Re: RC: Hot weather syndrome

[CBell6006@aol.com]

In a message dated 9/8/99 9:51:28 AM EST, greenall@vermontel.net writes:

 
 What I saw at endurance rides this summer was worse.  Vermont 
 100 (very hot, humid) had less than 50% complete.  PAC had a 
 very busy treatment barn and two horse were shipped to a vet 
 hospital.  
 
 WHAT ARE WE MISSING?  This is NOT how the sport is 
 supposed to be.  Tie ups and dehydration colic seem to be the 
 main issues.  I know that the riders are doing everything they can 
 to help their horses and I know that the vets are keeping a very 
 watchful eye out, but it still happening at a very concerning rate.  It 
 is what we DON'T know that worries me.  So many of us think that 
 riding slower makes it safer, but that is not what I have seen this 
 year.  

Sue,
I have read a couple of posts where riders stated that you had to train in 
the heat to ride in the heat.  This may have been part of the problem.  We 
had record high temperatures all summer on the East Coast.  Most people (if 
they were training at all) were trying to ride in the early mornings and 
evenings in order to avoid the heat.  I know I couldn't find anyone who 
wanted to train with me in the heat of the day (they kept muttering something 
about "mad dogs an Englishmen" <G>), when I was training for the PanAm.  I 
think Bob Morris had posted some time ago....."train like you ride, ride like 
you train."  This is very important, especially for heat and humidity.  High 
daytime temperatures can't be avoided if you are going to do rides in the 
summer (unless you are RACING LD's then you are done by 9:30 am <sarcasm key 
on>).  It would be interesting to find out how the horses who had severe 
metabolic problems on these rides had been trained.  I'm not saying they 
weren't fit, they just may not have been "heat and humidity acclimated."  

Another thing that I've been considering is the feeding of high fat 
supplementation to endurance horses.  There have been several posts from 
riders who were feeding high fat, that were having problems with poor 
recoveries and metabolics.  I wonder if maybe we aren't overdosing the fat.  
Tom Ivers feels that fat doesn't help the horse at all in competition.  I 
know it is wonderful for keeping a horses weight up during training, but I'm 
wondering if maybe we are overdoing it.  I had a similar experience at the 
PanAm.  I had started Wameco on a quality, high fat feed one month prior to 
the PanAm, knowing that we had a 2100 mile trip ahead of us and I'd be asking 
to compete at a higher level than he'd ever done before.  After about 2 weeks 
I started noticing that his pulses were running higher and his recovery time 
was slower than it had been before under similar training circumstances.  It 
was very hot 95+ and 80% humidity, so I blamed it on the weather.  However, 
looking back over the last 7 years that I've been training Wameco, we have 
always had hot & humid summers in Florida and he's never had this problem 
before.  I'm not sure if the muscle cramp that he got at the PanAm had 
anything to do with the feed, I just know it's never happened to him before 
and the feed is the only thing that I've changed in years.

I wonder if any of the horses who had metabolic problems at your ride were 
being fed high-fat supplements or feed.  I could be completely stabbing in 
the dark here, but I know that since I took him off the feed (immediately 
after the PanAm), I have my old horse back.  Low pulses and fast recoveries, 
no matter how hot and humid it is.

Sue, I think that it's wonderful that you are looking into this problem. I 
don't know if we'll have a definitive answer since there are so many 
variables in distance riding, e.g. training schedules, feeding programs, 
electrolyte supplementation, even just the "rock with our name on it."  I 
know I learn something at every ride I do, and plan on doing things a little 
differently next time.
 
>> The only "fixes" I can see is providing more water opportunities for 
 the horses in hot weather and extending the hold times or adding a 
 hold so that the horses don't go as far between stops.  Neither is 
 that easy to do at last minute. 

Also, on CTR's the ride management should have the option to lengthen the 
maximum time.  This would allow for a slower pace when it's very hot and 
humid.  We do this occasionally in Florida where it can be in the 80's even 
in the winter. 

Several years ago at the Talladega Tempest ride it was very hot and humid.  
The vet lowered the parameters to a 60 pulse for the 55.  At many rides they 
would have raised the parameters since it was so hot.  However, even though 
many riders complained, it did have a positive affect.  Eight of the first 
ten horses into the first check were pulled for failure to recover.  The 
riders may have been upset, but they obviously didn't take the vets advice to 
"slow down" and their horse were pulled before they developed serious 
metabolic problems.  I know if my horse didn't recover to a 60 pulse in 30 
minutes, I'd pull him myself!
 
>> I would love to open this up for discussion.  To take healthy, fit 
 horses and put them at risk (50% means it's either you or the guy 
 next to you that ends up on the IV) is not good sport. 

Agreed.  As we become a higher profile sport and start receiving media 
coverage we are going to have to be very aware of our public image. 

Cindy Bell
SE Region (Florida..where we have "Florida Mountains" to train in: Heat, 
Humidity & Sand)
Wameco....I'm chubby enough....I don't need any more fat!


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