Mineral block for horses advices and premium online shopping? What are Nutrients? Nutrients are compounds essential to life and health. They provide energy, the building blocks for repair and growth, and help regulate chemical processes.2 Horses need six main classes of nutrients: water, fats, carbohydrates, protein, vitamins, and minerals. Most vitamins are found in green, leafy forages, while vitamin D is obtained from sunlight. Minerals are found in water, soil, rocks, and plants. They’re necessary to maintain body structure, electrolyte balance, nerve conduction, and muscle contraction in horses.
Electrolytes are essential minerals that play a vital role in a horse’s fluid retention, nerve conduction, muscle contraction, even digestion. Electrolytes are involved in nearly every bodily function. Horses with electrolyte deficiencies will experience fatigue and decreased performance. If a deficiency leads to dehydration, horses may weaken, collapse, and in worst-case scenarios, die. How Do Horses Become Deficient in Electrolytes? Every horse sweats—some more than others. Within sweat are copious amounts of electrolytes. A horse that’s exercised heavily can lose up to 4 gallons of sweat, which contains approximately 30 teaspoons of body salts. Find even more details at hot poultice for horses.
Being mired in cold temperatures or snow and ice doesn’t have to put a stop to quality time spent with your horse. It’s important to keep your horse moving during winter months, and time together will help you stay connected. So how do you safely navigate winter riding conditions? It requires a little more preparation, planning, and perhaps a shorter ride, but winter can still be a productive time for you and your horse. Here are some suggestions to help you weather the elements more comfortably and ensure your wintry ride is safe and enjoyable.
Another boarder’s mare, KC, was experiencing a bout of colic. She’d undergone the usual treatment and was receiving IV fluids because she wouldn’t drink. This had been going on for several hours and caused a lot of stress, especially to the owner, who felt helpless. I tried to be supportive and offered my friend one of my Redmond salt rocks. I told her how my horse loved them, and maybe it would encourage her mare to drink. She accepted my offer, figuring it couldn’t hurt, as she’d already unsuccessfully tried several things to help her horse, including molasses in her water and a wet mash. I brought a Redmond Rock on a Rope and hung it in KC’s stall. Immediately she started licking it. The horse owner was impressed because she said her horse normally doesn’t like salt licks. She was so thrilled she was in tears!
Bring “home water.” If you can, bring two five-gallon containers of water from home. This helps your horse transition gradually to “away water” and lessens the likelihood she’ll be put off by unfamiliar smells or tastes. Add moisture to feed. Consider soaking your horse’s hay to aid in hydration, and offer a wet bran mash or beet pulp once or twice a day. Peak your horse’s interest. Toss a few apple pieces or carrots into your horse’s water bucket to tempt her nose into the bucket to take a sip. Stress. The rigors of hauling, leaving paddock pals, dealing with a disrupted schedule, and a new environment can all create anxiety that affects a horse’s desire to drink. Find additional info on salt lick for horse.