Re: Re: Re: Jihad's first 50!

["Susan Garlinghouse" <suendavid@worldnet.att.net>]

>     I am always very careful about letting my horse eat too much bran mash
> at a ride. First I do not think his diet should change during a ride, so

An excellent point and practice.



> does he get this much bran at home?  Second I think the bran can lead to
an
> increased risk of impaction colic. (true anyone?)

Dr. Ralston can correct/add to this, but here's my opinion---if a horse were
dehydrated, then almost any feed can potentially contribute to impaction, as
it's the lack of fluid in the gut that's really the problem.  However, if
your horse is dehydrated, then a new feed is potentially also going to
affect fluid shifts and rate of fermentation/gas production more than the
normal ration will, and that alone can make the situation worse.  And, alot
of people still view bran as a fiber source/laxative for horses, when it's
not---it has more fiber than, say, oats, but it's still a grain product, not
a forage.  And grain products have more potential effect on
dehydration-related colics than a true forage would.


>    I was at BVS also, and yes my horse wanted the bran more than the hay,
> but I wouldn't let him have very much of it.   I also worry that the bran
> will bind up the calcium and he will get thumps.  Is this reasoning
correct
> anybody?

It depends alot on how much calcium he has in his ration at home and how
accustomed he is to mobilizing calcium from bone stores without having to
rely on additional dietray sources during the ride.  But, yes, high
phosphorus fed along with the calcium is going to bind up some of the
calcium.  No guarentees about whether it will cause or cure thumps, though.

Sorry, Jim, hard to give you really cut-and-dried answers on this one, but
it looks like you're really thinking things through and that's half the
battle. :-)

Susan G


 We electrolyted the usual amount, 1 ounce pre ride, 2 ounces at
> lunch, 1 ounce at the finish, (enduromax) works for us, I know some
> electrolyte more, I just haven't found it necessary.
>
> Jim
>
>
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