Horse Electrolyte Calculator Key takeaways
- A 500 kg horse in hard work at 90 °F can lose 10 g of sodium an hour.
- Replace sweat-salt the same day; waiting 24 h drops hydration by 1 % body-weight.
- Interactive calculator below shows exact Na⁺ grams and how many scoops of plain table salt that equals.
- Free-choice Himalayan salt works for idle horses; sweaty athletes need measured electrolytes such as Perfect Balance Paste.
- Three barn hacks: weigh soaked feed, flavour water, split doses—full details in Section 6.
1 Why sodium drives the whole electrolyte story
Blood pulls water wherever sodium goes. When sweat pours, Na⁺ leaves first, water follows. If you replace potassium but skip sodium, cells still shrink. Foals crash fastest: their smaller reserves hit the red zone in one hot schooling lesson. In Florida last July I watched a green gelding refuse the trailer after a humid 45-minute hack—CRT slowed to 3 s, gums pale. One oral NaCl dose flipped him back to normal in 20 min. Lesson burned in.
2 How much sodium a horse really loses in sweat
Rule of thumb: 3 g Na⁺ per litre of sweat. Average sweat rates:
| Work level | L sweat / h (70 °F) | Add per 10 °F rise |
|---|---|---|
| Light walk | 0.5 | +0.2 L |
| Moderate trot sets | 2 | +0.8 L |
| Hard gallop / eventing | 3.5 | +1.0 L |
Example: 500 kg eventer, 90 °F = 3.5 L + 2 × 1 L = 5.5 L → 16.5 g Na⁺ every hour.
3 Horse Electrolyte Calculator
Horse Electrolyte Calculator
4 Reading your result—three case studies From Our Horse Electrolyte Calculator
| Horse | Conditions | Calculator output | Real-world dose |
|---|---|---|---|
| 450 kg pony clubber | 75 °F, 30 min trot lesson | 3.6 g Na⁺ | One pinch in feed + free lick |
| 500 kg hunter show | 85 °F, 60 min schooling | 12.6 g Na⁺ | Two scoops powdered electrolyte |
| 540 kg endurance | 95 °F, 90 min conditioning | 29 g Na⁺ | One tube Electrolite Paste mid-ride |
5 Best ways to replace salt
Himalayan Salt Lick—ideal for rest days; horse self-regulates.
Perfect Balance Paste—pre-measured 30 g Na⁺ dose, handy at checkpoints.
Powdered mixes dissolve in soaked beet pulp; pastes shine mid-trail when the tongue is dry.
6 Paste vs free-choice: which day, which horse?
- Idle / rehab – lick only; forced salt can trigger water dump.
- Training <45 min cool weather – 0.5–1 tsp table salt in feed.
- Long or hot work – calculator dose split: half pre-ride, half post-ride.
- Endurance / event – paste at crew point, second lick overnight.
Three barn hacks:
- Flavour water with the same electrolyte brand—horses drink faster.
- Weigh soaked mash; lost kilos = water gap to refill.
- Use a portable lick holder in the trailer so loading stress doesn’t stall intake.
7 Prop 65 & ingredient safety
California flags silica anti-caking agents when inhaled in dust. All products in our electrolyte aisle are feed-grade, but pour powders slowly, keep nose away, and store below 100 °F to stop clumping solvents from forming.
8 FAQ About Horse Electrolytes
Can table salt replace fancy electrolytes?
For sodium and chloride, yes. You’ll still need potassium and trace minerals if sweating hard three days straight.
Does a hot mash supply electrolytes?
Not enough sodium—add salt to reach the calculator number.
My horse ignores the lick in summer—normal?
Heat softens salt; move lick to shaded wall or switch to flavored block.
Any risk of over-salting?
Kidneys dump extra fast; worry more about water access. Exceptions: renal disease—talk to your vet.