Thanks my point, so what if a horse drinks too much. CAN a horse drink too much. Thirst mechanisms are a part of the hypothalamus gland (The hypothalamus controls body temperature, hunger, thirst, fatigue, anger, and circadian cycles.)
If the brain senses a need for fluids, it sends that signal. WHY ever restrict it, especially if there has never been any scientific research that says otherwise in a racehorse.
I'd love, and this probably seems gross to many, use a refractometer like we use in drug testing, (here's one they use for racehorses by the way:
http://www.reichertai.com/files/broc...1169835881.pdf
http://avmajournals.avma.org/doi/abs...urnalCode=ajvr
and test the specific gravity of horses urine post race and see just how many are racing dehydrated and see performance stats along with that! An animal that has dehydrated urine with a USG >1.025-1.040 (depending on species). Dilute urine in a dehydrated or azotemic animal is abnormal and could be caused by renal failure, hypo- or hyperadrenocorticism, hypercalcemia, diabetes mellitus, hyperthyroidism, diuretic therapy, or diabetes insipidus. Glucosuria increases the refractive index of urine, resulting in an increased USG despite increased urine volume.
Any correlation to performance in equine racing and hydration...now would that change racing if we found out PROPERLY hydrated horses train and race better! You should ask your testing lab for ph and specific gravity when they are tested and correlate the race results & do your own in your barn! Not difficult to do, just whistle and hold the cup steady Chuck!
BTW: here is a scientific study done on racehorses and their specific gravity of lasix vs non lasix horses.
http://jvdi.org/cgi/reprint/14/3/231.pdf