I don't know Darolyn or what her ride record is or
what she said to Darlene at any given ride. Does it really
matter?
Whoever rode the horse, rode fast. So did 20
or so other horses. The horse came from a different climate. So did
half the other horses. The horse was stressed. So was every horse
there to some degree.
What I want to know is what caused this particular
horse to end up in so much trouble. How much do we know about this hyponatremia
(sp?) and it's relationship to horses in endurance? Is it hereditary? Does
this happen often. How about the horses out in the desert rides? And most
important, what is the best way to prevent, recognize and treat this? I
know people override there horses, and this could have very well been a
contributing factor. Or was it? Can this happen to a middle of the pack rider? I
don't know.
I would question the tubing procedure only because
I have never heard of it before and it sounds very barbaric, at best. (yes, I
know they tube for colic) But if that is the accepted practice, that
information would help me make the decision whether or not to treat my
horse. If it is outdated and not the best way, I need to know. Don't you? Don't
we all?? Did e-lytes, or lack of, have anything to do with this? Was there
something pre-existing that Darolyn didn't even know about? This should be our
focus.
That could have just as easily happened to me. If
Darolyn has more experience and miles than someone like me and with the help of
vets still couldn't prevent and save this horse, what could the rest of us
do in this kind of situation? I honestly don't know.
Instead of dwelling on what any rider shudda,
cudda, wudda done, how about a little research and information that would help
the rest of us avoid such a tragedy? Looking up Darolyn's record and
reporting that to us didn't help me one bit. But, thanks to Dr. Heidi and
Dr. Kim, I for one understand the process of the gut shutting down much better
than I did before.
I would like to see an article from our education
committee and comments from the horse welfare committee on this subject. (Heidi,
you should submit your comments) Not this particular case, but on the
problem itself. Our vet committee would probably be the best source of info as
they have access to research papers and journals that the rest of us can't
access. This is the perfect opportunity to educate
riders.
This forum is suppose to be for education and
enlightenment for the rest of the members. This seems to be a unique situation,
and yet it could happen to any one of us. Take it for what it is. A learning
opportunity. If we don't get any answers from our own committees, then take the
time to talk to your own vet, get on the internet, call the Universities and
gather all the info you can so that hopefully, this never happens to
you.
