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Re: [RC] [RC] Need opinions - Laurie Durgin

So what is this about the risk of cumulative renal failure?How can we guard against this or not put our horses at risk??????Laurie and Rascal(the toothless, well almost)






From: suendavid@xxxxxxx
To: ridecamp@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
CC: marinera@xxxxxxx
Subject: Re: [RC]   Need opinions
Date: Sun, 16 Feb 2003 17:31:58 +0000

> In a message dated 2/15/2003 5:27:26 PM Mountain Standard Time,
> Marinera@xxxxxxx writes:
>
> > 1. It is a very hot day
> > 2. You have 8 or 10 miles to go to the finish line
> > 3. There is no water between where you are and the finish.
> > 4. You feel your horse is tired.
> >



Julie, IMO, I would walk the horse. Even if the horse is tired, I don't think
strict energetics are reall the issue. I would think that distribution of
blood to dissipate heat and loss of water is more of the key issue. If I
assumed that the horse has been eaten and drank reasonably well during the day,
and been elyted appropriately, then hopefully, there shouldn't be any major
metabolic issues looming. However, there's a fair amount of research data
available indicating that even under ideal circumstances, alot of horses are
still clinically dehydrated to one extent or another---and therefore you have
some issues with blood circulation being shunted away from the digestive tract
(at the bottom of the circulatory pecking order).


If you're walking, then the body is closer to status quo and recovery. More of
the blood is available to supply the guts and keep them moving, while walking
does a very good job of squeezing muscles and flushing out lactic acids and
other by products. Still plenty of ciculation available to supply the muscles
and skin surfaces to dissipate heat. Yes, you'd be doing it for longer than if
you got on and trotted or cantered, but your 'miles-per'gallon' of onboard
resources in general is a lot better (and you have to look at a much bigger
picture than just calorie expenditure).

heat. This is even assuming that humidity is low enough to adequately
evaporate sweat and even remove that heat---which we all know is not always the
case, especially back east and down South. All that blood shunting to muscles
and skin surfaces means it's being shunted away from the GI tract, and thus
motility is compromised. If the horse is already somewhat dehydrated, and is
going to become more so over the next leg, then you are taking an increased
chance of creating a potential colic situation. IMO as well, I believe that
repeated transient bouts of dehydration during exercise are also possibly
responsible for cumulative renal (kidney) damage that might explain some of the
horses that seem to do fine for several seasons and then keel over after a
short shoulda-been-a-cakewalk ride.


Other issues that I think should be taken into consideration are that a tired

:-)

Susan G




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