Endurance.Net Ridecamp Archives

So what is this about the risk of cumulative renal failure?How can we guard 
against this or not put our horses at risk??????Laurie and Rascal(the 
toothless, well almost)






> From: suendavid@xxxxxxx
> To: ridecamp@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
> CC: marinera@xxxxxxx
> Subject: Re: [RC]   Need opinions
> Date: Sun, 16 Feb 2003 17:31:58 +0000
>
> > In 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).

> 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

> :-)
>
> Susan G



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