# Homemade Electrosalts....recipe?



## Noodlejaffa (21 February 2009)

Can't find the homemade recipe that has been up before for electro salts. It's got lo-salt and normal salt in it, but can't remember the proportions.

Can any one help?


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## archoak (21 February 2009)

I'd like to know too.


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## Weezy (21 February 2009)

1 tablespoon of each in 4 litres of water - not an easy thing to make them take though!


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## little_pink_piggies (21 February 2009)

I thought it was 1:1? or maybe 1/2 low salt to 1 normal salt??


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## MistletoeMegan (21 February 2009)

I use 2 parts 'normal' salt to 1 part lo-salt.


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## suzysparkle (21 February 2009)

It's definately 2 parts normal salt to 1 part lo-salt.


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## teddybrowne (22 February 2009)

Whether bought or homemade, you're electrolyte solutions must be 'isotonic', otherwise they serve no purpose. Isotonic' means that you are providing the electrolytes in the same concentration as already exisits in the body - ensuring the essential salts and minerals are absorbed quickly.

Isotonic Electrolyte Recipe:
50g low salt
50g table salt
10lt water

No horse will drink this willingly without a masking flavour - the most palatable of which is apple cordial with a high fruit content (eg. Tescos High Juice) Add 1/2 litre to the above mixture.
All horses are naturally neophobic (have a fear of new things). So it is unlikely your horse will drink this solution straight away. Always offer fresh plain water as an alternative, but after a few days of offering both, most horses will take the homemade electrolytes - especially after heavy exercise. It's also worth noting that recent studies suggest that feeding electrolytes all of the time can increase the risk of tying up. So only feed when required.

Good luck.


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## Weezy (22 February 2009)

[ QUOTE ]
It's definately 2 parts normal salt to 1 part lo-salt. 

[/ QUOTE ]

Sorry, but respectfully, you are wrong!


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## wonkey_donkey (22 February 2009)

Defo 2 parts salt to 1 part Lo-salt and it can be used in small quantities in the feed rather than offered pre-mixed in water (which horses will rarely take willingly). Just make sure the horse has access to plenty of fresh water and the stomach does the rest !


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## teddybrowne (22 February 2009)

Weezy is correct, the ratio needs to be 1:1, otherwise you will be providing too much sodium and not enough potassium.

Be very careful of feeding large amounts of salt directly in the feed, especially after heavy excercise. This can cause absorbtion of water from the blood vessels surrounding the gut and actually worsen the level of dehydration. That goes for single dose electrolyte pastes too. 

If your horse won't drink electrolyte solutions, then you're better feeding small amounts running upto and for a few days after heavy exercise. The apple juice is worth a try though, as if you can get an isotonic solution into your horse, they'll rehydrate quicky and you won't do any damage.


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## suzysparkle (22 February 2009)

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
It's definately 2 parts normal salt to 1 part lo-salt. 

[/ QUOTE ]

Sorry, but respectfully, you are wrong! 

[/ QUOTE ]

Well, it was an equine nutritionist from a well known equine feed manufacurer that told me the 'recipe' so I'd like to think they knew what they were talking about. It was to add to sloppy feed and not in large quantities. I used to work for someone sponsored by the company and I asked if there was a cheap alternative to the electrolyte supplement when work wasn't overly hard, but hard enought to warrant adding something.

Of course water must be freely available. They also said when offering the 'real' supplement in water it should be alongside fresh water so the Horse can choose. All ours drank the supplemented one first (the bought stuff).

Sorry if I'm wrong, but I was going on professional advice.


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## Weezy (22 February 2009)

Well in that case you carry on with your way, and I will carry on with mine, which is how I have always been led to believe it is done in the endurance world and how it is done in hot climates 
	
	
		
		
	


	




  As teddybrowne said, if you don't do it that way the balances are out, it isn;t only about sodium.

However, if you can show me detailed analysis that I am wrong, I will gladly read and update my knowledge!  I am always happy to hold my hands up!


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## suzysparkle (22 February 2009)

Here's another one I found online...from an American equine veterinary website :
Homemade Electrolytes

A very special thanks to Dr. Sarah Ralston of Rutgers University for the use of the recipe and supplying some of the information on electrolytes. Mix together:
1lb. Salt (NaCl) 12 oz. Morton's Light Salt 1 roll of Tums (flavored is fine!) ¼ cup molasses 
Give 1 tablespoon (1-2 oz) of the mixture orally, per hour of hard work. You may add enough water to one tablespoon of mixture necessary to pull up into a dosing syringe. 

Interstingly, 12oz = 0.75 lbs so that's a different ratio again. I guess different people have different opions, as always!


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## suzysparkle (22 February 2009)

This is quite interesting. Maybe the ratio is different depending on the type of work. This was a showjumping yard not endurance. 
http://www1.agric.gov.ab.ca/$department/deptdocs.nsf/all/hrs3175


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## teddybrowne (22 February 2009)

The quantities I stated were established in several years of extensive studies conducted in the UK as research for the Atlanta Olympics - where heat stress was a serious concern for the BEF. I contributed to this research, and so I know the solution to be isotonic, and palatable to mares and geldings, when masked with apple juice (after an initial period of neophobia.)

However, as you've shown, there are plenty of alternatives to cut and paste from websites all over the world. I certainly won't be syringing table salt and indigestion tablets directly into my horses mouth any time soon though!


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## suzysparkle (23 February 2009)

LOL me neither!! Will give your recipe a go. Interesting how there are different views though. I just went by what I was told so good to get the gen from someone with so much experience in that area.


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