Tevis - 2010 Rider Sponsor

I'm pleased to announce the Team Faubel Tevis 2010 Rider sponsor is De-Lyte Bites!

De-Lyte Bites is a new company that is owned by none other than fellow blogger Heather. I love the concept of dosing electrolytes in cookie form, so I'm very excited about the De-lyte bite for electrolyting during rides.

I really don't like the idea of dosing Farley with electrolytes via syringe because she has shown me that if she needs electrolytes, she will eat them free choice. At Wild West I provided her a bucket of electrolyte water (as well as "plain" water), and she had the choice of mash with and without electrolytes.

However, it's difficult to provide free choice electrolytes on the trail and I think electrolytes work best if you can elecrolyte often, in small doses after the horse has drank along the trail. These cookies are a good solution. Each cookie represents a 1/4 dose of electrolytes which is perfect, since I usually dose in 1/2 dose increments. I tasted one before offering to Farley, and while they are very salty, they are also platable and a bit addicting - kind of like salty pototo chips.

I'm careful about adding excess sugar to Farley's diet and was pleased to see that each cookie contains less than 1 tsp of sugar (and to my taste buds, don't taste sweet).

Carrying electrolytes in syringes is bulky, I've had problems with syringes falling out of my saddles bags, and then not having access to electrolytes when I wanted them. The cookies are much more compact and it's easy to carry them in my breast pocket. They are slightly soft, but if you leave the bag open for a couple of days, the cookies harden a bit, making them more durable for bouncing around in saddle bags.

The cookies are convient to feed. Farley readily takes the cookies from the saddle during our conditioning rides and it's so easy to reach down and offer her a cookie after she drinks. I'm very much guilty of NOT adminstering electrolytes near the end of a long tough rides on the trail, and waiting until I'm at a vet check....I think I'll be able to offer electrolytes more consistently in cookie form, even at the end of a long tough ride.

Farley has shown me over and over she WILL take care of herself if given the chance. Offering electrolyte cookies gives her a choice, and gives me a convient way to offer that choice.

I will have samples and literature if you will be at the Tevis and are interested in learning more or obtaining a free sample. Look for me in a black technical polo with the De-lyte Bite logo on the back, or stop by Farley's fairgrounds stall.