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Lynne, in my experience, the majority of completion exams are done within 10-15 minutes of crossing the line anyway, so I don't think the change raises the bar of difficulty for the horse that is not in trouble.  Most riders want to "get it over with," and the rules allow them to present at any time within the hour, so many come straight from the finish line and present, if they know that their horses' HRs are down. 

 

You do make a valid point that "ideally" one likes to see the horses following a rest when they are going back out on the trail--and I'm one of those vets that is a stickler about doing exit exams instead of entrance exams.  Nonetheless (and perhaps this is my "lenience" at the finish) I urge riders to get completion exams done as soon as possible post finish.  Why?  Because I've seen too many riders lose completion by going back to the trailer to mess around with their horses, and in their own post-ride fatigue, end up getting their horses injured due to their own laxness.  Have had horses go back to the trailer and get rope burns, get tangled up in blanket straps, you-name-it.  And that is really a shame.

 

The flip side is that the horse whose pulse is not down within half an hour is at risk, pure and simple.  He is NOT a horse that I would care to allow back out on a trail, rule or no rule--he isn't "fit to continue."  So while on one hand, your risk of mechanical problems goes up if you wait, on the other hand, if your horse's metabolic status is in jeopardy, the sooner you realize it, the better.  A horse that pulses down just under the wire at an hour has a problem--and I would rather have DQ'd him 29 minutes ago and intervened, if necessary.

Question about the 30 minute rule proposal for 50s (and up, I presume.)

Right now, the 60 minute rule permits me to take my horse back to the  
trailer, which might be a lengthy hike in terms of time from either  
the finish or the vet area.  My horse gets untacked, anti-sweat and/
or cooler applied as necessary, served up some wet yummies, and given  
down time of at least 20-30 minutes before I start messing with him  
to get him ready for the completion exam.

If this rule goes through, and the vetting area was close to the  
finish line, I'd be more inclined to seek the completion check  
immediately, which means no more gallops across the finish line.    
I'm imagining a windy/wet and/or cold day, with no crew, where I'd  
rush back to the trailer instead to untack and blanket, and rush back  
for the exam, freakin' out about getting 'er done within the 30  
minute rule, *by a VET*?  Not a P&R person?

From a ride mgr perspective, it raises the degree of difficulty of  
the vetting area, people anxious about making the 30 minute cutoff.    
And it means the horse gets little or no down time.  So which is  
better, making sure there's a 30 minute recovery or giving the horse  
some more down time immediately after the ride?

Vets in our area have asked to see the horse near the end of the  
holds to better evaluate fitness to continue--it seems to me the  
completion should be the same way.

I'm sure I'm overlooking something, so please enlighten me.  I  
completely agree with the pulse criteria being consistent throughout  
the ride.  PS rides have rarely had a HR any different than 60,  
unless it's Fred doing 56 on a risky weather day.  64 on some XPs, is  
it, with few of us racing.

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