Thumps

[Patti_Carey@IIMAK.CCMAIL.compuserve.com]

     Hey there Ridecampers!  And thanks, Steph!

     Have a situation and question which I hope will educate some others
     out there, too.

     About a month ago, we bought/adopted a 1/2 Arab mare, 14 years old,
     from someone who was more anxious to get rid of her (financial, legal
     troubles) than we were to buy her (two stall barn, now three horses,
     you get the idea).  In any case, she is a very well put-together mare,
     but needed attention to her feet, some TLC, a little weight, and
     conditioning!  We boosted the grain with corn oil (her coat was awful)
     and wetted beet pulp, and started working on some basic walking trail
     rides and manners.  As in "whoa" must be a part of our vocabulary, and
     yes, walking is an option, even on the way back to the barn.  A little
     dressage and hill work thrown in, too... and back to riding her in a
     snaffle from the whompin' curb she'd been in.

     Took a trip south from NY (15 degrees) to VA (pushing 80 degrees) to
     do some conditioning, and help her learn our "camping" routine last
     weekend.  Went to Fort Valley (thanks for the recommendation --- it
     was great!), and since some of the trails were challenging, I was
     careful to watch her legs and back for soreness, and we did a very
     easy ride the day after our challenging ride (~15 miles, rocky,
     mountainous).  BTW, the mare ate and drank like a champ at camp,
     settled in fine, and we had a bucket of electrolyte water beside the
     water tank in the paddock (no way of telling, of course, whether my
     husband's gelding or the new mare was drinking it tho).  She wasn't
     much interested in water from the streams, even tho we hung out at
     them for a rest *every* time, sponged her, gave her a bit of carrot,
     and generally let her know that it was a good place to relax.  She did
     drink more after a little while out than at the start, but nothing
     like our other two water-hound horses.

     On the last day, we planned an easy loop.  The mare wasn't interested
     in a carrot when we were tacking up, but she can be a little finicky
     and had cleaned up her breakfast just fine.  She walked out fine, ears
     pricked, etc....  When we were about 5-6 miles out, she seemed a bit
     depressed, so we hopped of and hung out at a stream for about an hour.
     That was when I realized she had thumps, because she let out a hiccup,
     and while I had never seen it, I knew a little about it.

     I hand walked her back to camp (not much of an option) while soundly
     cursing myself out, and we drenched her with electrolytes immediately,
     and then again a couple of hours later.  She drank quite a bit, the
     thumps disappeared, but she looked hungover and was uninterested in
     food.  By the next a.m. she was munching more heartily, and by the
     next p.m. was digging in like a trooper.  She's had three days of rest
     and turnout since we got home;  seems to be feeling fine.

     I've learned a few lessons from this one.  1.  Willingness to go is
     not necessarily an indication of being 'fit' to go.;  2.  Electrolytes
     into this horse someway, somehow that's not optional.  Paste her??  3.
     I'll never again climb on a horse that seems even remotely under the
     weather.  4.  I will always, always carry electrolytes.  I'm willing
     to take some other advice/criticism with the intent to learn from it
     myself, and have others learn from it, too.

     Any suggestions on where to go from here?  I am prepping (hopefully)
     for a 20 mile CTR at the end of the month, and would love to work her
     up to a two-day 50 mile in a few months, and possibly get into
     endurance next season.  Is that unreasonable?  Sorry to drone on, and
     if you'd prefer to e-mail me privately, that's great.  Thanks VERY
     much for your advice!    --Patti