WHAT TO DO LONG TERM?
Veterinarians generally agree that the time to start giving supplements and medicines to counter anhidrosis is in the winter or spring., before hot weather kicks in.
Electrolytes are generally a good idea for active horses who sweat normally, but they won't necessarily help an anhidrotic horse; he isn't sweating and therefore doesn't lose electrolytes. However, potassium is contained in many of these prepared mixes and may help somewhat.
The latest talk in the rec.equestrian Internet newsgroup and in many horse circles is a new supplement called, ONE AC, developed by Raymond LeRoy, a chief biochemist, in the Phoenix, Arizona area. Though LeRoy normally works on developing nutritional supplements for humans, he was intrigued when, several years ago, someone asked whether he knew of anything to help an anhidrotic horse. He read a stack of veterinary research reports on the subject, headed for his lab -- and soon developed his new supplement ONE AC!
The supplement, which LeRoy stresses is a treatment, not a cure, and which is currently being given to about six hundred horses nationwide -- is a simple combination of the amino acids tyosine, some vitamins, and the mineral cobalt. LeRoy says, "It corrects what is called a "neurotransmitter feedback problem" involving the adrenal glands. Roughly speaking, the amino acid breaks down into neurotransmitters that stimulate the Beta-2 receptor cells, which in turn stimulate the sweat glands. He says anhidrotic horses do best if they stay on the supplement year-round (at lower dosage in cooler months.)
Dr. Sandi Lieb, an animal nutritionist and associate professor of animal science at the University of Florida, says her preliminary study showed that ONE AC increases the amount of surface area where sweating occurs and lowers respiratory rates in anhidrotic horses.
Kathleen Bowker, D.V.M. says, "Bottom line is that if your horse is having difficulty performing in the heat -- even if he is still sweating -- it might be worth a try to start him on the supplement." Since ONE AC is made up of amino acids, minerals and water-soluable vitamins, it will not cause any adverse effects, and at $28.95 per horse for a month's supply, it is an affordable potential solution. Bowker did her 80 page Master's thesis on the ONE AC phenomenon.
Rutgers Univeristy animal science professor and nutritionist Sarah Ralston, VMD, PhD, says, "It works in about ninety percent of the horses we've tried it in. It sometimes takes up to three weeks [while keeping the horse out of training] to see a real response, but most horses do respond." She adds that ONE AC contains nothing that can hurt a horse if fed in recommended amounts, and that it won't affect drug tests because none of its ingredients is prohibited.
Horse owner George Bradley, who cofounded the Cool Concepts misting-fan company, gave his Friesian, Nottingham, the supplement on veterinary advice when the horse quit sweating after a move from Seattle to Phoenix. "From a horse that couldn't be ridden for more than a few minutes in the early morning, Nottingham ended up the regional champion in Training Level dressage that year," he says.
