Re: Carbs - only part of the picture

[fmechelh@c-s-k.de]

Hi all,

I think it's hard to compare apples with oranges. In the feeding discussion, we
should bear in mind that all endurance horses are kept different, and racehorses
and endurance horses as a group completly different. So what means 4 pds. oats for
one special horse ?

A good keeper, 24h a day on high-quality grassland in a mild climate, has other
requirements for grain (if any) compared to a horse on poor quality grass, steppe
or stall horse with the same workload.

Then, the hay is also different everywhere. We Europeans have no clue how your
"Alfalfa" is. Even in middle Europe, where the climitacs and grass plants are
similar everywhere, there are a dotzen types of hay, and differerent categories of
qualitiy of each. horses it's it all. As far as I know, you have complety
different climates, growings, and types of feed.

As I like endurance as a sport close to nature- trying to keep the horses so well
on pasture that they need as little grain and supplements as possible for their
work sound like a reasonable and careful approach to me. To achieve this, it's
work. In some countries this is inpossible. It has nothing to do with saving
money, as like Tom pointed out some "starving" racing stalls do in areas where no
green is except the turf. That's criminal!

grass is best, hay is second-best. And choosing the right horses for this, and the
area you live in, as well.

It's also clear that with some horses, or at some level of workload (100km+ per
week) you're not able to follow this approach 100%. But it's a huge difference to
a racing hourse which spent his free time in a box at the same or higher workload.
Recently I quoted your "Australian stallion" who eats more than 40 pds. sweet-feed
a day somewhere, Tom... perhaps, if we are able to train these 280km per week
someday, we need to feed the same amount.

But now, as we train rather 30 than 300 km per week, we are light-years away from
this.

In the meantime, Tom's "heuristic approach", never let a horse loose weight in
training, seems very reasonable. Weigh the horses seems to be an advantage. But
it's hard to keep weight on a poor keeper with grain, at least with a "outdoor
horse". It's easier to do it with grass, or hay. Better let mother nature do the
job. I'm not sure if it's possible to feed some "reserves" for a long race, at
least for some individuals. They eating more afterwards. If performance and the
will to go forward is well, then a endurance horse is never real underfed.

This is what I learned from the discussion.

Thank you all. Frank