Electrolytes, Hydration, and Why Your Horse Probably Needs More Salt

Horse drinking from watering trough on a hot summer day.
Horse drinking from watering trough on a hot summer day. Gwendolyn Sams

Newsdate: Monday, July 17, 2023 - 11:00 am
Location: GILBERT, Arizona

It’s hot outside! As the U.S. faces extreme heat advisories across the country, ensuring your horses stay hydrated is critical to support their natural evaporative cooling systems (that’s sweating). In addition to water consumption, electrolytes are an important part of the cooling equation. But knowing if your horse is getting enough, or selecting the right kind to feed, is often confusing.

Glass container with water containing electrolytes.

Glass container with water containing electrolytes

Encourage your horses to drink more water this summer by including electrolytes in their diets.
© 2011 by Andrew New window.

In Podcast Episode 6, Scoop & Scale: An Equine Podcast (Mostly) About Nutrition addresses the needs of horses during hot weather.

In this episode, Dr. Clair Thunes of Clarity Equine Nutrition explains how electrolytes work and why and when horses need them (and it’s not just during hot weather and summer exercise!). Michelle shares how Clair’s advice changed the way she incorporates salt into her horses’ diets.

Clair and Michelle also discuss:

  • How feeding horses an appropriate amount of salt can prevent serious health issues like impaction colic.
  • When to use electrolyte paste instead of powder.
  • Which is better: electrolytes topped dressed over feed or mixed in water.
  • Why horses need electrolytes during transport.
  • How much water horses should drink each day.
  • Ways to encourage horses to drink in addition to feeding electrolytes.

Plus! Michelle Asks Clair for Free Advice


Press release by Dr. Clair Thunes

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Press Release

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This news article is a press release received by the organization or person noted above. Press releases from recognized horse health companies and individuals are frequently posted on EquiMed as a service to our visitors. Please contact the author of the press release directly for additional information.

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