Re: full recovery at vet checks?

[Farafix@aol.com]

In a message dated 2/20/99 9:23:13 PM Eastern Standard Time, Tivers@aol.com
writes:

<<  They eat well during the night before the ride; I give them several small
  grain meals during the night (sounds like I carbo load???).>
 
 A little. Takes about 4 days of 1/3 extra grain to load. So far, most
 endurance folk have reported back that this procedure produces a horse that
is
 "too hot" and hard to control at the start of the event.

The couple of days before the ride, while at home, the horses are on pretty
lush pasture.  I give only enough grain (1/2 small coffee can) to get the CAGS
& electolytes into the horses.  I have an old gelding that founders on the
grass, if allowed too much, & was told by a local lab that pasture in this
area usually tests very high in protein, so I thought extra grain was probably
unnecessary!  Any thoughts/research on the effects of pasture as a carbo
source?  I have no problem maintaining weight (in fact, they get fat on the
pasture when resting up after a competition!).
My mare, several yrs of experience, 2600 miles, isn't too bad at the starts
(used to be somewhat strong, but I think she's figured out she might as well
save the energy) on this regime.  The stallion is strong the first couple of
miles, but I'm not sure if  that's diet or just being a young (coming 6)
stallion! 

Thanks to you & Heidi for your comments. 

Nancy
Md
Kadance & Tempo (maybe now you'll take that bit out so I can eat faster?!?)