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[RC] VC 100 and choking horses - Dream WeaverReading about Tigger's choke episode along with a couple of others at the ride had me curious. Is having 3 horses choke at a ride a bit odd (is the number high or not uncommon at a 100 mile ride for horses to choke?). Hi Cindy - well, I don't think it's that common. In all of the miles my horses have done, more than 25,000 - this was the first time I've ever had one choke. Tigger had just drank really well and was doing well on all of his vet scores. He'd done the ride before, at a faster pace with a heavier rider so I felt comfortable with how everything was going with him metabolically and I'm not sure his hydration level was the cause, tho may have contributed. I think I should have been paying better attention, and will from now on. What I learned and will do from now on, especially on 100's: 1) Start with offering the horse a wet mash at the checkpoints. No dry feed! 2) If hay is offered, soak it first and offer it wet or in a trough of water 3) Not let the horse put his head down to grab bites of hay or any other dry feed when I'm getting my arrival time written down 4) Will offer hay in small handfuls, something like alfalfa or smaller bits of grass rather than long stemmed grass hay The grass hay he coughed up was like spaghetti wadded up. I think that I myself am more likely to choke when I am inhaling my food. So, lesson learned - hungry, tired horse with voracious appetite = be careful! Of the three horses that I know that choked during the ride - two completed and the third was eliminated for lameness at 92 miles. None of them were permanently affected by their choking episodes during the course of the ride. We were all riding in the same general vicinity of each other timewise. Karen =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= 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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