vet focus
In race or endurance horses, losses of electrolytes and water is a complex process
issue, some horses will not drink away from home. A horse at pasture has a large reserve of water and electrolytes in the large intestine that can be drawn from in times of need. At the opposite end of the scale, race or endurance horses that do not receive a lot of forage do not have that reserve, but are the group most in need of it. From what has been said before, it is clear to see that balancing the intake and losses of electrolytes and water in this group of horses is a complex process. Yards will draw on their historic experiences and much of that knowledge has been gained from a process of trial and error. In thoroughbreds, pre-race blood analysis can show relative dehydration that may have little effect on race outcome. But the question remains, could the race performance be improved by improving hydration further?
From time to time, particular electrolyte disturbances can occur and the most notable of these is a fall in calcium levels. This can happen in a newly foaled mare, where with falling calcium levels they become quiet, food intake is reduced and in some instances this may lead to dehydration and colic. Intravenous calcium and other electrolytes will reverse this process, and supplementation
www.theequinesite.co.uk Equine Page 21 can be continued in feed.
Affected horses may also develop diaphragmatic flutter or ‘thumps’ if sufficiently stressed. This finding is seen more commonly in horses that have performed to exhaustion in higher temperatures. They respond in the same way to water and electrolyte replacement and great attention also needs to be paid to cooling
Lactating mares will need a good supply of clean water
them down. That involves pouring buckets of water over them, scraping this off and then repeating over and over. If the water is left on, it will warm up with the heat from the body and can then insulate further. Using a scraper removes the warm water and allows the next wash of cold water to be more effective at cooling.
Stress can play an important
part too, so much so that this condition can even arise in show classes on a warm day. The horse may not be sweating, but the water intake will be reduced, possibly from the night before if show preparations began that early. Being aware will help to ensure correct management and reduce any potential for the more serious problems to develop.
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