ridecamp@endurance.net: Re: [endurance] Feeding morning of a ride?

Re: [endurance] Feeding morning of a ride?

HARVEY_HELEN@tandem.com
24 May 96 11:17:00 -0700

I have a somewhat hazy memory of a bunch of charts Dr. Duran put up
during a talk on feeding the endurance horse that indicated that the
problem with feeding grain shortly before a ride wasn't with the
digestion, but with the blood sugar levels. The blood sugar levels
would start to rise about an hour after feeding, peak, drop, (think
sugar crash) and then return to normal levels 3-4 hours later. His
suggestion was not to start heavy work (a ride) until the blood sugar
levels had stabilized. I don't think he extrapolated this data
to feeding grain during the ride, since the metabolic state of
the horse during work is substantially different.

Does anyone have a better memory???

Helen
harvey_helen@tandem.com

------------ ORIGINAL ATTACHMENT --------
SENT 05-24-96 FROM SMTPGATE (EnduroGal@aol.com)

Karen --

I'm the rider from Houston who forgot to sign my name in my last e-mail.
Sorry! Anyway, I just finished reading Truman's note and I tend to think
that feeding four hours in advance may be a little too early. I've been
doing rides with my horse for eight years now, and I've always fed him grain
two hours prior to a race. He's never had a problem. I kind of agree with
that other gal who responded that she'd heard of a study indicating it was
fine to feed a horse an hour or so before the ride so that the energy from
that feeding would be available for the horse's use. I also feed my horse a
type of "porridge" (equal parts bran, corn chops, crimped oats with enough
water added to make almost soupy) at each vet check during hundreds -- along
with all the hay or grass he wants to eat -- and he's done fine so far!
Happy Trails!

Lynda