Re: FEI horses

["Heidi Smith" <heidi@sagehillcmk.com>]

> I have a few questions I would like to ask about FEI competing horses. I
> would like to know the statistics of FEI horses from other countries and
> US FEI horses.
> 1) What is the average career life span for horses competing in FEI? US vs
> other countries?

Pretty hard to address this one, as the FEI horses are the same horses that
compete in "regular" rides as well, in pretty much every country.  But in
our country, at least, the two earliest and  most prolific FEI winners were
RO Grand Sultan (Rio) and RT Muffin, both of whom are waaaay up there in
AERC career mileage as well, and continued careers well into late teens or
early twenties.  I'm not sure what Rio is doing now, but have heard he is
healthy and doing well.  Just heard this past weekend that RT Muffin has now
"retired" to be a pony club horse for young Sierra Westlake, and at 24 is
now jumping and doing cross-country pony club stuff.  The top horses that go
on into FEI competition seem to be the top horses that last and last in AERC
competition as well.

> 2) Are horses more likely to pass an FEI vet check that would other wise
> not pass an non-sanctioned ride?

Not sure what you are asking here.  Can compare FEI to AERC rides, and would
say that if anything, the FEI vets are even more conservative than AERC vets
in general--seems that if there is ANY question, the horse does not go on.

> 3) what are the statistics on other countries vs. US with injuries? Pulls?
> given there are more other countries riding and the US is not as populated
> in these rides (do the math) say 1 US rider to every 10-30 riders what is
> the percentage of injuries or pulls?

Again, I'm not sure what you are asking here.  If you are asking about pulls
at FEI rides in other countries than our own, I don't think such
"statistics" if any would have much meaning, due to differences in terrain
and ambient conditions.  We see a wide variation within the US itself from
region to region and from season to season, as metabolic pulls in areas of
the midwest and southeast rise during hot, humid months, and lameness pulls
predominate in areas such as the NW where we have rockier, more treacherous
terrain but more times of the year with ideal riding climate.  If you are
asking whether our riders are pulled more or less at FEI rides for these
problems, again, it depends on whether horses for a particular country have
been able to duplicate the conditions in their training regimens under which
the ride is apt to be conducted.  Those who can tend to have a much better
success rate than those who can't, in what I've observed.

> 4) riders choice to pull or continue are the US riders more or less likely
> to pull vs. other countries?

Not something on which stats are kept, but must say again that in my
observation, concern for one's horse has no national borders.  There are
individuals who are simply strung that way, and those who are not.  I've
encountered the best and the worst among US riders on AERC rides, and would
say that the same holds true at FEI rides.  The difference at FEI rides is
that you get less flak from the latter sort when they get pulled by the
vets, because their team vets and their chefs d'equipe hustle them off and
won't let them argue, so that their team does not get penalized by the
ground jury.

> I realize the questions seem rather loaded, but I am trying to figure out
> why it was implied to me that US riders do not seem to fair as well in the
> FEI events or have I been gravely missled?

I don't know where you get the impression that US riders do not fare well at
FEI events.  We have a medal record that is truly enviable.  And I will
never forget Dubai in 1998, where our squad of 6 (keep in mind that Cash was
there as the previous champion, so was not a part of the "chosen" squad, but
rather in addition to it) came within 7 miles of completing ALL SIX--and
would have if Ona Lawrence's horse had not suffered a real fluke (and very
minor) injury to his heel that caused him to be slightly off at 93 miles.
NO squad came anywhere even close to such a feat.  Furthermore, we brought
home the individual gold and team silver medals.  We have had bad luck some
years--what individual AERC endurance rider cannot say the same?  But
overall, the US has done VERY well at FEI events, and I think can be very
proud of both its record and the level of respect it has earned in endurance
competition abroad.

Heidi