Cindy, Just supplementing with Selenium may not be enough.
A good, balanced source of all the minerals is my preference. There are many good supplements out there.
Of course, I recommend (after using them for 20 yrs), the Dynamite vitamins because of the process they use called "chelation" to amino acids. This assists the minerals in absorption, instead of "expensive poop".
Selenium is the biggest one missing from many commercially grown hays, but a balance of all the essential minerals is needed to be able to absorb and use even that. Vit E is a perfect example.
If you want evidence of what is possible with a Dynamite horse, look up
Bev Gray's record on AERC. She rides fast, almost always in top
ten..and all her horses are "Dynamite Horses". I can give you plenty of other endurance rider's names to look up, she is just the first one to come to mind with many years of riding our sport at a level most of us can only dream.
Happy to talk off list if you like,
Best to you.
Courage is being scared to death, but saddling up anyway. ~ John Wayne
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From: cjstaf@xxxxxxx To: ridecamp@xxxxxxxxxxxxx Subject: [RC] tying up mystery Date: Mon, 21 Jul 2008 16:01:18 +0000
Looking for some insight from all of you on this one, because we're stumped. My friend's horse has a history of cramping up on rides. The mare is in good shape, not high strung, is consistently ridden several times a week. Text book endurance training, long slow distance. Owner is experienced endurance rider, has other horse that frequently gets BC, so not a case of being ridden too hard too fast. Horse pulses in very low. But on occasion, she will cramp up in teh hind end coming into the first vet hold on an LD, or during the hold in line. It's never been the big metabolic crash, with dark colored pee or compeltely locking up. Just stiff legs that can come off as lameness. It has also occurred at home within 30 minutes of mild exercise, but very rarely, Just most often at a ride.
The horse is frequently trained in parks away from home, so don't think the issue is being some place new.
What we've tried so far:
thoroughly researched ridecamp for ideas
Read everything from Susan Garlinghouse we can put our hands on
She has access to grass hay 24/7, and is turned out at night in pasture. She is not overweight
She is currently on regimate (hasn't eliminated it, but may have helped?)
Increased selenium dosage (based on Susan's comments in ridecamp on this subject earlier this year)
Made sure to change up gaits during a ride, in case its just muscle fatique. mixed up walking, trotting, cantering...
Kept pace during the ride very slow, has been ridden middle of the pack, back of the pack, etc. Horse doesn't get anxious during the rides, very mellow.
So any other ideas of what to try? Anything we've missed? Or is this even a metabolic issue and we're misdiagnosing it?
