The horse’s body is made up of a large number of cells, and these cells are more susceptible to damage and wear and tear than those of humans. As such, a horse’s electrolytes are constantly being flushed out of their body through sweat, urine, and exhaled air. We can help restore these electrolytes in the horse’s body through their feed or water supply, but it’s up to us to ensure the horse is consuming enough water to flush those electrolytes out.
This article will help you learn more about horse electrolyte supplements and help you select the best one for your horse’s needs.
Our Editor’s Best Horse Electrolyte Supplements Reviews
- REPLACES VITAL MINERALS: Replaces electrolytes lost through sweat during exercise, extreme hot & cold weather, stressful situations, and illness
- OPTIMAL HYDRATION: Helps encourage healthy water consumption year-round
- MAINTAINS FLUID BALANCE: Helps support proper digestion, muscle function and recovery
- COMPLETE ELECTROLYTE FORMULA: Contains a balanced electrolyte profile with sodium chloride, potassium, magnesium, and calcium
- FOR ALL HORSES: Not just for performance horses! Any horse that sweats for a prolonged period, regardless of reason, can benefit from electrolyte supplementation.
- REPLACES VITAL ELECTROLYTES lost through sweat during exercise, extreme weather, and stressful situations.
- HELPS MAINTAIN OPTIMAL HYDRATION by encouraging healthy water consumption year-round.
- HELPS MAINTAIN FLUID BALANCE to support proper digestion, muscle function and recovery.
- COMPLETE ELECTROLYTE FORMULA contains a balanced electrolyte profile with sodium chloride, potassium, magnesium and calcium.
- PALATABLE APPLE-FLAVORED PELLETS are ideal for daily use for picky eaters or horses that sort powdered supplements. Can be used proactively up to 12 hours before exercise or travel to help minimize electrolyte loss.
- Excellent Hydration Trigger. Support comprehensive hydration. Daily Red loose sea salt, minerals, and equine electrolytes encourage horses to drink more
- Essential Salt for Horses. Assisting hydration isn’t salt’s only superpower. It also facilitates healthy nerve and muscle contraction for higher performance.
- Natural Horse Minerals. A full spectrum of nature-made trace minerals for horses promotes wellness, optimal performance, and a healthy appearance from head to tail.
- Mined in Utah, USA. Crushed is harvested from deep within the earth at Redmond’s deposit in Utah and contains more mineral-to-salt content than both white salt and Himalayan.
- Delicious Mineral Supplement. Daily Red’s foundation of great-tasting, bioavailable sea minerals means horses happily eat it up and minerals go to work, not to waste.
- ►Originally developed for the horses competing at the 1996 Olympics
- ►Adjustable serving rates allow you to easily meet your horse's individual electrolyte needs
- ►Unique ingredients support optimal performance and speedy recovery during exercise or stressful situations
- ►Concentrated formula ensures your horse receives both critical electrolytes and trace minerals, not sugar and other fillers
- ►Formulated using the results of extensive research studies investigating the composition of sweat, Summer Games contains both key electrolytes and trace minerals in the actual amounts that are present in horses' sweat
- Encourage Hydration: Horses lose vital minerals by sweating; SmartLytes is a rich supplement containing Sodium, Potassium, Calcium, Magnesium, and other important minerals to encourage your horse to drink more water, which in turn, improves their hydration levels
- Additional Ingredients: The SmartLytes Powder also includes trimethylglycine, also known as the osmolyte betaine, which can aid cells in maintaining stable fluid levels; The powder is carefully formulated to replenish minerals lost in sweat
- Tasty Flavor: Many electrolyte supplements have a plain taste, which may discourage horses from taking them, but we have given our mineral supplement a rich cherry flavor with no added sugar that picky eaters can more easily enjoy, making it easier for you to give the care your horse needs
- SmartPak Electrolytes Supplements: Hydration is a key factor in a horse’s health and performance, and to maintain it, SmartPak has designed quality electrolyte supplements to help promote healthy levels of hydration and mineral recovery
- We Get You Because We Are You: Horse supplements from horse people! In 1999, SmartPak was founded by an equine enthusiast who came up with the idea of preselected, premeasured, and prepackaged horse supplements when she noticed her stable manager was having a difficult time managing and administering a variety of supplements for 30+ horses at the barn. SmartPak has been developing high-quality equine supplements for a wide range of conditions, which we use, love, and trust for our horses.
- Replaces electrolytes lost by dehydration during exercise, training or competition
- Helps replace fluid lost through sweat
- Helps encourage healthy water intake year-round during extreme weather conditions and in times of stress
- Supports normal electrolyte and mineral balance
- Palatable apple-flavored, sodium-based equine electrolyte
- Concentrated electrolyte formula designed specifically for endurance horses
- Provides the extra calcium and magnesium often lost during long, slow exercise
- Replenishes the electrolytes and trace minerals lost during sweating
- Supports normal hydration by stimulating the thirst response
- Used by top endurance riders worldwide
- Replaces electrolytes lost by dehydration during exercise, training or competition
- Helps replace fluid lost through sweat
- Helps encourage healthy water intake year-round during extreme weather conditions and in times of stress
- Supports normal electrolyte and mineral balance
- Palatable apple-flavored, sodium-based equine electrolyte
- A fast acting supplement designed to replenish electrolytes so horses can achieve optimum performance
- Palatable natural apple flavor that horses love
- Helps stimulate thirst in horses that do not drink enough water
- Aids immune and cardiovascular function
- Supplied as 60 ml, paste
- Designed for horses that sweat excessively during hot weather or rigorous exercise and helps stimulate thirst in animals not drinking enough water
- Replenishes electrolytes
- Contains a balance of critical electrolytes including Sodium, Magnesium, Calcium and other trace minerals
- Can promote post-exercise recovery
- Supplied as a 25 lb. bag of pellets
Best Horse Electrolyte Supplements Buying Guide
Before choosing the best horse electrolyte supplement you should consider following options:
1. Water intake: Hydration is the most basic function of electrolyte supplementation. Horses often don’t drink enough plain water to meet their needs, so electrolytes are added to encourage consumption.
The electrolyte of most importance in horses is sodium, but other electrolytes also need to be replaced, including potassium, magnesium, and chloride.
The amount of electrolytes to supplement depends on the horse’s needs. A horse that sweats a lot, or has a high-energy job (such as a racehorse), needs more electrolytes than a horse that has a very sedentary job. A veterinarian can test the horse’s electrolyte levels and determine the exact amount to add.
2. Amount: The concentration of electrolytes in the water makes a big difference in uptake. Water with low concentrations may be almost imperceptible to horses, while water with high concentrations may cause them to reject it.
Water with a low concentration of electrolytes may be almost imperceptible to horses. Water with a high concentration may cause them to reject it.
‘We recommend 0.5 to 1.0 grams per liter for plain water, depending on the horse’s needs,’ says Dr. Forster. ‘For plain water, we recommend 0.5 to 1.0 g/L. For a drink with electrolytes, we recommend 1.5 to 3.0 g/L, depending on the electrolyte content and the horse’s needs.’
3. Time of day: Electrolytes are best absorbed when they’re added to water over a period of time, rather than all at once.
Horses tend to drink more during their regular times of water intake, so adding electrolytes to the water in the morning encourages them to drink more during a period when they’re likely to be well-hydrated.
4. Taste: If a horse won’t drink plain water with electrolytes added, then the concentration needs to be reduced. If a horse won’t drink plain water with no electrolytes added, then the electrolytes need to be added in a different form.
For example, instead of adding electrolytes to plain water, you can add them to a flavored drink such as Gatorade, which has its own flavor. You can also add them to molasses or grain water, or in some cases you can add them to a salt block.
5. Cost: Electrolyte supplementation can be very expensive if you use a premade electrolyte solution. ‘The most cost-effective way to add electrolytes is to use a plain water source and add the electrolytes yourself,’ says Dr. Forster.
6. Ease of administration: Some horses won’t drink plain water without electrolytes added, but they’ll drink it if it’s added to a flavored drink such as Gatorade.
‘Adding electrolytes to a flavored drink is the best way to encourage them to drink,’ says Dr. Forster. ‘In a study, a flavored drink was more attractive to horses than plain water with electrolytes added.’
What else you should know about horse electrolyte supplements
What are horse electrolyte supplements?
Electrolyte supplements for horses are designed to replenish the electrolytes that are lost during exercise. They usually come in the form of powders or gels that are mixed with water.
What are the benefits of using horse electrolyte supplements?
Some benefits of using horse electrolyte supplements are that they can help replenish electrolytes that are lost during exercise, they can help prevent dehydration, and they can help improve performance.
How do you choose the best horse electrolyte supplement for your horse?
There are many factors to consider when choosing the best horse electrolyte supplement for your horse. Some of the things you may want to consider include the type of horse you have, the type of work they do, and any health conditions they may have. You will also want to consider the type of electrolyte supplement you prefer and the price.
What are the possible side effects of using horse electrolyte supplements?
There are a few possible side effects of using horse electrolyte supplements. These include electrolyte imbalance, dehydration, and gastrointestinal distress.
How do you administer horse electrolyte supplements to your horse?
There are a variety of ways to administer horse electrolyte supplements to your horse. The most common method is to add the supplement to your horse’s feed. Other methods include adding the supplement to your horse’s water or administering it orally with a syringe.
Conclusion
On the market, there are numerous best horse electrolyte supplements. Hopefully, the list of the top ten best horse electrolyte supplements will save you time researching and deciding on the best one for you.