Electrolytes and Salt

[Ambers Echo]

I have always fed salt but have just bought some electrolytes too. A David Marlin FB post said these should be fed all the time at a consistent amount based on amount of work. So a horse in hard work gets the 'hard work' dose even on rest days, and a horse in light work gets the 'light work' dose even on harder day. But the packet I have bought says to use it up to 3 days after hard work causing heavy sweating only.

Also how much salt? I have been adding one table spoon (15g) daily but have read that they need a lot more than that but amounts I read about vary. Also is that just after sweating or all the time?

TIA x

 

[AmyMay]

Feed either electrolytes or salt, not both.

I would add electrolytes for several days after hard work, or daily during hot weather. My horses were leisure horses only though, although hunted in the winter. So certainly didn’t need them all the time.

 

[SpringArising]

I give salt, and the same amount, every day regardless of whether he's been ridden or sweated. He gets a handful of fibre nuts and two tablespoons once a day, with enough water added that it becomes a mush.

The recommended dose is two-four table spoons a day for all horses, not just those who sweat.

 

[ycbm]

I feed 50 g a day salt to 600kg horses.

 

[tallyho!]

It’s a salty ol’ feed (yes I did taste the soaked stuff 😳) so try and do it in two lots or add fibrous veg and plenty of roughage.

 

[ester]

https://drkhorsesense.wordpress.com...ueYOwnxeFU0YSpKAobY50BM23dF2kbgcDy9_IrNyBhnmE

 

[Leo Walker]

salt is 10gms per 100kgs of bodyweight but you dont need salt and electrolytes. Its worth checking how much salt is already in your feed and supplements as well.

 

[Ambers Echo]

Thanks Ester but I am afraid that makes no sense to me! I have read it carefully to try and work out what to feed but am obviously not the intended audience for this....

it says make sure the NA. K and Cl supplements are on a ratio of 2:1:4 or you'll make things worse:

"That’s a ratio of 2:1:4 for sodium, potassium and chloride. Check to see that your replacement supplement has those correct ratios or you may be making things worse."

(The supplement I have just bought has a ratios of 4:1:6)

But then says the K comes from hay and the Na will have to come from salt and some of the Cl too so if I am adding salt and feeding hay then what happens to those ratios?

"Sodium requirements have to come from salt. The baseline requirement for sodium can be met by approximately 2 oz of salt in hot weather = one stall size salt lick per month. Salt may also come from supplements, commercial feeds or be added to feed or sprinkled on hay..... Chloride requires closer to 2% of body weight but some will also come from salt (sodium chloride)"

Also have no idea what the following means:

"Low levels of calcium and magnesium (typically 200 to 300 mg/hourly dose) may also be used."

That sounds like 2-300 mg an hour which is obviously not right!

The DM article is below. That specifically says feed both salts and electrolytes:

SALT & ELECTROLYTES FOR HORSES

A fair number of cases of loss of performance and muscle issues. This always happens around this time of year and a large proportion of these cases are improved or resolved with Salt and Electrolyte management.

KEY FACTS & ADVICE

1) The main electrolytes are sodium, potassium, chloride, magnesium and calcium.
2) Not all the electrolytes in the diet are absorbed. Some are absorbed better than others and this can vary horse to horse.
3) Electrolytes are lost daily in urine, faeces, breath moisture and sweat.
4) Equine diets are almost always deficient in sodium which can be addressed with 1 x 25ml table salt per day (400-600kg horse), ideally split between at least 2 feeds.
5) Horses are very poor at self-regulating salt/electrolyte intake from free-choice sources such as salt licks/blocks. Several published studies have shown this.
6) For horses in work a balanced electrolyte supplement should be fed daily in addition to salt according to work and weather. Don't be tempted to leave out on light days or rest days and increase on hard days. Same every day.

But that does not say how much electrolyte and is less salt than others have suggested.

I plan at the moment to feed the electroylyes in the amounts suggested on the packet (75g per day) with a tablespoon of salt. Does that sound about right?

 

[Ambers Echo]

salt is 10gms per 100kgs of bodyweight but you dont need salt and electrolytes. Its worth checking how much salt is already in your feed and supplements as well.

I don't think anything much is added to Pink Mash? There may be stuff in the forage balancer. And in the hay and grass. Arghhhh this is far too complicated!

 

[Sail_away]

From what I understand electrolytes are made up of salts so there would be no need to add more - I am new to this too though so I may be wrong! I have just started feeding equine America electrolytes at 40g a day so 75 plus more salt sounds like a lot. The maximum dosage suggested on mine is 60g. So maybe cut out the salt? It should be present in the electrolytes anyway.

 

[ester]

sorry AE I came across the other day and thought it might be useful. It isn't something I've had to worry about given that dossing in the field doesn't bring much call.

 

[Ambers Echo]

sorry AE I came across the other day and thought it might be useful. It isn't something I've had to worry about given that dossing in the field doesn't bring much call.

Oh I am sure it is very useful - I just can't figure out what it means!! But thanks very much for sharing it xx

 

[PaintPonies]

Also have no idea what the following means:

"Low levels of calcium and magnesium (typically 200 to 300 mg/hourly dose) may also be used."

That sounds like 2-300 mg an hour which is obviously not right!

I read it as that is how much calcium & magnesium a horse can lose in an hour with low level sweating.

It seems to be saying that hay fed at 1% of BW (& presumably grazing??) will supply enough K and fed at 2% BW will supply enough Cl. If you are feeding salt then that will also contribute to the Cl and salt will need to provide all the Na requirement.

It says 'At low rates of sweating, the horse will average losses of approximately 10 grams of sodium, 5 grams of potassium and 20 grams of chloride per hour. To determine dosage, calculate average sweat losses as above then look at the amount per dose on the label. For example, an hour of light sweating needs 10 grams of sodium so if the product provides 5 grams (same as 5,000 mg) per dose you need 2 doses. Do not rely on manufacturer’s suggestions alone.'

So IF my understanding is correct you need to work out how many hours of sweating your horse has done (what are the losses for heavy sweating I wonder) and then check out your supplement to see what it provides per dose. I wonder how many electrolytes are actually made up according to those ratios!

Hope I haven't confused you even further!

 

[Ambers Echo]

You have not confused me further - I am pretty much where I was

Electrolytes come blended. You can't not bother with the K or the Cl because they have that in hay. And they say use 2 doses a day to get enough Na but also feed salt for that.

I am just following DM's advice above unless others have a better suggestion. I am no great DM fan and he can talk rubbish on occasion but he is at least offering easy to follow advice!

 

[SEL]

DM (also not a fan since he banned me from one of his FB pages) is pretty good at this stuff because of his work with endurance horses.

From what you've put above he seems to suggest feed salt as well as the electrolytes to horses in work, which might be why his salt requirements are lower.

They'll wee out anything unnecessary anyway I would think.

 

[Ambers Echo]

Ok thanks. That's reassuring. The 'you can make it worse if it's wrong' comment was a bit worrying but I am sure a bit of variation can't be catastrophic...