Re: RC: Tortoise vrs hare, ie: carbo vrs fat!

["Frank Mechelhoff" <fmechelh@c-s-k.de>]

Sarah Ralston wrote:

> >>>In a long HARD (read lots of climbs and caution needed on the trail)
> >>> ride like the Tevis, one of the reasons Susan's work on body condition
> >>> showed that horses carrying a bit more weight (body fat) did better than
> >>> thin horses...>
>
> >>TI: who says it was body fat? Very unlikely. More likely, extra muscle
> >>glycogen stores.
>
> The original work on condition scoring, in which they actually killed the
> horses and accurately determined body fat % (lovely research-but it did
> provide some useful info), showed a significant correlation with the
> numerical score and % body fat not glycogen.

Hi Sarah; why not both? The description of body score levels isn't hard enough to
distinguish between fat and glyogen stores. best way to make research on *living*
horses in that case! the message of these reserch for the rider was nevertheless
very clear: feed your horse before a hard ride! It needs the reserve!

That's what was most interesting for me - as a rider. I don't argue if my horse
uses carbohydrats, VFA's, body fat, or something else - as long as she keeps
going strong, safely, and as fast as we both like it. If, after some hours ride,
fuel is going low, then I eventually will take a look for improvements in
nutrition. Obviously, if the horse is in good shape before the ride (not to
skinny) there isn't much room for additional fat reserve, as long as speed,
stamina and heat tolerance should not greatly be compromized.

regards

Frank Mechelhoff
Schmitten, Germany
- & the Taunus mountain ponies (Ligeira and Nataja) -


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