I think the issue has more to do with the pressures of
the day, and it may be hard for a vet or ride manager to make a concise
and consistent decision, because of all the other things going on. It
may seem simple to the rider, but it isn't always simple to the vets and RMs.
I'll just share my most recent experience with pull codes. I rode a
ride a week & 1/2 ago. When we came in to the first vet check I had not
felt anything off with Perle. She pulsed down OK. I went to the vet and heard
A and A- mostly. Then I did my trot out and when I got back I heard the vet
say C. I assumed on gait. He check her left fore and she had sliced a big
chunk off her heel bulb. He told me I could come back for a recheck and kept
my card. I went back to my trailer and had a good look at the foot and decided
to call it a day. Later when mom went through the check with my young horse I
told the vet I wasn't going to go back out. A couple of hours later a
volunteer came and asked me if I had pulled. I told them I thought the vet had
pulled me and I had told her I wasn't going back out with a C on gait,
that she was lame. I told the girl, it didn't really matter to me; if the vet
wanted to do it, fine, if not I'd do it as RO-L. When I got my card back after
awards. I saw that it was actually a C on wounds and a B+ on gait. I think
they officially wrote it down as L pull.
It
really doesn't matter to me either way. But technically I wonder what would be
the right code. The vet didn't turn it in as a pull, she was just barely off
and had a big wound. Would this fall into the category of SF
or RO-L or could it fit the bill of RO-SF if there were such a
thing? Just curious, like I said doesn't matter to me
really.
