Dehydration and Convention 2000

["Karen Schwartz" <karlar@flash.net>]

Steve, I like your idea that dehydration should be a major topic for next year's Convention, and you have my vote in support.

  I have a wonderful horse who, unfortunately, has had severe tying up episodes that have occurred on a seemingly unpredictable basis for years.  I've struggled with checking each of the many variables that can contribute to tying up, and after spending literally thousands of dollars on vet bills for treatment as well as supplements and shots for prevention, it's begun to dawn on me that the onset of even mild dehydration during the stress of trailering is the probable cause.

  I'm not suggesting that dehydration is the cause of all metabolic problems which  endurance horses face, but I suspect it is implicated in more problems than is generally recognized.

Karen Schwartz

Livermore, CA