Endurance.Net Ridecamp Archives

Jen, you don't mention where you live.  That can make a difference in 
whether using e'lytes heavily or not and even using beet pulp is 
appropriate.
	E'lytes are used to replace the salts lost in sweat & to encourage 
drinking.  The first rule is EACH HORSE IS DIFFERENT!  You definitely 
should experiment with e'lytes til you find what works for you and your 
horse.  Many people I know are now using fewer e'lytes than they did a 
few years ago as they have learned more about their horses and how to 
manage them.  I live in the dry west and never use e'lytes on 
conditioning rides.  I'd have to start experimenting all over again if I 
moved to another region where the climate was different.
	Beet pulp is just another food.  It has lots of good qualities that 
make it a convenient food for using at rides - it's compact and easy to 
carry and store; it's a great water carrier; it's pretty similar to hay 
in nutritional value.  That said, it isn't necessarily a food source 
that needs to be used all the time.  I board my horse and ride him 
enough that he needs some supplemental feeding a lot of the time.  Beet 
pulp is easy for me to store and feed him.  I mix it with Purina Equine 
Sr. just because it works for me, not because it's the perfect or the 
only thing I could use.
	My main advice is not to get all hung up on details like e'lytes and 
beet pulp and measuring mileage and heart rate accurately.  Just go out 
and ride your horse and get to know your horse!  Many, many horses do 
just fine at rides with only the basics.  Start minimal and add stuff as 
you find you need it.
Laney

jen wrote:
> First of all, I just want to say a HUGE thank you to Jackie Floyd for 
> writing the Endurance Guide.  I believe it has become my new bible and 
> my husbands curse. ;)  I am planning my "season" starting in the spring 
> of next year.
> I also wanted to thank all of you for the stories you contributed to 
> it.  Angie M., your story quite literally made me roll on the floor 
> laughing.  I do believe that I will never attempt a gooseneck. :)))) 
> Anyways...I have a few questions.  Do y'all use elytes as part of your 
> conditioning programs or only during competition?  Does everyone use 
> Beet Pulp all year round? and what sorts of things do you mix with it?  
> Also, I am looking for a HRM and thinking about a GPS so I can 
> accurately measure distance.  Any recommendations? 
> Thanks in advance,
> Jen M.


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