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Re: [RC] Horse Digestion - heidiI have a stupid question for all those smart vets out there. How long does it typically take a horse to digest its meal? I've been thinking about feeding soaked beet pulp before a ride to pre-load their system with highly digestable fiber. If you start feeding too early you waste expensive feed, feed too late and you don't give them the energy they need late in the ride. Figure that what you feed on Thursday is finally being pooped out on Saturday at the ride. However, feeding the sloppy stuff during the ride and right before the ride helps with the hydration that they need to keep that gut running (never mind the rest of the body). Also, it takes something in the stomach to keep the hindgut working--that's called the "gastro-colic reflex." So stuff the horse as full of forage as you can on Thursday, and KEEP stuffing him full before and during the ride, so that what he eats then aids in the digestion of what he ate on Thursday. Our horses get Ultium feed twice a day, morning and night and I try to add soaked beet pulp starting the day before the ride. Since I've started adding beet pulp gut sounds have improved on our last three rides. I started to think maybe two days would be even better. Heck, I feed it all the time during ride season--I just feed MORE at the ride! :-) Heidi =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= 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 Ride Long and Ride Safe!! =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
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