Equine mineral products tips? According to the Merck Vet Manual, horses most often become deficient in these 12 essential minerals and vitamins. Copper: Deficiency may cause a dull coat, poor hoof, weak ligaments and tendons. Selenium: Deficiency may cause white muscle disease and rhabdomyolysis (tying up). Vitamin A: Deficiency may cause night blindness, watery eyes, bone and muscle growth defects, a dull coat, reproductive problems, and increased susceptibility to disease and infection. Vitamin E: Deficiency may cause muscle weakness, typing up, impaired immune function, reproductive failure, and neuromuscular disorders. Vitamin D: Deficiency may cause reduced bone calcification, stiff and swollen joints, stiff gait, and irritability. Thiamine: Deficiency may cause confusion, weakness, weight loss, incoordination, and gait abnormalities.
What are Equine Electrolytes? According to this article in Scientific American, electrolytes are chemicals that, when dissolved in water, produce ions with an electrical charge. “These ions have either a positive or negative electrical charge, which is why we refer to these compounds as electro-lytes. In the world of nutrition, we use the word “electrolyte” more specifically to refer to minerals dissolved in the body’s fluids, creating electrically charged ions.” See more info on hot poultice for horses.
Compensate your horse’s extra effort by increasing feed rations after a ride and giving a good electrolyte to replace minerals and encourage water consumption. And of course, always make sure they have access to fresh water immediately upon returning home. Winter weather brings unique challenges for horses, one being a disinclination to drink. Redmond products can help your horse from becoming dehydrated. Both Rein Water and Electrolyte replace critical electrolytes, contain over 60 trace minerals for horses, and help water consumption stay consistent in cold months. Click the button below to try a sample pack of both products!
Another boarder’s mare, KC, was experiencing a bout of colic. She’d undergone the usual treatment and was receiving IV fluids because she wouldn’t drink. This had been going on for several hours and caused a lot of stress, especially to the owner, who felt helpless. I tried to be supportive and offered my friend one of my Redmond salt rocks. I told her how my horse loved them, and maybe it would encourage her mare to drink. She accepted my offer, figuring it couldn’t hurt, as she’d already unsuccessfully tried several things to help her horse, including molasses in her water and a wet mash. I brought a Redmond Rock on a Rope and hung it in KC’s stall. Immediately she started licking it. The horse owner was impressed because she said her horse normally doesn’t like salt licks. She was so thrilled she was in tears!
Bring “home water.” If you can, bring two five-gallon containers of water from home. This helps your horse transition gradually to “away water” and lessens the likelihood she’ll be put off by unfamiliar smells or tastes. Add moisture to feed. Consider soaking your horse’s hay to aid in hydration, and offer a wet bran mash or beet pulp once or twice a day. Peak your horse’s interest. Toss a few apple pieces or carrots into your horse’s water bucket to tempt her nose into the bucket to take a sip. Stress. The rigors of hauling, leaving paddock pals, dealing with a disrupted schedule, and a new environment can all create anxiety that affects a horse’s desire to drink. See even more details on fly repellent for horses.