Endurance.Net Ridecamp Archives

On Friday, February 14, 2003, at 03:12 PM, Jim Holland wrote:

Perfect public subject, Jim.

I want to see the rules we already have enforced, and I support 
veterinary *guidelines* that promote riders taking the best care 
possible of the silent partners in our sport.

This is especially relevant to me personally--I just rebuttted the 
response from the rider whom I protested after my Norco ride this last 
year, (and incidentally though not part of the original reason for the 
protest, the horse was euthanized not long after the ride).  And I'm 
about to put on another large ride, which will be attended by someone 
against whom a protest, also of horse abuse, has been filed about their 
behavior at their last ride.

(You can be sure when attending one of my rides that there will be 
sufficient vet staff, and we are in sync with the focus at most rides 
in PS-- vets want to see the horses a while into their hold so that the 
adrenalin wears off and they show their true condition.)

As a rider, I do support with my checkbook multi-day rides which may 
only have a vet check in the middle of a 50--and I choose carefully 
whether or not my horse is seasoned enough to handle that.  Do you know 
for a fact that those 8 deaths were at rides that don't have more than 
one mid-ride check?

One day rides promote racing--multi-day rides promote completion and/or 
very careful racing.  I like the idea of some sort of qualification for 
rides with only one check--some minimum number of miles of rider and of 
horse, though not necessarily together (which would prevent catch 
riding--though unlike the WEG our "catch riders" tend to be friends of 
the owners and ride together).  I also support the idea of a horse 
logbook, so that a vet can see the horse's history, and would like to 
see this explored more.

Most of our rides have 3 checks on a 50 too.  Have these deaths all 
been on 50s, do we even know that?

I think your jibe about California is unwarranted--you are referring to 
incorporation rules that just say that the books are OPEN, and it's 
unworthy of you.

In *any* case, there is no way to determine whether a horse has died 
immediately subsequent to an endurance ride--after they're home.  You 
don't know that it hasn't happened in the SE.

I'd also like to know why you are assuming that these deaths all 
resulted from horse abuse.  The only death I know of that may have been 
counted was a friend's horse who got an intestinal twist in the night 
after her turtle 11+ hr 50, he survived the surgery well, and two days 
later developed an infection, the 5th day after the ride he was 
euthanized.  Is that considered a "death at the ride"?

At all of our PS rides, the criteria is NOT announced in advance--just 
at the ride meeting, by the Head Vet.

Come on west, and check our vets' teeth!

Lynne
Bar H Boogie
http://www.lynnesite.com/bhb.html


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