Endurance.Net Ridecamp Archives

I remember the '96 ROC when many were whining about the humidity - it 
must have been all of 40% when we started. The remnants of a Pacific 
hurricane were moving across Utah that day. Humidity - that's not 
humidity, but to some it was a lot and it took it's toll. They were 
pulling a lot of horses off the mountain for dehydration that day. We 
went chugging along never thinking twice about it. I think all the NE 
except one finished, all the CT region horses finished and all the SE 
region horses finsihed - but the pull rate was about 52%.

The problem I see with rebounding in the East say at the Biltmore or OD 
or any other ride for that matter is by the time of day rolls around for 
them to rebound it is the heat of the day and the stresses are only 
higher. I've started many a ride where the temps were in the 70's but 
the humidity was near 100. In those conditions it is essential they 
drink from the get go.

I've spent a lot of time training my two horses to stop at all water and 
at least to take a sip - if only to make me happy. In the beginning - 
which for the two I've spent a lot of miles on it was LD's or CTR's if 
they don't drink I get off and wait around till they do. If the don't we 
wait.  If I don't finish I dont' care because I'm there for training. 
They usually get the hint. Preloading  small amout of electrolytes also 
helps get the thirst response started early.

I don't really care if they pull may arms out - as long as they stop to 
drink when they see water ;-).

Truman

heidi@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx wrote:

> All of the horses I've ridden to any significant mileage have at least
> been good enough drinkers that they will at least start tanking going into
> the first vet check, which usually isn't 20 miles into the ride.  (And if
> it IS further than that, yes, they are usually drinking prior to that.) 
> But I don't find it at all unusual or troubling if there is a water tank
> at 5 miles and they skip it, or only take a few sips--shoot, they are
> still sloshing in the hindgut at that point from what they took on in the
> smorgasbord the night before.  The two best 100-milers I've ridden would
> at least sip from just about every offered water, but they also ate so
> dang well that they didn't exactly tank up in the early miles, either.  I
> sure prefer the ones who drink early--just saying that as a ride vet I've
> watched too many of them "rebound" later in the day to buy the notion that
> it can't be done or isn't commonly done.  :-)
>
> Heidi
>
>
>
>  


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Arabians were bred for years primarily as a war horse and those
requirements are similar to what we do today with endurance riding. 
~  Homer Saferwiffle

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