ugh..much as I hate to get into this,
but I think a major reason is being overlooked here, and that is the PULL
CODES!
I manage two rides a year. I was
vet sec for two rides this year. I see this firsthand. People
nowadays are a LOT more likely to go on and try to finish a ride because they do
not want a pull code splashed all over the world. Look at it this
way: a rider has a marginal horse. They pass the vet check. The
rider feels very sure they can finish the ride. Choice? Get a
completion of get a M after your name in EN?
If you don't think this happens, you
are wearing rose colored glasses.
What is our main agenda here? THE
SAFETY OF THE HORSE.
And for THE SAFETY OF THE HORSE we
should eliminate PUBLIC pull codes. With that "monkey off their back"
people will be more likely to give it up for the day. Now, I said
PUBLIC ....the office can still collect all the data they want. But
DNF goes online and in the EN.
This is not just an issue for sale
horses and/or high profile riders. The people I see most likely to do this
are the ones who have ridden their "baby" for miles and do not want to "marr
their record".
To make my point a little CLEARER, I
will give you two case in point that have happened
recently.
1.One rider was having metabolic
problems with his/her horse. They came back to camp, didn't tell a soul,
and loaded up their horse and went home. No one knew until they saw the
trailer leave. They wanted a RO instead of an M on their precious horse's
record.
2. Horse did not meet the 30 pulse
criteria at the vet check. He was loaded into a trailer to leave.
The vet was notified and the horse was taken out. No gut sounds, pulse
high. An accident waiting to happen. Rider argues with vet for a RO
because they are "sick".
Yes, in the CT region we have a
very RULE that all riders must pass a vet check, but at large rides they
can slip through the cracks. And in the end, what does it matter?
You can't MAKE them, as they have already pulled!
LISTEN PEOPLE. These are REAL
INSTANCES that I have been directly involved with (I was right there).
This is directly effecting the HEALTH OF THE HORSE. And if we are truely
for THE HEALTH OF THE HORSE, we will drop these PUBLIC pull codes. As a
Ride Manager, I can send detailed vet information on all horses pulled, but
there is no reason a DNF cannot go in EN.
