feeding hay comment

[plough1@ix.netcom.com (KIMBERLY PRICE)]

Original message was:
>What different type >things do you> guys feed your horses at the vet 
checks
>
>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

From: rides2far@juno.com (Angela C. McGhee)

WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN???????
Hay, Hay, Hay, Hay, if I could get my horse to eat it going down the
trail I would!  You withhold hay the morning of the ride?????  Do you
offer regular water with this electrolyte mixture??

I'm no great genius, but I feed at least 2 hrs before a 50, (regulated 
bywhat time I have to get up to go to the bathroom..very scientific). I
keep hay in front of him every hour, night and day.  I don't give more
than 1/2 dose of electrolytes the night before (I know some do).  
Duringa 50 or 100,  I keep coastal bermuda and alfalfa in front of him, 
alongwith bran mash with carrots and a sprinkling of sweetfeed in it.  
Heusually goes for the alfalfa and bran early in the race, and switches 
tocoastal towards the end.  I give one 35mm cannister of electrolytes 
atevery vet check.  If he doesn't eat this, I will try to find some 
freshgrass that he'll graze on...anything to keep that gut moving.

Angie and Kaboot (Hey, their slop looks even better...tug, tug, tug!

_
From Kimberly,
   **** Look, when I first started riding 6-7 years ago I believed the 
same thing about not feeding because I was TOLD the same thing. I was 
taught that it was TERRIBLE to let the horse graze out on the trail or 
drink water, and to make sure their gut was empty before you go out!!  
It was by my beloved late cousin Sue, and it was because she didn’t 
know any better.  She had snobbery influence at the first ranch she 
boarded and never looked to another ranch for guidance again.  I didn't 
know better until I bought Mystery and took him off that land and 
educated myself...

***So please, lets not be so harsh on this stuff.
	***I didn’t even realize Mystery was starving when he jumped that 
fence to visit us.  I thought he was just being friendly.....
 *Ignorance breeds ignorance.  Guidance brings knowledge.
enough.
	Kimberly (catch'in up on digests)
 (&Mystery the Morab...”I never have to jump another fence 
again.....just streams!”)



In any case - just have a great ride- enjoy the sport at what ever 
level
you select.
and help the new riders to do better.
***You said it Roger....

For me it HAS to be 50/100
***Go fur it, dude....how are your knees?

Had a GREAT run at the horse park this weekend.. more to come..
Roger R
"RAT RUNS ROLEX"

****Kimberly (&Mystery the Morab)