1 - is this mainly because most CT rides
have in camp vet checks? I would suspect so<<<
Yes. At many rides out west, no vet checks are in camp,
and some, the crew can not even get in to, so crew bags are sent with
management. As an example, at the Sunland ride, management would take some
barley hay, or other grain hay, and some alfalfa to each vet check, along with a
50 pound bag of carrots, and some bran, and some oats. We also supplied feed
tubs, for those riders who did not have a crew to take up buckets and stuff. We
would place nice big Rubbermaid troughs at the vet checks, and haul the water in
with the "water truck". Also, often had to deliver water to points along the
trail, where we also had placed temporary water troughs. Some rides, if we did
not haul water, there would not be any along the trail. And, rarely any grazing,
so what feed we hauled in, might be it at the vet checks.
2 - everyone always says, make sure your
horse eats at home what you'll feed at a ride - does anyone have any hesitancy
about feeding strange hay/feed to horses at VCs?<<<
I have had no problem feeding what ever hay my horse
would eat, as long as it looked and smelled good to me. I never feed alfalfa at
home, but at the remote crewless vet checks on Tevis, that was all they had.
Some people have said their horses have problems if they eat something very
different. I just want mine to eat. The more the better. And those who have done
a few rides, and have had their horse eating next to another horse, know they
always decide what the other horse is eating looks better than his lunch. If
they want to trade, I don't care as long as it meets my standards (wet sloppy
mashes, prefer beet pulp based) Of course if I have mixed something special,
with electrolytes etc., I will insist on not sharing. But, if it means eating or
not eating because they decide what you brought is yucky, then just
eat!
BTW, we usually got the feed for the vet checks donated
by the local feed store, so we did not have that expense at the rides I helped
with. But indeed, some managers do spend $$$ on feed for the horses. Just
depends on the ride.
