There are also many premade electrolytes you can purchase through vendors such as the Distance Depot, Longrider's, Running Bear, etc. if you prefer the easy way. When I use premade electrolytes I prefer to give half doses and rinse her mouth with a drink of water after she's chomped on it a little, and some food if we are in a position to eat it. From a human perspective electrolytes on an empty tummy feel BAD, and our horses being sensitive creatures I expect feel much the same. The recipe above is a lower dose of electrolytes, tastes pretty good compared to purchased stuff, and has some buffers for the stomach. When you add water put in enough to make it easy to draw up in the syringe, and be sure to draw up all of it, even if it means you syringe twice. If you don't put enough water it is a pain in the pahtootie to get it in or out of the syringe. We keep a little butter bowl and lid for mixing. I draw them up before I leave into several syringes and keep in the cooler until I get to camp. Then I have them out for the night before the ride, the morning of, and the halfway. If I were riding longer I can't say for sure if I'd give more...haven't been there or done that. Of course we have humidity so thick here you can hardly draw breath sometimes, so I probably would as long as she had good appetite.
1 scoop Finish Line electrolytes and 1 teaspoon KCl. Works wonders for his heart without affecting his appetite.
ReplyDeleteOh, molasses, good idea! I've been using applesauce for the carrier. Dixie still gets mad, but not nearly as mad. More of a "how dare you squirt something in my mouth... wait that's not half bad. But still!"
ReplyDeleteHi again! With your recent post on using the Aloe Juice which I am very interested in (thanks!)now, now my mind is racing. I went back to look at your recipe and had a question since I am rethinking my electrolyte with Maggie. I was using Applesauce last year but I really had a problem with her eating at the halfway point in the her first LD last year. I dosed her first thing in the morning after her breakfast , and at the half way point after she ate a bit but the whole day her appetite was not great. I also dosed her two days after the ride. Her appetite was fine the next day but during the day of the ride it was not great. She also doesn't eat or drink after a condition ride very well. I use homemade electrolytes as well as Apple Dex brand. OOPS I got off track a bit but my question is with the recipe you list here in this post, what is your "dose" or serving you are giving Phebes each time and what size syringe are you using? I use the large ones. How many syringes does your recipe make? Sorry for all the questions but I think I need to change my program for Maggie to get her eating and drinking better.
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