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[RC] 100 mile horse characteristics--drinking after 20 miles (also pulling) - Stagg_NewmanBasically agree with Truman. My best 100 mile horse, Ramegwa Drubin's motto from the get go was drink early, drink often. My current horse Super has learned to be a good drinker. My wife had a good 100 mile horse Smoke Rise Strut who top tenned quite a few 100s out West, was second just behind Dubrin (she let me win sort of but that's a long story :>) ) at the National Championship in 1992 and was 1st altnernative to the team to the World's in 1993. However he was not a good drinker and would wait until well after 20 miles. He did well in low humidity rides, particularly out West. But if the humidity got higher up he was quite likely to thump indicating that his electrolyte balance was out of whack. Having been tracking weight loss on Super at 100s courtesy of the SERA scales (THANKS). He will lose 25 to 35 pounds of the first loop of a 100 (I suspect mainly in manure and early nervous sweating). Then he will start putting weigh back on during the ride. Typically at the end of a 100 when he has done well (e.g. his BCs), he has put most of the weight back on. At Biltmore this year he finished within 10 to 15 pounds of his starting weight. Would be great if other regions would get scales to circulate to rides. Great tool! BTW I agree in theory that a good 100 mile horse should settle in and not get excited early on. However many of the best have a strong competitive spirit that may be a necessary part of being a champion. I have had a good case of bursitis twice in my life. The first time was after taking Drubin on his first 50 when he tried to pull my arms out. After 6 months the bursitis went away about a decade. Then I took Super on his first 50. Another 6 month bout with bursitis. Both horses became better and we reached accomondation but with a lot of work. And now I am crazy enough to be taking a relative of Super's in his first ride this coming weekend!!! Cheers, Stagg Truman wrote: From: Truman Prevatt <tprevatt@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx> Subject: Re: [RC] 100 mile horse characteristics--drinking after 20 miles I didn't say they couldn't make it. It all comes down to risk. A horse that doesn't drink for 20 miles will be at more risk than if he did drink like a sailor on leave (early and often). I perfer not to accept the risk associated with a horse that won't drink for 20 miles. This is especially true in the east where the temps and humidity are such that horses will lose large amounts of water from sweat from the get go. I've ridden rides where water was not all that available. Those were, however, in the mountain region where the water loss is going to be on the low side of the 10 l/hr vs. the high side which you will find in the more humid areas. I didn't have a problem with them and neither did my horse. However, I did take time to stop where there was water to make sure he had time to reload on water and to eat some and reload on water. An experience endurance vet made a comment to me one time while we were sitting around the fire waiting for some 100's commented that it scares the hell out of him and he makes a mental note to watch the horse whenever someone says to him at the first check - "oh my horse doesn't drink for 20 miles."
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