Tuesday May 22 2012
I don't often bake cookies for myself, but Jose? You bet.
They're not just any kind of cookies - they are electrolyte horse cookies for the 100 miler on Sunday. Normally we don't give a lot of electrolytes - only a scoop in every feeding, and none on the trail in between. It is supposed to be pleasantly not-hot on Sunday - different weather websites say between 64 and 77 degrees (Jose and I are rooting for 64!), so electrolytes shouldn't be quite as crucial as on a hot day.
But after reading Susan Garlinghouse's excellent articles on keeping your endurance horse hydrated, I don't want to ignore electrolyting during the ride; and I've decided to try the electrolyte cookie route, instead of the messy electrolyte-in-applesauce-doses-by-syringe on the trail. Horses never enjoy that anyway - but they do love eating treats!
So, why not bake my own electrolyte cookies, to carry in our saddlebags, to give to the horses after they drink on trail? The salt doses will be less concentrated than in syringe doses, and can be doled out steadily throughout the day.
The big test was if the horses would like them.
Boy, did they ever!
Jose loved them.
My horse Stormy loved them, and his buddy Tex loved them.
And they all chased me down for more!
I'd have to call this recipe a success, taste-wise anyway. (Connie thought they tasted good also!) We'll see how they work for the ride.
I used the "Electrolyte Cookie" recipe on this page:
You can follow tweets on the Fandango by EnduranceNet on Twitter, or on Facebook under Steph Teeter! Day 1 a 25 and 50 miler starts tomorrow, Friday!
This is great. This might just be the answer I am looking for to help me keep Maggie drinking. Thanks for sharing this.. good luck on the ride!
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing! I like the idea of feeding cookies instead of dealing with messy syringes. Good luck on Sunday! :)
ReplyDeleteAfter listening to Susan Garlinghouse at the AERC Convention I have really upped feeding mush with electrolytes and more electrolytes on the trail. I found my last 50 Ali'i drank sooner than usual which thrilled me. I will check out the cookies. Do I want to eat them too????
ReplyDeleteWELL Squishy, Connie tried them and likes them!
ReplyDeleteonly later I said, You know, these have Horse electrolytes in them. "Oh! I thought they only had plain salt in them!"
so, you might like them, but you may not want too eat TOO many of them! lol