Another question on electrolytes & hydration

["Eric & Gail Hought" <hought@humboldt1.com>]

	Do some horse require less salt and stay hydrated easier?  My horse "Shaq"
eats(licks) less salt than any of our other horses.  His salt blocks last
forever.  I have only given electrolytes at about 50% of the time and then
only what he would eat in food.  I used Pro/Win by Buckeye, which I
understand is only 1/2 the strength of others.   He almost always gets a
real high score for hydration and I have had more than one vet comment on
him being very hydrated.  Another thing I notice about him is that he
drinks often, usually at all water, but rarely tanks down lots of water. 
The only time that happens is when there has been long between water.  The
reason I've noticed it, is because my riding partner's seems to drink a
quite a bit more at each stop.  At first I thought it was because my
friend's horse was new this, so he went from not drinking for the 20 or so
miles to learning to drink.  Now he drinks real well.  She gives him
electrolytes before the ride and at vet checks, (with a syringe) because he
seems to benefit from it.  But even with all that he'll usually show more
dehydration than Shaq, but bad but more.  (Not noticeable on slow rides) 
 
	When I did my last ride of the year last fall, Shaq was already haired up
and it was kind of warm, so I figured I should be on the cautious side. 
When we came in at the 30 mile vet check, the vet asked how things were
going?  I told I was surprised that he was drinking more because of the
weather and his coat.  Also, he is black and big.  She said that needn't
worry because he was the most hydrated horse she seen.  There were over 130
on the ride.  But the sucker did lay down in the creek when I left the vet.
 Yes with me on him.  Steve Shaw thought it was funnier than I did.  He
kept accusing me of taking another bath in the other creeks.  
	Another point if it adds up to anything, Shaq is a real strong uphill
horse. He is not a horse with a real low resting pulse, but when he goes
uphill his pulse doesn't climb very high.  We have a training hill that
climbs 1200 ft. in 1 3/4 miles(graveled logging road) and it tough to get
him over 175 on the HM at a continuous 13-14 mph gallop.  He pulse easily
at vet checks and has never any kind of metabolic problems.

	I'm just curious what others experience.

Gail Hought and Shaq (Kings Flash) 

p.s. I put our new endurance saddle up on our web site tonight.
hought@humboldt1.com

http://www.hought.com