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RE: [RC] Distance between vetchecks - Bob MorrisKat: What don't you understand in the phrase "lowest common denominator"? You ask that the riders stop and rest their horse while you ride on? To many persons it is not fair that you have a much better conditioned horse than they do. Their horse needs the rest period and so it is not fair for you to continue on if they need to rest. The fact that you know your horse's capabilities is incidental, they need the stop so the vet can tell them what is going on with their horse. So, you have to stop also, even though you know fully what the condition of your horse is. It is not fair that you might do better than the rest, so the "leveling of the playing field" is cried out. Water every five miles, rest stops every ten miles and vets to assess the condition of the horse since the rider is not capable. And then the most important of all, no responsibility, no consequences, if the horse fails. Blame is placed on unknown, pre-existing conditions, incorrect treatment, or just bad luck, but no personal responsibility. I still refer every to the preamble of the AERC Rules and Regulations.... "the competitor is ultimately responsible for self and mount before, during and after an endurance ride." When we start to enforce that maxim we will be making progress, until then we are whistling in the wind. Bob Bob Morris Morris Endurance Enterprises Boise, ID -----Original Message----- From: ridecamp-owner@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:ridecamp-owner@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx]On Behalf Of k s swigart Sent: Friday, October 17, 2003 11:17 PM To: ridecamp@xxxxxxxxxxxxx Subject: [RC] Distance between vetchecks Somebody said: As a rider I can feel the difference in my horses when they hit the 18 to 20 mile mark of a loop with no checks. They feel so much better when the checks are between 13 to 15 miles, and they recover so much faster from a ride, even when ridden at speed. IMO 20+ miles is just too far. At the risk of offending...well...god knows who.... :) I would like a raise of hands. How many people don't know that any rider is allowed to stop and rest their horse anywhere they want between vet checks? How many riders think that the only place they are allowed to rest their horses is where ride management has mandated it? Quite frankly, if somebody, as a rider can feel the difference in their horse at 18 miles if they haven't given the horse a rest before then, there is ABSOLUTELY NOTHING stopping that rider from stopping and resting their horse at 13 to 15 miles even if ride management has not dictated that they must do so. :) All the mandatory rests in the world aren't going to make a hill of beans of difference to the welfare of individual horses if riders do not know and understand that they need to rest their horse where it needs to rest, whether there is a vet check there or not :(. On the old Outlaw Trail it was 45 miles to the first vet check (with an 11,000+ foot mountain to go over), I don't know ANYBODY who did that ride who didn't stop and rest their horse at Meeks Lake (no vet check there, it is the top of the Boulder Top) let the horse drink, graze, eat the grain or whatever supplement that the rider brought along for THEIR horse, and most people stopped and let the horse drink and graze at/around Pear Lake too (before climbing up to the Boulder Top). Ride management didn't mandate it, but that didn't stop thinking riders from doing so. :) And for those of you who raised your hands because you didn't know that you were allowed to rest your horse between vet checks.... ....what do you do when you are riding at home and there is no vet or ride manager there to tell you where you need to rest? ? ? ? ? ? :) Genuinely curious. kat Orange County, Calif. =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- =-=-=-=-= 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!! =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- =-=-=-=-= =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= 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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