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In FEI rides they are quick to treat. That's okay. It prevents a minor 
problem from becoming a serious problem. In '95 or 96 at a SE a horse 
ended up biting it because while he was given fluids - he wasn't given 
enough. After he went off of fluids, he went down for the final count. 
I'd rather they be conservative in treatment than waiting till the last 
minute when it could be life or death. Better to treat a minor problem 
than a major problem.

The bottom line the best of the best come together for the WEC. They are 
there to win. They are not there to just finish. At that level - to win 
is to win - to finish off the pace is to lose. That's fine but that adds 
the responsibility to pull the horse if he is not up to the task of the 
day.   If they do that - I have no problem with it. I applaud those that 
do that. That drives the pull rate - so the pull rate for these events 
may not be a good measure of the care of the horse. I'd rather see 
someone go out to win and when they see they are not going to win to 
pull than to see someone push a marginal horse for a 24 hour completion.

BTW the same goes for the NC. If the riders take care of their mounts - 
independent if they go for the win that's cool by me. At the end of the 
day it is how you manage and care for your equine partner - it's not if 
you finish or don't finish. I rather see a pulled horse that is bouncing 
off the wall the next morning than one that finished and looks like "he 
is finished."

Truman

Joe Long wrote:
> heidi@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.


--

"Life is about obstacles. Endeavors in life are not to be overlooked. 
Our lives are not determined by what happens to us, but how we react to 
what happens. Not by what life brings us, but the attitude we bring to 
life." Wade Boggs, on his induction to the baseball hall of fame. 


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