ridecamp@endurance.net: Re: "Shattering Myths About Feeding", Equus, April 97 - LONG

Re: "Shattering Myths About Feeding", Equus, April 97 - LONG

Truman Prevatt (truman.prevatt@netsrq.com)
Mon, 28 Apr 1997 08:43:43 -0400

>> 1. "Bowel Ballast": I can understand why (in energy terms) you would
>> rather have fats available to the horse rather than high fiber, lower
>>ME
>> roughages. However, I'm having trouble accepting the idea that
>>"Twenty
>> pounds of forage in [a horse's] gut is no different than a 20-pound
>> weight around his waist" (Equus). A healthy, well-hydrated horse
>>should
>> also be carrying "extra weight around his waist" in the form of
>>water.>>
>
>Kim, I dismissed this philosophy when I read the article too. Hind gut
>health is so important to success in endurance for completion alone--not
>to mention the high placing horses--at endurance distances. I think the
>authors must have been considering the endurance phase of 3-day Eventing
>which is only about 15 miles at a little faster pace than we generally go
>with fences added. I can see where ballast would get in the way in an
>event like this. But they're done by the time our horses are just
>getting warmed up. I don't see how actual Endurance horses would retain
>hind gut health and adequate hydration for 50-100 miles if we started
>them empty and kept them that way.
>
>Are my assumptions true/false, Anyone?
>

Every horse is different, but what I found was when I started carring more
weight on my horse she stared doing better. It got to the point that I was
almost embarrass to vet her in. It got to the point that she looked more
like a brood mare than an lean mean endurance machine." This weight was,
however, her optimal weight.

Truman

Truman Prevatt
Mystic "The Horse form Hell" Storm with a lille hellion on the way
Danson "Deamon in Training" Flame
Sarasota, FL

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