RE: RE: Summer Breeze/Cooling horses

["Flemmer, Linda" <flemmerl@rcbhsc.wvu.edu>]

Title: RE: Summer Breeze/Cooling horses

On a fifty in the Mid-Atlantic states I'd expect to see 4 VC's if it was a rough, hot ride or 3 VC on a cooler, less rigorous ride.  Typically the stops are 15 - 20 minute holds with one that lasts 45 minutes near the 25 mile mark.  Generally, we are icing Hubbie's black QH/TB <before> he can go into the P&R box, so his hold time hasn't started yet.  My gray Arab cools quickly, but we strip him too if it is hot & he hasn't come into the check at or below parameters.   

 

Solo riders on loops to camp have it made since they can dump ice from their coolers into their buckets.  For away VC, they may be a little slower to recover without the icing, depending on the horse.  The only solo rider on the OD 100 this year managed to top ten (ie NO crew, no help from anyone, MUST carry everything they need, completely self-contained team).  It can be done, but it takes lots of training and really knowing your horse!

 

I haven't been to a ride yet where I encountered a "stop & go VC"...  I'm assuming that the horse meets P&R parameters, is seen by the vet, and you're off?  How are you keeping from losing time with a vet line that backs up?

 

Linda

-----Original Message-----
From: BE [mailto:betndez@budget.net]

So how many VCs with holds and how long are they typically?  To untack and put all that ice water on a horse, scrape and re-ice a few times would take awhile.  And what about those poor souls (like myself) who don't have crew to bring the ice to the VC and work on the horse?

 

In the NW we typically have stop & go VCs every 12-15 miles with a 45 minute hold VC every 25 miles, altho some rides do 15-20 or 30 at each VC.

 

Betty

-----Original Message-----
From: Flemmer, Linda <flemmerl@rcbhsc.wvu.edu>

 we go through 30+ gallons with 16-24 lbs ice on a hot day with him.

continue to get 1-1.5 doses at every vet check - approximately every 2-3 hours. 

we sponge on that ice water then scrape it off until it isn't hot as it comes off of the horse.  We use ice water everywhere on the horse on a hot day with no problems with muscle cramping or increased heat from surface capillary constriction because of the cold.   When the horse starts to say that the water is too cold, we back off to normal water at the vet checks.  We concentrate sponging where major blood vessels are close to the surface - jugulars in the neck, elbow/girth area, inside of back legs

We fight to find shade where ever we can.  We haven't gone so far as to take an awning with us at away vet checks