RE: [RC] VC 100 and choking horses - Ranelle Rubin
My solution to the dehydrated-potential for choking (and I teach my horses to eat this after a long training ride):
Have a mash soaking in the bottom of a 5 gal bucket. Let them eat some sloppy mash of whatever you like to feed. When they have finished about half of it, fill the bucket with hay and water. They will eat the hay out of the water voraciously as it tastes like their favorite mash..and get lots of water at the same time..
Try it on your next training ride..it really works! The last thing I do before leaving on a long training ride is soak a bucket of mash so it is ready when I get back. My horse look forward to it..they know it will be there..:) My spoiled horse, I know...
Courage is being scared to death, but saddling up anyway. ~ John Wayne
From: bigcreekranch@xxxxxxxxxxxx To: cjstaf@xxxxxxx; ridecamp@xxxxxxxxxxxxx Subject: Re: [RC] VC 100 and choking horses Date: Fri, 25 Sep 2009 09:13:27 -0700
Our son-in-law was cheated out of a Tevis finish several years ago when the Tevis crews offered Steve's horse dry alfalfa. The vets could not solve the choke without treatment, so his horse was DQ'd. Moral of story...wet down the hay thoroughly and this is less likely to happen. And perhaps, feed small amounts gradually, so the horse doesn't gobble too fast.
Just finished Karen Chaton's VC 100 story (exciting read as always!)
Reading about Tigger's choke episode along with a couple of others at the ride had me curious. Is having 3 horses choke at a ride a bit odd (is the number high or not uncommon at a 100 mile ride for horses to choke?). If it's a rare thing, any theories as to why it happened to a few horses there? Is it because of being in the desert, being dehydrated and gobbling up food to fast?
Would be interested in any theories from teh vets/crews from the ride. I"m a chronic worrier and need to have solutions to all the 'what-if's' out there, lol.
