Completion Lamess (was Silver State)

["Nancy Mitts" <mitts_n@hotmail.com>]

What is really bothering me is the idea that a vet can't pull a horse if it 
was "only" grade 2. (Beside the fact it's hard to limp if all four feet feel 
the same.) It's true, if lamesness grade is all that is considered. AERC 
criteria is "Fit to Continue". This encompasses the grade of lameness plus 
metabolic factors. I'd be willing to bet a CRI performed on this horse (if 
it was truly in pain) would have been greatly elevated. In conjunction with 
a grade 2 lameness I think a vet should then have grounds not to complete 
the horse.
I got to observe a lot of the finishes at the NC ride this year. There were 
several horses denied completion at the finish. Grumblings from the peanut 
gallery indicated that people were used to seeing lame horses get 
completions. I congratulate the vets there for having the guts to stick to a 
standard we can all be proud of.
As a side note, how do you all feel about the practice of standing horses in 
buckets of ice before presenting for soundness trot outs? It's one thing to 
use ice boots to tighten the legs & prevent swelling, (like prior to BC 
judging) it's another to numb the whole foot (prior to completion exam) 
isn't it??? Or am I being to nit-picky?

Nancy Mitts

>From: DreamWeaver <nvrider@home.com>
>To: "Dee" <love2ride@starband.net>, ridecamp@endurance.net
>Subject: RC:   Re: Silver State 2001
>Date: Mon, 26 Nov 2001 23:24:19 -0800
>
>At 01:08 AM 11/27/01 -0600, you wrote:
>>  The ride report I read said the horse hit its ankle on a rock and
>>yes, it was lame for a short time, but the vet checked it over very
>>carefully and gave permission to continue the ride. Surely he wouldn't 
>>have
>>done that if the horse was truly lame.
>
>Guess you shouldn't believe everything you read.  I know what I saw with my
>own eyes.  The horse was lame going down the trail, and it wasn't on just
>one leg, it was sore on all four feet, I wasn't the only one that saw that,
>and the horse was in a lot worse shape later.  Talk to ride management and
>find out for yourself.   Or maybe ask the rider why the horses pulse hung
>so high for so long at the vet check.  For all you know, I'm the one you
>shouldn't believe. :+D
>
>We were a little surprised that the rider didn't get off her butt and walk
>her horse back to camp once she got to the rocky riverbed on the second
>loop.  I would have.  The horse was quitting on her, besides bobbing.  It
>was not happy.  That's my version.  The horse somehow made it into the
>finish and was able to complete by the skin of it's teeth and if you ask me
>she was pretty lucky to get that.  (the rules do allow for a grade 2
>lameness to complete --- the horse wasn't nearly as lame in camp as he was
>going down the trail)  I'd be willing to bet she won't be doing that ride
>on a barefoot horse again.   This kind of thing doesn't sit well with me,
>because I think it is bad for the sport.  Endurance riders are better than
>this.  I'm out there sponsoring juniors and don't think it's so great to
>have to explain that there are people that will continue riding a dead___
>lame horse down the trail in order to prove a point.
>
>Karen
>in NV
>


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