Ridecamp: [RC] won't eat hay at rides, Susan's reply

Nina Vasiliev rides4fun@xxxxxxxxxxx
Hiya Nina, maybe you could forward a copy of this post 
 to RC, as I can't post to RC from this computer and 
 yours is a really good question.

 Yes, you can absolutely provide more of the beet pulp
 slurry you described at camp, although I would of 
 course still offer some hay in case he changes his 
 mind.  As a general rule, I prefer that beet pulp make 
 up no more than about 50% of the forage ration, mostly 
 because it's a good idea to always have long stem hay or 
 grass around to satisfy the urge to graze and nibble.  
 Those recommendations are from Skip Hintz at Cornell and 
 it's good enough for me.

 However, beet pulp does contain plenty of fiber and 
 bulk, enough that it's doable for it to provide the 
 entirety of the forage ration, if you have need of it---
 as in your case, where the horse just isn't eating 
 enough hay.  Or, here in NE Colorado, the drought is 
 already sending hay prices through the roof (hopefully 
 they'll drop a bit when more first cutting comes in and 
 I can get in a year's supply), and it will actually be 
 cheaper and better nutritionally for me to feed our five-
 horses-and-a-mule on A LOT of beet pulp (Complete 
 Advantage, actually) and a little hay for noshing next 
 winter---when they're predicting grass hay will be over 
 $350 a ton, YEOW!

 So, anyway, back to your guy...go ahead with the beet 
 pulp, make sure it's very well soaked and soupy before 
 during and after the ride, and as you already mentioned, 
 delete the corn oil for the weekend.  Yeah, horses are 
 going to be carbohydrate depleted to one extent or 
 another after a ride, but don't get too caught up in 
 it.  There's tons of research about it, and it all 
 basically boils down to some-carbs-after-hard-exercise-
 are-a-good-thing.  The rest of it is mostly an academic 
 exercise that just doesn't make that big a difference in 
 the real world.  You can up the grain a bit after the 
 ride if you want (mixing it in with the slurry is great 
 at any time, including before and during the ride), and 
 after your guy is absolutely recovered and you know has 
 good gut sounds and is peeing and pooping.  A normal, 
 decent diet with a few pounds of grain will replenish 
 muscle glycogen just fine within a day or so and even a 
 difficult ride won't even come close to serious 
 depleting glycogen stores (unless you galloped the whole 
 thing flat out, or you have other issues, like poor body 
 condition or some such).  So a little extra grain or 
 carbs of some sort before you head home are just fine, 
 but never more than about 4 pounds at any one meal. You 
 can add back in the fats once you get home, but fats 
 won't replenish the glycogen stores (just thought I'd 
 throw that in) After almost any ride for 99% of the 
 riders out there, good, clean water, access to salt, all 
 the slurry he wants and some nice handwalking and a good 
 scratch provides 99% of what he needs.

 Good luck and have fun.  Wish I were out there with 
 ya. :-)

 Susan G

 >>>Hello all,

 We've been doing LDs for a few years between injuries...
 (both his
 and mine...) and now we're both in one piece and going 
 to do our 1st 50 this 
 weekend.  

 My question is about management of his feed.
  
 He doesn't eat very much hay once we're at the ride 
 site. I bring
  what he usually gets at the stable where he lives...Rye 
 hay, and I keep grass 
 or timothy in the trailer.  He has free access to both 
 but doesn't eat much.  

 He will eat beet pulp.  At home he gets three scoops of 
 beetpulp,
  (I'm guessing that each scoop is about 1- 1 1/2 lbs,) 
 one lb of
  LMF Supersup G, half a cup oil, (mostly corn oil with 
 some cold
  pressed olive oil, storing only a few days supply at 
 the barn,)
   and when he needs it, a full dose of 'lytes.  

  He eats that up, YUM!

 So can I give him the above mix, (minus the oil) a few 
 times the
  day before, and during race day since he won't eat much 
 hay?  I
  think I remember that it's okay to feed more grain 
 after a race
  since the horse is in Carbo deficit.  Did I remember 
 that
  correctly?

 Any ideas?

 Thanks,

 Nina Vasiliev 




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