Summertime…And the Riding is Sweaty

to provide electrolytes in the feed and not in the water. Some horses will reject water that is supplemented with electrolytes which further increases the chances of dehydration
Other considerations in hot weather include fluidweight loss. Exercise generates a great deal of heat that must either be dissipated from the body or stored. The dissipation of heat is very important because if a large amount of heat is stored body temperature will rise to dangerous levels. In the horse the processes that contribute to the dissipation of heat during exercise include radiation convection conduction and evaporation. Of these evaporation may be the most important particularly when horses are exercised in warm conditions. To facilitate evaporative cooling horses sweat. Sweating is certainly desirable as a means to maintain body temperature but high sweating rates result in high rates of water and electrolyte loss.
When the hot weather is behind us we cannot simply forget about electrolytes. Electrolytes are minerals the horse needs on a daily basis. The amount of electrolytes needed in cool weather is less than needed in hot humid weather since the amount of sweat is less but electrolytes are still required. Maintaining a simple yearround electrolyte program will pay dividends through improved health of the horse.