 |
[RC] 30 minute rule - k s swigartKim Fuess said: If we believe that "fit to continue" is meeting criteria within 1/2 hour at every vet check it seems that meeting criteria in 60 minutes at the finish is a completely different definition of what is "fit to continue". To me, it is so silly that you can have a vet check 1 mile from the finish line and the horse must meet criteria in 1/2 hour and then after going only one more mile that same horse has an hour to meet criteria. Ideally, I feel that the vet check criteria and finish line criteria should be the same. But some changes at the ride management level need to be in place to make this work well if it is put in place. The problem I see is not only that there is added hassle to the rider (which there will be at many rides and for many riders) but that ride management will have to set up the finish line and final vetting area just like they do at a vet check. If the intent is to make it so the rules at the finish check and the rules at the internal vet checks are the same, then it is only the pulse criteria that will need to be met by 1/2 hour, which can be checked by regular P&R people, so you don't need a "vetting area." At the internal vet checks, it is only the pulse criteria that must be met within 30 minutes of arriving at a vet check. For the veterinary examiniation portion of the vet check, riders may take as long as they damned well please to see the vet. As far as I know, it is only FEI rides that require you to go straight from the pulse check to the vet--and, in fact, SOME ride vets require riders to wait at least 30 minutes AFTER meeting criteria to vet their horses. There definitely is no AERC rule about it. So, if I want to, I can arrive at a vet check, meet criteria within the required 30 minutes and then wait two hours before presenting my horse to the vet at the vet check. There is no AERC rule against this, and I have never been to any AERC ride that had a rule against this. So, if it is consistency with the rules for vet checks being applied at the finish line, then the location of the final vet check need not be changed, they just need to have P&R people at/near the finish line (like they do for the LD rides), the vets can remain in camp where they have always been. However, if it is consistency with respect to the "fit to continue" rules for vet checks that is being strived for, then, if the idea is to change to the "30 minutes to meet criteria" at the finish, then they also need to change it so riders can take as much time as they damned well please to present for the rest of the final vet check. Personally, I would prefer that they keep it the way it is and require riders to present their horses for their final checks within one hour for the entire check. It is more likely to ensure the welfare of horses being over-ridden between the last check and the finish line, and it is logistically much easier for ride management no matter what the layout of their finish line with respect to the location of the vet check in base camp. If the motivation for the new rule to require riders do their entire completion check within 30 minutes of finishing is something other than consistency with the principle of "fit to continue" as it is applied at vet checks during the ride, then the real motivation needs to be stated. Consistency isn't a good enough, since what is being proposed is NOT consistent with the requirements at vet checks during the ride. kat Orange County, Calif. =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= 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!! =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
|