Endurance.Net Ridecamp Archives

When you have fog you have 100% humidity. In those conditions even in 
cool weather evaporative cooling does not work since nothing can 
evaporate (the air is already saturated - that what fog is).  I remember 
a talk one time on research done on electrolytes (blood analysis) where 
the researcher pointed out one of the rides with the largest loss of 
electrolytes by the first check came at ride where the temp was in the 
50's and fog.

The horses don't cool. These conditions are very deceptive and the 
riders that were sponging and electrolyting were aware of the conditions.

One of the rides I ran we started out at about 60 to 65 degrees and fog. 
The vets the night before stress the conditions that morning would be 
very deceptive and for riders not to get fooled and take it easy. It 
felt cool to the riders but some were going way to fast and cooking 
their horses. The first two horses in to the first vet check tied up. 
One had to be sent to a vet clinic that afternoon where it stayed 5 
days.  We went through 240 liters of fluids that ride treating horses 
and I've never seen that many horses pulled for thumps in a ride before 
or sence.

Truman

Ridecamp Moderator wrote:

> Nancy kg6hdp@xxxxxxxxxxxx
> I volunteered for radio communications at an endurance and limited 
> distance ride this summer.  I am not an endurance rider, and I don't 
> ride a horse.  I had morning duty at a vet check.  In the early 
> morning, we had fog, and the weather was mild.  I noticed many riders 
> sponging and electrolyting horses.  The horses didn't look very sweaty 
> to me, and I believe this was the first vet check for both rides.  Is 
> the sponging and electrolyting really necessary under these 
> circumstances?
>
> Nancy



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