Endurance.Net Ridecamp Archives

from Frank: "forage FIRST"

This almost slipped by me when I was reading Frank's post, and it is the key 
to the whole topic of overeating. We just need to remember that horses are 
grazers. They have small stomachs that are designed to take in small 
quantities of forage on a constant basis. Their stomachs and digestive 
systems are not designed to handle large quantities of food at one time, 
then immediately enter into strenuous exercise.  Carnivores can gorge and 
rest, and even humans do this because the process of digestion draws the 
blood to the stomach and away from the other parts of the body. Trying to do 
heavy exercise/running on a full stomach will cause system 
imbalances/problems. How hard do people want to run/exercise right after 
Thanksgiving dinner?

The horses only need to eat enough to make it to the next vet check. And 
forages is what their body handles best. The wet mashes in limited quantity 
are great for additional hydration, electrolyetes and equine pleasure.

Terry
"May the Horse be with you"


> From: "frank solano" <fradasol@xxxxxxxxx>
> To: ridecamp@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
> Subject: [RC]   E'lytes...Overeating at Vet Checks (horses)
> Date: Sat, 24 Mar 2007 14:43:44 -0600
>
> Bruce Weary wrote:
> "*The vets can probably
> comment on whether the type of feed has any effect, but Matthew
> Mackay-Smith, the medical editor of Equus magazine, feels it is a viable
> theory. Now, to put it in perspective, a ruptured stomach is a rare
> event, like a broken leg or falling off a cliff."....*
> **
> *....*but, a *theory*, nonetheless, Bruce.
>
> So, I'd still prefer a horse who I had to watch more carefully because I 
> was
> concerned he might be eating too much forage, or drinking too much water.
> All things being equal (which they never are), a horse NOT being offered
> appropriate amounts of forage, FIRST, and then the amazing concoctions
> endurance riders come up with is probably going to have a problem.
>
> Certainly a horse who ate too much of certain things, as they are wont to
> do, such as sweet feeds, alfalfa and the like, is more than likely going to
> experience an adverse reaction to it, such as "dying", or some other
> approximation of Ill-Effects-Due-To-Human/Horse-Interaction...(IEDH/HI.
>
> *How the horse is prepared and how the trail is ridden, how the goals are
> pursued on the day of an endurance endeavor, are STILL the
> major determinants as to the majority of ill-effects a horse might
> experience due to endurance aspirations.*
>
> In my estimation, it is what happens *on the trail *that will dictate
> the *outcome
> of the day *more than whether a horse eats (if that's possible) too much at
> a vet check.  I say, feed'em up (forage/variety-hays) and get back down the
> trail with smart intent and an honest assessment of what the horse is
> capable of on that day.
>
> Thanks for asking, Bruce about my ability to ride horses again.  Yes, I
> ride every day...some working the Wildcat Hills for miles and some 
> schooling
> on the flat....so I am almost completely physically recuperated.  Now, if I
> had a horse trailer, I'd probably be able to get to some rides, too.  That
> day will come.
>
> Frank Solano
> #8422

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