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Why should this rock the AERC drug rule? First, this
is a much lower incidence of ulcers than what is seen in disciplines such as
racing (estimated around 90% there). Second, ulcers are still a matter of
management (and in some cases, a matter of horse selection to start with).
Giving these horses drugs is good therapy, but is not a solution to getting them
through competition. It isn't any different than treating any other
medical condition--take the horse home, give him appropriate medical care, alter
your feeding and management so that you lower your chances of repeating the
problem, and THEN come back to competition.
I'd suspect the following conditions in our horses which
need to be addressed:
1) First and foremost, selection of horses. Horses
that internalize stress are by far the highest at risk, and are handicapped in
this sport in many other ways.
2) Feeding practices--careful with the concentrates,
miracle additives, etc.
3) Electrolyting practices--this should maybe have
been in the #2 spot. Can't say for sure, as we didn't used to scope
horses, but I sure see a LOT more horses with mild symptoms typical of
ulcers than I did in the pre-electrolyte days, and I'd suspect there is a
connection to pouring all that concentrated electrolyte mix down them.
Again, horse selection is a factor here--there is a tremendous difference among
individuals in how much they NEED (based on how well they manage what they get
out of feed, how well they reduce loss in sweat, etc.). But then there are
ways to administer and ways not to administer. Obviously any e-lytes eaten
in food are the least abrasive to the stomach. Beyond that, non-absorbed
buffers (antacids, etc.) are likely needed far beyond the level at which they
are actually used. There is an old truism that "everything possesses the
defects of its qualities." This is true of e-lytes as well--the horse
may benefit, but there is always a flip side, and I think we're looking at one
right here.
4) Housing. I'd suspect this to be
more of an issue in CA than in some areas, because land is at such a
premium there. But horses that live in confinement or in hectic
environments are far more prone to ulcers.
Am sure there are many more management issues here,
but you get the drift....
Heidi
----- Original Message -----
Sent: Sunday, June 02, 2002 10:32
AM
Subject: Re: [RC] Wine
Country/Gastroguard
----- Original Message -----
Sent: Sunday, June 02, 2002 12:23
PM
Subject: [RC] Wine
Country/Gastroguard
This is going to rock the "no drug" AERC rules a bit: way over half the
horses scoped at the ride had ulcers...... This is the first time they ever
scoped endurance horses and they were still scoping at the time of the
awards so I'm not going to quote the percentages that were announced at the
meeting. The bad news for me and Beau continued. I had him scoped because I
suspected that he may have ulcers by some of the symptoms I noticed from him
at rides. He had a ulcer on the gland - 4 on a scale of 6.
-----
OMG! Man, I did not want to hear that one. Over half?
Well, gee, I guess I know what the topic of Ridecamp is going to be this
week. Hey, Roger, what do you say? Weren't you expecting less
than 5%, at best?
I would like to know more; like how many horses participated in the test,
what the testing involved, and all that. I didn't
think too many riders would participate in the study since you were
supposed not to feed them for 12 hours, which sounds like a crazy thing to
do, if you ask me, at an endurance ride.
More figures, Kathy, please. I believe I'm not alone when I ask for
more details here. Damn interesting study. What sport is safe
for a horse? Is anything?
cya,
Howard (can you prevent an ulcer from happening before it
occurs?)
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