What I look far is any differences from normal. While the above might be
considered good - the horse is drinking more than normal - there was
probably a reason he was drinking more than normal. This could have been a
warning sign.
I don't noramlly preload electrolyes heavly prior to ride. I give a little
in the food starting starting the day before. The moring of the Far Out
Forest it was very humid and I decided to try pre loading before we went
out. So I game my normal "vet check" 1.5 ozs. The first vet check on the
FOF 100 is 30 miles out. You go on through the vet check at 16 miles which
is used for the shorter rides. I always stop there to get water and feed
the horse since I think 30 miles is a long way to go. She was not right at
this check. She not would eat her grainy bran mash. I feed her carrots
and horse waffer treats to get food in her. I was concerned because this
was not normal. I gave her only half the normal dose of electrolytes at
that point.
She was also drinking above normal coming into the 16 mile point. I was
thinking about pulling at 30 miles if she didn't imporve. She drink normal
the next 14 miles and got stronger and stronger and at 30 miles she was
stronger than at the start. She ate normally at 30 miles and her
recoveries were good. I said something to the vet about what happened at
16 miles and he told me she looked fine and had good gut sounds and he
thought everything was fine.
To make a long story short she finshed in fine shape. We turned on the
road leading to camp and she picked up a gallop and galloped in the last
mile. Her final vet scores were all A's. But at 16 miles I wouldn't have
given you two cents for our prospects of finisheing. The thing I learned
was that if you don't normally pre load with electrolyted don't - more is
not always better. What was reinforces was to watch for the abonormal
things even if they are not bad. If they are abnormal then something may
be wrong.
Truman
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The race is not always to the swift, but to those that keep running.
Truman and Mystic "The Horse from HELL" Storm
and Danson "The Demon in Training" Flame
prevatt@lds.loral.com - Sarasota, Florida
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