Endurance.Net Ridecamp Archives

> This goes back to another related discussion recently: have a mandatory
> necropsy (paid for by AERC, as someone suggested) on any deaths that
> occur at a ride.
While I hate to see necropsies made mandatory, since there are the
occasional times when they are just nigh on impossible to get done under
some circumstances, and other times when cause of death is obvious
(generally mechanical causes, rather than metabolic--like fractures and
subsequent euthanasia, etc.), I sure do like the idea that Barney was
kicking around at a recent ride.  He suggested having a packet that the
treatment vet can send with horses that are referred to facilities (where
the horses are out of our hands) that includes the reasons why AERC wants
horses necropsied, the fact that AERC would pay for them, how to bill AERC
for them, and where to send results.  It would also be helpful to have a
necropsy checklist for treatment vets at rides for the occasions when horses
die at rides.  I'd also add that I'd think bloodwork prior to death would be
of utmost interest in metabolic crashes--and in fact, bloodwork in any major
metabolic crash, even those not ending in death.

I really think we could have a very informative gathering of information if
we could even get MOST of the horses necropsied by making it easier (both
financially and emotionally by having it in AERC's hands), without having to
pass a rule making it mandatory.  If $2000 would cover 10 necropsies
(probably at least in the ballpark), and we have 20,000 starts per year,
that would be just $1 per start--I'd be much happier to just spring for that
as an additional rider fee, if someone would develop the protocol for
sending out packets and doing data collection (I'd sure like to see the
mechanism for that in place before raising the rider fees, so that we have
some assurance that is how the money would indeed be spent) than to have a
mandatory necropsy rule.

Heidi

Heidi


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