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Re: [RC] B on gut sounds - rdcarrie Diane,
One thing to keep in mind is that vets vary a bit in what they consider an "A" vs. a "B" on gut sounds. One vet's A might be an A- or a B+, or even a B to another vet. Also, it can depend on how long the vet listens to the guts, etc. Bottom line is, these letter grades are that vet's "grade" of the horse's gut sounds at that point he/she checked the horse. One vet in my region has even said that what they consider an "A" on gut sounds is when they can hear the guts rumbling from 6 feet away. This vet doesn't give out a lot of As. Doesn't mean horses they check are in trouble because they get lots of Bs and an occasional C...but knowing how a particular vet tends to score horses can help. Most vets (at least in my experience) will not just put a B or C on a vet card and hand it back with no comment. If they think the guts are truly a little slow, they will generally tell the rider, "he's a little quiet...make sure he eats." or something similar.
That said, a B at the first check doesn't bother me. What I watch for is that the horse eats and drinks at the hold, has a good alert attitude, pulsed down within the time I expected, etc. If he took longer to pulse down than I expect he should have for that ride's weather, trail, etc., then I start thinking about what could be happening. But this comes from knowing your particular horse and how he/she responds to various conditions, etc., and knowing what is normal for that horse...you'll develop that as you continue to ride your pony. Back to the gut sounds...if my horse is eating/drinking well, etc., then I would expect to not get worse than a B at subsequent checks, and the score usually improves later in the ride (I'm doing 50s). Also keep in mind that a horse new to the sport might not eat as well as a more experienced one, etc. Sometimes moving up to slow 50s is enough to let the horse know that, "hey, it's gonna be a long day...I'd better not skip eating at any ho
lds!"
One thing that is good to do is to get a stethoscope (if you don't already have one) and get in the habit of checking your horse's gut sounds yourself at rides, during conditioning rides, etc., so that you know what is normal for your horse. Then if you suspect something isn't quite normal, or get a B or a C when you think it should be a higher "grade," you can check your horse and know whether the level of gut sounds is normal or less than normal.
Dawn in East Texas (not an expert...always trying to learn more) -----Original Message----- From: Ridecamp Guest <guest-owner@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> To: ridecamp@xxxxxxxxxxxxx Sent: Fri, 02 Dec 2005 15:47:27 GMT Subject: [RC] B on gut sounds Please Reply to: Diane Roby diane_roby2002@xxxxxxxxx or ridecamp@xxxxxxxxxxxxx ========================================== Ghost Horses/Lawrence You mentioned the dreaded B on gut sounds at the first vet check and how to improve that....I have to ask, have you found a way? I did 2 LDs and while I sponged, she ate and drank well, my mare still have a B on gut sounds at the final vet out and I wondered how to improve that. I'd like to move up to 50's with her eventually but I won't do it if it turns out to be detrimental to her. She was still happy, still drinking, eating, peeing and pooing after the ride but worry wart that I am those B's bothered me. =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- Ridecamp is a service of Endurance Net, http://www.endurance.net. Information, Policy, Disclaimer: http://www.endurance.net/Ridecamp Subscribe/Unsubscribe http://www.endurance.net/ridecamp/logon.asp Ride Long and Ride Safe!! =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
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