Is Baking Soda Safe for Horses?
Baking soda can help horses by improving digestion and electrolyte balance. However, too much baking soda can be dangerous as it has high sodium content and can irritate the stomach. To use baking soda safely, feed horses small amounts mixed with feed or water. Monitor for signs of discomfort. Consult a veterinarian before giving supplements.
Reasons for giving baking soda include preventing tying up and improving disposition. Baking soda is not likely to help colic as it breaks down in the stomach. The high sodium in baking soda can cause dehydration and electrolyte imbalances if fed in large amounts. Baking soda can also interact with medications horses take, reducing effectiveness.
If feeding baking soda, do so in moderation – 1-2 tablespoons mixed into feed or water. Carefully monitor horses for adverse effects like diarrhea or colic. Consult a veterinarian if issues arise.
Sodium Bicarbonate Usage for Horses
Sodium bicarbonate is an alkalizing agent. When used on a daily basis, it is mixed in the horse’s feed or water. Most commonly, those who use it hope the baking soda will prevent ulcers by buffering acid in the horse’s digestive system, or help a horse get over the rigors of training by buffering lactic acid that accumulates in its muscles after a gallop or workout.
Sodium Bicarbonate for Racing Horses
Sodium bicarbonate is used as an antacid, a cleanser, and to replenish electrolytes. For years, it has been common practice to administer small quantities of sodium bicarbonate or other alkalinizing agents prior to a race. Theory suggests that a small amount of sodium bicarbonate will help the horse recover after a race by dissipating muscle lactate. Despite the horse’s ability to adapt well to reduced sodium intake thanks to the various regulatory mechanisms, horses that are not consuming adequate sodium will have low-level dehydration which may become an issue should greater demands be placed on them.
If you decide to feed baking soda to your horse, it is important to do so in moderation. The frequency of giving baking soda to your horse will depend on their individual needs and health condition. I believe a balance is possible, even for PSSM horses, through diet by supplementing alkaline substances including baking soda for horses prone to acidemia.
Proper Dosage of Sodium Bicarbonate
How much sodium bicarbonate should I feed my horse? As a general rule, you should give your horse no more than one tablespoon of baking soda per day per 1,000 pounds of body weight. So if your horse weighs 1,200 pounds, then the maximum amount of baking soda you should give them in a day is 1.2 tablespoons. It’s always best to consult with your veterinarian before administering any kind of supplement or treatment to your horse.
THE RECIPE for a milkshake includes sodium bicarbonate at 0.5 to 1 gram per kilogram of body weight (generally, a 1,100-pound Thoroughbred would receive 500 grams or one box of baking soda) mixed with two liters of water. In general, milkshakes are administered four to six hours prior to racing so the bicarbonate is fully absorbed into the bloodstream and carbon dioxide concentrations are at peak level for maximum effectiveness in buffering acid.
Adding a small amount of sodium bicarbonate to a horse’s drinking water and/or feed has produced dramatic changes in some horses. After years of moving with a short stride and consequent toe-strike, the warmblood horse, Hopper, began moving with a long stride and heel-strike after only three days of sodium bicarbonate supplementation, commencing in March 2010, and has been able to maintain that normal, free movement.
Horses consuming pasture grasses obtain a natural, endogenous level of bicarbonate in the plasma in the range of 26 mmol/l to 31 mmol/l. Performance horses are fed commercial forage and grain preparations, which contain higher amounts of bicarbonate. Therefore, the level of TCO2 in their plasma increases to a range of about 27 mmol/l to 32 mmol/l but rarely exceeds 33 mmol/l. In Australia, the highest allowable concentration for Standardbred and Thoroughbred racing for TCO2 is set at 35 mmol/l, while in the U.S., it is generally accepted at below 37 mmol/l.
Is sodium bicarbonate allowed in horse racing? The use of sodium bicarbonate or other alkalising agents, above a certain level which a horse can consume in its food, is forbidden under the Australian rules of racing. Smerdon was charged with being party to the administration of alkalising agents or other medications to a horse on race day on 115 occasions between 2010 and 2017.