 |
Re: [RC] FEI Championships - Joe Longheidi@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx wrote: ... First of all, the non-completion rate at high-level FEI events doesn't bother me anywhere NEAR as much as the treatment rate. If the sport is getting bad press over the non-completion rate, then we need to do some serious educating. It's ok to pull--but what is NOT ok is when the pulls so often occur too late to avert a serious medical intervention. The huge number of medical interventions that are required are truly a cause for shame. (And that's true when it happens at AERC rides as well--but I don't see very many AERC events across the board that look like MASH units...) This is one of the changes I've noticed over the years. We didn't even have designated treatment vets at one time, let alone mobile vet hospitals at rides. I've seen the treatment of horses at rides become more aggressive over time. That is, where once a horse only got an IV if he was in metabolic distress, I now see horses that are only mildly dehydrated being put on the drip, to help them rehydrate faster than they would on their own. So I wonder, how much of the greater rate of treatment is due to the availability of facilities, and treatment to help speed rehydration rather than treat an actual problem? Along with this, I'm concerned that the pendulum can swing too far -- that being too quick to put a horse on an IV just to make him feel better or rehydrate more quickly may not actually be a good thing. An IV is an invasive treatment, after all. -- Joe Long jlong@xxxxxxxxxxxxx =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= 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!! =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
|