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Of course, the musher and the dogs are the most important part of the team, but racing has become so competitive that having the right equipment can make a difference.
For example the sleds: we like our sleds as lightweight as possible, but still strong to hold a heavy load and sturdy to go across rough trails (sometimes bare tundra) without breaking.
Mushers are allowed to send 2 extra sleds out on the Iditarod trail to two different check points. Every year we are changing our sled desings a little bit to make them better.
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Dog coats - some think that's unnecessary, but my dogs love to rest in their coats; it helps keeping them warm and it saves their energy. The coat also protects them from harsh winds and danger of frostbite. Myla (the model) of course, won't run in the team - she prefers the couch.
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It's said that a dog running the Iditarod may burn as much as 8,000 to 12,000 calories a day.
Nutrition is a very crucial part in dog care and again every musher has his/her personal preferences as to what brand dog food to use etc.
In summer when our dogs are laid off, we feed them a regular pet food (20/30). Come fall we switch to a high protein dog food and add even more calories in form of meat, fish, fats and vitamines and other supplements.
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Cutting fish - we go through approx. 1000 lbs. of salmon every year
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