Re: RC: Re: pulses and gut sounds

[Lif Strand <fasterhorses@gilanet.com>]

At 06:25 AM 10/18/00, Linda Flemmer wrote:
>I suspect he is working beyond his conditioning until he settles down some

I think this is a tremendously important concept!

For some horses, working beyond their conditioning may only occur in the 
beginning of a ride, as Linda wrote.  For these horses, the rest of the 
ride is well within their conditioned capabilities, and they can "recover" 
or make up for that excessive effort in the beginning.  For others, the 
distance itself, or the terrain, temperature, footing, trailering home 
immediately after a ride, change of feed while working, or any combination 
of  these and other factors, could be working beyond their conditioning.

When I posted about our stallion colicking after the first few 50 miler he 
did, I believe (as did the vet who told me about this) that the sheer 
excitement of being at a ride was for him working beyond his 
conditioning.  When he gained in experience, he learned to settle down and 
relax after the ride was over - and the colics stopped.

This is, as I said, a very important point to keep in mind when entering 
any horse in any endurance event.  Everything counts!

Lif Strand
Quemado NM  USA
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