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Re: [RC] Electrolytes - Heidi SmithMy husband and I are new to the sport of endurance and will be riding our first ride in September. I've seen a lot on electrolytes and giving them before / during / after a ride. Which brand do you recommend and what type of delivery, eg: oral syringe or top dressing on feed? Before you even think about what kind, when, and how much, you need to take a few other things into account. Where will you be riding, and is it apt to be hot and humid? How well do your horses eat and drink when away from home? What distance will you be doing? I'm kind of old-fashioned, but since I try to start with horses that have a good sense of self-preservation and will eat and drink fairly well, I don't like to use electrolytes on a new horse at all until I see how well he will learn to take care of himself. I want the water drinking to become a firm and fast habit--not just a response to "the electrolytes kicking in." Of course, starting out you don't ride a horse right to the edge of his capability, either--you take it slow. I just started a new horse, and he didn't eat or drink well for the first half of his first 50. By the second half, he was guzzling out of every puddle. He just did his second 50 last weekend--and by golly, he ate better in the trailer on the way, he ate better the night before, he ate at every vet check, and he didn't let a single water opportunity go by (not even the first one in the morning) without taking a MAJOR drink. He is still on his learning curve, and until he gets this figured out, I'd just as soon he do things as naturally as possible. Once I find out where the "holes" are in how well he cares for himself, then and only then will I add lytes--if I need them. The one horse that I've ridden that has participated in various blood testing trials at rides was one of the more "normal" ones when the results came back--and never got lytes in his entire career (nearly 3000 miles, which included one 1000+-mile season). I personally think we rush much too fast to shove the lytes in there, without any thought as to what they do to appetite, how much stomach irritation they may cause (I think we're finally starting to think about THAT one, thanks to the ulcer studies), etc.--instead of working to make the horse a better eater or drinker. Meanwhile, I much prefer to offer a loose lyte mix or salt mix of some sort that he can have free-choice should he so choose--and I'm intrigued when I do this that times I would THINK he'd need lytes, he couldn't care less about the salt, and times I'd think he wouldn't are the times he'll go for it. Just a different perspective.... Heidi =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Ridecamp is a service of Endurance Net, http://www.endurance.net. Information, Policy, Disclaimer: http://www.endurance.net/Ridecamp Subscribe/Unsubscribe http://www.endurance.net/ridecamp/logon.asp Ride Long and Ride Safe!! =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
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