stretches, lactic acid & food

["Glenda R. Snodgrass" <grs@theneteffect.com>]

Okay, I have some new questions for the group.

1 - Stretching

According to my farrier, Lakota is a bit tight in the gaskin muscles.  
I've noticed myself that the last couple of weeks, he doesn't want to 
stretch his hind legs out very far when I pick his feet.  I guess I need 
to start helping him do stretches, like I do myself.  Can anyone 
recommend a good book?  Is TTeam the best/most comprehensive system?

2 - Lactic Acid Buildup

My farrier postulated that Lakota is tight in the gaskins because he has 
lactic acid buildup from my working him hard and not cooling him down 
properly.  Now, my farrier knows a lot about feet, but he thinks he 
knows a lot about everything horse-related, and sometimes I'm a bit 
sceptical, since he doesn't actually ride. :)  Anyway, I've always been 
under the impression that lactic acid buildup is a relatively short-term 
thing, no? I mean, a hard workout one day, followed by a day of rest-play 
in the pasture, and a light ride the next day ... is it possible for 
lactic acid buildup to continue through a schedule like this?  If so, 
what am I doing wrong?  How much cooling down does he need?  I usually 
walk him the last mile or so into the barn, walk him around 5-10 minutes, 
then groom him, then put him out to pasture.  He's never stalled.  I go 
by the temp on his chest when I touch him there with my hand, as to when 
he is "cool" -- I can feel it since I do it every day.  Is lactic acid 
buildup unrelated to the actual body temp?

3 - Food

At home, Lakota loves his mid-day beet pulp snack, but he refused to eat 
it this whole weekend.  Now, the main reason I started feeding him beet 
pulp in the first place, is because it's supposed to be such a great food 
for him to eat before and during endurance rides!!  So, is there 
something I could add to it at the rides to make it more appealing?  He 
didn't want to eat beet pulp or hay during the holds, but he did keep 
trying to eat something out of a nearby bucket -- looked like dark green 
Cream of Wheat :) -- I have no idea what it was nor who it belonged to, 
but Lakota rreeeaallllyyyy wanted to eat it!!  Anyone have any idea what 
was in there that he wanted so bad?  Suggestions for ride foods for him?  
His normal diet is sweet feed & alfalfa pellets twice a day, soaked 
shredded beet pulp once a day, plus bermuda grass hay.

As always, all advice greatly appreciated!

Glenda & Lakota