ridecamp@endurance.net: Electrolytes and heart-rate

Electrolytes and heart-rate

Brian.Latham@Aspinwall.Co.UK
Fri, 26 Sep 1997 15:35:13 +0100

Our senior endurance horse, a 19 year old 15.3 threequarter=20
thoroughbred gelding, has been given small amounts of salt (sodium=20
chloride) and Lo salt (potassium chloride) as supliments to his=20
regular hard food. This is topped up with 'glucolyte' (salts plus=20
glucose) dissolved in drinking water during competitions. He has never=
=20
had electrolyte related problems during 7 years of competition.
We started following the same regime with our two youngsters, a=20
Crabbet Arabian gelding and a New Forest pony gelding, both 5 years=20
old and competing in their first season.
At a 30 mile ride with the New Forest in July we had run out of=20
glucolyte and purchased a regular electrolyte which could be fed with=
=20
hard food, from a tack stall and we used this at the half way.
=20
At the final vetting the pony's heart rate was within limits but it=20
was fluctuating and the ride vet advised us to consult our=20
veterinarian. This we did a couple of days later; the heart rate was=20
fluctuating from about 40 to about 70 bpm although his rest rate had=20
been a steady 38 before this ride.
An examination and an electrocardiogram showed that everything was=20
normal apart from the fluctuating rate. This was easy to monitor using=
=20
the HRM .=20
While this was going on we had given some of the electrolyte to the=20
Arabian and an examination showed thats his heart rate was also=20
fluctuating. We had given less than the recommended doses to both=20
horses.Neither horse showed any signs of distress.
=20
Unfortunately by this stage we dumped the very expensive electrolyte=20
so we cannot get it analysed but it should have contained only the=20
normal salts,glucose, a cherry flavouring and coloring.=20
=20
Laying off all electrolytes stabilised the heart rates of both horses=20
in a few days and we are now experimenting with household salt and Lo=20
salt. Certainly a mixture of both causes the fluctuations again but we=
=20
have not yet found whether sodium or potassium chloride alone causes=20
the problem.
=20
Has anybody out there had similar problems?
=20
Is it the salts or is it the flavouring/color that has made the horses=
=20
sensitive?
=20
Latham Endurance. Wales

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