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[RC] this post has NOTHING to do with LD ;) --feed changes at rides - Andrea DayEverybody *knows* that you don't make sudden changes in a horse's diet, but most riders seem to do just that at rides--~Dobbin grazes on whatever greens, grass, or weeds he can scrounge on the trail, and we STRONGLY encourage him ~Ride management provides hay at out-checks, and we go so far as to hand-feed it standing in line for the vet ~lots of riders let their horses munch from left-over pile to different left-over pile at checks or around camp or borrow or trade a flake to encourage their horse to eat ~various things ranging from pro-bi, glycogen, electrolytes, applesauce, alfalfa cubes, beet pulp and other stuff which may or may not get fed at home are put into a horse's diet on a ride ~dry-lotted horses are often given as much graze as possible in camp, while pastured horses have to munch more hay than usual ~Dobbin gets fed free choice or earlier/later than usual, eats at every check, has pretty much free choice when done After talking with some show horse people the other day who fight colic all the time and NEVER vary their horse's diets or feed times, because they SWEAR that doing so will automatically colic their horses, I'm thinking we don't have whole camps full of horses belly-aching, so what's the difference in what we're doing vs. what they're doing? Do endurance horses get more accustomed to variation and to eating a smorgasbord of munchables? Does feeding small amounts of different feedstuffs on alternate days contribute to a horse's being able to tolerate changes in diet? A couple more "gee, I wonder" questions-- If probiotics are live critters, is it possible to make a "growing" solution of probiotic like sourdough starter? Could you customize the *critters* to work better with different diets? Am doing my "three-rat" study this summer using feedable DE to control flies. There are sites out there that suggest that DE can control intestinal worms as well. I'm skeptical--could this be true??? Would there be a problem feeding DE to a horse with ulcers??? _________________________________________________________________ Stop worrying about overloading your inbox - get MSN Hotmail Extra Storage! http://join.msn.com/?pgmarket=en-us&page=hotmail/es2&ST=1/go/onm00200362ave/direct/01/ ============================================================ They're athletes! This is a partnership between horse and rider - we don't have any jockeys out there, just pals and partners. We'd allow a rider with a broken foot, a sore back and a nasty cold to compete - but we would never let a horse in a similiar condition hit the trail. ~ Dr. Barney Flemming DVM ridecamp.net information: http://www.endurance.net/ridecamp/ ============================================================
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