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[RC] Horse deaths - Darlene Anderson

At personal risk of the "ridecamp backlash" I feel it's important to make a few comments, for better or for worse.

First, I send my heartfelt sympathy to the horse who gave it's life in the name of this latest competition, Rockin' Adios.

I watched Dr. Dane Frazier give a moving speech to the riders of the 2003 Pan American Championship and predict to the riders, at that time, that one of the entered horses would die as a result of this race, he challenged the riders to better past Pan Am completion rates. I've heard a similar speech given prior to the 2000 Tevis cup, but it seems that the riders, to some degree, believe they are above such statistics, even though the statistics clearly prove otherwise. It saddens me to know we proved Dr. Frazier's numbers right...again. I was impressed with the fact that Dr. Frazier had the "cajones" to say the things he did to some of the most impressive riders in the United States. It's about time someone did!

Without throwing out personal flames or taunts, the research I've done shows that Ms. Butler-Dial has not finished one single Pan American Championship since at least the 1997 Pan Am in Bend, OR. That's 6 years of very bad luck? I could not find the results for the PAC's prior to that. This person has well over 23,000 AERC miles to her credit and should not be blaming the ride vets for doing damage to her horse. She has enough miles to accept some responsibility for contributing to her horse's demise, however small the part may have been. She brought four horses to this event and only one finished.

The vets are there doing the very best they can, most of the time only becoming aquainted with any particular horse for the few minutes they see it at each vet check.Ultimately it is up to the rider to know what is going on with their horse and share that insight with the veterinarians. I see so many riders making the vets play guessing games at vetchecks with regards to their horses! This is ridiculous behavior.

Dr. Mike Foss let me help out in the barn with treatments at the Pan American in Vermont, 2001. There were fewer treatments at this particular Pan Am than many previous. Dr. Foss could only comment that the riders and the weather must have been good that day. Ms. Butler-Dial's horse (leased out) was referred to a surgical facility at the 2001 Pan Am, and only she can tell you why, but I assure you it was not because of a ruptured stomach...that time around. I spoke with her in Reno at the AERC convention early the next year and she herself told me that that horse was euthanized due to a rectal tear that could not be repaired.

This is another tragic event that has occurred, but I have a hard time feeling very sorry for the riders, I feel deeply sorry for these magnificant animals that are giving their lives to us, literally. The horses deserve better. Our SPORT deserves better.

Darlene M. Anderson (target firmly in place)

 

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