Dehydrated horse tricks and the best online stores? According to the Merck Vet Manual, horses most often become deficient in these 12 essential minerals and vitamins. Also listed are the symptoms horses may exhibit when deficient in each. Salt: Deficiency may cause pica, weight loss, tiring easily, dehydration, and muscle spasms. Phosphorous: Deficiency may cause pica, muscle weakness, and trembling. Potassium: Deficiency may cause muscle weakness, fatigue, and exercise intolerance. Magnesium: Deficiency may cause nervousness, excitability, or muscle tremors. Zinc: Deficiency may cause low insulin, insulin resistance, dull coat, poor hoof, or bone diseases. Iron: Deficiency may cause anemia.
Sodium, chloride, and potassium are the three most important electrolytes for horses. Salt, or sodium chloride (NaCl), is created when the top two electrolytes are combined. Thus, salt is an electrolyte, and one of the most important for horses. Why Do Horses Need Salt and Other Electrolytes? What roles do salt and electrolytes play in the equine body? Are they needed daily? What functions do they serve? Let’s look at both. Horses don’t always know when they’re thirsty. Salt is necessary to trigger the thirst response that tells horses to drink. Without salt, most horses won’t consume enough water on their own, and risk becoming dehydrated. Water is paramount to health, and salt increases horses’ water consumption. Find extra info at salt lick for horses.
On the topic of safety, riding with friends is always a smart decision. Group riding is safer and often more fun. Your horse will also appreciate the company of a few extra friends on the trail. And speaking of trails… Keeping to marked, well-used paths is especially important. Avoid riding off-trail in wintertime, in secluded areas, or through heavy snow where hazards like limbs, rocks, or debris may be hidden. And remember, plodding through deep snow is strenuous for your horse. You want to avoid working her too hard or getting her too sweaty before heading back to the barn. Which leads us to cooling down.
Other benefits of Redmond Rock: Contains natural electrolytes that encourage horses to drink. Packed with 63 trace minerals to nourish horses. (See this table for a complete mineral analysis.) Our minerals are created by nature and come in the right balance horses need. Holds up better in wet weather than pressed blocks. In taste tests, horses prefer Redmond Rock to manmade blocks. We believe Redmond Rock is simply the best natural mineral lick available for horses. Over the last 20 years we’ve heard many horse owners express how our rock improves mineral balance, provides horses a natural trigger to drink, and combats dehydration and colic. Here is Becky Imbornoni’s story of using Redmond Rock to help a colicing horse.
Why Wont My Horse Drink Away Water? Smell. A horse’s smell is more acute than humans. They smell things we don’t and are much more sensitive to those smells. With a sniff, horses can detect aversive chemicals or odors emanating from water or containers. Flavor: Think water doesn’t have a flavor? Think again. A horse accustomed to well water at home may refuse treated water on the road because of the taste of chemicals, chlorine, or fluoride. Find extra info at dehydration in horses.
