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RE: [RC] [RC] [RC] Study on electrolyte/ulcers - Juli Jakub

Thanks Heidi!
That is actually wonderful to hear as I am starting out. One less thing to worry about right away!! I can just keep an eye peeled and see if my horses need it. I was getting the impression that you HAD to e-lyte or you would get your horse in trouble and that scared me a little!! I won't be doing anything except training her a little, but my coming four year old drinks like no horse I have ever seen and really takes care of herself. Loves to eat anything, anywhere!! I hope she is one that will never really need it. My husbands little horse is not an aggressive drinker, although he eats well. Maybe he might need some, but he also will probably never do much more than slow 50's. He is not really built for long, fast distances!! So it still may not be a problem. I am still going to research e-lytes just because I like to know stuff, but it is comforting to know that I can probably get through my first slow rides without worrying about e-lyting. Cheers,

<html><DIV>
<P>Juli Jakub</P>
<P>The Air of Heaven is that which blows between a horse's ears.</P>
<P>~ arabian proverb</P></DIV></html>




From: heidi@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
To: Juli Jakub <fahraway@xxxxxxxxxxx>
CC: ridecamp@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: RE: [RC]   [RC] Study on electrolyte/ulcers
Date: Wed, 22 Mar 2006 18:26:39 -0700

> I would love to hear more on this topic as a newbie who is a little
> intimidated by the idea of e-lyting since I have never done it with my event
> horses except occasionally. I would hate to start doing something if it is
> going to cause ulcers in my horse.

Juli, I've gotten to the point that I just about always delete e-lyte
posts on ridecamp, in part because it seems to be one of those things
that people tend to approach rather mindlessly just because "everybody
does it."

Well, not everybody does it, and many non-electrolyted horses do just
fine.

My comments below are anecdotal--I have no formal studies to back them
up.  But they come from observing close to 20,000 endurance starters
from a veterinary perspective over 20+ years, in addition to riding
over 6000 miles, sometimes fairly competitively.

1)  I think we see just as many--if not more--problems in endurance
horses from overuse and inappropriate use of e-lytes as we do from any
lack of them.

2)  I think many people mis-diagnose problems as being e-lyte problems
when they are, in fact, energy problems or lack of conditioning to do
what has been asked.  Or, in some cases, simply horses that are not
suited to the sport.

3)  I think it is a big mistake to e-lyte horses at all until they have
been worked up through the ranks in the sport to the point where one
can make really intelligent decisions about their individual needs.

4)  Do I think e-lytes contribute to ulcers in endurance horses?  You
betcha.

In the horse's diet, e-lytes come from forages.  A working, healthy
endurance horse can and should be consuming as much as 40 lbs of some
sort of forage daily.  That amount contains MORE e-lytes (and
reasonably balanced ones) than he will lose in sweat.

We do not use e-lytes in our endurance horses at all.  One of my horses
participated in 2 different bloodwork studies at rides, and was one of
the better-balanced horses there--at one of those, on a hot and
somewhat humid day, he won the 75-miler and won BC.  Another of my
non-e-lyted horses top tenned something like 16 rides in one season,
including one BC.  These horses ate well, drank well, and stayed in
good weight all season.  I would not rule out their use--and I do
believe there are individuals that need them.  But I think they are
greatly overused in our sport, much to the detriment of our horses.

Others will view these comments as heretical--but since you asked, I
figured it was time somebody told "the rest of the story."

Heidi


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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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RE: [RC] [RC] Study on electrolyte/ulcers, heidi