ridecamp@endurance.net: RE: Ivers last comment on Carbos, etc

RE: Ivers last comment on Carbos, etc

Truman Prevatt (truman.prevatt@netsrq.com)
Sat, 06 Dec 1997 09:43:43 -0500

At 06:36 PM 12/5/97 -0800, you wrote:
>I don't need to defend Tom, he's quite capable of that himself. What I
want to say is this: Tom's facts and intuitions are remarkable when
properly applied, and that is the key. Many of the readers on this list
are reacting rather than listening.
>
>Listen - if you're a competitive rider and are looking for ways to enhance
the physical performance of your horse, read between the lines of Tom's
writings, and come up with the formulas specific to your horse. Listen -
if you're not a competitive rider and yet still want to promote the highest
health and wellbeing of your horse during arduous events, then read between
the lines and find the truth that works for you.
>
>Like Susan, he's not handing out prescriptions for each horse, he's giving
us some of the most advanced thinking in equine exercise physiology. Yes,
his focus is sprinters, but this doesn't invalidate his message. It's
still horses. Moving fast. In some cases, at the limits of safe exertion.
>

Let us try a little experiment. Place a half silvered mirror ( mirror that
reflects half the light that hits it) in front of a photon firing device.
Place photo detectors (i.e. film will do) directly behind the mirror -
where the photon would hit if the mirror weren't there. Now place another
photo detector where the photon would hit if it were reflected off the mirror.

Now fire one photon at the mirror. Where is it - that is which detector did
it hit. Until you look it did not hit either - but hit both with
probability 1/2 each. Simple experiment to show that a reductionist
approach to physics is absolutely inadequate. The whole system has to be
considered.

The same is true for an endurance horse. The system as a whole has to be
considered. The production and use of energy involves a lot more that
carbs, fat, etc. It involves hydration, it involves electrochemical
reactions, it involves production of and dissipation of heat, it involves
hormonal control of the biochemical functions of the body. I would
estimate that in a 100 mile race these things are much more critical than
what is eaten.

Believe me folks if the simple reductionist approach of breaking everything
down into small pieces and evaluating each independently doesn't work for a
simple physical system (and it doesn't) it does not have a chance for
something as complex biological systems such as a horse. In physics
reductionism was recognized to be inadequate in about 1910.

Truman

P.S. Long live that obnoxious half dead/half live cat.

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