Re: full recovery at vet checks?

[Tivers@aol.com]

In a message dated 2/19/99 6:42:32 PM Pacific Standard Time, CMKSAGEHIL
writes:

<< es, sweat is good--in fact, very necessary to dissipate body heat.  But
that brings up another comment.  One of the things that I think is important
to the endurance horse who works for hours and hours is the maintenance of a
fiber fill in the gut.  There's a lot more to this than just the free fatty
acid aspect for energy--it also serves as a gigantic reserve of both water and
electrolytes that the horse can draw upon all day.>

But how long does it take roughage to become useful in this way? I thought
water was absorbed from the hind gut--that's about 8 hours away from intake,
isn't it?

>  It is far easier to maintain this reserve if the horse is continuing to
consume roughage as much as possible during the ride.  All this carb
discussion has focused on energy, without much said about cooling.  It is far
easier for the horse to remain hydrated if he continues to be ravenous for his
roughage, and any lessening of this by increasing carbs unduly>

Theoretically--but it actually doesn't pan out that way in practice. No
difficulties in that way that have been reported. Don't know about changes in
appetite--never asked that simplest of questions. Stupid of me--report in
guys, I need to know.

> (and yes, Tom, if I remember right, we agreed that high blood glucose
suppresses appetite)> 

Temporarily. We feed hay and grain first before the booster dose to avoid this
problem. 

> would logically have negative effects on the maintenance of this fiber fill
(read water and electrolyte reservoir).  There are also fluid shifts in the
gut itself due to ingestion of carbs.  I know the research folks have looked
at the fluid shifts into the GI tract with ingestion of carbs, and I don't
know how significant they would be with the amounts being fed.  I don't know
of any research on the former problem, but others out there who follow the
literature more closely than I do may know.  Still, I would wonder if that is
one reason why some horses can't handle carbs--dehydration and electrolyte
problems can certainly lead to tying up.  Just something to think about...
 
 Heidi >>

PossiblyYou also get into situations where too big a change in the diet is
make all at once. Shifting dramatically from fats to carbs or carbs to fats is
one way to get into trouble. We make a subtle change and wait 21 days before
making another. In introducing a glycogen loader to a racehorse, we wait until
after a stong workout before beginning the protocol--even though we're not
feeding much.

I'll see if I can find anything on fluid shifts and carbs. Let me know if you
do. Where is the fluid going? to the muscles? if so, it's right back into
circulation as soon as the fuel its coupled with is burned.

ti