This message is from: Vivian Creigh <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Cynthia Madden8/6/02 11:34 [EMAIL PROTECTED]
> I also give him some endurance feed > with higher protein and fat content (thanks to Vivian > Creigh's suggestions) Higher Fat ,yes, but not higher protein. The best feed I have found to date is Pennfield 10/10 (10%protein, 10% fat) sadly I can not get this feed here in VT anymore, some scrapping between distributors so I am feeding Nutrena Legacy more fat but also more protein. 12% which is fine for mares nursing foals but unnecessary for performance. I think that holding condition is different in each individual Fjord/ or any breed of horse. I have some mares that hold their conditioning for amazing periods of time with only daily turnout and others that start to lose it the day you stop working them. Studies done on subject indicate that fit performance horses lose less than 50% of their conditioning even when stalled for 3 months. BDF Birte was retired years ago and still looks damn good (although too thin now because her little boy is nursing the life out of her) whereas her pair partner Hedi has that definite broodmare shape and tends to fat very easily. My hunch is that horses with high vitamin E stores tend to stay in better shape which is why I supplement Super E in all the working girls. Of the three mares I am currently driving in competiton two always look lean and mean and the other turns into a little dumpling when the grass is in, oddly enough she is the hardest worker of the three. They are turned out for 12 hours on pasture and stalled 12 hours. One of the nicest things I heard at the GMHA CDE from both marathon course designer and vets was what incredible shape my girls were in during and after. It helped that we were down south this spring competing and that we live in the hills of VT. When I am conditioning I drive all three 5 days a week rain or shine and never give them two days off in a row. I am still looking for volunteers for this coming Sunday's ADS Horse Driving Trial here at Rainbow's End Farm. Good food and a terrific learning opportunity for those of you interested in Combined Driving. Back to work. Vivian Creigh
