Carbo Rat Bombs OD

[VMAXEPT Roger Rittenhouse <vmaxept@cococo.net>]

I am finally getting some time to post a few long over due papers.

Fame and I went to the OD50  and did not start.
I (we) planned and worked all year for this ride, so it was a major
disappointment  we did not a start.

She was having COLIC like symptoms and sore muscles - like sort of tying
up.

The venture started on the Tue before the ride. We loaded up with a very
sound and happy horse.
She had just done a 25LD the Sat before in great order (4)Hr. This was a
medium ride -a good warm-up for the OD. Had lots of rocks and good
climbs. She could have gone much faster but I wanted to keep her under
worked. She vetted out A. and 10th with a good vet score.

We were late leaving Tues, in the late afternoon about 4pm  when we
left. Error1.
The weather turned cold and we hit rain. She had on a light sheet. We
have an open stock trailer, only the top 1/4 is open. So plenty of air
flows and of course some rain will get in.
I had a bucket of water and another for beet pulp/grain. I fed about 2 #
beet pulp 1/2 pnd oats. (no corn).  Dose electolytes/pro-bi

I did not expect this would be a problem.
I stopped after 4 hrs and got out at a truck rest area. I let he eat.
The grass was cut I saw no signs of 'spray'. She trotted loose had good
gut sounds. Topped off the water dose electrolytes, more
beetpulp/oats-pro-bi

Four hrs later I was north of Troutville Va. It was quite late (12am). I
was tired. Had been raining on and off. I found a nice small stop.
unloaded her. She was fine. Ate grass drug me all over the place, drank
well. Was not wet. Did not change the sheet to a blanket. Error2
Put he back in the trailer and I sacked out for 3 hrs. Got up checked
her, filled the water and beetpulp (2pnds).Electrolytes in the beetpulp
Did not get her off. Error3

Arrived on site at 6:30 am. Set up residence in a very large paddock,
hay, water, fed beet pulp some grain and other goodies. She appeared
fine. trotted all over the place. Looked good.
Sacked out for about 3 hrs.
Total time on the road including stops 14hrs. Actual travel time about
10hrs.

Went for a short 1.5 mile ride up the mtn and back to the finish.
Trotted great, felt great.
Good guts. All systems were normal.

Lots of walks and grass. Manure was fine.

Thursday am up about 9. She seemed a bit punky. Did not really want all
he am ration.
Drank water ok.
Went out for 3 easy miles and back. She went great. Drank on the trail.

As the day progressed she got very depressed, that not happy expression,
ears back, looking lousy. Then in the afternoon she started to paw the
ground.

Walk about -eager ate grass, guts sound ok. Gave a 30cc dose of pro-bi.
Dose electrolytes. She drank well.
It was getting hot and we were out in the sun, but it was not the normal
OD weather nor the hot sun we had at home. The stalls were 'close' and
hot . So I choose to keep her in sight.
She sort of held her own until night. Then more colic symptoms, more
walking more pro-bi. Her guts were quite but ok about a B. She ate grass
and wanted to walk around.

Trotted ok.
At night she laid down, flat out, NOT normal. She acted very tired and
just wanted to sleep. She would get up when asked so I ruled out major
colic.
In the am she ate very little. guts still B.
She had NOT done much manure over night. Scare time?

Temp was 101.4. She is normal 100+. Up a bit but it was hot.

Trotted stiff. Had a massage done on her. Not sure this did any good and
may have caused some problems. She seemed worse after the session.

Vet  in. Temp 102.1  high  but allot of horses had temps around 102. But
not normal for her.

Went to the vet team and filled them in. Metabolically she was deemed
OK, but her trot was stiff and stilted behind, did not like to be
palpitated. The gaskin and hams were touchy.

We pulled.

Called in Dr Nancy L.. few cc banimine. drew blood for a test Dr Jeannie
Waldron was doing on Trailer Stress. Had her portable blood tester on
site.
Lungs Ok, guts fair. Gave a mag laxative.  A few hrs later she really
passed a mess. So the issue of impactation was eliminated.
She drank and ate ok. Sloppy beetpulp/oats/electolytes/pro-bi.
She still wanted to lay down allot.
About midnight. Dr Jeannie came by to get more blood and listen to her
lungs. All clear.
However she did cough some on different piles of hay. The high price
stuff made her cough-  so I wet it down allot.

In the am the 100 milers left --she was ready to go.
then the 50 milers, I had he out in hand. Felt better now..
Oh yea- get well AFTER they leave.  She remembers the last time she was
at OD --it was 92 and she did the 100, so this was her get even time..
no way was she going back on that trail.

I left her with a light sheet -rain comming-and went out to crew for a
friend.
Rain came after the first check. He had more crew then needed so I went
back to camp.
She was fine eager perky and hungary.. go figure.
The vet gang suspected she was doing a respiratory thing?
Blood tests -HA -down the middle expect liver GGT was 30 (5-24) all the
others showed NO problem. So much for trailer stress.
By the end of the day when the 50 milers were back she was looking
great.

Sunday we loaded up and went to Frank Farmers place for over night.
Going to make 2 days for the return trip. 3 1/2 hrs to Franks place.
Left in am 6:30-- it was HOT and going south we expected allot more
heat. We got stuck in a interstate parking lot.. wrecks -2 times. Got
her out ONE time for an hour, ate grass drank .. etc. fed same stuff in
the trailer..
IT got up to 95 degrees.
Took about 8 hrs from Franks. Unloaded her, turned her out , she took
off at a full gallop into the field and rolled, ran around for about 2
or 3 minutes, drank and started to fill up on grass. the old -'no
trouble found' -gottcha.
 I stood there, thinking what did I do wrong?
The trip home was more stressful?

I only concluded she got chilled from the colder night trip up and
standing too long on the trailer. Hypothermia I  guess. It just took a
few days on site for it all to set in.
She did not get ill. Rode the next day. all systems normal.

Still I don't have a good answer as to what went wrong.

Except -- she did show a worm load-- this past month we ran a mess of
tests. all ok except the worm count was up.
See next paper.

and NO she was NOT on carbo supplement....
Roger R