Feeding to Avoid Problems at Endurance Ride Checkpoints

KER.equinews.com - Full Article

By Dr. Peter Huntington and Scott O'Brien · July 5, 2012

Poor scores at the vet gate during an endurance ride can be the first indication of trouble in some cases. Scoring poorly in any of the parameters should cause you to assess the problem and decide if there’s anything you can do to reverse it. This is especially true for multileg rides during which a rider has the opportunity to avoid elimination after the next leg, but it is also important to remember to address these issues even after completion of the ride.

There are a couple of problems that can be rectified nutritionally if noticed early enough. Generally these are the metabolic scores.

For dehydration, revisit your electrolyte supplement strategy. Consult with your veterinarian as to whether oral electrolytes would be of use (dependant on level of dehydration). Try to encourage the horse to eat a wet slurry-type feed or find some wet green forage and get as much in as possible. Feeding some dry hay can stimulate drinking. Try flavored waters. Slow down and allow more time at water stops for the horse to settle before drinking. Let the horse graze briefly near the water to stimulate thirst...

Read more here:
http://ker.equinews.com/article/feeding-avoid-problems-endurance-ride-checkpoints