Carbs - only part of the picture

[Niccolai Murphy <niccolai_m@yahoo.com>]

To those of you who are considering using this stuff for the first
time. When we started we did it cautiously and did not try it out
first time on a ride.

Tom gave me a few buckets of glycogen loader back in the days when
Susan and he were slugging it out here. Seems like forever ago. Since
then we have taken this powder pretty much for granted, much the same
way we take names like; biotin, CS, GAGS, eltectrolytes, oat, gamma
oryzanyl and corn for granted.

However we didn't use it for the first time on a ride, and we don't
use it just for rides. It has a small but important role to play in
our overall program and it varies depending on the horse. 

We use it almost daily with Hal our old TB who cannot, safely, eat
enough grain to keep weight on, let alone put out the amount of energy
required to haul his heavy 16.5H frame around one of Terrie Wolley
Howe's rides. All our horses get 4 ounces after excercise to avoid a
catabolic state thus helping them get the best out of their work out
(reduces muscle break down). The two youngsters (5yo) have not been
worked hard enough or riden far enough (only short distances, 20 miles
or less) yet that I see any need to pre load. They are fat and tubby
and don't show any signs of stress. They do get their after ride load.

None of the horses need to be dosed by syringe, they all eat the stuff
mixed in a hand full of oats or corn and carrots wet down with apple
juice or water, often with some electrolyte and gamma o.

One thing you have to remember is that when guys like Tom and Susan
discuss carbs they are talking about supplementation. Tom's track
customers are feeding their guys 16 pounds of grain a day. Hal gets
close to that and still cannot keep weight on. So four ounces of Carbs
three times a day before a ride (typical pre load program) is dessert.

Side effects? None. Hal tied up pretty badly early this year but he
wasn't on carbs then and he was on less than half ration of grain. The
rains kept us indoors for three days, he locked solid 15 minutes into
a trail ride and took three weeks for blood work to come back to close
to normal. He was also hypothyroid which increases the risk of
myositis and anemia (he was anemic). We've fixed his thyroid so
hopefully that will reduce the risk.

Magic potion? Not for us. I suspect that most endurance horses who are
well fed and conditioned will not show an enormous benefit from using
carbs. If you are riding 100's and in the top ten the stuff most
likely will give you an edge, but you have to be competetive to start
with. For the rest of us, I think it has a place in the conditioning
program and it does help the horse through the tough times and might
improve the vet scores a little. 

Don't expect a miracle from carbs and do your homework, get the basics
right first. 

==
Nicco Murphy - Poway, San Diego, CA


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