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Paragon Veterinary Group, Townhead Veterinary Centre, Newbiggin, Nr Stainton, Penrith, CA11 0HT


Hydration in relation to feeding of horses


Paul May BVMS, MRCVS, Sarah Glenn, and Gregor Hepburn BVM&S, MRCVS


There has always been debate about how much salt should be fed to horses, and much of the research work has been done in hot countries where fluid balances can become an issue on a daily basis. In the UK, particularly in the North, dangerous conditions will only develop through the summer so we tend to be more relaxed in our approach. There is however, still a need for daily salt intake in our horses no matter what the conditions, as many diets are low in sodium and forages are usually low as well. Exercising horses will lose sodium and other valuable electrolytes in sweat, so the question remains, how much salt needs to be given to replace that loss?


Research in America has suggested that horses with little or no supplemented salts can still maintain good performance and normal health. It is thought that horses adapt to low salt levels by reducing the loss from their kidneys and large intestine.


Salt is needed to maintain normal hydration in the horse and to provide the stimulus to drink. Horses that are sweating heavily on a regular basis may experience disturbances in fluid and electrolyte balances that go beyond the limits that the horse can compensate for. They need to replace both of these to avoid problems of recovery from the exercise.


A horse at pasture has a large reserve of water and electrolytes in the large intestine that can be drawn from in times of need


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Traditionally, many people will offer a salt lick for exercising horses to make up for the


Adding electrolytes to feed will ensure the horse receives the required amount


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shortage in their diet. Without that, horses may look for salt in other places such as soil or treated wooden fences. Intake from salt licks or blocks can be very variable so the other alternative is to add it to feed. Care must be taken to resist over supplementation as that can induce health problems in its own right. Too much salt has been linked to acidification of the body, but plenty of forage can reduce or even eliminate this effect. Excess salt and electrolyte supplements have also been linked to higher risk of gastric ulcers, and that is probably more often seen in the performance horse, where there appears to be a higher risk level anyway.


Once the salt and electrolyte supplementation has been determined, there is still the question of water intake. Clean fresh water must be available at all times, but even that may be refused. Water quality varies dramatically from place to place and to compound that


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