eating at stops

["Roberta Harms" <equiphile@hotmail.com>]

Celia,
  The person from ride management was only tring to be helpful. It is not 
any kind of a rule.A horses pulse is elevated after riding when its head is 
down and eating.  everyone working with a heart monitor can tell you that.  
In CTR, a low pulse is essential to a good score, therefore we don't let our 
horses eat until after the pulse is taken at 10 minutes.  Now if they aren't 
used to this restriction,  we let them eat 5 minutes, then pull the head up 
and settle the horse.  I always tell newbies this little tidbit.  After the 
P/R is done they get as much to eat as the time allows which is none at a 
surprise check and 15-20 minutes at a vet stop.
  Commenting to the other person about her first CTR and the score.  It 
depends on where you are riding and under what rules and scoring system you 
rode.  There is no one national CTR organization and each has its own stlye 
and scoring method. There is ECTRA, NATRAC and UMECRA (and possibly 
others)and they all quite different. When you get your score sheet you can 
see what the starting point is and figure from there.
  Roberta Harms
  AERC #448


________________________________________________________________________
Get Your Private, Free E-mail from MSN Hotmail at http://www.hotmail.com