Re: Carbs - only part of the picture

[Susan Evans Garlinghouse <suendavid@worldnet.att.net>]

As always, excellent points, Nicco.  Nice to hear from you again. :-)

Susan G

Niccolai Murphy wrote:
> 
> To those of you who are considering using this stuff for the first
> time. When we started we did it cautiously and did not try it out
> first time on a ride.
> 
> Tom gave me a few buckets of glycogen loader back in the days when
> Susan and he were slugging it out here. Seems like forever ago. Since
> then we have taken this powder pretty much for granted, much the same
> way we take names like; biotin, CS, GAGS, eltectrolytes, oat, gamma
> oryzanyl and corn for granted.
> 
> However we didn't use it for the first time on a ride, and we don't
> use it just for rides. It has a small but important role to play in
> our overall program and it varies depending on the horse.
> 
> We use it almost daily with Hal our old TB who cannot, safely, eat
> enough grain to keep weight on, let alone put out the amount of energy
> required to haul his heavy 16.5H frame around one of Terrie Wolley
> Howe's rides. All our horses get 4 ounces after excercise to avoid a
> catabolic state thus helping them get the best out of their work out
> (reduces muscle break down). The two youngsters (5yo) have not been
> worked hard enough or riden far enough (only short distances, 20 miles
> or less) yet that I see any need to pre load. They are fat and tubby
> and don't show any signs of stress. They do get their after ride load.
> 
> None of the horses need to be dosed by syringe, they all eat the stuff
> mixed in a hand full of oats or corn and carrots wet down with apple
> juice or water, often with some electrolyte and gamma o.
> 
> One thing you have to remember is that when guys like Tom and Susan
> discuss carbs they are talking about supplementation. Tom's track
> customers are feeding their guys 16 pounds of grain a day. Hal gets
> close to that and still cannot keep weight on. So four ounces of Carbs
> three times a day before a ride (typical pre load program) is dessert.
> 
> Side effects? None. Hal tied up pretty badly early this year but he
> wasn't on carbs then and he was on less than half ration of grain. The
> rains kept us indoors for three days, he locked solid 15 minutes into
> a trail ride and took three weeks for blood work to come back to close
> to normal. He was also hypothyroid which increases the risk of
> myositis and anemia (he was anemic). We've fixed his thyroid so
> hopefully that will reduce the risk.
> 
> Magic potion? Not for us. I suspect that most endurance horses who are
> well fed and conditioned will not show an enormous benefit from using
> carbs. If you are riding 100's and in the top ten the stuff most
> likely will give you an edge, but you have to be competetive to start
> with. For the rest of us, I think it has a place in the conditioning
> program and it does help the horse through the tough times and might
> improve the vet scores a little.
> 
> Don't expect a miracle from carbs and do your homework, get the basics
> right first.
> 
> ==
> Nicco Murphy - Poway, San Diego, CA
> 
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