>I have to make mention of two things you
pointed out. Alfalfa and thumps? >Maybe, but I have fed strait (and high
level protein at that) alfalfa for years, to >all 6 of my horses, competing
and non-competing and have never had a >problem.
However, it is worth pointing out that because
some horses are able to (sorry) get away with eating straight alfalfa doesn't
make it the ideal ration for endurance horses. I've talked to A LOT of
people over the past few years that don't recognize outright "problems" to the
point of thumps or colic or enteroliths, but once their horses go onto a
better diet, then realize that their horses do seem to be doing
better.
>that. So, while alfalfa hay can be
high in calcium, it may be that it is not >balanced 2:1 with the
phosphorous. (maybe too much bran?) Calcium is also >part of our
electrolyte recipes. So I am inclined to follow that theory.
It's both, in that yes, you have to feed more
calcium than you are phosphorus during the ride, so that the calcium is not
bound (and therefore unavailable) by the co-existing phosphorus in the
gut. But it also has to do with prior downregulation of parathyroid
hormone (which mobilizes calcium from storage depots in bone), and that has to
do with calcium levels of the maintenance diet.
> I personally do not allow my horses to
eat grass with or with out a bit. It has >nothing to do with manners. I
know of someone who did and the horse stepped >on the reins.When the horse
panicked because it couldn't lift it's head, it >jerked, reared, fell
backwards and broke it's jaw. The rider didn't fair so well >either.It was
an accident. Enough seen, 'nough said.
Well, I also once saw a terrible accident
involving a horse in a horse trailer, but it doesn't prevent me from
trailering my horses when it's called for. Teaching and allowing a horse
to eat along the trail, especially if you are going more than 25 miles, is one
of the best things you can do for the horse to help maintain metabolic
integrity. Of course, every rider has to decide for themselves how they
choose to manage their horses, but for the general population and the newbies
on Ridecamp, please please PLEASE manage your horses to allow them to eat at
regular intervals in between vet checks. I can't even list how many
emails I've gotten from riders whose 'chronic colickers' stopped having
metabolic problems once they were allowed to snack their way down the
trail.
Susan G