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[RC] carbo loading - beckegI have done carbo loading, or more accurately, carbo supplementation for several years. It benefits most when a horse is in shape and you are using a lot of energy at a ride.
You can use lots of carrots , corn, sugar type syrups to achieve supplementation. But you really want a slower release than sugar, hense the carrots or carbo charge. I tried the carbo charge at the beginning and it made my horse hotter than I wanted. So we supplement at the first vet check. Saying this, there is a protocal so your horse doesn't crash before the end of the race. There has been reserch on this that I have read (but don't have currently) and several of us have experimented with this and have found what works for each horse and horses in general.
It's not rocket science but it is science. Think of somebody with diabetes and how often they have to eat and what they eat to maintain appropriate blood sugar. I suffer from hypoglycemia and need to eat smaller meals every 3 hours (and chocolate is not a meal although I wish it were). I once tested my blood sugar at the end of the day I skipped lunch. I don't know why I was't in the hospital, I had the shakes and craved candy. It took me 3 hours to corret it. Now I won't let it get that low. I won't let my horse get that low blood sugar, either.
Becke in MI
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