United States Eventing Association

Horse people are a skeptical bunch. Which, honestly, is probably one of our better qualities.

We'll spend hours researching saddles before buying one. We'll compare feed labels in the aisle of the store. We'll ask our veterinarian, our trainer, and at least three friends whose opinions we trust before trying something new. If someone claims they've discovered the next miracle product, we usually smile politely...and keep walking.

Usually, we should. Because the horse industry has never been short on promises.

That's why the best products don't rely on marketing alone. They rely on research. Not because science replaces experience—but because good science confirms it.

Good Science Doesn't Start with an Answer

Most horse owners assume research is designed to prove a product works, when, actually, it's just the opposite.

Good research is designed to answer a question objectively, whether the answer is “yes”, “no”, or "it's more complicated than we thought."

Researchers don't ask, "How can we make this product look good?” They ask, "Does it actually do what it claims?"

That distinction is an important one. It's one thing for a company to tell you its product works and it's another for independent university researchers to put that claim to the test.

The Question Was Surprisingly Simple

When Gallagher's Water was developed, there were already plenty of electrolyte products on the market.

Creating another electrolyte wasn't the goal — solving one of the most common frustrations in every barn was: how do you get horses to drink more water —especially when they need it most?

Every horse owner knows the scenarios:

• The horse who drinks perfectly at home but snubs every option the minute the trailer door opens.
• The horse that suddenly decides unfamiliar water is beneath them.
• The horse that barely touches a bucket after a long day of competition.
• The horse who’s feeling a bit ‘off’ but won’t even consider taking a sip.
• The horse that doesn’t sweat enough and simply isn’t into entertaining another electrolyte option.
• Or the one standing in front of a full bucket during a cold snap as if drinking were somehow optional.

Those situations aren't unusual; they're practically a rite of passage for anyone who owns horses.

So, the question wasn't whether hydration mattered.

We already knew that.

The question was whether there was a reliable way to encourage horses to drink more – voluntarily.

The Bucket Doesn't Lie

The researchers at Louisiana State University and Colorado State University weren't asked to determine whether Gallagher's Water contained electrolytes. That was already known. They weren't asked whether horses liked the flavor. The question was much more practical—and much more important. Would horses actually choose to drink more water when Gallagher's Water was available?

That may sound almost too simple, but sometimes the simplest questions produce the most meaningful answers.

Because hydration doesn't happen in the feed room.

It doesn't happen on the supplement label.

It happens at the water bucket.

The university research demonstrated that horses offered Gallagher's Water voluntarily drank significantly more water than horses offered plain water. That's the result that matters.

Not because it sounds impressive in a brochure, but because every other aspect of hydration depends on it.

Why Drinking More Matters

Horse owners have become increasingly knowledgeable about electrolytes over the years—and rightly so. Electrolytes play an essential role in replacing minerals lost through sweat and supporting normal muscle and nerve function. And horse owners have no shortage of options when it comes to replacing those electrolytes.

But electrolytes can only do their job if the horse is drinking enough water to begin with.

Think of hydration like building a barn: electrolytes are the lumber, nails, and roofing. Water is the foundation. Without it, nothing else has much to stand on. The best electrolyte program in the world can't help a horse that isn't drinking.

Hydration has to come first.

Research Meets the Real World

Fortunately, horses don't read the research papers – they just tell us the results.

Every horse owner has experienced moments when maintaining hydration becomes more challenging:

• Long hauls to competitions
• Summer heat and humidity
• Cold winter weather, when horses naturally drink less
• Recovery after strenuous work
• Trail rides and camping trips
• Illness or injury recovery
• Foaling and lactation
• Any situation involving unfamiliar water

These aren't unusual circumstances, they’re simply part of life with horses.

University research didn't create those challenges—it simply confirmed what horse owners experience every day: horses that drink more are better prepared to handle them.

That's a practical finding horse owners can appreciate!

Science and Common Sense

One of the most encouraging things about the research is that it confirmed what experienced horse people have suspected all along: hydration isn't just about replacing what's been lost, it’s about making it easier for horses to drink before dehydration becomes the problem we're trying to solve.

That's a subtle – but important – shift in thinking.

Instead of asking, "How do I treat dehydration?”, we begin asking, "How do I help prevent it?” That's where hydration becomes part of a routine instead of a rescue plan.

More Than an Electrolyte

Gallagher's Water was never intended to compete with every electrolyte on the shelf. It was designed to solve the problem that makes every electrolyte, every cooling strategy, and every recovery plan possible in the first place. It was developed to help horses do the one thing every veterinarian, trainer, nutritionist, and rider agrees they need to do.

Drink.

Backed by university research, trusted by veterinarians, and designed by horse people who understand the realities of competition, travel, changing seasons, and everyday barn life, Gallagher's Water has become more than an electrolyte supplement: it's a hydration system.

Because before recovery can begin...

Before electrolytes can replenish...

Before cooling strategies, feeding programs, and conditioning plans can do their jobs...

Your horse has to drink.

And sometimes the smartest thing we can do isn't trust the latest marketing claim – it's trust the bucket.

Because the bucket never lies.