Welcome to the hot days of July, northern hemisphere friends! After the week we have had in the northeast (and elsewhere) I thought it would be most appropriate to bring a Sunday Review to you that can be useful right now.
My review today is not a typical item that I would review, it is a feed type product. This isn’t something I do very often but I love it SO MUCH that I want to share it with you. I’m talking about Purina Replenimash.
Designed for helping horses needing electrolyte and hydration support, Replenimash has become my go-to for post-exercise and inclement weather. The mash is available in 2 sizes: in 7lb and 25lb bags. The mash contains important electrolytes often lost through sweat: sodium, potassium, and chloride.
Ingredients: Replenimash is free from soy, corn, oat, and alfalfa free. The main ingredients are wheat middlings, beet pulp, barley, and dried carrot. You can actually SEE the carrots. The beet pulp assists in water retention. Flaxseed is added for Omega-3 fatty acids. Seaweed derived calcium is used to help with gastric health. Outlast is also used to help support gastric health.
Replenimash is not a low NSC product, but it is mainly used for a supplement…so the small amount in unlikely to be overly detrimental especially if being used sparingly as a post workout or in tough weather conditions.
How I feed it: The recommended amount of Replenimash is 0.1-0.2lbs per 100lbs of bodyweight; Purina recommends 32oz (1qt) per pound of feed. I typically feed 1 pound soaked in 3-4 quarts of water…I am also feeding it with Purina SuperSport when I am using it as a post-workout so the mash is a bit soupy and Stanley doesn’t seem to complain.
This feed is in strong opposition to what I typically feed…but again I do not use this every day. I use it after lessons or heavy work, I use it on really hot days, and I use it on cold days. The SuperSport I add to it contains Outlast for gastric health but it also contains essential amino acids lysine, threonine and methionine and also branched chain amino acids.
Quick Biochemistry Lesson: When I was dedicated to fitness and lifting I took post workouts and branched chain amino acids (BCAAs) religiously. Amino acids are the building block of proteins and required for building muscle. There are 22 amino acids. “Essential” amino acids are ones your body CANNOT make….you have to get them through your diet. There are 9 essential amino acids. Branched Chain Amino Acids (BCAAs) are three specific essential amino acids that are extra special. BCAAs can cross the blood barrier and get processed in the skeletal muscle…all others are processed in the liver. Because they have the ability to make it directly to the muscle they are more readily available. BCAAs can help repair muscles, reduce muscle breakdown, stimulate muscle growth and also reduces soreness.
As a lifter I always regretted the day after if I forgot my BCAAs. The results were night and day. It seems obvious that because of the results I felt for myself I would want for my horse too…so now Stanley gets this benefit after our trainings sessions.
The science makes sense, and I have felt the results for myself…and Stanley has visibly shown a huge difference as well. He recovers well and he’s put on a fantastic amount of muscle since his month long stay at Cornell last year. It takes time to develop and disappears quickly…so I am really happy with the gains he’s made this year.
I don’t use Replenimash ONLY after a workout. This week the heat index has been reaching over 100 degrees Fahrenheit. When I am able, I try to offer my horses a bit of Replenimash to help get them hydrated and restore some of the electrolytes they lose through sweating all day. In the winter I use it simply to encourage more drinking on very COLD days. The Replenimash is extremely palatable, and the horses are WILD for it!
Nahe, Stanley, and Tiger all tend to wear their mashes, they enjoy it so thoroughly they sip and slop it all until it’s gone. Tiger has even submerged himself to get to the tasty bits on the bottom.
Final Word:
I have tried electrolyte supplements in the past. Pastes offend the horses and doesn’t always get them drinking. Electrolyte powders don’t always get a horse drinking…I have tried 5 different kinds and not a single one got a horse to drink (not even Gallaghers Water!). I have yet to try the water “tea” stations. If there’s one thing that HAS worked 100% of the time it is Purina Replenimash; gets them all drinking EVERY TIME. They love it and willingly slop it up. Stanley enjoys his post exercise ritual…after I’ve removed the tack and bathed him (if he needs it) he puts on his cutest beggar’s face and eagerly looks out his door waiting for his snack. He knows it’s on the way and he’s excited for it. I have yet to see a horse refuse it.
I would rather spend the money on a product that I KNOW will get my horse hydrated….and so willingly.
The SuperSport is an additional thing I do only for exercise recovery, but it’s a great complement to the Replenimash.
Purina Replenimash is an excellent product for what it’s designed for, if you want to make sure your horse is getting enough hydration, check it out!
The Green Horseman 
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