ridecamp@endurance.net: Recommended rations

Recommended rations

RALSTON@AESOP.RUTGERS.EDU
Tue, 09 Dec 1997 11:20:43 -0400 (EDT)

In a message dated 97-12-08 16:11:58 EST, ti wrote to me in
a private E-mail (much of the rest of it I left out):

>Ok, so what, then, is your overall nutrient prescription for the four days
>leading up to an endurance ride and the nutrient intake on the day of the
>competition.

a reasonable request-though Wendy, Susan and others including myself,
have been over this many times in the past:
Ergo, An abbreviated form, check the archives for details:

leading up to an endurance ride and the nutrient intake on the day of the
the ride?


I do not recommend changing the horse's diet before a competition
other than giving electrolytes the night before and morning of
and, if it was on 24 hour pasture (as so many are, unlike your
racehorses), adapting it to the type and quantity of hay I planned
to feed at a ride. If it was training successfully on a ration, don't mess
with success! During the ride: electrolytes as necessary, mashes
with bran, soaked whole corn plant cubes, carrots, apples, n
maybe a handful of grain (more for taste), let graze or munch
hay as much as possible. After ride, once gut sounds returned to
normal, small frequent meals of grain (1 lb an hour for up to 6 or 7 hours),
if the horse was really pushed (not necessary after limited distances, as a
rule) or a hard keeper.

If the horse has been properly conditioned this works well. Yes, some endurance
horses are fed large amounts of grain, but in numerous studies on distance
type work, even though some get away with it and even excel, there is a
significant increase in the risk of colic and metabolic problems with high
grain rations. Some of the "top" competitors do all sorts of weird things for
that special "edge" , however their horses usually are not around after
two or three years of competition. Many others of us in this
sport look at our equine athletes as a long term investment,
not a disposable commodity. Will your racehorses still be competing
successfully 10-15 years from now (or even be serviceably sound?).

Sarah Ralston, VMD, PhD
Diplomate, American College of Veterinary Nutrition

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