Re: Re: Re: For Susan G - supplement question

["Tracey" <tracey@tbt.co.za>]

Susan wrote:


>>For a normal, healthy horse in endurance conditioning, you want the body
to accustom itself to conserving plasma electrolytes via the
renin-angiotensin-aldosterone-renal system, and it does that better if
there's a bit of a "shortage" during normal conditioning.  If you normall
supplement with syringed electrolytes during a training ride, then the body
gets a bit ho-hum about hanging onto
electrolytes and doesn't conserve them to the same degree.  <<

Okay, so now I'm worried and confused again.  I supplement with my home-made
elytes daily, by adding 25 grams to the horses feed in Summer.  Our Summers
are really hot, and I don't have much shade, so the horses tend to sweat a
lot even if they're not worked.  Before a show, I'll increase the elytes by
doubling the amount three days before and five days after a show.  In
winter, I just add coarse salt to their food.


Is this wrong?  Am I wasting money (I do add multivitamins to the feed
anyway, so maybe I am?)  Also, bear in mind that Toc tends not to drink
much, even after hard work in the heat.


Tracey
(who seems to spend her whole life changing her feeding regimen as she
learns new stuff on RC!)