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  More bootie than waist!
Posts: 18425
          Location: Riding Crackhead. | Do you guys recommend a daily in their feed, a tube of liquid as needed, brands you suggest? I've used THE in the past and I do like it. I just use it as needed. I need to stock up as I'm down to a couple tubes. |
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 Texas Taco
Posts: 7499
         Location: Bandera, TX | I love the Formula 707 electrolyte. Mine gussle down an entire bucket of it each. |
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The Advice Guru
Posts: 6419
     
| I don't have the heat, and I have only used electrolytes on horses in gi distress upon vet recommendation.
I would suggest speaking to your vet about it, as electrolytes may have an adverse reaction on a horse if they get too much |
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  More bootie than waist!
Posts: 18425
          Location: Riding Crackhead. | We get really hot here in the summer with high humidity. I've only been giving it on the miserable days but this last weekend we hauled and my daughters horse decided to quit drinking so I gave her a tube. Thought I better get stocked up since we'll probably go from 30 above to 90. Mother Nature seems to forget giving us spring and we go from winter to summer. |
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 Extreme Veteran
Posts: 473
     
| Honestly, unless you KNOW the electrolytes will make them drink, only put in water. Electrolytes encourage drinking but if they won't drink with electrolytes (some won't!) then you're creating a bigger problem. |
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 Elite Veteran
Posts: 1182
     Location: Do I hear Banjos? | AfleetEquine - 2014-03-25 7:57 PM Honestly, unless you KNOW the electrolytes will make them drink, only put in water. Electrolytes encourage drinking but if they won't drink with electrolytes (some won't!) then you're creating a bigger problem. That's absolutely right. If you give electolytes to a horse that is NOT drinking you will throw them further out of balance osmotically.
From an AEP article on electrolytes: " Once in the intestine, the electrolytes draw water from the blood into the gut. Taking water out of the blood causes the concentration of electrolytes (especially sodium) in the blood to increase. The increased sodium concentration in the blood stimulates the thirst mechanism, encouraging the horse to drink. However, if water is not available, the horse won’t drink, or blood flow to the intestines is reduced because of exercise, giving concentrated electrolytes may worsen the dehydration by causing water to leave the bloodstream and enter the GI tract."
Therefore what we do is give the e-lytes 3-4 hours before any event or hard work. Usually I give Lyte Now...it has the formulation I like best. Then at the event I have two buckets hung...one with plain water and one with e-lytes. If they are really working/sweating they may get more Lyte Now. by giving it a few hours before the event or workout...it will be in the gut and that osmotic change should trigger them to drink. BUT...if they are not drinking...they do not get more e-lytes.
Edited by TrailGirl 2014-03-26 8:05 AM
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  More bootie than waist!
Posts: 18425
          Location: Riding Crackhead. | Thanks for all the info guys! |
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 Elite Veteran
Posts: 999
        Location: Sunny So Cal | yay! I love THE Electrolytes! There supplements already have electrolytes in them and I use the tubes at competitions and on super hot days. Just to give her an extra boost! |
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