Endurance.Net Ridecamp Archives

I applaud your care and concern for the horses and hope you succeed in 
making some needed changes! I don't ride endurance; I ride trails for 
pleasure--- but my horses go for the most part to endurance riders and I 
have been frightened by recent trends abroad as reported by Lara, etc 
re: the extremely fast times and high injury/fatality rate. I will be 
looking eagerly to see if changes such as you are proposing are 
implemented. I believe they will also help with the growing concern 
emerging from horse humane societies re: this sport.
Bette

Ridecamp Moderator wrote:
> Arthur B. King DVM arthur.king@xxxxxxxxxxxx
>
> In a recent post a rider stated that I had implemented one hour holds in 
> the the first 12 to 15 miles. That is not true.
>
> As far as what I would do if it were up to me - education and rules.
> rider education - there are still too many riders who do not use 
> electrolytes properly. There are too many riders who fail to recognise 
> the early signs of trouble - lack of thirst, lack of appetite, delayed 
> recovery at checks, etc
> ride manager education - managers need to plan the ride so that there 
> are sufficient opportunities along the trail for vet checks
> and hire enough vets so that the vets can examine the horses frequently 
> and completely
> veterinary education - vets need to know that they have to examine the 
> horse completely to see if it is fit to start, continue and complete. 
> Vets need to use the CRI and use it properly. Horses need to be examined 
> at least every 15 miles and have at least 90 minutes of hold in a 50 
> mile ride and 3 hours in a 100 mile ride. there are rides where there 
> are too few vets,  they check the horses too few times and when they do 
> check them they only do a half assed job of it. That has got to change!
>
> Rules - no more than 15 miles between vet checks.
> At least three vet checks in a 50 and at least 6 in a 100 mile ride. At 
> least 90 minutes of hold time (3 - 30 minute holds) in a 50 mile ride 
> and 3 hours in a 100 mile ride. The holds can be shorter towards the end 
> of a 100 if they are longer near the first part of the ride.
>
> It is not rocket science. Gaykle Ecker's research showed that horses 
> need to rest every 15 miles at least and that losses occur early in the 
> ride so you need rest stops early in the ride.
> Every ride where horses die or require extensive treatment has had one 
> or more loops in excess of 15 miles and fewer than three checks per 50/6 
> checks per 100 miles.
>
> I am appalled by the horse deaths and the fact that AERC BOD as a whole 
> is completely ignoring them as evidenced by their silence on the 
> subject, failure to respond o enquiries from the membership and failure 
> to act in any substantive way to prevent these deaths. There were two 
> deaths at one ride last February and one ride manager has had at least 5 
> deaths at his rides over the past few years.
>
> In the spring of 2002 I sent several messages to the AERC Board. While 
> there are several on the BOD who do want to see some change occur, they 
> apparently are not in the majority, otherwise there would be some 
> action. Their lack of action makes me wonder if the  Directors take 
> their responsibility any more seriously than the corrupt Directors of 
> ENRON.
>
> As for the AERC convention, I will have some strong words for the BOD. I 
> have a lot of support from some Directors and some AERC members. We need 
> to stop these deaths before some animal welfare organization shuts us 
> down!!
>
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--
Bette Lamore
Whispering Oaks Arabians
Home of 16.2h TLA Halynov
who lives on through his legacy
Hal's Riverdance!
http://www.arabiansporthorse.com

Always remember: "Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, 
but by the moments that take our breath away." (George Carlin)



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