eating and performance

[mmmcrae@juno.com (Marie M McRae)]

My turn to pick brains....

Took my home grown 9 yr old gelding to his second 50 miler this past
weekend. I should add that the first one was 2 years ago - got my body
broke last year and didn't compete.   He does have 1000+ ECTRA miles.  
He did very well, placing 12th despite the rider error of being lost
twice on the foggy mountain.  His recoveries are always good but his CRI
scores this time were awesome to me.  His scorecard shows only one B (cap
refill).  His body condition going into the ride was very good, I think
probably a 4 1/2 on Susan's scale.
The problem  -  he doesn't eat.  Anything.  (Yes, Heidi, I hear you about
breeding for these things but I didn't know about this sport then)
>From the time we leave the barn to the time we return this horse eats
perhaps one hay bag full of hay (if I'm really lucky) and 2 lbs of
grains.  
He trailers well, camps well, is calm at the start, though eager.  He
doesn't fret things.
I brought fruit and carrots.  He ate 2 pears all weekend, and at the last
hold we got him to eat 2 lbs of cut up carrots.
At home he is very picky and eats about 1/2 of what any other horse on
the place consumes.  Won't eat it if its wet.  Though having said that, 
he will sometimes eat soaked beet pulp. For two or three weeks before the
ride I would bring him inside twice a day and offer him free choice
grain.  He eats about 2 lbs in 3 hours and then whines to go out.
I feel very silly, like having a picky cat around..

Quite understandably he runs out of gas on the last loop. 

 I tried carbos in his feed (not my style to  force feed anything,
electrolytes included) for a 3-day 100 earlier in the year - for the
first day he was eating like crazy but he left his brain at home and
fried himself with nervous energy.  Quite out of character.

I'm not really asking for suggestions about what feedstuffs to offer him.
 I guess this is an experience question.  I just don't have the racing
miles and some of you folks do.  Since his scores are all good one can't
really say that anything is broke, so do I try to fix it anyhow and maybe
get him in a mess?  Or do I resign myself to the fact that this is
probably his limit?  ( I'm a realist and I would be OK with that) Since
this is only his second race might he adapt his style to the challenge
with more experience? 
I can't even think about 100 miling this horse.

Next time I look for a horse my first question will be - does he eat??

Opinions please.

Marie McRae
with 'Laddin in upstate NY

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