Ridecamp: Re: [RC] More ???

I seldom actually bathe my mare, but she gets hosed off with clear water 
almost every time I ride.  She really likes it, and will head toward the wash 
rack even when I didn't intend to hose her.  I figure this washes off the 
sweat and salt without removing the natural oils.

I also hose her off before I put her in the trailer if it's hot out.  If it's 
really hot (like 90-100 degrees), I will hose her for ten minutes or so, to 
make her feel cool and fresh  before I ride or trailer.  First, it cuts down 
on grooming time, second, it gets her cool before I put her in, and keeps her 
cool in the trailer.  It takes about a 10 minute trailer ride to get her 
dried out enough to saddle when we get there.  

Also, in spite of what your vet says, vegetable oil is absorbed, and can  put 
a bit of a bloom on the coat.  Lots of people on this list feed up to 2 cups 
of good quality (not rancid) vegetable oil to put or hold weight on their 
horse.  It uses different metabolic pathways than carbohydrates, but horses 
metabolize oils very well.  Your vet may have been referring to mineral oil, 
or may not be up to date on the latest nutritional data.  jeri

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
 Ridecamp is a service of Endurance Net, http://www.endurance.net.
 Information, Policy, Disclaimer: http://www.endurance.net/Ridecamp
 Subscribe/Unsubscribe http://www.endurance.net/ridecamp/logon.asp
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=