Re: [RC] colic at rides/ PR recovery - Kristen A. Fisher
I am fairly new at the endurance thing (as I have
only done LD, maybe I am not yet in endurance?) but this is a central
question: What is the natural mortality rate for horses? This must be
analyzed and then subtracted from the death rate due to endurance rides.
Horses can colic and die in their
stalls.
Also, before I would support the MMS proposal, I would need to see clear evidence that
horses that reach criteria after 15 minutes actually fared better than those
that reach it within 30 minutes. P/R are obviously 2 key vital signs, but cannot
in all cases accurately predict the overall status of the horse.
A lot have mentioned you know your horses and how
quickly they pulse down. If your horse pulses down
inside 30 mins (not 10 or 15) and that is normal for your horse, wouldn't you be
unfairly penalized by this new idea?
There are very very few horses in AERC
rides that actually have metabolic failure resulting in death. i.e. the
classic 'ridden to death' - this just doesn't generally happen in this sport
any more.
Most
of the fatalities are euthanizations due to colic (inoperable, or declining
surgery) or to freak accidents - broken legs, falling off cliffs, etc.
Obviously we can't prevent freak
accidents.
Can
we predict or prevent horses colicing? Do we have any idea why they colic?
(impaction? gas? jiggled intestines??) This question has me
wondering...
