Re: Unidentified subject!

[Chris Paus <paus@micoks.net>]

I figured my horse knows what he needs. When we stop at vet checks and come
in at the end of the ride, he tears into his hay. He would rather have that
than beet pulp or grain and it seems to be good for him.

He has never shown any signs of colic and has decent gut sounds at the checks.

They don't call them Hayburners for nothing!!

chris and *

At 05:55 PM 3/15/98 -0700, Robert Morris wrote:
>Sara:
>You stated:<<I don't like to give concentrates or hay because a hot or
>fatiqued
>> horse will most certainly colic if allowed to eat after a high-mileage
>> workout>> and <<< I also do not feed hay the morning of the ride, because
>it causes too much in the digestive system to digest.>>>  
>
>I take great exception to these statements and feel they could lead to some
>confusion and detrimental advice.
>
>The lack of hay in the horse's diet any time during the ride can result in
>conditioned not on the horse's favor. The hay is the basic food and
>necessary for the continuation of proper digestion and the with holding can
>in certain instances deprive the animal of a necessity of life. 
>
>As for causing colic if fed after a high mileage workout, what would you
>feed? The horse needs something to replace the energy depletion. 
>
>I do believe you will find that most endurance riders with experience keep
>hay in front of their horses at all times (and sometimes pleading with them
>to eat it) and specially at vet stops and before and after the ride. Hay is
>the horses staff of life!!!
>The only time it is with held is in cases of choke and this is rare.
>
>Hay will help retain the moisture in the gut and allow for the adsorption
>of the electrolytes you have mixed in. Can you imagine an empty gut with a
>bunch of water sloshing around?? Hay will help a lot. 
>
>Bob Morris
>Morris Endurance Enterprises
>Boise, ID
>
>----------
>> From: Angstmufin <Angstmufin@aol.com>
>> To: ridecamp@endurance.net
>> Subject: Re: Unidentified subject!
>> Date: Sunday, March 15, 1998 4:48 PM
>> I give my pony a water-electrolyte brew and a small amount of pelleted
>> electrolytes.  This keeps his hydration and energy up to par and restores
>him
>> a bit.  I don't like to give concentrates or hay because a hot or
>fatiqued
>> horse will most certainly colic if allowed to eat after a high-mileage
>> workout.  I do get up around 3 am to feed for ANY ride, because no matter
>what
>> the mileage, the horse needs to properly digest it's feed.  I also do not
>feed
>> hay the morning of the ride, because it causes too much in the digestive
>> system to digest.  
>> Sara
>> 
>
>
>