Ridecamp: [RC] [Guest] Alpine Ride--Wisdom gained

Kay Johnston als2175@xxxxxxxxxxxxx

So many wonderful concerned folks e-mailed me after my post about my red 
horse's bowel obstruction experience at the NW Alpine Ride, I thought it 
more efficient to use Ride Camp to pass on  what I learned:  Remembering 
that Fall brings cooler weather, dry grass and decreased equine urge to 
drink, that 1 in 10 horses has colic  during their lifetimes, that 1 in 100 
requires surgery,  Fall is often the time when colic strikes more 
frequently.  (While at the vet hospital, several horses came in that 
weekend who required surgery for colic.)

With that in mind, I will never feed hay in the trailer going to rides, 
often many miles away, again.  (Streeter has always eaten at least one bag 
of grass hay enroute.  We always stop every 3-4 hrs.to walk the horses and 
offer water/mash, but it apparently didn't work this time.  He had had a 
brief episode of colic not requiring treatment, first time ever, 1 1/2 
weeks before the ride, so I think that constipation was beginning then. .

2:  I will be adding around 30 cc loose salt daily to his mash from now on, 
to encourage water intake.

3.  Streeter's pulses were 10-15 points higher than his usual low rate on 
the first  3 loops of the ride.  I thought we were perhaps going too fast, 
so I slowed way down on the last loop and let him eat grass every 100 or so 
yards.  He was a little less enthusiastic about eating at the 3rd vet check 
and his gut sounds were down a bit, but nothing to concern the vet. or me, 
for that matter.  I thought he seemed tired, which is why I slowed way down 
the last loop.  He would have chosen to go on faster, but we do have the?? 
bigger brain, I am told, than horses.

3rd thought:  I am bringing a stethescope with me on rides.  I am going to 
get very familiar with my horse's gut sounds, especially during exercise, 
so that I will know when something subtle is amiss.  These guys try so hard 
for us that their attitude may not match their physical status.

4:  I am going to carefully moniter my horse's output--poop, that's 
right.  Obstructed/constipated poop cannot be mashed by your 
foot.  Hydrated poop is easily munched, not rocket science.  We all know 
what concentrated urine looks like, which he didn't have until the end of 
the ride.

Bottom line:  You may disagree with the things I have written, but one 
thing I don't think anyone would question---the only true moniter of your 
horse's condition is you, the rider, and sometimes the signs of trouble are 
so subtle that it's not our wonderful, experienced vets who pick it up, it 
is us riders..

So these are my lessons learned, thankfully now with a horse who is eating 
and pooping with great regularity.

Kay           


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