Research over the past several years has lead to an understanding that many of our domestic horses suffer from chronic dehydration, and often it is this dehydration that leads to the disorders we see in the foot. By approaching the problem from a "Why" point of view we have been able to develop products that help the horse establish an environment that promotes natural healing.

Why is hydration so important to the horse?

The horse is by nature an alkaline animal. What does this mean? It means that like humans their blood should be slightly alkaline, having a ph of 7.38, where 7 is neutral. When blood becomes slightly acidic, or shows a lower number on the scale we use to measure acidity, the body uses safeguards that work to balance the ph of the blood. Examples are the kidneys and liver working to remove toxins that can cause such imbalances. One major cause of ph imbalance in the horse is stress, as a horse becomes stressed acid levels rise, and the body has to work harder to maintain ph balances in the blood. We believe stress is the leading cause of disease in today's horse. With the combination of the increase of toxins in the horse's environment, the depletion of nutrients in our soil, and the increases in acidity in our water due to acid rains it is no wonder our horse's vital body systems are stressed. 

Another way in which the body helps to maintain correct ph balance in the blood stream is to create fat stores for the storing of excess acid.  As a result obesity is often caused by stress and ph imbalances. The "easy keeper" is likely to live in an environment that results in acidity, with the body producing fat stores for storing excess acid. This may sound unlikely for your easy keeper, seeing he or she lives the easy life, and stress cannot be a factor. You know the type of horse I am talking about, the one that has 24/7 turn out, and never gets over worked. The truth, lack of movement and adequate exercise, toxins in the soil, acidic water, and imbalanced diets are all slowly killing our horses. Toxins that poison our pastures, processed feeds, and mildly acidic water can all add up to stress, stress that tax our horse's vital immune system. I know what you're thinking; but my easy keeper is lame or too old to put into work. I am not saying you should run out and put your horse into hard labor, what I am saying is to ask "Why" my horse is an easy keeper.

Many experts believe that as many as 80% of today's horses are chronically dehydrated. Mild dehydration is in fact common place. I find that most of the horses that I am asked to work on are moderately dehydrated. Living here in Florida, my own horses sometimes drink far less than they should. Even though they have 24/7 turn out on a very large pasture they sometimes become stressed and don't frequent the water hole as often as they should. In the summer thunder storms are frequent, and in the winter temperature changes from day to night can be quite extreme, there is always something that causes stress in our horses. If toxins, acid rain, and dietary imbalances aren't enough, the fact that the horse is a prey animal, being kept by predators is enough to cause daily stress in most horses.  A lack of adequate water intake, coupled with the increased acid levels created by stress is a formula for disaster.

I recently lectured at Reaseheath College in the United Kingdom where the importance of hydration was discussed. One attendee was quick to point out that instances of founder, laminitis, and insulin resistance were far less common 15 years ago. I would have to agree. The question became, why? What was different today? It is easy to point a finger at the increased toxins, and ever increasing plethora of emerging bugs that affect our horses, but I believe that how we care for our horses has change dramatically. When lecturing I often present the question: How many in attendance ride daily? How many ride weekly, or even monthly? The answers may surprise you. Less than 5 percent of the audience rides daily or even weekly.  Perhaps if the question were: How many of you exercise your horse daily? The numbers may be a bit higher, but I suspect not much.

It is scientific fact that exercise reduces stress, not only in humans, but also in our horses. I hope you can identify with the pattern here. Our horses are exercised less leading to an increase in stress. Stress leads to an increase in acidity. The body reacts trying to balance ph, but with toxins, and nutritional imbalances attacking the body additional stress occurs. The ph balance can become critical, and in an effort to protect the body from the ravages of excess acid, fat is produced to allow for its storage.

At the Institute of Applied Equine Podiatry we have included Homeopathics in our treatment protocols for several years with great success. In light of the research showing the importance of hydration and how acidity and dehydration can be linked to the increases in the instances of IR (insulin resistance), laminitis, founder, and other metabolic disorders over the past decade, we felt that developing a treatment protocol that addressed both the disorder and dehydration would greatly improve the odds of treatment. Hydropathics are our contribution to help in the fight of dehydration, toxicity, and acidosis. 

Hydropathics are fortified with Horse Quench™, an all natural blend of ingredients designed to stimulate drinking. Hydropathics products contain the appropriate combination homeopathic dosage for the condition presented. Choose from eight different products, each designed to hydrate and treat the condition homeopathically at the same time. Our objective is to treat the condition homeopathically, while detoxifying and alkalizing, aiding the horse in returning balance to its immune system.