The ride is over; you and your horse had a long, hard, but successful day. You have both had your shower, and now can relax in the shade, munching your favorite well-deserved goodies and drinking lemonade. All is right with the world. Or so it seems. But what is really going on inside your horse?
Studies have shown that after a strenuous athletic endeavor, the horse's body continues to fight to conserve fluid and stave off dehydration, long into the night and even into the next day.* We should all be thinking about this when we think about how we assist our horses to recover after a hard day.
It is one thing, when we are dealing with a horse who has had a successful day, who may be tired, but whose body systems are basically functioning correctly. It can be an entirely different circumstance when the horse in question is close enough to that red line that the body simply cannot function well enough to bring itself back into proper equilibrium. These are the horses that truly need our consideration, and that give us a tremendous opportunity to help them.
There is no shame associated with seeking veterinary help in assessment and possibly even treatment of horses that fall into the latter category. Indeed, the shame should lie in ignoring their distress, or in assuming all will be well if only one wishes hard enough for it to be so.
Dehydration = the enemy
It is not the intent of this article to outline different treatment modalities that may be employed by endurance veterinarians in the field. Suffice it to say that many metabolic disturbances experienced by the equine endurance athlete are related to dehydration.
In many cases, fluid losses can be replaced via a nasogastric tube. This is usually a quick and minimally invasive procedure, and electrolytes can be given along with water. If there is any question as to the ability of the horse's gut to absorb the water and electrolytes, a veterinarian may recommend the administration of intravenous fluids. This treatment takes a bit more time to administer, but is a very effective way to get the water and electrolytes directly into the bloodstream, where they need to be to help the horse.
Negative attitudes harmful
There may be some people who feel that either one of these treatments are detrimental to the horse in some way, or that they may hurt the horse. Other people seem to take it upon themselves to place blame for how the horse may have gotten to the point that it is in need of treatment. Still others believe that if a horse is treated by a veterinarian after a ride, that horse will lose its completion.
In the first case, it should be said that while there is always a risk, with any treatment administered, most procedures done in the field at endurance rides are truly done for the benefit of the horse, and are done with minimal risk and pain. Experienced endurance veterinarians are cognizant of the unique problems encountered by the equine endurance athlete, and tailor their therapies accordingly. A horse in need of assistance, left untreated and unhelped, will suffer much more than one receiving veterinary attention.
In the second case, anyone taking part in a sport that has the welfare of the horse first and foremost in its priorities should think long and hard before perpetuating gossip and rumor that serve only to tromp down fellow competitors and further stigmatize proper and necessary veterinary treatment. Peer pressure is a powerful tool. It can be used supportively to assist riders to make good decisions that are in the best interests of their horses, or it can be used negatively to make it that much easier for a rider to be in denial about the state of the horse.
The longer a compromised horse has to wait for veterinary intervention, the worse the ultimate prognosis will be. This cannot be stated too vehemently. A horse's body can be remarkably resilient for a given amount of time, but the longer it has to compensate for dehydration and associated imbalances, the more difficult and arduous is the path back to normalcy. With too much delay, the horse may not be able to recover, no matter how many veterinarians try to help.
In a previous article (June 2007 EN), I alluded to ride veterinarians working with incomplete information. The same holds true in this case. How can a veterinarian be expected to help a horse if that veterinarian does not even know that the horse may be in trouble? Bring your concerns to the vet early, so that an educated decision can be made before the horse is too compromised to come back.
In the third case, there is no equivocating. If a horse has met P&R criteria, has had a full exam by a ride veterinarian, has been found fit to continue,within the appropriate time frame, as dictated by AERC rules, and has received a completion, then the ride is over for that horse. Any subsequent veterinary treatment cannot take away the completion.
Help stop the treatment stigma
There is no shame in having a horse treated. If a horse is in need of treatment, then the absolute right thing to do is to go ahead and take the initiative. The only shame lies in neglect of the compromised, untreated horse. In fact, there may be no bigger shame than this abuse.
I challenge every person reading this article to become actively involved in eradicating any stigma applied to the veterinary treatment of any endurance horse in need. The next time you see a horse hooked up to a bag of fluids, either offer your support to the rider, ask if there is anything you can do to help, or just plain keep your mouth shut about it.
If you happen to find yourself in the unenviable position of having a horse that is not doing well, please, please, remember these words, and ask for help. Your horse has no English to ask on his own, so depends upon and deserves your voice and your protection. It is up to you.
*Schott HC, Dusterdeck KF, Eberhart SW, Woody KA, Refsal KR, Coenen M. Effects of electrolyte and glycerol supplementation on recovery from endurance exercise. 999 Jul;30:384-93.
