Managing his electrolytes & water

[Tootsie4U]

The temps have started to rise and we've been breaking a sweat when we ride. Nothing profuse usually, but we're still sweating nonetheless. I am watching his water bucket and through the night he's drinking half at the most (normal sized bucket). He shares a large trough with 14 other geldings during the day so who knows what he drinks when he's out there. We're riding about 4-5 days a week.

I bought some electrolytes for him and started doing some research on-line to read how they're to be fed. Some articles say to feed every day during the hot months and some say to only feed after very active workouts, for a few days following - thats it. What do y'all do? He always has a salt block available to him in his stall... he hasn't touched it for quite awhile.

He is also on another supplement specially formulated to offer a larger dose of calcuim and phosphorus. Any of you out there think this might not be a good mix to feed him (normal supp + the extra salt & electrolytes)

Thanks

[Bebe]

I'd speak to the company that makes the supplement you're already giving with regards to feeding electrolytes alongside it and see what they say. Off the top of my head I would think you'll end up oversupplementing in some way if you feed both though.

Bebe gets a tsp of normal salt in her feed everyday, this was recommended to me by an equine nutritionist. Most of the time this seems to be enough for her so I don't supplement with anything else, but if we do a ride where she gets fairly sweaty I swop the plain salt for an electrolyte supplement. I put it in her feed rather than her water as when she's living out 24/7 she tends to only drink out of the yard water trough or the trough in the field, she ignores any water I offer in a bucket usually.

You can make your own electrolyte by mixing normal salt with Lo-Salt, half and half.

[RachelEvent]

I use electrolytes after an event, and if we're staying away at an event I will feed them throughout. I also feed them in an evening feed if ferd has got very sweaty in a workout.

I imagine though that it is much hotter in America, and with the extra supplement I'd probably just ring up a feedline to check out what they think :)

Rachel xx