Home Current News News Archive Shop/Advertise Ridecamp Classified Events Learn/AERC
Endurance.Net Home Ridecamp Archives
ridecamp@endurance.net
[Archives Index]   [Date Index]   [Thread Index]   [Author Index]   [Subject Index]

[RC] Is my horse off or fit to continue? - Ridecamp Guest

Please Reply to: Lisa Salas, The Odd Farm Jsalas@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx or 
ridecamp@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
==========================================

Angie, I have to disagree with you. I hate a vet that only watches for a few 
steps and then turns his or her back. The 9th or 10th step could be the one to 
show a problem. What about on the turn around? I expect a thorough and complete 
exam at all checks. Not a pre-purchase exam, but one that makes me feel 
confidant to go on. Fit to continue means just that. If you could not get back 
on that horse, (which you wouldn't if your horse was only even "slightly" 
off)then you shouldn't get a completion either.

I understand your point, we shouldn't be out to nit-pick. But that doesn't mean 
we should let things slide at the end, just because it is the end either.

I got a completion at my last ride and my horses back was oh so obviously sore. 
Only at the finish though. This had happened before with the same saddle (and I 
pulled) but I didn't want to believe it was the saddle. (an Ortho-flex)If I had 
been pulled this last time, I wouldn't have argued. I shouldn't have accepted a 
completion,either. My horse was not fit to continue. Even if the vet thought my 
horse was ok, I knew better.
That was wrong and I still feel guilty about it.

That is why I don't buy the "To finish is to Win" crap. You can "win" if your 
horse is slighly off, has degrees of soreness in the back, doesn't have "good" 
gut sounds, etc,. at the finish, and yet these are the same reasons we might 
pull at VC 1,2 or 3. If it is all about the horse, then it has to be about the 
horse at the finish, too. Not about a completion. There is ALWAYS another ride.

About OF saddles. They are great, I have 7. But they are not perfect for every 
horse. My favorite one is the Premier Dressage but it has caused soreness in 
both a short backed and longer backed horse. It is an older model with the 
system 2 panels. Those seem to have the most problems. So I called the company, 
spoke with the owner, (a very knowledgeable man imo)and asked if I could bring 
my saddle to them. I told him I wanted to see how they would fix it, look at 
the different panels and hardware and have them explain to me the difference in 
the panels. He said "Come on up, take a tour and we will fix your saddle." I 
appreciate great customer service. They are also coming out with a purple color!

Lisa Salas, The Odd fArm
Anyone from the SE headed out to Ft. Stanton in July?


=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
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!!

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-