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[RC] Food Choices at Holds + Number of BP Mashes - Val NicosonWe're definitely newbies in this sport and still learning. Learning is a constant :) My horse has gotten to where she is *not* eating her BP mash at holds at all...just turns her nose up at it. Following is a list of her choices that she currently gets. Her current food choices are: 1. Several apples+carrots cut up...we carry this in a used ice cream tub to the P/R check which she eagerly gobbles/slurps down. At one of our two completed 25-mile rides, one vet had no problem with it (pulsed down good), second vet had a problem with it but had to give in as her pulse went up with not having it ;-) 2. Orchard grass or Alfalfa hay...which she is starting to munch on a little more at the vet checks than she used to. 3. BP mash (BP and a handful of pelleted feed... recently this has been changed to Ultium). Placing carrots/apples in the mash doesn't get her to eat it any better either. 4. Grazing on plain green grass which she is electing to do as well She generally doesn't well until about the first vet check. Have found she will drink more water at VCs if I use the larger, big tubs you can buy at WalMart with the rope handles than the standard buckets. She will drink out of buckets set out by ride management along the trail after the first VC. So IMHO I feel that I really need her to eat her BP mashes. Perhaps I'm feeding too many mashes to her? If we arrive at RC on Thursday PM (depending on distance driven)...I like to feed a mash on arrival at RC, another at dinner. Then on Friday I try to feed 3-4 mashes (breakfast, lunch, dinner, bedtime). On Saturday morning and each VC she gets a mash set out for her too. If I arrive on Friday...one upon arrival, at dinner time (if I arrive earlier in the day) and at bedtime. Saturday she gets one in the AM and each VC too. So...am I feeding *too much* in the way of BP mashes? I feel like perhaps I am and she's letting me know by not eating them. If they set out too long from her not eating them, I have a fresh mash made for her at the next feeding so it's not like they set out too long. Any other choices for feeding *stuff* at holds that would help in keeping/maintaining water in the hind gut? Reduce the number of mashes? She doesn't normally get oats...what about soaked oats at VCs? (Even though not on her daily diet menu) Other choices? Thanks much, Val + Sania (completed two 25-mile rides this season) __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around http://mail.yahoo.com =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= 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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