Check it Out!    
RideCamp@endurance.net
[Date Prev] [Date Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next]
[Date Index] [Thread Index] [Author Index] [Subject Index]

Re: The Edge



> > He then spoke of the horses.  Doc mentioned that we, as endurance
riders,
> > push them closer to the edge, closer to their breaking point, more than
any
> > other equestrian sport.


After having looked at hundreds of blood panels taken during endurance rides
now, I would have to agree with Dane's assessment---these horse *are* pushed
very hard.  In the same way as flat-track horses are, no---for the most
part, if you see a breakdown at the track, it's going to be a biomechanical
failure, like a fracture or blown tendons or whatever.  We see alot of
lameness during endurance rides, but generally not to the devastating
career- or life-ending extent.

However, our horses are pushed very hard *metabolically*---exactly how far,
and by what mechanisms, and with what long-term consequences, we still don't
know.  That, in a nutshell, pretty much explains what Barney's Pride
Project, and my Chiron projects at Swanton and Tevis are trying to find out,
along with Gayle Ecker's projects, Sarah Ralston's, Carolyn Stull's and many
others.  And it's not a question that's going to be figured out next week,
either.

Part of the problem is that we still don't have a perfect system of
accurately evaluating horses during vet checks.  We've all seen or heard
about horses that finished a ride with acceptable vet parameters under good
vets and yet crashed later that night, or the next day or whatever.  That
wouldn't be happening if a) they were not significantly metabolically
stressed (which they are); b) if we had a timely and comprehensive method to
precisely assess the horse's metabolic status (which we don't) and c) if we
really understood exactly WHY crashing horses were crashing (which we
don't).  Hell, we don't even have a really good handle on what all the risk
factors are, though we're getting better at that.

Since I've started trying to make some statistical sense out of the serial
blood samples drawn from horses during rides, there have been several
findings that are consistently showing up in the lab reports that support my
opinion, and I'm assuming Dane's comments as reported by Howard.  Those
findings include:
1)  Horses that are passing VCs with hydration scores of As and Bs are
coming back with labwork that shows that they *were* clinically dehydrated
to a significant amount.  Enough to warrant a pull, probably not.  Enough to
warrant a change in management by the rider (ie, take another 20 minutes to
get some more food/water into him), yes.  For damn sure enough to pay
attention that this horse may not be on the edge--but he can see it from
here.
2)  Virtually *every* horse comes back with what's called a stress
leukogram, even those that the rider describes as perfectly relaxed, happy
and professional during a ride.  Wrong.  NEVER fool yourself that these
horse's aren't reacting metabolically to the stress of trailering and
competing in much the same way they would to respond to chronic pain or
fear, to an onset of disease or injury, etc.  In addition, we're seeing the
majority of horses with very high cortisol levels, another indicator of
significant stress.  Is that contributing directly to a possible metabolic
crash during the ride, we don't really know.  Does it make these horses more
susceptible to infectitious diseases coming down the pike, you betcha.
3)  The enzyme levels released by the muscles during exercise is VERY often
right through the roof.  We're talking screaming levels in horses that pass
every vet check acceptably, horses that aren't under suspicion of tying up,
horses that *seem* to be a long ways from "the edge", even to the educated
eye of the ride vet.  At a glance, these horses seem to be fine despite
enzymes that are off the charts.  Does that mean that normal and
non-pathologic values are different for endurance horses than they are for
other equine disciplines?  Could be, in fact, very likely to at least some
extent.  Or, could it possibly mean that we're causing chronic and low-level
damage (ie, to the kidneys) every time we compete at that level, and we
don't find out about it until a year later when the horse suddenly falls
over without warning?  It's a valid hypothesis (and one we're going to try
to specifically address this summer at Tevis, if we can get enough horses
involved).

There are other metabolic parameters we're seeing other than these, but you
get the idea---I don't care how good your horse looks and acts on the
outside, endurance ain't a romp in the park.  Metabolically speaking, what
the thoroughbreds and STBs and quarterhorses are doing on the track is NADA
compared to endurance.

Dane knew exactly what he was talking about when he made that comment and I
agree with him 100%.

Susan G




    Check it Out!    

Home    Events    Groups    Rider Directory    Market    RideCamp    Stuff

Back to TOC