Ridecamp: [RC] RC: Vetting procedures

At 09:35 PM 8/7/2002 -0700, you wrote:
> After all the horse's welfare is the sole responsibility of it's rider,

:-) Here is something else worth reading....

http://www.xprides.com/VeterinaryPre-RideInformation.html

I remember how naive I was the first time I went to a ride where I had a 
similar vetting experience to what Jeri described.  I was like how the @#$$ 
does the vet know what is going on with my horse!!  I was really annoyed!!

Then I went back to my trailer and the horse in his corral and I began to 
think. (scary, huh?)  Suddenly, the thought crossed my 
mind...well...duh...just because the vet didn't check my horses gut sounds 
doesn't mean that I can't do it!  I mean, how and why should I expect any 
vet (from any number of vets and different rides) to know what my horses 
gut sound are supposed to be like?  So, I got out my stethoscope and I 
became a better horseperson that day.  Lesson learned. Now, if I have a 
concern I will request a specific thing of the vet -- could you do a cri, 
or could you check gut sounds he's not eating as well as normal, or 
whatever -- I find that I am probably the most anal about my horses' 
condition at and during an endurance ride.  It is surprising, to me, to 
find out how many people have never EVER listened to their own horses gut 
sounds at an endurance ride.  It really was kind of scary to assume that 
responsibility---my horses life depends on ME!!  Once I became more 
familiar with my horses and what is normal for them with all their vitals, 
I became a lot more comfortable with it.  It's not so scary anymore.  It's 
still a big responsibility that I don't take lightly.

The few horses that I've seen end up in serious trouble at rides, often go 
thru the 20-point vet checks with all A's or mostly all A's on their vet 
cards.  I think Susan G suggested to me in her research at Tevis that the 
horses in trouble had just as good of grades on their vet cards (with 
really thorough vetting) as the ones that weren't.

I have found that with most vets if you simply ask them to explain 
procedures (unless they are really backed up) they are more than happy to 
oblige.  Ask them to show how to listen to gut sounds, where the best place 
is to skin pinch, or check gums.  Most every vet who vets endurance rides 
really care or they wouldn't be there.   If you get a vet that is having a 
bad day, don't give up -- keep asking!!  :+)

k


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