RE: Carbos -- a different view

[Steph Teeter <step@fsr.com>]

I have a question about this line of thought - I must be missing something....

<<   All too true, Joe.  My other concern, which I've already voiced, is giving the
fatigued horse a burst of energy to go one vet check too many when he should
have quit, or getting him there too fast and causing problems when he might
      have completed if he had slowed down.  As with so many other things, this

Somehow it seems as though you view this energy source as a 'false high' - similar
to a drug - that may mask fatigue, and enable a horse to go faster than he should.
But energy is energy. Blood sugar is blood sugar. If the other systems are having
difficulties - such as electrolye deficiencies, dehydration - do you think feeding the
horse will mask or over-ride this? What difference does it make if he gets his energy
from grain or carbs, or VFA - if the system is able to absorb the energy from the
gut, and the system is able to deliver the energy in the form of increased blood
sugar, ... and the system is able to utilize the energy in the form of working 
muscles... than what is the concern? I'm not trying to be facetious... I just don't
understand how availible energy could be viewed as a potential danger. It seems
that if the horse is dehydrated or electrolyte deficient, then more or less blood
sugar won't make a difference - the limiting factor is the inability of the circulatory
system to deliver the goods, and the inability of the muscle fibers to use them.
Am I missing something?

Joe's reference is to not asking a horse to go any faster than his conditioning
base (bone,soft tissue) warrants. This I agree with ... I just don't see the 
physiological danger. 

Steph



-----Original Message-----
From:	CMKSAGEHIL@aol.com [SMTP:CMKSAGEHIL@aol.com]
Sent:	Thursday, June 25, 1998 11:20 AM
To:	jlong@mti.net; ridecamp@endurance.net
Subject:	Re: Carbos -- a different view

In a message dated 98-06-25 14:02:56 EDT, you write:

<< My concern for improper use of carbos is a different one.  Running
 horses too fast before they're ready is already a significant problem
 in our sport.  A horse's cardiovascular system and muscles train
 faster than his skeletal system.   >>

All too true, Joe.  My other concern, which I've already voiced, is giving the
fatigued horse a burst of energy to go one vet check too many when he should
have quit, or getting him there too fast and causing problems when he might
have completed if he had slowed down.  As with so many other things, this
sounds like the sort of tool that should only be used by the extremely
experienced who know their horses inside and out already and will use them
responsibly.  Am already checking my stocks of IV fluids...

Heidi