Re: Digestion of grain/carbos

[Tivers@aol.com]

In a message dated 98-06-24 11:53:03 EDT, RALSTON@AESOP.RUTGERS.EDU writes:

<< Feeds are ingested, chewed, mixed with saliva and swallowed, passing down
 the esophagus to the stomach. There is some secretion of acid and perhaps 
 pepsin
 in the equine stomach, and if the feed is highly fermentable  (read grain
 and sugars) and gastric emptying delayed (by stress, exhaustion or high fat
 intake) some fermentation can take place in the stomach. HOWEVER there is
 NO absorption of nutrients from the gastric mucosa and under normal
 circumstances, minimal fermentation-the build up of gases from abnormal
 stomach fermentation IN THE STOMACH is what causes the colic you were
 referring to. The ingesta passes from the stomach to the small intestine>>

Just had this discussion with Gary Potter. Our conversation was focused on
what Gary was calling the hindgut and foregut. Within 15 minutes of feeding
carbohydrate, blood glucose begins to rise. In one to two hours blood glucose
peaks and begins to recede. How far does carbohydrate move in 1 1/2 hours? I
probably should have said "pre-large intestine", which is Heidi's focus, and
is where carbohydrate digestion can be a disaster--this, again, according to
Potter.  

 
 >Until you have actually seen our endurance horses in action, I suggest you
 restrict comments suggesting that just because they are fed differently
 from your race horses that they are underfed or not competitive. It only
 serves to inflame our warriors out there! >>

Until you have actually attempted a better feeding protocol, please restrict
your comments to the 30 year old literature. Otherwise, you'll inflame the
very few innovators we have out there on the front lines. This thread began
with a half a dozen of them sharing their clearly positive experiences with
techniques that do not appear in the equine literature as of yet. 

By the way, I've spent a little time with endurance folks, been to a few
endurance rides, a couple of ride and ties, touched a few of the creatures,
helped haul a couple of exhausted ones away. I've helped design workout
gameplans for several winners. I'm not completely out of touch with the sport.
My living, though, is derived principally from racing. In comparing the two
sports,  I find racing to be far more competitive, with far more innovation
taking place. To a lesser degree, eventing is also more competitive and
innovative. 

That's not to say that there is no innovation in endurance--it's just that
there are more folks interested in defending the past than looking toward the
future. But I guess that's the general condition of mankind. There was a time
when science moved the world forward. These days it seem like science spends
most of its time covering its collective butt, rather than coming up with, and
testing, creative ideas and concepts. The fact that supposed "scientists" find
themselves incapable of even trying the techniques that others have reported
as beneficial is evidence of this kind of entropy.

ti