Horses Affected by Short-Term Transportation Stress

HorseSport.com - Full article

A pair of studies show that there are significant changes in immune and endocrine function following even short periods of shipping.

By: Equine Disease Quarterly | November 15, 2023

Horses are commonly shipped for periods of three hours or less ‒ but even short hauls can elicit significant changes in immune and endocrine function, especially in older horses.

Horses are routinely transported for equestrian events as well as medical care. It is well recognized that long-distance transportation is a risk factor for the development of pleuropneumonia.

Results from a nationwide survey showed that horses are most commonly trailered short distances of three hours or less. The Adams Lab at the Gluck Equine Research Center within the University of Kentucky Martin-Gatton College of Agriculture, Food and Environment is currently working to investigate the impact of acute transportation stress on immune function in different groups of horses...

Read more here:
https://horsesport.com/magazine/equine-ownership/horses-affected-short-term-transportation-stress/?vgo_ee=QitO5VSCw1iEppDMQhoydIrFRbRpklJfDwhn08iZTD4u3RAMFDeL%3AdA09E6McyAFbRRwLRE7dSXKyDsnsBIxw

Gordy Ainsleigh and Endurance Running: ‘The Man Who Lit the Sport on Fire’

GearJunkie.com - Read and watch video

Written by Andrew McLemore
June 29, 2022

A new mini-documentary from HOKA TV tells the story of Gordy Ainsleigh, who virtually invented endurance running in 1974.

When Gordy Ainsleigh decided to run a 100-mile course developed for horseback riding, it “was unthinkable,” according to a new documentary.

Ainsleigh had already completed the Western States Trail Ride multiple times when his horse went lame in 1974. Already known for his ability to run portions of the course, Ainsleigh decided to try the whole thing...

More at:
https://gearjunkie.com/endurance/running/gordy-ansleigh-ultra-runner?sce=post-related-link

Feeding Endurance Horses

Thehorse.com - Full ArticleJuly 10, 2022
Posted by Heather Smith Thomas

Feeding hard-working endurance horses is as much art as it is science. Our sources walk you through an endurance horse’s diet, from conditioning to post-race.

Make sure your horse gets the energy, nutrients, and water he needs to tackle a long ride

Athletes need fuel to work. Endurance horses, in particular, need a nutrition strategy that will allow them to travel all day at moderate to high speeds without “running out of gas” or becoming dehydrated. They need adequate energy in a form that won’t produce excess body heat and will provide enough fluid and electrolytes to maintain hydration.

Julie Bullock, DVM, of Mount Sidney, Virginia, has been riding endurance horses for over 25 years and competes in 100-mile races. She says the endurance community is growing fast, and it’s important for newcomers to the sport to understand these horses’ nutritional needs.

Kathleen Crandell, PhD, an equine nutritionist with Kentucky Equine Research, in Versailles, has extensive background in nutrition science and has trained and competed endurance horses. “When feeding an endurance horse, we think about two programs—feeding the horse on a daily basis as we get the horse into fitness, and then a plan for what we’ll feed the horse on the day of competition,” she says...

Read more here:
https://thehorse.com/159337/feeding-endurance-horses/