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Re: [RC] [RC] New 30 minute rule for 50s - Long - Heidi SmithWe agree with you totally on this Annie. Riders need to know before they leave to go to a ride if there are any significant changes from the AERC published standard. You do. The published standard is that the head vet is to set veterinary parameters within 24 hours of the ride so that ambient conditions can be taken into account. Unless you live right around the block, this process is likely going on while you are enroute, at each and every ride you attend. After all, they could theoretically lower it to 10 or 15 minutes if they wished, which could leave out a lot of horses. Why would this leave out any horses? What it does is warn the riders to ride accordingly. If you can change it at the ride meeting then the veterinarians (or ride managers in some cases) can change the ride criteria to make it more difficult for certain competitors (knowing that competitor's capability/style of riding) to finish the ride. I once saw pulse criteria changed while riders were between vet checks! This should really be a no no. Setting parameters at the meeting and setting parameters during the ride are two entirely different things. At the meeting is within the 24 hours mandated by the rules. The only issue with "at the meeting" is whether the parameters can be stated in print. And I've seen this worked out by having pre-ride information pre-printed with blanks for hold times, recovery times, pulse criteria, etc. and these are penned in on-site. Furthermore, setting parameters is quite clearly stated to be the duty of the head vet--NOT the RM. So while the head vet can (and often does) take input from the RM into consideration, the RM CANNOT set or change parameters. We just had a big discussion about horse welfare. The rules I've cited in this discussion are in place with the welfare of the horse in mind. I find it somewhat disturbing that we can declare ourselves in favor of more protection for the horses on one side of the coin, but can't bear the thought that a ride vet might utilize some of the tools already in place in our rules to do just that on the flip side. Certainly food for thought.... Heidi =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Ridecamp is a service of Endurance Net, http://www.endurance.net. Information, Policy, Disclaimer: http://www.endurance.net/Ridecamp Subscribe/Unsubscribe http://www.endurance.net/ridecamp/logon.asp Ride Long and Ride Safe!! =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
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