Understanding the important role electrolytes play in healthy performance horsesWhen horses sweat, they lose a significant amount of electrolytes from their body. These must be replaced for the horse to maintain optimal fluid balance, nerve function, and muscle function. | Stephanie L. Church/ The HorseElectrolytes are minerals that break up into electrically charged ions in water. They play crucial roles in the functions of all cells and are particularly important for muscle and nerve function and fluid balance within the horses body. When horses sweat, they lose a significant amount of electrolytes from their body. These must be replaced for the horse to maintain optimal fluid balance, nerve function, and muscle function.Manufacturers market a plethora of electrolyte products in a variety of forms to horse owners. Understanding when, how much, and which products to supplement is critical for optimizing equine health and performance.Another Kind of Sweat EquityWhen your horse sweats, you might see a white residue that remains on his hair coat after the sweat evaporates. Those are the residual electrolytes lost through sweat. Therefore, even by simply looking at a working horse it becomes obvious that the more he sweats, the more electrolytes he has lost. The primary electrolytes a horse loses in sweat are sodium, chloride, and potassium. He also loses calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, and sulfur, but in smaller quantities.Don Kapper, a professional animal scientist based in Beach City, Ohio, with more than 37 years of experience formulating products, researching, and teaching in the industry, says, Electrolytes are anions and cations (negatively and positively charged ions, respectively), so the positives and negatives must work together. When the horse runs out of cation or anion molecules the muscle will stop functioning properly. Therefore, when electrolytes are supplemented, the anions and cations must be balanced and match what the horse has lost in their sweat.Why Do Horses Need Supplemental Electrolytes?Electrolytes tend to be front of horse owners minds in the summer months but, regardless of season, if a horse sweats, he should consume supplemental electrolytes. Sweating is the primary method of thermoregulation for working horses. Therefore, when temperatures increase, electrolyte losses are more substantial. Michael Lindinger, PhD, a former professor at the University of Guelph, in Ontario, Canada, and current president of the Nutraceutical Alliance, also in Ontario, notes, When horses sweat, they are losing a lot of electrolytes through their skin, nearly three times more than humans. Therefore, if the horse is sweating even for just one hour, they can lose a significant amount and may become dehydrated.The electrolyte levels your horse needs are directly proportional to what he loses in sweat. In order to decipher how much you should be supplementing, rely on the National Weather Services heat index chart (weather.gov/ffc/hichart). This chart takes into consideration the days temperature, humidity, and work intensity level. Due to horse sweat being more concentrated with electrolytes than human sweat, it is imperative we provide electrolytes to dehydrated horses and dont just give them water.When a dehydrated horse receives plain water but cannot replenish electrolytes, it can negatively affect his ability to recover. A key role of electrolytes is that they retain fluid in the body, both within cells (intracellularly) and outside of cells (extracellularly). Therefore, the only way to rehydrate a dehydrated horse is to restore hydration with a solution of water and electrolytes, says Lindinger.Understanding how temperature and relative humidity interact can help you determine if it is safe (or not) to exercise your horse. A heat stress score of less than 80 requires no special precautions. Above a score of 90, a horse must evaporate fl uids (sweat or water) to maintain normal body temperature. At a heat index of 100 or above, sweating is insuffi cient and other cooling methods must be used. | Adapted from Worldwide Biomedex Inc. Chart/Courtesy Madeline BoastThe Benefits of Supplementing ElectrolytesLindinger, in a study published in the Journal of Experimental Physiology, demonstrated that providing a properly formulated oral performance electrolyte administered in solution at the recommended rate can delay the onset of fatigue by over 22%, reduce muscle cramping, and improve the horses ability to recover and perform the following day.Kapper notes, During this research, the electrolyte was detected in the bloodstream within 10 minutes of administration, and within 10 minutes of starting to exercise was present in the sweat. To do this, the optimal osmolarity (concentration) of the performance electrolyte solution must be attained. The amount of electrolyte powder Lindinger and his team used was 4 ounces/gallon of water.Indeed, to capture the benefits of electrolyte supplementation described, it is not always enough to simply provide salt and water to your horse.Our sources dont consider many commercially available electrolyte products properly formulated as performance products. A performance electrolyte replenishes what the horse has lost in his sweat. So if the product does not match the losses, it might not be effective for hydrating the horse, delaying fatigue, or improving his ability to recover from work.Performance ElectrolytesThe chemical makeup of equine sweat expressed as an equation is Na + K + Ca + Mg = Cl + P + S. Again, performance electrolytes are those that emulate what has been lost in sweat, says Kapper. The addition of dextrose also improves the rate of absorption in the small intestine. When you are choosing a performance electrolyte for your horse, the sodium and potassium should be close to equaling the amount of chloride in the product. You can find this information in the guaranteed analysis of the product.Understanding ideal formulation of performance electrolytes is critical to choosing the right product for your hard-working horse. For instance, Himalayan salt and sea salt are very popular among horse owners. However, they are very different from the electrolyte composition of sweat and, therefore, poor choices when aiming to rehydrate a horse after working, says Lindinger.Supplements containing greater than 70% salt (NaCl) are not performance electrolytes. They are simply expensive salt, adds Kapper.Therefore, when shopping for an optimal performance electrolyte product for your horse, read the guaranteed analysis and compare it to the equation of electrolytes in equine sweat. Nutritionists typically recommend using salt to meet your horses daily sodium and chloride requirement and then adding a performance electrolyte when he starts sweating.Consequences of Dehydration and Electrolyte ImbalanceThe skin pinch test (it should retract to normal in less than two seconds when released), and evaluating the color and feel of a horses gums, are two ways to check for dehydration. Dehydration has a variety of negative consequences ranging from fatigue and weakness to serious health issues such as colic and tying-up. Kapper says, Most horse owners are familiar with the skin-tent test and looking at the color of the gums when assessing for dehydration. However 14 other parameters exist that horse owners can check. The Horse Health Check (tool), developed by Art King, DVM, and Gayle Ecker at the University of Guelph, details 16 checkpoints to evaluate dehydration.As mentioned earlier, when a horse has lost electrolytes in his sweat and becomes dehydrated, the body will stop working properly. Nerves and muscles will stop functioning, says Lindinger.Kapper adds, The positive and negative (electrolytes) must work together so, when there is an imbalance, the horse owner will notice muscle soreness starting, more stumbling, and a shortened stride. When considering elite performance horses that compete multiple days in a row, delaying fatigue and muscle soreness can make a significant difference in their abilities to successfully perform.Administering Electrolytes to HorsesWhen selecting from the myriad equine electrolyte products and administration methods available, horse owners must understand how the horses body absorbs electrolytes and how they contribute to rehydration.All electrolytes are hydroscopic and will dehydrate your horse if they do not drink enough water after administering, explains Kapper. For this reason, adding the electrolytes into an appropriate volume of water for dehydrated horses is extremely critical.Additionally, he does not recommend paste electrolytes for this reason. All paste electrolytes will lie in the digestive tract of the horse until they draw enough water from the body to break them down, he adds.When mixing the solution, follow the manufacturers instructions. Use concentrations that are more dilute if palatability is an issue, says Lindinger.Feeding electrolytes as a top dressing is common, and often is adequate, but is not appropriate for horses that are currently dehydrated. One of the biggest challenges owners face when supplementing electrolytes in their horses is determining how much they should offer, and if top-dressing over feed is adequate or if they need it in solution. Feeding electrolytes as a top dressing is common, however, this should not be done for a dehydrated horse, says Lindinger.Providing the electrolyte in solution is the gold standard, but for horses traveling, idle, or at lower levels, top dressing the performance electrolyte on feed at the recommended amount per day is often adequate. For horses at the upper levels and exercising intensely, the electrolyte solution should be provided during and after transport to events to ensure optimal hydration prior to training and competition sessions. In addition, electrolytes are best provided within 45 minutes after training or competing.Relying on the average heart rate of the training session can assist horse owners in determining how much electrolyte to give, notes Kapper. For example, a horse that is sweating for 15 minutes during a work session will not require the same electrolyte supplementation as an endurance horse doing 100 miles per day.Kappers charts summarize electrolyte supplementation recommendations in various situations.Supplementation Recommendations for MILD Heat Stress Index (Below go)WORK LEVELAVERAGE HEART RATEELECTROLYTE AMOUNTIdle0 ozLight80 beats/min1 ozModerate90 beats/min2 oz with 1/2 gallon of waterHeavy110 beats/min3 oz with 3/4 gallon of waterVery Heavy110-150 beats/min4 oz with 1 gallon of waterSupplementation Recommendations for MODERATE Heat Stress Index (90-105)WORK LEVELAVERAGE HEART RATEELECTROLYTE AMOUNTIdle1 ozLight80 beats/min2 ozModerate90 beats/min3 oz with 3/4 gallon of waterHeavy110 beats/min4 oz with 1 gallon of waterVery Heavy110-150 beats/min5 oz with 1 1/4 gallons of waterSupplementation Recommendations for SEVERE Heat Stress Index (Over 105)WORK LEVELAVERAGE HEART RATEELECTROLYTE AMOUNTIdle1.5 ozLight80 beats/min3 ozModerate90 beats/min6 oz with 1 1/2 gallons of waterHeavy110 beats/min8 oz with 2 gallons of waterVery Heavy110-150 beats/min10 oz with 2 1/2 gallons of water*The average heart rate is based on workload descriptions from the NRC for Horses, 2007. Charts courtesy Don Kapper.Tips for Supplementing Finicky HorsesWhen introducing a performance electrolyte to your horses diet, start it at homenot at an event or during travel. Buy a small amount of the performance electrolyte and try it, especially with finicky horses, says Kapper. If you sometimes add it as a top dressing and other times mix the product into water, Kapper recommends using the same product both places to ensure taste consistency.When introducing a performance electrolyte mixed with the horses water, start with a dilute solution and, over the course of multiple days, slowly increase the concentration to full strength, says Lindinger. If your horse does not like one product, do not hesitate to try a different one.Including dextrose in performance electrolytes should improve palatability. Nutritionists know that when sugar content exceeds what the body needs, muscles will weaken but, as noted earlier, adding dextrose to performance electrolytes improves absorption. Some practitioners dont recommend adding electrolytes to feed or water because of the risk of decreasing feed consumption and causing dehydration; instead, they recommend a free-choice electrolyte. What you offer depends on the horse.Take-Home Message When horses sweat, they lose a significant amount of electrolytes that must be replaced to help them maintain adequate fluid balance as well as muscle and nerve function. Dehydration can be detrimental to equine health and performance. Therefore, adopt effective electrolyte supplementation strategies to promote hydration. Remember to critically review the guaranteed analysis prior to purchasing a performance electrolyte and introduce it to your horse to consume at home prior to traveling or competing in warmer weather.

A recent cluster of equine infectious anemia (EIA) cases has once again highlighted the importance of proper training of the individuals that work in equine veterinary clinics to help prevent the spread of disease via iatrogenic (relating to illness caused by medical examination or treatment) transmission.A cluster of EIA-positives that were infected throughout May 2024 and another cluster from mid-June through the end of August 2024 were found to have originated at a Texas equine clinic. All the EIA-infected horses had been hospitalized in the intensive care unit (ICU) at the clinic and had an intravenous (IV) catheter placed and flushed.As of May 30, 2025, the USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (USDA-APHIS) has identified 21 horses confirmed positive for EIA in four statesCalifornia, Colorado, Oklahoma, and Texas. The affected horses are of varying ages, breeds, and disciplines.I dont believe we have found all of the exposed horses for testing just yet, said Angela Pelzel-McCluskey, DVM, USDA-APHIS equine epidemiologist.I think there are more that need to be added to the list. She added that anyone who is concerned their horse might have been exposed should contact their veterinarian and have their horse(s) tested.The incubation period of horses infected with EIA is usually 15 to 45 days, and horses that have been infected with the virus are lifelong carriers. Horses showing clinical signs of the disease are more of a threat to healthy populations because of higher levels of the virus circulating in the blood.Horses that survive the initial clinical phase of the disease usually become outwardly inapparent carriers and remain a lifelong reservoir for the disease. There is no treatment for the disease and no vaccine to prevent an EIA virus infection. If confirmed positive, horses are usually euthanized to prevent ongoing transmission to other horses. If not euthanized, horses must be permanently quarantined with separation from noninfected horses by at least 200 yards to prevent spread of the disease by biting flies. Infected horses cannot be moved from quarantined premises except by approval of state and federal animal health officials. Clinical signs of EIA might include fever, depression, low platelet count, anemia, red or purple spots on the mucous membranes, edema, muscle weakness, and atrophy, although chronically infected horses often show no obvious clinical signs of the disease.Veterinarians diagnose EIA by testing antibody levels in the blood. They most commonly use the Coggins test, which is an agar gel immunodiffusion (AGID) test. An ELISA (enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay) test is also available to detect EIA antibodies. Practitioners must collect blood and submit it to certified laboratories for testing.The USDA-APHIS has reviewed the complete medical history of the 21 horses confirmed EIA positive that were treated at the Texas clinic.The current investigation indicated at least one or more employees of the clinic were reusing needles or syringes to draw up and flush IV catheters with heparinized saline in the ICU as a routine procedure, which caused repeated instances of blood contamination into the bottles. The original sources of the EIA virus were likely bush-track or other high-risk horses that were admitted to the clinic ICU just prior to each cluster of cases in May and August, said Pelzel-McCluskey.The USDA-APHIS began investigating the cases in September 2024, when a 3-year-old Quarter Horse mare in Wise County, Texas, was confirmed EIA-positive. The horse was used for barrel racing and had no flat-track racing history, and her cohorts were EIA negative. Another Wise County case, an 8-year-old Andalusian mare with no racing or import history and with all negative cohorts, was found EIA-positive the following month. The next two months brought three more cases from the same county. The horses showed no common EIA risk factors and had no contact with each other.The only thing we could come up with is that all of the horses were seen by the same veterinary clinic, Pelzel-McCluskey said. That for a small county area is not strange, so it was a head scratcher. She noted the horses home premises were not located adjacent to each other, so it was not a local geographic focus of natural fly-bite transmission.Through investigation, officials determined the only common factor was that the horses had been hospitalized in either two clusters May 2024 and August 2024; three horses in May and two in August for other reasons and EIA was not diagnosed.At the request of the USDA-APHIS, the horse owners began sharing medical records of the five infected horses. At the same time, four more cases with connections to the same veterinary clinic were discovered in January, February, and March of this yeartwo more horses from Wise County, one from Denton County, and one located in Oklahoma.Pelzel-McCluskey said the next step in the investigation is to compile a more complete list of exposed horses from the clinics appointment book to identify horses that had an IV catheter placed at the clinic during the affected time range, while completing regulatory EIA testing of all horses that were potentially exposed. Testing will also be completed on cohorts of any new EIA-positive cases.About 1.3 million horses per year are tested for EIA. So far in 2025 there have been 44 EIA positives. In 2024 there were 147 positive cases, and 120 of those were in the primary high-risk category of Quarter Horse racehorses that contracted the disease via iatrogenic transmission by unhygienic injection practices of owners and trainers, not veterinarians.The rate of EIA positives has been on the rise since 2016 when there were only 44 cases recorded, with the majority being natural transmission via fly bites. The iatrogenic-transmission EIA cases now being found in Quarter Horse racehorses frequently have ties to unsanctioned or bush track racing.I believe that veterinary clinic owners and employees have become complacent, and people dont believe that something like this could happen, but it does happen, and it is happening at a very large scale with a lot of negative outcomes, Pelzel-McCluskey said. I would like state animal health officials to reach out to remind people that we do have iatrogenic transmission of EIA, and this can occur in clinics if the expected procedures for sterile technique are not being followed by all employees at the clinic.From the Equine Disease Communication Center: Cluster of EIA Cases Highlight Need for Proper Training at ClinicsBy Leslie Barlow and Dr. Angela Pelzel-McCluskey

Vets, industry bodies and equine welfare organisations are growing increasingly concerned about the impact that the absence of a digital equine identification and traceability scheme could have on public health.Leading voices from the equine sector as well as the food industry are warning that theres a real danger that horses treated with lethal veterinary drugs could enter the human food chain undetected as beef.A statement sent to Your Horse said: Despite the well-documented lessons of the 2013 horsemeat scandal, the UK continues to rely on a dangerously outdated paper-based passport system administered by over 70 third-party organisations many of which are rendered unable to accurately update ownership, transfer or death records.It also described serious regulatory failures in the equine identification, traceability and euthanasia process.In March, Your Horse reported that the development of a digital equine identification and traceability scheme has been put on hold by the government due to financial constraints.There is absolutely nothing stopping a horse euthanised with barbiturates rendering its meat a toxic hazard from being passed off as a clean carcass for human consumption, said Dr Jason Aldiss, executive director of the Association of Independent Meat Suppliers (AIMS).We are sitting on a ticking time bomb.Government scheme pausedWhen Your Horse contacted Defra, a spokesperson said: Equine identification and traceability are necessary to support biosecurity, public health, equine welfare, and trade.We continue to work closely with industry stakeholders, the Food Standards Agency, the Central Equine Database supplier and devolved governments to resolve issues.Defra also said that in early 2024, the cost estimates to deliver the digital enhancements to the governments Central Equine Database significantly increased.As an interim measure until work on a digitised equine ID scheme can progress Defra continues to engage with equine industry stakeholders.In its response, Defra also clarified that:The Food Standards Agency (FSA) is the national authority responsible for food safety and food hygiene across England, Wales and Northern Ireland.The FSA ensures that official controls and legislation for meat safety and traceability are met by deploying staff in every slaughterhouse. It also conducts risk-based, intelligence driven surveillance to monitor food safety and authenticity. A National Food Crime Unit to prevent, detect and investigate food crime was established following the discovery of horsemeat in the human food chain in 2013.The technology existsBut AIMS which is the UKs largest post farm gate trade body representing abattoirs, licensed meat and poultry processors, egg packers, pet food manufacturers, and catering butchers stated that the Central Equine Database (CED) is not being updated by owners.[It]was meant to serve as a reliable national record and, by no fault of its own, remains ineffective due to a lack of mandatory, real-time data input by owners, said our source.With no centralised enforcement, illegal substitution of horse meat remains a genuine threat, particularly as the red meat market tightens.Vets, industry bodies and equine welfare organisations are concerned that this lack of mandatory enforcement will facilitate the illegal substitution of horse meat.They are calling for the immediate introduction of legislation mandating that horse owners update the CED directly and in real time.They are also calling for the integration of equines into the UKs Livestock Information Service, which has been allocated 500 million for digital traceability in the food chain.The technology exists. The funding exists. The legislative draft already exists, whats missing is the political will, said Dr Aldiss.We must act now to prevent another scandal and to uphold consumer trust, animal welfare, and public health.Illegal tradeDefra ministerBaronessHayman of Ullocktold theNational Equine Forumin London in March that while the government recognises the importance of equine identification and traceability, pressure on public finances means the project has been paused.She said: I do recognise that a key concern in the industry is the improvement of equine identification and traceability.Multiple high profile cases have highlighted the need for acentralised and fully digitalised ID and traceability system across the UK and EU.In February last year, the Dover 26 a transporter crammed full of horses being exported to Europe were discovered. Many of the 26 equines on board did not have the necessary paperwork to travel.Five months ago,Your Horsereported onthe three-year-old ex-racehorse who suffered a fractured skulland severe wounds after being trampled by other horses in an overloaded lorry destined for slaughter.World Horse Welfare researchedthe backgrounds of a group of eight horses who came into their care after atransporter carrying 20 horses was stopped at Dover in December 2024and compiled a timeline of events to identify the gaps that illegal traders are exploiting.In March, the charitycalled on the government to implement stronger legislationto disrupt horse smugglingas they believe a lack of accountability is being exploited by smugglers when the UK is used as a land bridge for moving horses between Ireland and the EU.Image ShutterstockRelated contentHow to tell if a horse is happyUK bans live export of horses for slaughterPetition set up with the aim of updating the Dangerous Dogs Act to better protect horsesPublic attitudes towards horse sport on the right track but there is still more to doLearn to read your horses body language with this expert adviceThe post A ticking time bomb: horse meat entering the food chain is a real danger, experts warn appeared first on Your Horse.

Activities to look forward to this month!!