Re: Hot weather syndrome

["LOUISE D BURTON" <FIREDANCEFARMS@prodigy.net>]

Excellent post, Cindy.

Some horses are just naturally better in hot weather than others, but having
seen metabolics problems in many in this hot, humid area, from slow riders,
fast riders, conditioned horses, etc, I am more and more convinced it is
what  the horse eats.

Happy Trails,
Louise

Louise Burton
Firedance Farms Endurance Arabians
Oklahoma
http://pages.prodigy.net/firedancefarms
----- Original Message -----
From: <CBell6006@aol.com>
To: <greenall@vermontel.net>
Cc: <ridecamp@endurance.net>
Sent: Sunday, September 19, 1999 1:24 PM
Subject: RC: Hot weather syndrome


> In a message dated 9/8/99 9:51:28 AM EST, greenall@vermontel.net writes:
>
>
>  What I saw at endurance rides this summer was worse.  Vermont
>  100 (very hot, humid) had less than 50% complete.  PAC had a
>  very busy treatment barn and two horse were shipped to a vet
>  hospital.
>
>  WHAT ARE WE MISSING?  This is NOT how the sport is
>  supposed to be.  Tie ups and dehydration colic seem to be the
>  main issues.  I know that the riders are doing everything they can
>  to help their horses and I know that the vets are keeping a very
>  watchful eye out, but it still happening at a very concerning rate.  It
>  is what we DON'T know that worries me.  So many of us think that
>  riding slower makes it safer, but that is not what I have seen this
>  year.
>
> Sue,
> I have read a couple of posts where riders stated that you had to train in
> the heat to ride in the heat.  This may have been part of the problem.  We
> had record high temperatures all summer on the East Coast.  Most people
(if
> they were training at all) were trying to ride in the early mornings and
> evenings in order to avoid the heat.  I know I couldn't find anyone who
> wanted to train with me in the heat of the day (they kept muttering
something
> about "mad dogs an Englishmen" <G>), when I was training for the PanAm.  I
> think Bob Morris had posted some time ago....."train like you ride, ride
like
> you train."  This is very important, especially for heat and humidity.
High
> daytime temperatures can't be avoided if you are going to do rides in the
> summer (unless you are RACING LD's then you are done by 9:30 am <sarcasm
key
> on>).  It would be interesting to find out how the horses who had severe
> metabolic problems on these rides had been trained.  I'm not saying they
> weren't fit, they just may not have been "heat and humidity acclimated."
>
> Another thing that I've been considering is the feeding of high fat
> supplementation to endurance horses.  There have been several posts from
> riders who were feeding high fat, that were having problems with poor
> recoveries and metabolics.  I wonder if maybe we aren't overdosing the
fat.
> Tom Ivers feels that fat doesn't help the horse at all in competition.  I
> know it is wonderful for keeping a horses weight up during training, but
I'm
> wondering if maybe we are overdoing it.  I had a similar experience at the
> PanAm.  I had started Wameco on a quality, high fat feed one month prior
to
> the PanAm, knowing that we had a 2100 mile trip ahead of us and I'd be
asking
> to compete at a higher level than he'd ever done before.  After about 2
weeks
> I started noticing that his pulses were running higher and his recovery
time
> was slower than it had been before under similar training circumstances.
It
> was very hot 95+ and 80% humidity, so I blamed it on the weather.
However,
> looking back over the last 7 years that I've been training Wameco, we have
> always had hot & humid summers in Florida and he's never had this problem
> before.  I'm not sure if the muscle cramp that he got at the PanAm had
> anything to do with the feed, I just know it's never happened to him
before
> and the feed is the only thing that I've changed in years.
>
> I wonder if any of the horses who had metabolic problems at your ride were
> being fed high-fat supplements or feed.  I could be completely stabbing in
> the dark here, but I know that since I took him off the feed (immediately
> after the PanAm), I have my old horse back.  Low pulses and fast
recoveries,
> no matter how hot and humid it is.
>
> Sue, I think that it's wonderful that you are looking into this problem. I
> don't know if we'll have a definitive answer since there are so many
> variables in distance riding, e.g. training schedules, feeding programs,
> electrolyte supplementation, even just the "rock with our name on it."  I
> know I learn something at every ride I do, and plan on doing things a
little
> differently next time.
>
> >> The only "fixes" I can see is providing more water opportunities for
>  the horses in hot weather and extending the hold times or adding a
>  hold so that the horses don't go as far between stops.  Neither is
>  that easy to do at last minute.
>
> Also, on CTR's the ride management should have the option to lengthen the
> maximum time.  This would allow for a slower pace when it's very hot and
> humid.  We do this occasionally in Florida where it can be in the 80's
even
> in the winter.
>
> Several years ago at the Talladega Tempest ride it was very hot and humid.
> The vet lowered the parameters to a 60 pulse for the 55.  At many rides
they
> would have raised the parameters since it was so hot.  However, even
though
> many riders complained, it did have a positive affect.  Eight of the first
> ten horses into the first check were pulled for failure to recover.  The
> riders may have been upset, but they obviously didn't take the vets advice
to
> "slow down" and their horse were pulled before they developed serious
> metabolic problems.  I know if my horse didn't recover to a 60 pulse in 30
> minutes, I'd pull him myself!
>
> >> I would love to open this up for discussion.  To take healthy, fit
>  horses and put them at risk (50% means it's either you or the guy
>  next to you that ends up on the IV) is not good sport.
>
> Agreed.  As we become a higher profile sport and start receiving media
> coverage we are going to have to be very aware of our public image.
>
> Cindy Bell
> SE Region (Florida..where we have "Florida Mountains" to train in: Heat,
> Humidity & Sand)
> Wameco....I'm chubby enough....I don't need any more fat!
>
>
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