Introducing Ready: A New Approach to Supporting Horses with EIPH
Exercise Induced Pulmonary Hemorrhage (EIPH) is one of the most common conditions affecting performance horses, yet it's also one of the most misunderstood. Most horse owners think of EIPH as simply "bleeding in the lungs." While that's true, it's only part of the story.
Every time a horse reaches maximal exertion, the lungs are placed under incredible stress. Blood pressure within the tiny pulmonary capillaries rises dramatically as the horse demands more oxygen. In some horses, that pressure becomes great enough to cause those microscopic capillaries to rupture, allowing blood to enter the airways. For some horses, it's occasional. For others, it's something they battle throughout their performance career.
The question isn't simply how to respond after bleeding occurs. The question is how we can better support the lungs before, during, and after those tremendous physical demands. That's exactly why we created Ready.
Why Do So Many Horses Experience EIPH?
One of the biggest misconceptions about EIPH is that only horses with respiratory disease experience it. The reality is that many perfectly healthy, elite equine athletes experience some degree of pulmonary bleeding simply because of the enormous pressures generated within the lungs during intense exercise.
At full speed, the equine respiratory and cardiovascular systems are operating near their biological limits. The tiny capillaries responsible for oxygen exchange experience tremendous stress, and in susceptible horses, some of those vessels may rupture. That's why EIPH is so common across disciplines including racing, barrel racing, roping, eventing, polo, and other high-intensity sports.
But here's where we believe the conversation should expand. The mechanical forces of exercise may explain how bleeding occurs, but they don't fully explain why some horses are more susceptible than others or why some recover quickly while others continue to struggle.
From our perspective, the overall health of the horse matters.
A horse consuming a diet that promotes chronic inflammation may be placing additional stress on tissues that are already being challenged by intense exercise. While inflammation is a normal part of the body's healing response, persistent low-grade inflammation can make it more difficult for tissues to recover and maintain normal function.
This is one of the reasons we're so passionate about feeding an anti-inflammatory, species-appropriate diet. Reducing unnecessary sugars, starches, highly processed feeds, and inflammatory ingredients while prioritizing high-quality forage and balanced nutrition supports the horse far beyond just respiratory health. It supports the body's ability to heal, recover, and function the way it was designed.
Traditional Chinese Medicine Takes This Concept One Step Further
In TCM, the Spleen plays a much larger role than simply digestion. It's responsible for transforming food into Qi and Blood, transporting nutrients throughout the body, and, importantly, helping keep Blood contained within the vessels where it belongs.
When the Spleen becomes weakened, often from poor diet, chronic digestive dysfunction, or the accumulation of what TCM refers to as Dampness, its ability to perform these functions can become compromised. Dampness is often associated with sluggish digestion, poor nutrient transformation, excess mucus production, chronic inflammation, and metabolic imbalance. Over time, these patterns can influence multiple body systems, including the respiratory system.
Rather than viewing the lungs in isolation, Traditional Chinese Medicine recognizes that healthy Lung function depends on the health of the Spleen, proper circulation of Qi and Blood, and the body's overall internal balance. That's why, when we look at horses prone to EIPH, we don't just ask how to support the lungs. We also ask what can be done to support the horse's foundation, because stronger lungs begin with a healthier body.
A Traditional Formula Designed for Today's Performance Horse
Ready combines respiratory support herbs with one of the most well-known Traditional Chinese herbal formulas in the performance horse industry: Yunnan Baiyao. Rather than focusing only on what happens after bleeding occurs, Ready was formulated to provide comprehensive respiratory support before, during, and after intense exercise.
By supporting healthy circulation, respiratory function, normal inflammatory responses, and lung tissue health, Ready was designed for horses that repeatedly place extraordinary demands on their respiratory system.
Why Is Yunnan Baiyao So Well Known in the Racing Industry?
Long before Ready was developed, Yunnan Baiyao had already earned a respected reputation among veterinarians, trainers, and horse owners involved in performance sports. Originally developed more than a century ago as a Traditional Chinese herbal formula, Yunnan Baiyao has long been used to support healthy circulation and the body's normal response to bleeding and tissue injury.
Over the years, its use expanded into equine medicine, where many racetrack veterinarians and performance horse practitioners began incorporating it into their management of horses prone to Exercise Induced Pulmonary Hemorrhage. Today, it remains one of the most widely recognized Chinese herbal formulas used by horse owners with horses that have a history of EIPH. Many veterinarians and trainers administer Yunnan Baiyao before races or other strenuous competitions in an effort to support horses that are prone to bleeding.
Its reputation wasn't built through marketing. It was built through decades of practical use in the performance horse industry.
Why We Didn't Stop with Yunnan Baiyao
While Yunnan Baiyao has earned its reputation, we also recognized that lung health involves much more than one herbal formula. Supporting a horse prone to EIPH isn't just about the body's response to bleeding. It's also about supporting healthy respiratory function, maintaining healthy circulation, helping the lungs recover from the stress of intense exercise, and promoting long-term respiratory wellness.
That's why we combined the respected tradition of Yunnan Baiyao with the carefully selected respiratory herbs. The result is Ready, a formula designed to support the horse as a whole, not just one event.
How Ready Supports Horses Prone to EIPH
1. Supports Horses Before the Demands of Competition
For decades, Yunnan Baiyao has been used by many veterinarians and trainers before competition for horses with a history of EIPH. Ready builds upon that tradition while providing broader respiratory support through carefully selected Traditional Chinese herbs.
2. Supports Healthy Pulmonary Blood Vessels
During intense exercise, the tiny blood vessels within the lungs experience tremendous pressure. Ready contains herbs traditionally used to support healthy circulation and vascular integrity, helping maintain normal pulmonary function during strenuous work.
3. Supports Healthy Respiratory Function
Efficient airflow is essential for every equine athlete. Ready contains herbs selected to help support healthy lung function and promote normal respiratory performance before and after exercise.
4. Supports a Balanced Inflammatory Response
Repeated stress on the lungs can contribute to irritation within the respiratory system. Ready contains herbs traditionally used to support a healthy inflammatory response, helping maintain overall lung health.
5. Supports Healthy Lung Tissue
The lungs work incredibly hard during every performance. Ready provides herbal support for the body's natural repair processes, helping maintain healthy respiratory tissues after repeated athletic demands.
6. Supports Recovery and Continued Performance
Healthy lungs recover more efficiently. By supporting circulation, respiratory health, and overall lung function, Ready helps horses prepare for the next performance while promoting long-term respiratory wellness.
Why We Take a Different Approach
At ActivateQi, we don't believe health is built by addressing one symptom at a time. Traditional Chinese Medicine has always viewed the body as an interconnected system. Healthy lungs rely on healthy circulation, healthy circulation supports healthy tissues, and balanced inflammation supports normal healing. Every system influences the next.
Instead of asking, "How do we stop the bleeding?" we ask, "How do we better support the horse?" That shift in perspective is what led to the development of Ready. Rather than creating a formula centered around one event, we created one designed to support the respiratory system as a whole.
More Than Bleeding Lungs
Performance asks an incredible amount of every horse. Whether you're running barrels, racing Thoroughbreds, roping, eventing, or competing in any discipline that pushes the limits of athletic performance, your horse's lungs are working harder than almost any other organ system. Supporting those lungs shouldn't begin only after a problem appears. It should be part of preparing the horse for the demands of competition while supporting recovery afterward.
Ready was created with that philosophy in mind. By combining one of the most respected Traditional Chinese herbal formulas used by veterinarians and horsemen for horses prone to EIPH with carefully selected respiratory herbs. Ready offers a broader approach to supporting lung health, respiratory function, and overall performance.
Because we believe the goal isn't simply to help horses through today's run. It's to help them stay healthier, stronger, and ready for the next one.
