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RE: [RC] [RC] Riding strategy -- mare in heat at an endurance ride - heidiMore than behavior issues, I am concerned about the physiological changes that occur which can get them into trouble if their bodies are stressed--which an endurance ride certainly does. Specifically the tendency toward azotoria seems to be connected to their heat cycles (resulting in their decreased ability to deal with excess lactic acid). I personally think this is more an individual problem than a "mare" problem. When a mare ties up, people say, "Oh, it's a mare!" When a gelding or a stallion tie up, they say, "Oh, well, he tied up..." I don't know of any evidence that they have any such decreased ability to deal with excess lactic acid--never mind that endurance horses don't tend to build up lactic acid anyway. Sure, you can fail to warm them up (regardless of gender) and slam into the first vet check and tie up--but that happens to geldings and stallions, too! Heidi =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Ridecamp is a service of Endurance Net, http://www.endurance.net. 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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