On Wednesday morning I rode TK on that same 15km ride as we went on a few weeks ago. I took him out on an empty (grazing only) stomach, and gave him his full hard-feed when returning around noon. He got 3 or so flakes of nice hay at 5 or 6pm that evening, and all seemed well. But then this morning (Thursday) Mat noticed that he had been scouring a bit, confirmed by me when I went to check on him.
Now, this could be caused by the change of season (we are getting grass now), and he's a skinny thoroughbred so maybe he's just got a sensitive belly, and I haven't had him through a change of season yet, so don't know how he's likely to be.
But I worry a bit, so I am wondering if it could have been caused by the exercise-feed schedule he went out on. Normally, I feed early in the mornings and go out about 2 hours after he's done, so he's usually got a bit more feed in him to start with.
Or, alternatively, could the difference also be caused by him making up for lost fluids by really drinking well? He is a good drinker.
Now, I can just continue to watch and wait, and monitor how he responds to his next ride and how his feed intake might be impacting on his stomach. But if any endurance people happen to be glancing at this blog, I'd appreciate your comments on the change of his stools, as I'd like to get some advice on managing his diet effectively to ensure maximum health and performance for him. Thanks!!
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