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[RC] elyte weight - Ridecamp GuestPlease Reply to: ti tivers@xxxxxxx or ridecamp@xxxxxxxxxxxxx ========================================== I have seen a recomendation by Ridgeway and Merlin that for a 100 mile ride traveling at about 11mph the horse will require about 2lbs (1kg) of electrolytes. I've also done the maths myself based on reported sweat volumes and electrolyte concentrations in sweat - sure enough it seems right. But it sounds like a large amount to me. Yea, it is a HUGE amount. A horse will replace much of what he loses in food, if he is a good eater. In addition to calculating the projected losses in sweat, you also need to calculate what your horse is aprt to eat during that time. Many horses eat so much more on a ride that they will adequately replace their e-lyte loss in food. Some others need a bit more help, but NOWHERE near what their sweat losses are. I personally think that we have a tendency to go so far overboard administering electrolytes that we are causing other problems. I don't e-lyte any of my horses unless they reach a point that they tell me they are in need of some--by wanting to lick salt blocks back at the trailer, etc. I've ridden several horses that I have not e-lyted at all, and that showed no interest in e-lytes, even when ridden quite competitively. I realize that this does not work for all horses, but I firmly believe that we need to be thinking of replacing small increments, not the massive doses that many horses are receiving. Heidi>> This is correct. In setting a world record for 100 miles in the Abu Dhabi desert we used 2 ounces of elytes at every VC and mid-loop of every long loop. Even that may have been too much. Some highly competitive EU riders are using no elytes at all. The best studies on elyte replacement have been done in human sport and those studies often warn of overdoing both water and elyte loading. High concentrations of salts will draw water out of the circulation, adding to any dehydration problem. On the other hand, overhydration tends to be a bigger problem than dehydration in many cases. If you are going to properly elyte and hydrate a horse, the first thing you need to know is how much weight the horse is losing during the exercise--for that you need a scale. The next thing you have to consider is how much water the horse is consuming--has to be measured in order to get the necessary salt intake properly calculated. Remember that a good portion of weight lost during a 100 is glycogen depletion--not salt depletion. Bottom line is don't go crazy with any theories no matter who proclaims them. The level of accurate knowledge in equine athletic nutrition is very low across the board. Observe what appears to be working for competitive riders and sneak up on those dosages gradually with your own horse. When you have a horse performing at optimum, in your estimation, don't fix what ain't broke just because some Grand Poobah has a big untested theory floating around out there. ti ti =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- 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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