Electrolyte management in working horses is critical for welfare as imbalances from sweat losses during exercise cause suffering, poor performance and potentially fatal complications.
Electrolyte management welfare requires understanding of equine physiology and the specific patterns of electrolyte loss during different types of work. Failure to replace electrolytes creates a progressive deficit that impairs performance and welfare, eventually leading to potentially life-threatening metabolic disturbances. The challenge is that horses cannot communicate electrolyte need directly, requiring managers to provide appropriate supplementation based on work type, environmental conditions and individual horses' physiological responses. Providing free choice salt as a baseline, with additional supplementation for horses in heavy work, enables partial self-regulation. Proper electrolyte replacement combined with water access is a fundamental welfare provision for all working horses.