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Re: [RC] Need opinions - suendavidIn a message dated 2/15/2003 5:27:26 PM Mountain Standard Time, Marinera@xxxxxxx writes:1. It is a very hot day 2. You have 8 or 10 miles to go to the finish line 3. There is no water between where you are and the finish. 4. You feel your horse is tired. Julie, IMO, I would walk the horse. Even if the horse is tired, I don't think strict energetics are reall the issue. I would think that distribution of blood to dissipate heat and loss of water is more of the key issue. If I assumed that the horse has been eaten and drank reasonably well during the day, and been elyted appropriately, then hopefully, there shouldn't be any major metabolic issues looming. However, there's a fair amount of research data available indicating that even under ideal circumstances, alot of horses are still clinically dehydrated to one extent or another---and therefore you have some issues with blood circulation being shunted away from the digestive tract (at the bottom of the circulatory pecking order). If you're walking, then the body is closer to status quo and recovery. More of the blood is available to supply the guts and keep them moving, while walking does a very good job of squeezing muscles and flushing out lactic acids and other by products. Still plenty of ciculation available to supply the muscles and skin surfaces to dissipate heat. Yes, you'd be doing it for longer than if you got on and trotted or cantered, but your 'miles-per'gallon' of onboard resources in general is a lot better (and you have to look at a much bigger picture than just calorie expenditure). If you decided to get on and trot or canter the last 8-10 miles, then calorie expenditure doesn't work out to be all that different. And frankly, calories being expended is the smallest part of the whole energy equation. But matters far more IMO is that the heat production is alot higher as velocity increases and thus so is the requirement of blood at skin surfaces to dissipate that heat. This is even assuming that humidity is low enough to adequately evaporate sweat and even remove that heat---which we all know is not always the case, especially back east and down South. All that blood shunting to muscles and skin surfaces means it's being shunted away from the GI tract, and thus motility is compromised. If the horse is already somewhat dehydrated, and is going to become more so over the next leg, then you are taking an increased chance of creating a potential colic situation. IMO as well, I believe that repeated transient bouts of dehydration during exercise are also possibly responsible for cumulative renal (kidney) damage that might explain some of the horses that seem to do fine for several seasons and then keel over after a short shoulda-been-a-cakewalk ride. Other issues that I think should be taken into consideration are that a tired horse isn't as aware of surroundings and footings and is more likely to take a wrong step and injure himself somehow. Not a really critical issue, but I know when I'm really tired and worn out, don't go asking me to go lightfooting it across a field full of gopher holes, or I'm guarenteed to land on my face in every one of them. Anyway, Julie, my personal opinion is that if your horse is just a little questionable, then a brisk walk is metabolically the fastest way to get him to recover (even more so than just standing there). I think you could walk for a bit to let him regroup a little, then get back on and trot for a spell, then get off and walk again and thereby finish in the most metabolically and energetically efficient manner overall. :-) Susan G =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= 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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