Re: RC: Fwd: Electrolytes by Mike Foss DVM

[luv2ride@tds.net]

Does anyone know where I can get permission to print this article?

Dee

heidi sowards wrote:
> 
> Thanks Suzanne for retyping for me!!!!!!!!!!!!
> 
> >
> >
> >       WHY DOES MY HORSE NEED ELECTROLYTES
> >       by Michael A. Foss, DVM
> >
> >       The muscular activity of a ride produces heat and heat
> > needs to be
> > dissipated for the horse to continue down the trail.  The
> > main way for a
> > horse to get rid of this heat is to sweat.  Sweating is
> > done by "sweat
> > glands" which secrete water and electrolytes.  An
> > analysis of equine sweat
> > shows that it contains sodium, potassium, chloride,
> > calcium and magnesium.
> > An important point is that these electrolytes are
> > actually concentrated in
> > sweat, compared to blood.  So as a horse sweats, it is
> > losing more
> > electrolyte than it is water.  It is easy for a horse to
> > actually loose ½
> > pound of electrolytes during a ride!
> >
> >       Where do electrolytes come from?  The horse normally has
> > a small constant
> > supply from the plants it eats.  These salts are absorbed
> > from the small
> > intestine, go into the blood where they are distributed
> > to the various body
> > cells.  The functions of the electrolytes are numerous
> > and complex.  Let's
> > just say they keep you alive.  Deficiencies of
> > electrolytes are summarized
> > as follows:
> >
> >       1.  Low Sodium causes decreased blood volume which you
> > see as dehydration.
> >       2.  Low Chloride results in "alkalosis" or a change in
> > blood pH which
> > causes poor gut function or colic.
> >       3.  Low Potassium presents mainly as weak muscles.
> >       4.  Low Calcium appears as weak muscles and "Thumps."
> >
> >       Combinations of these deficiencies contribute to tying
> > up and exhausted
> > horse syndrome. In milder forms all you may experience is
> > decreased
> > performance.
> >
> >       So why does my horse need electrolytes?  When God
> > designed the horse the
> > horse only needed to run long enough to escape a hungry
> > predator.  These
> > short bursts of speed would produce minimal sweat, and
> > the electrolytes
> > were readily replaced by natural feeds before the next
> > "escape" was needed.
> >  When we ask the horse to travel for 25 to 100 miles at
> > once, we are
> > certainly exceeding "design capacity."  The further and
> > faster we go, the
> > more we exceed this natural capacity.
> >
> >       Common sense suggests to us that if you are using
> > something (electrolytes)
> > at an unnaturally high rate, then you should supplement
> > it to prevent
> > problems.  Here is the "art" of electrolyte
> > supplementation.  Many factors
> > contribute to sweat production.  The most significant
> > ones are temperature,
> > humidity, speed of the horse, distance, amount of climb
> > and conditioning.
> > Other factors will be diet, footing of the trail and your
> > mental attitude.
> > It is not possible to accurately measure how much your
> > horse is sweating,
> > nor can we predict the specific weather conditions and
> > work load along the
> > trail.  In addition, each horse is an individual and some
> > horses need more
> > electrolytes than others.
> >
> >       How will you know if the electrolytes are working?  From
> > a veterinary
> > point we can take blood from your horse at the end of a
> > ride and measure
> > the blood level of electrolytes.  As a rider you need to
> > look for changes
> > in your horse's performance.  When did the horse start
> > drinking? (Should be
> > before the 25 mile point.)  How did the horse feel?  More
> > energetic?
> > Better pulse recoveries?  Better appetite?
> >
> >       How do you put all this information together?  First,
> > there is no magic
> > formula to fit all horses, but there is a "concept" to
> > use.  Electrolyte
> > usage should be a planned project and should begin before
> > the ride starts.
> > Remember, you are preventing problems, not treating
> > problems.
> >
> >       Administration of electrolytes has a maximal effect > 6
> to 10 hours
> > after you give them.  So what you want to do is give a
> > "loading dose" the
> > night before the ride.  The next morning give a dose
> > before the ride starts
> > and then a dose every vet check.  One last dose after the
> > ride helps the
> > horse recover more quickly.  It is important to give the
> > electrolytes at
> > the end of the vet check so you do not disturb its eating
> > and drinking
> > pattern.  When you electrolyte on the trail do so after
> > the horse has drunk.
> >
> >       The dose to give is going to vary tremendously.  If it
> > is a slow cool
> > ride, you will give very little.  If you hit a hot humid
> > day, you should
> > give lots! (And slow down too!!!!)  As a starting point
> > at a hot day ride
> > use 2 ounces of electrolytes for a dose.  For example, a
> > 50 miler might do
> > the following: 8 p.m. Friday night, 2 oz.; 4:30 a.m.
> > Sat., 2 oz.; vet check
> > 1, 2 oz; vet check 2, 2 oz; vet check 3, 2 oz, finish, 2
> > oz.  Experience
> > will teach you how to adjust dosage from here.  If it is
> > cooler, you would
> > keep the same frequency, just give a smaller dose.  If it
> > is really hot and
> > humid, you might give a bigger dose.  The 1999 World
> > Championship Endurance
> > Ride gave a good example of electrolyte usage.  Some of
> > the front running
> > horses were getting 6 ounces of electrolytes at each vet
> > check!
> >
> >       What kind of electrolytes should you use?  There are
> > many products out
> > there.  Most are not appropriate for endurance use.  If
> > they contain
> > "Bicarbonate," they are contraindicated.  If they contain
> > more than 50%
> > sugar, they are not formulated for endurance use.  My
> > personal choices are
> > Enduralyte, Enduramax, and Perform N Win.
> >
> >       One final note: A dose of electrolytes the night before
> > (or 8 hours
> > before) a long warm trail ride is also beneficial.
> >
> >       Happy Trails.
> >
> >
> >                                                       Michael A. Foss, DVM
> >
> 
> =====
> Heidi-aerc#M20935  /\_/\~
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-- 
Dee 

Frisky Filly Farm
Sand Rock, AL