Endurance.Net Ridecamp Archives

Tim,
I couldn't have said it better!  Many kudos to Amy for her great skills
with horses and her totally classy behavior!  I also know of her pain and
suffering from her disorder.  I and another had to help her to be able to
stand on the scale at the finish when she could barely stand, let alone
hold her saddle and equipment for the weigh in.  

Amy along with John Crandall were the ones who helped catch my loose horse
from the "Irving Incident" and I can't thank her enough for saving me from
going through what she went through agonizing as to the where-abouts of a
missing horse at Ft. Valley for days or even weeks.  They also untacked
their sideways skewed tack and I was never so happy in my life to have my
horse call to me from around the corner as I hiked up Moreland Gap rd in
the PITCH DARK!. 

3 weeks ago at the Peace Point ride Amy took on the last minute sponsering
of my daughter for which I am so greatful.  I crewed for them along with
her friend Dawn and Tim who owns Ruby. They had multiple trail problems and
more mud than believable and still "accidently" came in 4th and 5th at a
tough ride.   

I and my daughter and friend Mary Howell (whose horse my daughter rode at
PP),stand behind everything Tim said in his email.  

Amy Cieri and John Crandall are the best examples I know of what endurance
is all about!  I am proud to call them both friends!!! 

Becky Supinger #20132
and Elektric- who got body-slammed in the first mile by a runaway horse,
then went down on the asphalt galloping around the turn, it just wasn't our
day!


Original Message:
-----------------
From: tim miller shf@xxxxxxxxxxxx
Date: Tue, 24 Oct 2006 09:30:44 -0400
To: ridecamp@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [RC]   At least one good thing about starting the NC50 early 
(lengthy)


> > > Amy commented how if they hadn't happened to see Ruby pee, they never
would have guessed she had a problem. She speculated that there might be
other such asymptomatic horses that go undetected -- especially if a ride
ends later and darkness falls before the horse gets around to peeing, making
the condition harder to detect.<<<<

Jonni wrote:

<And after reading this, I guess my mind just sees things differently. If
she
had finished later, she MIGHT not have been stressed as much, and might not
have had her system compromised. (note I say might, as we all know that
things happen to the best, most fit horses that we can't always foresee).>

Jonni you're clearly not familiar with Mrs. Cieri who is universally
respected in the NE region for her horsemanship and concern for the welfare
of the horse.

As the owner of this mare, I was honored and privileged to have Amy
undertake the training, conditioning and riding of this mare commencing
past February.  I assure you this mare was not over-ridden  by Amy and I
would refer to her record this year which clearly reflects building to this
ride.  Amy is quite familiar with this area, having spent a week years ago
searching for, and finally finding with the help of many others, a horse
who stampeded out of camp along with several others.

The mare she rode at the NC's had a metabolic pull in 2003, the testing at
that ride and immediate subsequent blood tests were submitted to Cornell
University where it was conclusively determined the mare was clearing
toxins from her liver prior to the ride.  The records were submitted to
AERC offices.

Amy was riding with John Crandell at the outset of the NC 50, she also
dismounted and with John and they caught three riderless horses, untacked
them and tied them securely to trees.  A no brainer for either of these
riders. Some chose to ride on by.  John and Amy were in some important
sense the winners of this ride.

Post ride, Ruby was eating, drinking, peeing (clear) and pooping.  She was
alert, showed no signs of distress.  Several hours thereafter, by dumb
luck, both Amy and Dawn witnessed discoloration of urine and immediately
reacted with elytes and walked her to the treatment vet.

This mare appeared in estrus on Sunday.  In 2004, in the NA 100 mile
pre-ride, I had a mare going in exactly the same point in her cycle, at the
last check she exhibited some similar signs.  In that second last leg 
there was a dramatic weather change.  Interestingly, at the same point in
her cycle weeks later, she exhibited the same signs on a conditioning ride,
after a mere five miles, at the onset of a dramatic weather change.  Blood
was drawn, other tests were taken, the only conclusion multiple vets could
make was that estrus in combination with weather change caused the reaction.

Amy Cieri has an inherited condition called Ehlers Danlos Syndrome.  A
connective tissue disease.  She lives in pain constantly.  Unbeknownst to
me, Thursday past, while handling pumpkins, she suffered a severe
dislocation of her hip/leg, by the last hold, she was barely capable of
walking.  The bond that had developed between her and Ruby was such that I
declined to stand for BC in the absence of Amy's ability to show her.

I thank Mary for bringing to the attention of the endurance community, a
group in the forefront of horse welfare, the issue of horses completing
rides, seemingly fine by all outward appearances, yet are in distress.  How
many are loaded in the trailer, taken home, and recover on their own?  We
continue to learn, not all cause and affects have been discovered.

Anybody familiar with Amy Cieri will attest she is not capable of
over-riding a horse.  It goes against all she firmly stands for.  If I had
my pick of any of the great riders in this country, I would choose Amy
every time.  She is the epitome of what this sport stands for.

Tim Miller
Sami Hills Farm









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