Re: RC: tie ups and carbs

[CMKSAGEHIL@aol.com]

In a message dated 12/17/99 11:13:42 AM Pacific Standard Time, 
guest@endurance.net writes:

<< Hey since you are on the subject.  I have a horse who will tie up before 
he gets to the end of our driveway if he gets an=
 y "sweet feed" at all.  When we withheld all sweet feeds he has never 
displayed any tie ups (completed 2 75 milers last y=
 ear.)
 Now, sweet feed is simple carbs how does that fgure in on "treating" tie ups 
with carbs? >>

One reason for my reluctance to embrace carbs as a panacea is that I've also 
had a horse like this.  She campaigned HARD on nothing but roughage, 
completing 18 rides in one season, Top Tenning 17 of those, and having enough 
"kick" at the finish to come out in front in horse races for her position 8 
out of 9 times that we were confronted with finish line races.  Judging from 
that performance, she was not hypoglycemic or suffering from any particular 
calorie deficit.  She also maintained a good body weight throughout that 
season.  (BTW--she finished Reserve in the PNER standings to a horse called 
RT Muffin--mere AERC Hall of Fame horse, with a career win record that few 
will ever accomplish.)  Like your horse, this mare would tie up at the 
suggestion of sweet feed.  On the other end of the spectrum, the horse I've 
ridden the most in recent years is sometimes nicknamed "Hoover"--he can and 
does eat anything, including sweet feed or any type of grain, along with the 
40+# of hay he will consume in the 24-hour pre-ride period--and he thrives on 
all of it.  At vet checks, his mouth never stops.  He, too, was a front 
runner early in his career, but physical injury to both myself and to him 
relegated us to being mileage candidates instead of front runners.  It has 
been my experience in vetting other people's horses for years that those who 
hit the wall the most are those who DON'T get a good roughage fill, and 
further, that among those who DO tolerate simple carbs well, the ones who DO 
eat their hay well will benefit from them the most.

Heidi


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