Stay Ahead of Sweat: Keep Your Pony Feeling Their Best This Season
Whether you’re heading off to rallies, camps or competitions, or simply enjoying longer hacks in warmer weather, hydration plays a huge role in keeping your pony happy, healthy and performing at their best.
Just like us, ponies need plenty of water every day but when things heat up or work levels increase, water alone isn’t always enough. That’s where electrolytes come in.
Why Is Hydration So Important?
Water makes up around 60% of a horse’s body, and it’s essential for nearly every process inside them, from digestion and circulation to temperature control.
When a pony doesn’t drink enough they can become dehydrated.
Signs of dehydration:
- Poor performance
- Poor coordination
- Lack of energy
- Sunken eyes
- Depression
- Strong colour/smell urine
Ponies lose water through sweat and these losses increase with exercise, warm weather and travelling.
How Do Ponies Sweat?
Horses cool themselves by sweating, just like we do. They are very efficient at cooling themselves which means that they can lose a lot of water before it’s obvious they have sweated.
How hard your pony has worked and for how long has an impact on how much water they will lose, as well as how warm it is.
You might notice a damp saddlecloth, or salty white marks on your pony’s coat or tack after work. That’s a sign electrolytes have been lost, and these need replacing to help your pony rehydrate properly.
What Are Electrolytes?
Water is not the only nutrient lost in sweat, as it also contains essential electrolytes. These body salts are important for lots of functions in your pony’s system to keep them feeling and performing at their best.
If these aren’t replaced, even a pony with access to water may struggle to fully rehydrate.
When Do Ponies Need Electrolytes?
Not every pony needs electrolytes every day. For maintenance, a salt lick in the field and stable is a good idea. However, this only covers maintenance requirements, and once your pony is working and sweating, they should be additionally supplemented with electrolytes.
A quality electrolyte supplement, like NAF Electro Lytes, can help restore electrolyte balance during periods of regular sweating to help your pony recover.
Giving electrolytes proactively before harder work or travelling is a good idea so your pony has an internal reserve to draw from.
When giving electrolytes it is essential that water is provided alongside.
Electrolytes can be fed:
- Mixed into a small fibre‑based feed
- Added to well‑soaked feeds to increase water intake
- In drinking water for horses used to this method, with plain water always offered separately
When to hydrate and use electrolytes:
- After your pony has been exercised, other than very low impact
- One to two hours before travel
- Between classes at competitions or at Pony Club camp
- For two to three days following intensive work or competitions
- Whenever your pony has sweated
Don’t forget yourself. When competing on hot days try a sports hydration drink rather than your favourite fizzy drink – it could make all the difference in your performance as well as your pony’s.
For more information on caring for your horse or pony, visit NAF’s website.
Written by: Kate Hore, Head Nutritionist at NAF. RNutr (Animal), BETA ENFAR, R.Anim.Technol (Cert)