Equiwinner Best Practices
A user’s guide to tailoring your Equiwinner protocol to meet your horse’s needs Order Online HereList of RetailersA Best Practices Guide for Equiwinner . . .
Straight from the Horse's Mouth!
"An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure." - Benjamin Franklin, 1735
When it comes to horses, and pretty much everything else in life, it’s easier, cheaper and less stressful to prevent a problem in the first place than to fix it after it occurs. So, let’s give you the best advice on how to use Equiwinner, straight from the users’ (and their horses) mouths! Ideally, horses should be treated when needed but because it's not always obviously clear when a horse's electrolytes need help, experience can be a your guide. Remember that there's never a risk of any overdose, because with Equiwinner, nothing goes in to the horse's body. Equiwinner is a veterinary medical device, a non-transdermal patch, so completely safe for every horse.
We asked loyal Equiwinner users to tell us how they use Equiwinner throughout the year as a preventative to these and other conditions. We hope their experience can help you. Here’s what they had to say:
- An ounce of prevention . . .
- Barrel racer Kim Picard has a plan.
- So does mounted shooter Carrie Hirshberg.
When a horse’s body isn’t processing electrolytes properly, it can lead to a host of serious complications, such as dehydration, colic, anhidrosis, atrial fibrillation, EIPH and other presentations that are not only expensive and time consuming to resolve but can threaten the life and livelihood of your horse. Utilizing Equiwinner as a preventative, especially in horses with a demonstrated predisposition to such ailments, can keep your horse happy, healthy and hydrated and give you peace of mind.
"To be able to compete with Tiger, my headshaking horse, at the beginning of my season (mid-May) I do the first treatment or it would be impossible to ride him. I will do a second treatment in mid-August because the headshaking slowly comes back and I have some very important races in September so I need my horse to be at his best.
"Also, on the long run of rodeo road, I'll put a patch on my horse in the trailer. I saw a difference because I already travelled with friends and their horses drank only a bucket of water and looked tired while mine drank two and arrived full of energy.
"Another thing that I love about Equiwinner is that my horse's coat looks healthier with a treatment. My horse is 24/7 outside in summer and his bay coat looks dun without Equiwinner but stays dark and shiny with it.
"I can cut on many of the supplements I give to my horse but Equiwinner is the one and only I will always give no matter what."
Kim Picard, Drummondville, Quebec, Championne de la course de barils du Festival western de Saint-Tite 2022
“With our horse that is prone to tying up, we do the entire patch system two times a year. This keeps her pretty regulated. We still manage her diet, but Equiwinner has helped her be more normal and was an answer to our prayers. Having Equiwinner in our tool kit is allowing her to remain on our first string of athletes.
"All of our number ones get the patch system annually. This gives me peace of mind that their system is functioning correctly. We use and haul our horses A LOT, on top of that we live in Phoenix, AZ, where we just had a record 63 days of over 100 degree weather. We need our horses thriving for all that we demand of them, including the weather!
"I am now a proactive horse owner and competitor."
Carrie Hirshberg, Tonopah, AZ, CMSA 2019 Western Natl Overall Cowgirl & trainer at Hirshberg Performance Horsemanship
Yes! While a full 10-day course of patches is necessary for long-lasting effects, many have found that using Equiwinner patches for 1-3 days when they anticipate the horse’s system will be stressed (such as long-distance hauls, Fourth of July fireworks, horse shows, etc.) can be helpful, as it allows horses to recover more quickly).
“Sometimes when we travel to different climates, the drinking habits of our horses may change. I have used Equiwinner patches in the trailer during trips with weather/climate changes and my horses keep drinking adequately on these trips. They arrive at the event without being stressed or fatigued.”
Trula Churchill, 2011 Canadian Champion barrel racer and 3x NFR qualifier
- How should Equiwinner be used during transport?
- Caroline Boucher, barrel racer/trainer
- 3 Day Eventer Anna Collier
- Gut Einhaus Grand Prix jumpers
While it is recommended that Equiwinner patches be used as a 10-day treatment (which can be especially helpful for a previously untreated horse acclimating to a new environment), many users use single patches in the days leading up to, during or after travelling with horses to help with stress, encourage water consumption during transport and preventing dehydration.
"We use Equiwinner patches two weeks before we travel long ways, before all big events and during hot weather. I can say I use Equiwinner more often than not. I am travelling right now with 11 horses and they all have their Equiwinner patches on."
Caroline Boucher, Whitesboro, TX, Equistats 2024 Million Dollar Earnings rider
"We use patches when the horses travel for more than 6 hours or also if we have a 20 degree plus weather change. The horses have stayed well hydrated and ready to work when they are at the competition. I really believe this gives them an added help with all the travel and competition stress."
Anna Collier, Ridgefield, WA
"We typically apply a patch to our horses a day before a long trip, continue during the journey, and use another after the trip to ensure they stay balanced and comfortable. On particularly hot days or during periods of intensive work, we also like to use individual patches to support their electrolyte levels. Additionally, when a horse is adjusting to a new environment or climate, we administer a full 10-day course to help them acclimate smoothly."
Ansgar Holtgers Jr, Wellington, FL & Herzlake, Germany
Horses that aren't being worked any longer, our seniors, deserve to be as comfortable as possible. Sweating efficiently, being well hydrated and not bothered by flies would go a long way to enjoy their time just hanging around in the paddock, not to mention that Equiwinner can postpone retirement.
"My horse, Chenel, is a 20 year old Arabian mare and a former reserve national champion in working cow discipline. She's now retired and was suffering in the summer heat. After Equiwinner, she began to sweat and her heart rate gradually went to normal after about 10 days. She's now happy again."
Karen Rinck, Muskogee, OK
"My prelim event horse returned to competing during the summer and sweats like any other horse." Jennifer Dougherty, Elgin, IL, International FEI Event Rider
"Without the patches my horse would have had to be retired." Dianne Lipham, Lynchburg, TN, L6 Mounted Shooter
"Before Equiwinner, I assumed I would need to retire my mare from eventing and your product prolonged her career by several seasons." Leslie Wylie, Knoxville, TN
The time of year the horse will be treated depends on the issues being treated, and the horse’s workload. Regardless, treating prior to symptoms presenting is ideal, as it is easier to prevent an issue rather than fix it.
For warm weather issues, such as headshaking, anhidrosis or skin issues, annual treatments are best given in the spring, before temperatures rise significantly. If your last Equiwinner treatment for a summer issue was last year, it's better to retreat your horse in April or May than risk waiting and have your horse start headshaking or stop sweating in the summer in the middle of your competition season. A treatment in April costs the same as a treatment in August, so there's no benefit to delay or try to skip an annual treatment. Equiwinner results are not likely to last two years because electrolyte balance gradually deteriorates.
For performance issues, a treatment should be given before competition season begins, ideally when the horse’s training is beginning to increase.
Horses tend to drink less in colder months, and this reduced water intake combined with also getting less water from their forage (which is often dry hay in the winter rather than fresh green grass during the warmer months) can lead to dehydration, impaction colic, inability to maintain their body temperature and more. Horses getting shocked by static electricity, aka winter blanket zap, will get relief too when electrolyes work properly.
Using Equiwinner patches is an easy way to help keep horses hydrated and healthy in winter months.
After an Exercise-Induced Pulmonary Hemorrhage (EIPH or "bleeding") episode, quite a bit of healing is required before the horse can be put back in to training. The lungs need to heal and the horse needs to restore capillaries to prevent more bleeding. This is why the Equiwinner instructions are different for treating bleeders, not the usual simple 10-day treatment. The horse has to be taken out of full training with walking exercise only for 15 days, 10 days with the patches and for a further 5 days. Then the horse can be gradually returned to normal training. This is a huge but necessary inconvenience when it happens in the middle of competition or race season.
After the first treatment, plan ahead for further treatments when your horse has enough time off to follow the special instructions. Remember that electrolyte balance gradually deteriorates and if the horse is left untreated for too long, the horse may bleed again and ruin all your immediate good plans. Each horse owner and each discipline should make their own plan. For example, a race horse might be treated twice a year, before the summer meet up north and before the winter meet down south.
It is important to follow your veterinarian’s recommendations when caring for a horse after a bleeding episode, as protocols may differ based on the veterinarian, severity of the EIPH episode, how many times it has happened previously and the rules governing the location and sport for which the horse was training.
- Can Equiwinner be used on horses in active training at the track?
- Thoroughbred trainer Jordan Blair prepares well.
Many of our most loyal Equiwinner users are racing trainers of Thoroughbreds, Standardbreds and Quarter Horses. Because Equiwinner contains only natural, balanced electrolytes, they will not test positive in any racing or competition settings and have no adverse side effects.
That being said, rules and regulations vary between racing jurisdictions. The Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority does have rules regarding the use of electrolytes prior to races and vets' list workouts. It is wise to consult with your attending veterinarian or a regulatory veterinarian or official on specific rules regarding electrolytes for your racing jurisdiction and breed.
“I started using the Equiwinner patches for a chronic tie-up filly and was very pleased with her turnaround. Now I use Equiwinner for tie-ups, long ships, thumpers and more. Oceanic, a stakes winner and multiple graded stakes performer, utilized the patches before each race. If an athlete has unbalanced electrolytes, they can’t have peak performance. I highly recommend Equiwinner.”
Jordan Blair, Thoroughbred Trainer
While Equiwinner patches were developed to aid horses experiencing the most common effects of electrolyte imbalance (tying up, EIPH, anhidrosis, etc.), electrolytes are involved with all bodily functions, so it’s no surprise that we are still learning from loyal Equiwinner users the many benefits they’ve seen after using the patches.
From helping broodmares get into or stay in foal to aiding in developing suppleness and flexibility in their training, and even deterring insects in the summer and blanket zap from static electricity in the winter, there seems to be no shortage of the benefits users have seen from Equiwinner.
“My specialty is retraining racehorses for competitive equestrian careers, and I typically have anywhere from 50 to 70 horses come through my program each year. Not only has it aided in keeping my upper-level horses comfortable post-cross-country with muscle recovery, but I have seen it help with muscle tightness across the topline of recently retired racehorses as they embark on the retraining process.”
Brit Vegas, Royal Fox Stables
"Our family has been using Equiwinner on our Arabian endurance racers and broodmares for over a decade. We were pleased with the results we were getting so we continued to use the patch on our other top performers, noticing a decrease in tie up as a whole for our racers. Over the years, we experimented by using the patch on our broodmares just months prior to breeding them.
"We started to use the patch on an 18 year old retired racing mare named, “Touch O Steele”, from whom we wanted to have a foal. She had high levels of testosterone, and did not have regular heat cycles; she would not accept the stallion. After we did 1 run of 10 days on the patch, within weeks, Steele demonstrated strong, obvious heat cycles and we were able to breed her successfully.
"Several years later, we did the same for our 100 mile race mare Zafira, who had similar issues as Steele. After a run of 10 days on the patch, Zafira began to show strong signs of heat. We had to bring her to a reproduction vet and get his assistance with some of her pre-breeding care and now, she too is pregnant.
"It’s not always the answer for all of our mares, and we don’t have tons of experience using it for this purpose, but when we have run across mares not coming into heat, we try using the patch to see if it will assist. Some times it does!"
Leah Harrison, Endurance Horses and Hay Inc, Bivins, TX
Plan for the unexpected and don't leave home without Equiwinner. Patches can come to the rescue when horses are distraught in strange environments, sudden weather changes, and other situations. Being stranded on the side of the road for hours with vehicle trouble or traffic snarls is not a safe place for you or your horses; a patch to the rescue could help keep horses calm and therefore more safe.
Remember that high heat can melt the wax in the patches and ruin them so don't leave them in your vehicle or trailer parked in the summer sun. You could keep them in a cooler when you travel .
"After competing in Oklahoma and ready to start heading home to Idaho, temperatures dropped and freezing rain set in. We loaded up and headed out, but the journey proved to be more difficult than we anticipated. We were on the road for 10 hours with 2 stops to water, walk, and feed the horses. When we pulled into New Mexico, we quickly realized that the barrel horse was sick. She could barely move. We had no idea what was happening so we called our vet for advice. He advised us on what to give her, but NOTHING seemed to be working. Right then and there, we thought we were going to lose her.
"We had two Equwinner patches left, so my husband suggested that we try one of them. Within two hours of applying the patch, the horse's eyes became clear and she began to drink and eat. Within eight hours, she was able to continue the journey back to Idaho. We patched her for the next four days, and she never fell back into what could have been a horrible outcome. We're grateful that we had the Equwinner patches with us; without them, our horse might not have made it. We never haul long distances without them and also use them successfully for EIPH bleeding."
Mara Ream, Dingle, ID
How do YOU use Equiwinner? Reach out and tell us and you may be featured on our website, social media or print materials.