually contain more than enough to meet their needs.

Southern States' EquiMin provides all the sodium, chloride, potassium, calcium, magnesium and sulfur required for maintenance and for horses in light to moderate work. It also provides antioxidant nutrients.

For horses working at intense levels, such as endurance, eventing and racing, special electrolyte formulations are sometimes recommended. While the actual formulation of electrolytes for horses participation in different activities can vary widely, their mode of application is always the same: It is best to provide it through feed, not water.

Placing concentrated levels of electrolytes in the horse's water often has the effect of reducing water intake, which is never a good idea.


Reading the above article I would suggest that - unless your horse is competing at a high level or doing really hard work - you just add some salt to his feed - or provide a salt lick