Electrolyte deficit crash

[RALSTON@AESOP.RUTGERS.EDU]

Thank you to all the people who E-mailed me privately
regarding Fling's problem at the NY100. The questions were
all along the same line so I decided to save time and 
answer publically-maybe we can all learn from this!

I was using my own "homebrew" electrolytes which I Normally
make up with 1 lb regular salt, 12 ounces lite salt (Morten)
and a roll of Tums for calcium, 1/4 cup or so Blackstrap molasses
which also has Ca and K in it, added water to get it to
the consistency needed to squirt in her mouth. 
For some mind fart reason I left
out the Tums this time! (MISTAKE #1)
Gave her her usual two to three ounces at 5AM, at the Vet check and after
I got in Day 1-no problems. But then, in anticipation of a hot day the
second day and to get her to drink more, I double dosed her
that afternoon, evening and following morning(MISTAKE #2)
She ate well and was ravenous for grass and carrots.
afternoon, evening and the following, plus Nutrena's Compete pellets in a
1 part to 2 ratio with crumbled Alfa Maize cubes (whole corn plant/alfalfa) and
free choice grass hay which she munched on happily)
(I was using Pennfield's new formula), gobbled carrots and grass.
Only drank about 3/4 bucket water over night but her hydration
was good in AM. Started out calm, cool, and strong. But at 10 miles
out my saddle slipped and I had to stop to reset and let our riding
companion go on (he graciously offered to stay with me, but it was a 
narrow trail and I told him to go on). Fling went nuts-I spent the
next 20 miles holding her back (the terrain was so hilly and muddy I wasn't
comfortable letting her gallop to catch up to him), she was nervous, head 
nervous type sweat (sticky, not clear, different electrolyte balanced).
At the vet check she was ok-hydration only about a 1/2 second off and so
I double dosed her again (Mistake # 3)
 She ate about 3/4 lb of the Grain mix with Alfamaize cubes and carrots.
We caught up to her buddy in the last 10 miles and she settled down beautifully, 
drank at every mud puddle (in retrospect, excessively thirsty) and
was ravenous for grass. We walked/trotted the last few miles in perfect 
harmony, going slow, my comment to the other rider was "I'd rather have time
penalties than metabolic penalties!". She was alert, still thirsty and hungry
when we got in. I did not dose her with electrolytes (Mistake #4). At
the 20 min P&R, Charlie said her heart rate was irregular though 58 bpm and 
asked me to listen to it. Yep, I said it was irregular but probably
not a problem (Mind fart #2 - I should have listened
 to Charlie!! as I said before, vet degrees and common sensesometimes seem to
go out the window when you are tired and in the heat of competition). She
urinated normally-a beautiful clear stream, and I lead her out of the stall
to go to the trot out. After only a few feet, she stopped, scream/whinnied and
went into whole body spasms and thumps-tried to go down but also walking
propulsively. Came around quickly and well with electrolytes, fluids,
(we gave her a low dose Banamine and methocarbamol too, but
the electrolytes and fluids were what eally turned her around).

Lessons: 1. Follow the recipe
         2. if pushing electrolytes continue to do so (I think she "diluted" 
            herself in the last 10 miles and her system was so accustomed o getting 
            more than it needed it couldn't adjust quickly enough)
         3. Don't push electrolytes to a horse that is not accustomed to it (i 
only added 1 -2 ounces to her feed after a hard training ride and she usually 
would refuse to eat all of that!!

         4. Listen to the P&R people and other competitors (one of whom warned me 
             that I might be over doing it (you were right, Marie)!!

Questions: should we make up a formula especially for nervous horses?
Fling did this once before, three years ago after a "pleasure" ride with a 
friend wherein she was equally upset for the same amount of time (for different
reasons-my friend was going too slow for her!!)-that time I hadn't given ANY
electrolytes...

Sarah and Fling (When's the next ride, Mom? I'm ready!)