Re: Climate and Altitude changes

["Kirsten Price" <kprice@forums.law.arizona.edu>]

I actually asked this question a couple of years ago here on Ridecamp.
Several vets responded.

In a nutshell, horses do not have problems adjusting to altitude the way
humans do (within limits...e.g. horses generally have trouble over 13,000
and 14,000 feet period, no matter how long they have been there).  The
reason is that to accomodate the decrease in oxygen as elevation increases,
the physiological response in humans is to produce more red blood cells.
Humans take time to adjust because it takes time for the body to ramp up its
RBC production rate.  Horses OTOH, store RBCs and therefore have an extra
supply readily available.

Therefore, unless the elevation gain is extreme (say Sea Level to 11,000
feet), a horse should have sufficient RBCs on hand to accomodate the reduced
concentration of oxygen.

If my understanding is wrong, I'm sure the experts will chime in.

Kirsten


----- Original Message -----
From: <Tivers@aol.com>
To: <robandcarla@hotmail.com>; <ridecamp@endurance.net>
Sent: Thursday, September 07, 2000 10:06 AM
Subject: RC: Climate and Altitude changes


> In a message dated 9/7/00 10:01:07 AM Pacific Daylight Time,
> robandcarla@hotmail.com writes:
>
> << what about higher altitude changes? would that not effect the horses
> oxygen?
>  How can you get past the slower recovery times since the oxygen would be
>  somewhat thinner than what they are used to?
>   >>
>
>
> You can't That takes time. And an exercise challenge or two. Weeks.
>
> ti
>
>
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