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Guest blog by JRS: All you need to know about sweating & electrolytes

When you train in warmer weather, your horse perspires. In the process, he loses important nutrients in his body: electrolytes. To prevent this from causing problems, good support is important. We give tips.

Sweating

Horses sweat, just like people, to maintain their body temperature. Your horse has a thermo-neutral zone of -5 to 15 degrees Celsius on average, within which it can easily keep itself warm. Outside this zone, it costs your horse extra energy. The temperature at which your horse feels comfortable depends on various factors, such as the horse's age, whether it has been clipped and the humidity level.

A small calculation example. The energy requirement of a sport horse lies between 7.1 and 11.0 EWpa (Energy Value Horse) per day. On average in the Netherlands each kilo of hay contains 0.47 EWpa. To meet the energy needs of your horse, you must therefore feed him at least 15 kilograms of hay per day. If your horse exerts itself outside its thermoneutral zone, it will need more energy and therefore more EWpa.

During exertion in higher temperatures, your horse sweats to cool down. However, it takes a horse longer to cool down than a human. Its weight is 6 times greater than ours while the area of skin it can use is only 2.5 times greater. He will therefore sweat faster and more than you and his body temperature rises more quickly. If it gets too high, processes in the body are disrupted. In addition, your horse loses many important nutrients during sweating: electrolytes.

Electrolytes

Electrolytes is a collective name for several substances: Sodium, Potassium, Chlorine, Calcium and Magnesium. These are all important building materials for many functions in the horse's body. Amongst other things, they ensure the correct moisture balance, the removal of waste substances and muscle function. It is therefore important to prevent electrolyte deficiencies and to feed all the ingredients in the right balance.

An electrolyte deficiency can easily be supplemented with a supplement. Cavalor has two variants: Electroliq Balance and Electrolyte Balance. The first is liquid, the second is a powder. The effect is the same, the version you choose is your own preference. Experience shows that the liquid supplement is often more easily absorbed by horses. Incidentally, a horse does not only lose electrolytes when it sweats. They are also present in urine and diarrhoea!

It is important to know that a horse cannot store electrolytes! You should therefore give them up to half an hour before or after exercise. Also give him enough fresh water so that he can keep his fluid balance up. Any surplus of electrolytes will be excreted by the horse.

Are you going to a competition? Then use Cavalor An Energy Boost. This supplement is given just before intensive work. It contains the necessary electrolytes but also amino acids, vitamins, sugars and salts. It gives your horse an energy boost that he will use during the activity. Because it is a paste, your horse absorbs it quickly and it is easy to administer.

Transport

Tip: the cap of the Elektroliq Balance has a measuring cup hidden in it so you can measure out exactly how much you need to feed your horse.

Did you know that transporting your horse also causes a loss of electrolytes? One hour on the trailer equals one hour walking for your horse. So give him extra electrolytes and sufficient fresh water, also during (long) transport.

By keeping a close eye on your horse during work in hotter temperatures, you can prevent it from developing problems. Good aftercare and feeding electrolytes will help your horse recuperate so that you have a happy horse in the summer as well.

JRS