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Some vets say to give a lot of electrolytes and some say you are just pickling your horse.  Just to muddy up the waters so to speak there is a horse that won BC at Tevis three times and never got any electrolytes at all..............mb

 

 

 

On 5/15/07, Marcia Nelson <mnhorsin@xxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

I have also been cautious to over electrolyte. Our vet at the last ride said that many are over doing it. He suggested that the best to do it is at night when they have plenty of time to drink. He said to make sure that they have ample water to drink so that they don't drink it all and end up with not enough. When I electrolyte at night I put out an extra bucket. He also said that we should electrolyte them 20 min before they are exposed to water, not when they are at the water and getting ready to leave it. He mentioned that the bad part is giving it to them and then not allowing them to have water when they want it and need it.

 

Before I learned of this, I had a mare that mildly tied up when I was too cautious and didn't give her enough electrolytes to match the extreme heat wave we experienced just one week after we had experienced freak snow and rain. The change was just too much for her and I should have given her more throughout the day and the nights before.

 

This is certainly a live and learn experience. The best idea that I've heard throughout this discussion is from the person that uses the mix of Dyna Pro, Dyna Spark and apple sauce. It sounds like a great solution to take along and I looked at the Dynamite website and they suggested doses for different types of competition.

 

Good luck to all,

Marcia Nelson