 |
RE: [RC] Feeding before a ride - chapter 1 - Susan E. Garlinghouse, DVMYes. As Heidi comments, fullness of the stomach isn't the issue limiting performance during the day---horses are evolved to have forage in their entire system 24/7 and it's not a disadvantage to start the day with a full stomach. Bruce, if you think Sugar eats better at the first vet check if she starts out a little emptier, that's fine---but if she'd already eaten breakfast back at camp, then by the time you got to VC 1, breakfast would already be moving downstream and well on its way to doing its job, which is also a good thing, maybe better. Splitting hairs here. Lots of forage although does play a big part in release of hormones that stimulate gut motility and keep the mail moving, so to speak. Feeding forage (and I mean keeping them knee deep in the stuff) keeps the entire GI tract full of bulk, and also an extra and readily available reserve of electrolytes and water to utilize during the day. Plus--- ongoing production of the volatile fatty acids that provide the majority of the energy needs for most horses at most speeds (ie, something less than cantering all day long). Can't beat that with a stick. The primary reason to NOT feed a high glycemic meal closer than four hours before the start of exercise is because of the temporary effects on glucose curves, insulin production and fatty acid metabolism. Any starchy or high-sugar meal is going to: 1) cause a transient glucose spike and result in a pretty rowdy horse right at the start when most people don't need any MORE energy going straight up; in my still inexperienced mare, and she's not unique, I've noticed if she's being silly, she doesn't drink well until later on in the ride---too busy shouting down the trail at disappearing friends and getting her panties in a wad. If I strictly manage her concentrate intake beforehand, then she settles to business faster and drinks earlier, which is important. 2) Glucose spikes trigger an insulin spike, which among other things, inhibits the use of onboard fat stores as an energy source for exercise. For virtually any endurance horse, this is the energy source you WANT to get up to cruising altitude as early on in the day as you can, because it's the most abundant onboard energy source, and it's the energy source the horse relies on the heaviest during aerobic, submaximal exercise. Why on earth would you want to do anything to interfere with this pathway? Yet that's exactly what's happening by feeding a grainy mash less than 4-6 hours before the start. I understand that getting up at 3 a.m. to feed some sort of mash that has a 1/2 cup of grain in it isn't going to cause metabolic catastrophes during the ride that day. But you're also not providing any clear benefit, so what's the point? I also agree with Jonni that most riders that get up at 3 are doing it to make themselves feel good about being responsible and conscientious, not because the horse really benefits from it. If the horse is left with his mash the evening before, plus an enormous amount of hay to munch on, then you've provided him with everything he physiologically needs for the next day, there's no advantage to getting up to feed him more at 3 a.m. There's one or two more things to mention, but this is getting long and will probably get bounced, so I'll put the rest into Chapter Two (sorry, you know I get on a roll with this stuff). Susan Garlinghouse, DVM =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= 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!! =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
|