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Re: Managing tie-ups



I thought Judy post on tying up were somewhat similar to my experience
years ago  hoped that this might help someone or give them some food for
thought. 

We were able to successfully manage a mare that tied up years ago.  She was
the classic type.  Very hot breed race type QH mare, extremely
competivitive with a "very fast trot".  Tied up the first time on my first
50, took us 2 years and probably 7 or 8 mostly minor tie-ups, to fine a
routine that worked.  Tried selenium and vit. E shots, probably not a bad
idea, didn't work on their own, so never did again (You have to realize
that this was in the 70's).  The routine we used that kept her from tying
up for 9 years straight (She only did it once later when she was over 20,
because we got lazy in our routine.):

1.  Keep her off spring and summer pasture.

2.  Feed just hay, which was straight alfalfa.  I would feed either good
grass or grass/alfalfa now.  (Again remember it was in the 70's.)

3.  Feed just whole oats for grain, and then only when she had been ridden
10 miles (Basically at the rate of 1 quart per 10 miles of riding.)  I
usually split the feeding between that night and the next morning.

4.  We rode her 6 days a week religiously.  If it wasn't on the trails, the
least she got was 30 minutes of long trot or canter in the arena.

5.  Things I added later as she was older, were a 2 mile walk first on any
ride and we did go to riding every other day.  But these only added when
she was over 20 yrs. old.

6.  The only supplement that she received was Diaglow (I'm not sure that is
spelled right.)  I haven't used it in years, but I always liked it then.

You have to realize that the information about tying up was very good then
or plentiful,  but I did learn alot from this mare and following this
routine we never had to worry about riding her competively.  I have to
admit to being a typical novice to endurance when I rode her.  She was my
first endurance horse.  I did many things wrong and luckily she was an
amazing horse and held up.  Some of the those things included, 1) from the
first day of training riding a normal training ride was 20+ miles in 2
hours. (I lost 6 pounds in 2 weeks, so thought it was great.) 2) Not
warming up, just taking off at a fast trot.  Those were probably the 2
biggies that I got away with.  How I didn't ruin her, I can only credit her
with.  She was very balanced moving and had gread legs.  She was an
extremely fast and competitive mare and we did several 50s and mainly
worked at doing the Levi Ride and Tie which we did on her in 1976, 1977 and
1978.  The only reason we stopped is because we move to an area were could
train with the time we had available for 7 years.  And she was 20 when we
returned to where we could ride.  I did ride her on a 25 miler that year
with only a handful of training rides.  We raised 2 foals from her in her
20's and she went on to do some Trail Trials.  She died from colic at the
age of 28.  She was still sound at the time.  One tough horse.  I have a
weanly filly out of her QH daughter by Doc Thunder Bask, that I am sure
looking forward to.  She seems to be every thing that I wanted and looks
like she has that speed too.

I feel that there seems to be a lot of variation in the horses that tie up.
 I have only had the one and feel certain I could make her tie up and feel
certain I could prevent her from tying up.  But I also would not assume
that I could make that claim with any one else's horse.  I have been always
on guard with horses I ride now, particularly her family, always taking the
time to warm up, not over graining and taking the time to train them
quitely, so they are not nervous at the rides(which I feel is at least a 2
year process).  I don't really have much pasture now, as we live in the
hills, so I don't really deal with that food source.  We feed usually high
quality grass or grass with a little alfalfa.  I think a rider that wants
to manage horse that ties up has to be willing to follow a very regimented
routine.  Hope this might help someone.

----------
> From: guest@endurance.net
> To: ridecamp@endurance.net
> Subject: Managing tie-ups
> Date: Wednesday, October 21, 1998 2:30 PM
> 
> 
> 
> PLEASE DO NOT REPLY TO GUEST@ENDURANCE.NET!!!
> You must post replies to the actual sender listed below.
> 
> From: Judy Long 
> Email: julong@cisco.com
> 
> 
> I too have an Appaloosa that has a history of tie-ups.  The first one was
> in 1991 a few weeks after his first endurance ride.  I do a couple of
things
> to manage his tendency to tie up and 
> they seem to be working (Knock on wood!).  
> 
> 
> The trigger for Warpaint's tie-ups has almost always been a short period
of
> inactivity (up to 7 days) followed by energetic exercise.  He has had a
couple
> of major episodes (CPK levels at 145,000) and a few minor ones.  He 
> hasn't had a major one in several years.  We seem to have a small episode
once a
> year where we screw up on our management, let him run around like a 
> nut, and he has a minor tie up.
> 
> Things we do to manage it:
> 
> 1.  Make sure he has regular exercise.  This is not always easy during
bad
> weather and that seems to be when we mess up and have an episode.
> 
> This year he hasn't been ridden a lot during the week but gets an easy
ride
> on Saturday and a longer ride on Sunday.  I warm him up by walking for a
while,
> then doing a few minutes of trotting, then back to walking again.  After 
> about 20-30 minutes of this I'm 
> comfortable with moving out.
> 
> This weekend we're going to the Lake Sonoma ride and I rode him on a
pretty
> good conditioning ride last Sunday.  I'll want to get him out on Thursday
for
> a light, hilly ride where he'll break a sweat and then I'll feel
comfortable
> that'll he'll be OK for Saturday.  If possible, I'll take him out for a
ride
> on Friday.  On Saturday, I'll try to keep him from running away full tilt
> at the beginning of the ride ;)
> I'm usually nervous about the possibility of tying up until he pees. 
Then I can relax a little.
> 
> 2.  I don't feed him COB or any sweet feed unless it is on an endurance
ride.
> He doesn't need the extra sugar.  He
> gets a bucket each night with 2/3
> scoop of oats, 2 cups alfalfa pellets, a cup of corn oil, a cup of
vinegar and
> his supplements.  The oats and pellets are mainly for the other stuff to
stick to.
> 
> 3. I feed him a vitamin supplement called Select that also includes some
> Selenium.  I also give him DMG.  It is thought to help with lactic acid
build
> up and free radicals, although I believe there isn't any proof of this. 
I give 
> it to him anyway.  There have been occasions when we've given him a VitE 
> and Selenium booster shot. 
> 
> 4.  He has been getting 1/2 alfalfa and 1/2 oat for the last several
years but
> now gets less alfalfa and more of a grass/alfalfa mix.  I don't think the

> vet ever felt that alfalfa was a factor in his tie ups.  (Although
alfalfa was
> a suspect in his enteroliths).
> 
> Good luck with your horse and getting to know what routine is going to
work for you.
> 
> 
> Judy Long and Nachi Sunshine (Warpaint)
> Hayward, Ca.
> 



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