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[RC] [RC] Electrolytes - Patti
You look at how much he's getting in his forage and feed (using hay analysis or published averages).
An 1100lb (500kg) horse needs approximately 18g (moderate work level) to 41g (very heavy work level) of sodium/day.
If he's eating hay and oats to meet his energy requirements (6lbs alfalfa/16kbs bermuda/2lbs oats for moderate work,
8/20/4 for very heavy work) he's getting from 12.8g to 16.5g sodium.
This is per day requirement - not just "race" day - from the new (2007) NRC, which accounts for sweat loss in work.
Which leaves him short 6g to 24.5g of sodium on a daily basis (that's 0.5 to 2.5 ounces/day of loose salt beyond what he gets in his hay & feed).
In addition, he's likely getting 4 to 5x his daily requirement for potassium, which can affect salt seeking behavior.
And approximately double his calcium requirement which could raise gut pH (more base) which can affect asorption of other minerals and ability to mobilise calcium stores.
The National Research Council has put up a program you can use to calculate Daily Requirements (these are minimums, not necessarily optimum) at
http://nrc88.nas.edu/nrh/ . It doesn't account for maintaining reasonable ratios but it will give you the basics.
The new 2007 NRC "Nutrient Requirements of Horses" book has good in depth discussion - http://books.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=11653. Worth every penny of the $89.95.
Average hay and feed values (with high and low ranges) are available at http://www.dairyone.com/Forage/FeedComp/disclaimer.asp
If you're math challenged, I'll send my Excel spread sheets to anyone who requests them (only have the 1100lb/500kg weight one done so far for "work", will have done for other weights in a few weeks if not sooner - if you have my old ones, these are being updated per new NRC guidelines).
Patti K
Vail AZ
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