During the past year, the AERC Veterinary Committee has put a great deal of effort into formulating new drug rules for our sport. The AERC drug rule is predicated on the premise that horses should compete only on their own natural ability.

The argument that the use of drugs will allow horses to be pushed beyond their natural capabilities is a valid one. A common rationale for the drug rule is that the use of drugs may allow a horse with a minor problem to continue on the trail, resulting in major damage. However, a more serious situation exists when a horse is treated for metabolic problems and is allowed to continue.

Reminder: electrolytes are drugs

The drugs of choice in treating exhausted horses are electrolytes. Oral electrolytes are drugs and are used to enhance the performance of a horse. They are not innocuous. They are usually administered by non-professionals and are sometimes given with little regard for content and volume.

Signs of abdominal discomfort in horses treated with electrolytes are not uncommon. There is evidence linking the exacerbation and/or occurrence of gastric ulcers with their use.

The use of oral electrolytes is not without risk. The fact that they will enhance performance is undeniable, but enhanced performance brings with it added responsibility and unknown consequences.

Benefits of IV electrolytes

Electrolytes administered intravenously with water are commonly referred to as "fluids" and enter the bloodstream rapidly, often producing immediate improvement in the patient. IV fluids are precisely formulated with known concentrations of the ions contained in them.

Intravenous electrolytes administered by professionals at a rate and concentration that is known and regulated are safer and more effective than oral concentrations of unknown products. The vast majority of fluid treatment offered by ride veterinarians is not only safe, but could benefit almost all horses during or after an event.

Breaking the treatment stigma

Why is it, then, that such a stigma is attached to treating a horse with IV fluids during or after a ride? We tolerate, condone and encourage all kinds of electrolyte and performance-enhancing nutraceuticals but we are aghast at the idea of administering IV fluids. During the past year this sport lost some great athletes and has come close to losing even more due to the reluctance of riders to start fluid therapy early on.

Even though it is legal and indeed encouraged by many, the administration of oral electrolytes during a ride constitutes treatment. When you treat an animal and ask it to continue to perform, you must take an added responsibility upon yourself. Riders should spend a lot of time thinking about what they are using, why they are using it, and what the potential side effects are.

There are far too many people fooling around with Mother Nature, and we all know how dangerous that can be.

Over the years I have treated horses that were carefully and conservatively ridden, and yet developed metabolic problems during or at the end of a ride. When you observe a horse receiving fluids, don't assume the worst. Indeed, that horse may be the lucky one, as opposed to the poor horse that must recover slowly on its own because its owner doesn't want to be embarrassed by having his or her horse treated.

Public opinion against the overuse and abuse of our equine friends is warranted, but to conclude that all horses receiving veterinary treatment at a ride were overused or abused is faulty. Such expressed intolerance may very well have grave consequences for some horse in the future. Endurance riding and racing are high-risk endeavors and our equine companions deserve the best of care when things go bad for them.