I have a somewhat hazy memory of a bunch of charts Dr. Duran put up
during a talk on feeding the endurance horse that indicated that the
problem with feeding grain shortly before a ride wasn't with the
digestion, but with the blood sugar levels. The blood sugar levels
would start to rise about an hour after feeding, peak, drop, (think
sugar crash) and then return to normal levels 3-4 hours later. His
suggestion was not to start heavy work (a ride) until the blood sugar
levels had stabilized. I don't think he extrapolated this data
to feeding grain during the ride, since the metabolic state of
the horse during work is substantially different.
Does anyone have a better memory???
---------------
This month in Horse & Rider someone asks this in the "Sound Advice" section.
They explain that the first 2 hours after a grain feeding blood is needed in
the gut for digestion. Riding during the 1st 2 hours will increase chances
of colic and the horse will be slow and uncomfortable (belly ache, sleepy)
as food ferments in the gut when the gut slows down since the needed blood
is being diverted to the muscles. During digestion there are high sugar and
high insulin levels. So the horse gets sugar high then sleepy alternately.
They say the best time for high energy work is 4 hours after a full feeding.
3 hours after is fine for schooling, training work. But the horse will be
at peak performance at the 4-5 hour mark when all the energy is now
available from the meal for the body to use. This was for feeding 4-5 lbs
grain. They said times could be cut in half for 2lbs or less.
- Carrie (and Graham)
Sunny Orange County, California
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