Horses dying at rides

[jessicat@napanet.net]

Hi all:

I think the discussion of horses dying at rides is valid....also I think it
is interesting to note that quite a few horses die AFTER rides; at home, at
UC Davis, at other vet clinics, etc....thus being unknown to us ridecampers
and to AERC in general. I can think of at least 10 cases over the 12 years I
have ridden endurance. Unfortunately one of them was mine.

We also don't talk much about the permanent injuries, yet not death, that
occur. I once talked to a UC Davis vet about the level of injury in
endurance racing and was told that they usually have a full clinic of
severely lame/injured horses every year after Tevis (horses that will NEVER
return to anything more than a pasture)...and that the number of colics and
deaths also go way up in the 5-7 days after that ride in particular. They
always know its an "endurance" accident when they see the grease pen numbers
on the horses butt :(...Sure that is heresay but I doubt the vet has reason
to lie.

Some famous horses have died once they returned home from races, we hear
about those, but what about the others, like mine, that didn't get a eulogy
in Endurance News. Who is keeping track of those numbers? No one.  

Just raising another issue. Not trying to fan any flames already BLAZING!

Jessica Tuteur
AERC Member and Ride Manager
3000+ miles
uh...I thinks thats it for credentials