Garlic supplement for horses guides and top online stores? 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.
As a horse owner, you’re probably aware of the importance of feeding salt and electrolytes. But do you know which one you should give your horse, and when? Do horses need salt, electrolytes, or both? Is there a difference? Good questions. First, we need to understand that salt is an electrolyte, but it isn’t the only electrolyte horses need. Confused? Let’s clear the cloudy waters and discuss what elements are considered electrolytes, when your horse needs them, and what to look for in an electrolyte supplement. Find more information at https://blog.redmondequine.com/can-my-horse-overeat-salt.
Speaking of staying warm, it’s vital to warm up your horse slowly in cold temperatures. Like us, a horse’s muscles, bones, and joints become stiff in cold weather and grow more flexible with gradual activity. So walk your horse a minimum of ten minutes before moving her into a trot, and consider using a half sheet or exercise sheet during warm-up. Your horse will also thank you for warming her bit before fitting it in her mouth. A cold bit is a quick way to start your ride off on the wrong foot. Which leads us to hoof safety.
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. Read even more information on Dehydrated horse.