Dehydration is a serious concern for all animals. Horse owners and lovers in Australia know that the use of electrolytes during  the hot dry summers is an important part of the feeding plan.  Those of us that live in the moist tropical enviroments of northern Australia are experiencing a wetter than normal start to the summer, yet we are losing horses to dehydration colic.

So why would a horse get dehydrated in the rain!

Horses eating wet grasses will often not feel the urge to drink as the are getting small amounts of moisture when they are grazing the pasture.  This is not, however, enough fluid to keep them hydrated, especially when the heat and humidity is causing them to sweat more.  If you are also working your horse the risk of dehyration is further increased.

In simplistic terms, when the fluid balance in the body of the horse becomes unbalanced the body "steals" fluid from the the GI tract to ensure that there is sufficient fluid in the the blood stream for the organs and cells to function correctly.  This in turn leads to the GI tract become depleted of moisture making the passing of wastes through the GI tract more difficult, leading to hard stools and in some cases colic.

KER have recently published an article on the importance of electrolytes in endurance horse.  While the article is written for endurance horses the same principles apply to all horses.

In our local area the vet has had numerous cases of dehyration related colic, so monitor your horses fluid intake regularly to ensure that they are taking in enough fluids to meet their needs.  If your horse is not urinating regularly, and the fluid intake is low,  have a look at the range of electrolytes on our web site and find the right one for you and your horses' needs.