Extra Information

Electrolytes – Sodium | Potassium | Chloride

Always remember that no mineral or vitamin acts in isolation – whilst the actions of each individual mineral is described as follows there are thousands of reactions occurring at any given moment in time in your horse’s body that involve interactions with other minerals, vitamins, protein and energy sources.

That is why when supplementing your horse, it is vitally important to supplement with all the essential minerals, vitamins and electrolytes like VitaStance Mineral Mix at one time because rarely is only one deficient at any point in time. There are usually multiple imbalances.

Horses in work can lose large volumes of water and electrolytes in sweat, a 500kg horse can lose 10-15 litres of water in sweat. The main salts in sweat are sodium, potassium and chloride. It is recommended that all horses are supplemented on a daily basis with electrolytes and other minerals and vitamins to supplement their natural intake. The gut is a critical source of fluids and electrolytes – roughage in the gut increases the reservoir for a horse to draw upon when it is in work and sweating.

Sodium, potassium and chloride are macro minerals – that is, they are required in significant quantities on a daily basis and they are also known as electrolytes or salts. Electrolytes are minerals that do not attach to protein molecules in the body tissues and fluids.

Electrolytes are needed for complex biochemical, physiological and neurological functions that ensure a horse maintains its health and wellbeing. They are essential for the transport of ions across cell membranes, stabilising enzymes and maintaining correct osmolality of intracellular fluids (ICF) and extracellular fluids (ECF). The production and secretion of sweat, saliva, urine, mucus and gut fluids are controlled by electrolytes. The activity of heart muscle, skeletal muscle and intestinal motility is also an integral function of electrolytes.

Electrolytes are absorbed from the gut – chloride and potassium passively diffuse through the intestinal lining and sodium is actively moved across the lining of the gut by enzyme action. The age of the horse and the PH of the gut contents affect the rate of absorption of the electrolytes.

Deficiencies can occur when there is a very poor-quality diet or if there is a greater need due to growth, lactation or moderate to heavy work. With a relative or absolute deficiency of sodium they will lose less sodium in sweat, milk and urine. When they sweat less, they can become overheated with work which leads to reduced performance and possibly ‘tying up’. Chronic lack of sodium over weeks and months leads to weight loss, weakness and Pica which is excessive licking or chewing of dirt, trees and other objects to try to satisfy their craving for salt

Potassium is available in fairly high concentration in most forages – any excess in the diet is excreted through urine – so deficiencies and excesses are very rarely a problem with potassium. However, situations of deficiencies of potassium can occur with extreme sweating, use of diuretics, and high grain and low forage diets. There is muscle weakness and fatigue as a result with reduced intake of further potassium as appetite and water intake further fall off.

The horse is very efficient at absorbing available electrolytes – 90% of sodium and chloride is absorbed and 80% of potassium is absorbed from the diet. Sodium and chloride requirements can be met by feeding salt but ingestion varies greatly even by the same horse from day to day. It certainly goes up in hot and humid weather and when grazing very young pasture. Choosing VitaStance Mineral Mix daily is a great way to ensure your horse has an adequate supply of electrolytes readily available.

Vitamins

Vitamins are organic chemical compounds required by the body for vital metabolic and physiological functions. Some are produced in the body while others are obtained through food or the environment.

They are necessary for growth, health, feed conversion, reproduction and physical performance. The requirements by the body for vitamins will be affected by age, work load, illness and injury and reproductive status. Vitamin levels in the body can be classified as minimal, optimal or suboptimal.

Minimum levels are those that correct or prevent signs of deficiencies; optimal levels are those that achieve best performance as measured by health, exercise tolerance, good fertility and growth. Suboptimal levels are the most common and lead to nonspecific issues such as reduced work tolerance, a weaker immune system, poorer fertility and growth rates. They are often not recognized until vitamin supplementation is added to the diet and the results can be dramatic.

The need for vitamin supplementation depends upon the season, the quality of the diet, the length of exposure to the sun, the health of the microbes in the gut, and the rate of absorption by the body. A nonworking horse grazing high quality pasture and with exposure to the sun would have little or no need for vitamin supplementation. Most horses do not have access to these conditions year-round so vitamin supplementation does become important. Grain has a low vitamin content compared to the green leaves of grasses. Seasonal conditions therefore produce a fluctuating supply of vitamins. There can be destruction of vitamins in feed due to high temperature pelleting and the growth of fungi, mould and yeasts in hay can also destroy vitamins. Absorption of vitamins from the gut wall can be compromised by parasitic damage and insufficient fat in the diet will reduce fat soluble vitamin absorption.

Vitamins are classified as either fat soluble (Vitamin A, D, E, K) or water soluble (B group vitamins, C). The target tissues of the fat-soluble vitamins are skin, bones, muscle and blood. Fat soluble vitamins require fat in the diet in order to be absorbed and they are stored in the body in the liver and fatty tissue. Most of these are ingested through food or made by exposure to the sun. The B group vitamins are used for the metabolism of fats, protein and carbohydrates into energy and tissue. Water soluble vitamins are not stored in the body and excess is excreted through urine. Most of these vitamins are manufactured in the body and a healthy horse with a healthy gut will manufacture sufficient amounts of these for daily requirements.

Vitamin A is required for vision, mucus tissue integrity, and immunity. Vitamin A is stored in the liver and can be depleted within eight weeks of being fed hay and no other source of Vitamin A. Green grass is essential as a source of Vitamin A; therefore, supplementation with Vitamin A is necessary for most horses under most management conditions to make up the shortfall when green grass is not available as part of the diet. This is the reason that Vitamin A is in the VitaStance Mineral Mix range of products.

Vitamin D is required for the maintenance of the calcium: phosphorus ratio in bones. Horses with at least twenty to thirty minutes exposure each day to sunlight will produce an adequate amount of Vitamin D to meet their needs. It is stored in the liver and fat tissue to be drawn upon when there is little or no exposure to the sun. Vitamin D supplementation may be needed in areas of extreme seasonal changes e.g. Northern Europe in winter or if a horse is confined to a stable for an extended period of time. Vitamin D is not added to the VitaStance range of products as the vast majority of horses do not require it. Vitamin D is also found in sun-cured forage.

Vitamin E is needed as an antioxidant, to maintain cell membranes and for respiration within the cell. It is found in green grass and supplementation is needed when horses do not have access to pasture for the bulk of their diet. It would appear that Vitamin E requirements increase as exercise levels increase. It is also stored in the liver and fatty tissues to be a reserve when green grass is not available. Vitamin E is part of the VitaStance supplement range for this reason and also to help owners maximise their horses’ physical performances.

Vitamin K is needed for blood clotting and bone metabolism and is manufactured in the gut by microbes. It is also present in forage. There appears to be no need to supplement Vitamin K in the diet of horses.

The Vitamin B group of vitamins is a complex of chemicals that all play a vital role in metabolism. Vitamin B1 (Thiamine) is important for normal heart and nervous system function. It combines with phosphorus to play a role in fat, protein and carbohydrate metabolism which is essential for growth, a normal appetite and digestion. It also influences and modifies nervous behaviour. Thiamine needs increase in horses in work and they could be at risk of not manufacturing enough themselves. This is the reason Thiamine is added to the VitaStance B1 Cool Mix product.

Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin) is needed to help muscle cells produce energy. It activates Vitamin B6 and helps to make Vitamin B3. The health of the lining of the mucus membranes of the digestive tract also depends upon riboflavin and it helps in the absorption of iron and vitamin B6.

Vitamin B3 (Niacin) is needed for the oxidation of fatty acids to energy.

Vitamin B5 (Pantothenic Acid) is needed for fat, protein and carbohydrate metabolism and the manufacture of steroid hormones, lipids, neurotransmitters and haemoglobin.

Vitamin B6 is needed for blood vessels and red blood cells.

Vitamin B8 Foliate is needed for protein metabolism especially that of red blood cells.

Vitamin B9 (Folic Acid) has many different functions at the cellular level. It is needed for red cell production, energy production and protein synthesis. It is vital for normal cell division and replication especially of the nervous system in the foetus. It has many vital tasks and its requirements increase with reproduction, growth, stress, illness, and heavy workloads. To help the horse have enough folic acid in its body it is added to the VitaStance range of supplements.

Vitamin B12 is needed for healthy red blood cells.

Biotin is necessary for protein metabolism and may play a part in hoof wall integrity. Our experience is that hoof wall strength is the result of many different vitamins and minerals working together synergistically and not just biotin alone. Horses on a roughage-based diet and a healthy digestive system manufacture sufficient levels of biotin in their gut.

Generally speaking, a horse on a good quality diet with access to green pasture and sunlight and supplemented with minerals will manufacture and ingest most of the vitamins it needs. The B group vitamin needs are met by and large through microbial digestion in the gut and only folic acid and thiamine need supplementing in small amounts for horses with high workloads or other stressors. Vitamin C is an antioxidant and is needed for the conversion of

Vitamin D3 to calcitriol which is needed for bone calcification. It is manufactured in the liver from glucose (unlike humans who need to obtain it from food) and sufficient is made each day for the horse’s needs.

Dehydration

Dehydration is a condition in the horse where there is an inadequate amount of fluid in the body and/or unbalanced or insufficient levels of electrolytes in the fluid. Clinical dehydration occurs when a horse has lost 5% of its body fluid through excessive sweating, acute diarrhoea, electrolyte losses or inadequate intake of drinking water. A deficit of 1% in body fluids can reduce performance.

Water is a critical nutrient for life and is needed by the body for normal functioning. The water content of a horse is between 68-72% of body weight on a fat free basis. A spelling horse in a mild climate requires 5 litres of water per 100kg BW per day. An adequate intake of clean water is needed for normal digestion and absorption of digested feed and in maintaining normal blood volume in the body. Water is also vital for the normal function of sweat glands and maintaining normal body temperature. Horses should always have access to clean, fresh water at all times, so they can self-adjust their intake according to need. Water is lost from the body in faeces, urine, sweat, exhaled breath and milk in the lactating mare.

Electrolytes are sodium, potassium and chloride ions that circulate in the blood to all the tissues of the body and are vital for normal cellular function. They are required as macro minerals and are required on a daily basis in the diet as they are not stored in the body. VitaStance has been scientifically formulated to be fed daily in order to replenish lost supplies.

Heat-related dehydration

The main way a horse loses excessive body heat is through sweating. Horses have a high muscle to body weight ratio and a low skin surface area to body ratio compared to people. This means they build up heat more quickly during exercise or in hot weather and take longer to lose heat and cool themselves. Horse sweat also contains significant amounts of electrolytes, they can lose up to twenty litres of fluid in one hour of sweating.

Water intake dehydration

Cold weather can interfere with a horse’s thirst mechanism and can result in dehydration due to insufficient intake.

A high-water intake with the absence of sufficient electrolytes will dilute the electrolytes still circulating and result in the kidneys excreting more water and taking more electrolytes with the water. Unless adequate amounts of electrolytes are supplied through food or water the horse will become severely ill or even die from the imbalance in its body of water and electrolytes.

Mild dehydration will result in reduced performance, weight loss, reduced feed consumption, colic and constipation. More severe dehydration can cause thumps, exhausted horse syndrome and tying up. While a skin pinch test will give a rough guide to a horse’s status regarding dehydration, a blood test will give an accurate result of how dehydrated a horse is. Treatment is aimed at restoring normal fluid and electrolyte levels and should be done under veterinary supervision. A management protocol should then be put in place to prevent it occurring again.

What is hot, nervous, fizzy, excitable, temperament in horses

Various factors can contribute to excitability in horses. Diets high in sugar and starch (NSC) – found in some pastures, feeds and cereal grains are the major cause of hot, excitable horses. Overfeeding and under work are some of the main causes of hot behaviour.

Horses that are stressed, excitable or nervous can be difficult and even dangerous to ride and handle. What causes a horse to be “fizzy” or “hot”? Is a “cool” diet the answer for excitable equines? One of the major causes of excitable, hot behaviour is overfeeding with high energy, highly digestible “hot” feeds, or more particularly, high NSC feeds. Feeding “cool” (low NSC) feeds like CoolStance has been shown to be effective in calming nervous horses.

Housing conditions and level of exercise also affects temperament and behaviour of horses. When confined to stables, yards and paddocks, exercise and mental stimulation are limited; horses become bored, sometimes causing vices, excitable and even aggressive behaviour. Exposure to stressful situations and inappropriate training techniques can further exacerbate the problem.

Symptoms may include:

• Poor behaviour on ground or when riding
• Lack of attentiveness, easily distracted
• Regularly shying or spooking
• Rushing or racing movements

Feeding for hot, fizzy, excitable horses and ponies

Are calmative products really the answer for excitable equines?

Numerous supplements claiming to have calmative actions are commercially available.  They frequently contain Tryptophan (an amino acid).  However, little published, peer-reviewed scientific data has explored the efficacy and safety of tryptophan specifically in horses.  Rather the claims to calmative efficacy are applied from research conducted in non-equine species.   Some studies with horses given tryptophan have actually reported increased excitability and reduced endurance capacity – which are obviously undesirable outcomes for both horse and rider.

Better dietary design is a practical way of managing equine excitability. Feed to the exercise level of the horse, and don’t overfeed. Due to the association between high grain (high NSC) diets and hot behaviour, feeding low grain diets is one of the secrets to success.  If the diet simply contains too much energy, it should be modified. Feeding alternate low NSC, high energy feeds, which provide energy from oil and fibre – such as CoolStance – may help prevent excitability.

Better husbandry can also help to minimise excitable behaviour.  Horses should be provided with ample paddock time, low-stress training methods and be thoroughly acclimatised to potentially stressful situations wherever possible.

Common sense dictates that the causes underlying excitable behaviour should be addressed before the aid of purportedly calmative products is sought. Diet manipulation by replacing grain with oil and fibre rich feeds, improved husbandry and better management provide practical options for preventing excessive equine excitability.

Feeding tips

Be really honest with yourself about this, and only feed for the level of work the horse is actually doing, and not for the workload you aspire to. Diets should be formulated to contain less than 20% NSC, and grain should be replaced with stabilised oil. Remember the treats…they also contain high levels of energy!

If your horse is in moderate work, select a low NSC (<12%) with an oil content 10% or more.  Avoid poly unsaturated oils (PUFA) as these are high in omega 6 and may cause inflammation.  Take all the grain out of the diet, and feed only medium quality hay. If you can see seed heads, the hay will contain NSC. Feed a mineral supplement like VitaStance Mineral Mix, and ensure the water is clean at all times.