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I'm so glad you all have brought this up! I've been driving myself nuts 
reading articles and talking with my vet to decipher how much/how often I 
should e-lyte!! My mare has both a plain salt block and a plain mineral 
block in the pasture (I also offer a little powdered mineral once a week or 
so, but she's a mustang and for some reason she prefers licking the block. I 
know many horses don't.) On our longest ride this summer (40 +/- miles in 
high heat and humidity) I gave one dose of e-lytes after she had a good long 
drink at the end of our ride, but never was certain I needed to or not.

The articles I've read seem to indicate that too many doses can cause ulcer 
problems, mouth irritation, and gastric upset. My vet said he believed too 
many people were too quick to e-lyte - he believed a horse on free choice 
salt and mineral gets enough before a ride, and only needs a dose or two at 
most on long, hot rides to make up for some of the loss... He said that they 
will naturally replace what they lose on a ride as they eat over the next 
few days and he didn't seem all that concerned... BUT he's not an endurance 
rider and has never been, so I don't know how accurate his info is.

I'm a bit wary of giving my horse a bunch of supplements and e-lytes and all 
the jazz you see in some catalogs... she takes really good care of herself, 
grew up on the range, and seems to know instinctively what she needs to feel 
her best. I  realize that on an endurance ride it is *my* responsibility to 
take care of her, but she's a tough, smart mare and I give her a lot of 
credit.

So, how do I know when and if to e-lyte??? What are the rules of thumb to 
help us newbies figure it all out? It seems like you can read five things 
and get five different answers!!!

Thanks,
Jen and Gypsy ("how good can it be if it comes in a syringe??")

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