Re: First 50 miler advice/high altitudes

[Susan Evans Garlinghouse <suendavid@worldnet.att.net>]

> 
> > Anita Burson wrote:
> > >
> > > Heidi -
> > > When going from a low to high altitude to ride, does it help at all to
> > > give Red Cell or some similar concoction?
> > > Anita Burson
> >
On Thu, 16 Apr 1998, Susan Evans Garlinghouse wrote:
> > Assuming the horse is already on a good ration, no.
> 
K S Swigart wrote:
> Can you enlarge on this?


The limiting factor at high altitude is the lower partial pressure of
oxygen, resulting in less oxygen being bound and transported by
hemoglobin throughout the body to the tissues and thus a decrease in the
horse's performance.  Cal Poly has done some extensive research on the
hematological changes going from sea level to 10,000' in pack horses and
vice versa and although there are many different changes that occur, the
only ones you could influence are the minerals that participate in the
oxygen binding, such as iron and associated minerals.  The body does a
good job of conserving iron already and feeding additional amounts will
not increase hemoglobin-binding---so if the horse is already on a good
ration that supplies sufficient iron (which any decent ration will
provide), supplementing it with more won't do anything.

If you have to go from a lower to higher altitude, the best thing you
can do is take a very well-conditioned horse whose aerobic conditioning
has already made him as efficient as possible at transporting oxygen,
and whose oxygen requirements at any given speed are going to be less
than the moderately or unconditioned horse.

Susan Garlinghouse