electrolytes - Long

["Garner" <GarnerT@email.msn.com>]

I have a question for Susan Garlinghouse, if the rest of you don't mind.

I regularly train 15 - 20 miles on Saturday, with 1 or 2 light days of
riding during the week.  The weekend ride is rigorous with a lot of trotting
& uphill/downhill work.  The weekday rides are short 30 - 40 minutes, mainly
trail walking, a small of amount of jogging & cantering. (No time during the
week because of work).

My horse turned 5 in June & just completed his 3rd LD.  The problem is, I
gave him some electrolytes a week before Bear Valley.  I preloaded the
recommended dosage before trailering up.  I noticed that he had a lot of
gas, didn't seem enthusiastic, was very sweaty, and didn't seem to want to
eat or drink normally.  After about 3 hours of riding, he began to move
better & seem more like himself.

For the Bear Valley ride, I cut the dose in half.  This is an endurance
electrolyte, by the way.  At the first vet check he only had a C on gut
sounds, didn't want to eat, and drank very little.  I had Lyte Now with me,
but didn't feel he had had enough water.  He again had gas & just didn't
seem to "have" it.

I didn't ride fast, the morning was cool, and he ate & drank all night long.
Do you think it was the electrolytes being preloaded that caused this?
Should I have given him the Lyte Now at the vet checks, even though he
wasn't eating or drinking well?

By the time we got to the 2nd vet check, it took him 10 minutes to pulse
down, but I was really worried about his temperature.  He was hot....  We
stayed at the vet check while I scooped & cooled him down.  We waited until
he finally ate some hay and had his first good drink.  When I left, we
walked the entire High Country Trail.

At about mile 20, he perked up again.  It was amazing the difference.  We
still kept at a slow trot, and walked the last quarter mile in.  He pulsed
down quickly & ended up with a B in gut sounds.

He wanted to lie down, so I let him.  He rested in a round pen up there for
about an hour.   He had no colic/tie up symptoms, he just wanted to rest.
When he got up, he ate, drank, peed, pooped, etc.  As far as I can tell, he
seems fine, just a little sore in the shoulders from pulling uphill (he
hasn't learned to push from the back yet).

If you have any advice or suggestions on how to avoid this in the future,
I'd appreciate it.

Kathy Garner & Taz