Scientists still haven't figured out exactly why horses lose the ability to sweat. They do know that no breed, sex or gender of horse is safe, as studies have shown that any adult horse is just as likely as another to develop the inability to sweat. And regardless of claims to the contrary by manufacturers of supplements, patches, oils, salves and dietary fixes, there is no "cure" for non-sweaters yet that works on every horse, every time, just as there are no prescription medications currently available to prevent or treat non-sweating. However, researchers have found that the sweat glands of horses that have difficulty sweating, secrete chloride ions differently than other horses. And because chloride is a component of normal sweat along with sodium, potassium, calcium, magnesium and other minerals, there is speculation that a mineral or vitamin imbalance in a particular horse plays a vital role in the ability to sweat.