Equine Expression

05/09/2026

🕰️ 𝗢𝗡𝗘 𝗪𝗘𝗘𝗞. 𝗧𝗵𝗮𝘁’𝘀 𝗜𝘁.

It’s been a hot minute since I’ve shared any before-and-after photos of my clients’ horses! I’ve been so head-down, bum-up working through nutrition consultations lately that sharing some of the results has taken a bit of a back seat.

But I had to make time for this one, because even I was impressed by the changes visible in just seven days following this horse’s nutrition consultation and dietary adjustments.

At first glance, the differences may seem relatively subtle — and realistically, after only one week, that’s exactly what we would expect. But look a little closer and there are already some really encouraging changes.

There appears to be improved coverage through the thoracic, lumbar and sacral regions, alongside a generally fuller appearance through the body. While we certainly aren’t talking about substantial tissue or muscle development in seven days, the overall picture is already heading in a really positive direction.

Something else that caught my attention was this horse’s expression.

Of course, both photographs capture only a single moment in time, so I would never draw conclusions about a horse’s comfort or behaviour from ear position alone. However, I can’t help but notice the difference. In the before photo his ears are pinned back while eating his meal, whereas one week later he appears noticeably softer and more relaxed while eating.

Does that prove there was digestive discomfort or stress before? Absolutely not. But given the relationship between nutrition, gastrointestinal comfort and overall wellbeing, it’s an interesting observation — and something I’ll be very interested to follow as his new diet continues.

This is also a great reminder that nutrition isn’t always about creating a dramatic transformation overnight. Sometimes the first signs that we’re moving in the right direction are the subtle ones.

And if this is what we’re seeing after just one week, I’m very excited to see what the next few months bring. 🐴🌿

03/09/2026

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03/09/2026

03/09/2026

01/09/2026

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28/08/2026

🧪⚖️ 𝗠𝗶𝗻𝗲𝗿𝗮𝗹 𝗠𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘀: 𝗪𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝗡𝘂𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀 𝗖𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗱𝗲

𝗣𝗮𝗿𝘁 𝟱: 𝗦𝗼𝗱𝗶𝘂𝗺 ↔ 𝗣𝗼𝘁𝗮𝘀𝘀𝗶𝘂𝗺

One is usually EVERYWHERE.

The other? Often needs an invitation. 🧂

Sodium and potassium are both essential electrolytes involved in nerve function, muscle contraction and fluid balance.

But when we look at a typical forage-based equine diet, their supply can look VERY different.

🌱 𝗣𝗢𝗧𝗔𝗦𝗦𝗜𝗨𝗠

Forage is generally loaded with it.

A 500kg horse at maintenance requires roughly 25g of potassium per day.

Now imagine their hay contains 1.5% potassium.

Eating 10kg of that hay provides around:

✨ 150g potassium/day ✨

That’s SIX TIMES the maintenance requirement — from hay alone.

Meanwhile…

🧂 𝗦𝗢𝗗𝗜𝗨𝗠

The same 500kg horse requires roughly 10g sodium/day at maintenance, yet forage is typically a pretty lousy source.

Let’s say that same hay contains 0.05% sodium.

10kg hay provides just:

😬 5g sodium/day.

And remember — those are MAINTENANCE requirements. Add work + sweat and the picture changes again.

Sweat contains substantial amounts of sodium, chloride and potassium, meaning requirements increase as sweat losses increase.

If the diet is already providing plenty of potassium through forage, does EVERY horse automatically need a scoop of electrolyte containing even more potassium?

Typically, no.

Sometimes the electrolyte we’re actually chasing is good old-fashioned SALT.

Salt (sodium chloride) is approximately 39% sodium, meaning:

🧂 25g salt ≈ 10g sodium
🧂 50g salt ≈ 20g sodium

Of course, requirements vary with bodyweight, workload, climate, forage intake and sweat losses — and heavily sweating horses may require a more comprehensive electrolyte strategy.

But the takeaway is that electrolyte balance isn’t about throwing every electrolyte into the bucket.

It’s about knowing what the diet already supplies…and replacing what it doesn’t.

Sometimes the fanciest-looking tub in the feed room isn’t what the diet is missing.

Sometimes it’s just salt. 🧂✨