Endurance.Net Ridecamp Archives

Good post, Truman.

 

Preparing the horse properly and riding properly certainly is within the purview of the rider/owner and each of us probably understands that.  

I believe that there should be things under the purview of the AERC and those things, I feel, include the need to standardize the availability/administration of care for the horse in danger of losing its life.  Right now a lecture to the rider with the horse in trouble does nothing for the horse, so, perhaps, as a matter of entry into the ride, the rider should be required to sign a statement of some type which would allow the Head Vet to determine if measures need to be taken to safeguard the life of the horse, and if so, He/She should have the latitude to administer the life-saving care, irrespective of whether the owner of the horse deems it necessary.  At some point, I believe responsibility for the well-being of the horse is SHARED if the horse is exposed to conditions which might harm it at an AERC event, particularly if veterinary services are provided as a matter of policy...which they are.  I know the sensitive nature of this proposal, but how other could it be handled?

 

"Who's going to pay for the treatment?", some will ask.  As members of the AERC, I believe the rider/owner (implied consent to the rider), should be held accountable.  As a matter of enforcement and collection of fees, I imagine the inability to participate in future rides until such a debt is recovered would, perhaps, motivate resolution.  Until such time as the fees are collected, the AERC would need to compensate the Vet for services rendered.  (This would make it incumbent on the organization to recover the fees.)

 

Not wanting to delve too far into it (in this forum), I know of at least one case in the last year which possibly fit the above scenario. 

 

Fear of litigation retards the process, for the rider and the organizaiton, and does nothing for the horse in trouble.

Frank