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RE: [RC] state fair express unofficial ride results - heidi

I hope not to dig myself a deeper hole here, but I think you
misunderstood my point. I'm not upset or arguing the grading, just
wishing the difference between a relaxed (or bored) horse and a fatigued
horse was more clear, NOT that the vet should have the responsibility to
try to determine the difference. 


Kathy, for what it's worth, I agree with you here.  I LOVE to see these sorts 
of horses that are just businesslike and don't drag people all over the place.  
And I DO think vets should know the difference and know that these are really 
the ideal sorts of horses to be looking for.  Unfortunately, vets (like so many 
other people) are subliminally influenced by the concept of horses "putting on 
a show" that I don't think they stop to analyze this difference.


And wouldn't it be nice if gaiting was more easily recognizable. I know
it's not though because I have 2 TWHs on the other side of my fence and
after 3 years seeing them moving around nearly every day, I still think
they move funny, no offense meant. 


This is a tough one, because most of us just don't SEE as many gaited horses.  
That said, if one is going to vet endurance rides, it pays to expose one's self 
to how different kinds of horses move, so that one CAN determine if a horse is 
moving right or not.  That said, a sound and straightforward trotting horse is 
sufficiently familiar for most vets that good ride vets can do what Susan 
mentioned--see all they need to see in a few strides, if all is well--whereas 
it may take the whole down-and-back to get one's mind "in synch" with a gaited 
horse (as it does the less trained observer with the trotting horse) to 
determine if the symmetry is there.  I AM bothered when vets don't make an 
effort to understand gaited horses--but am not bothered when it takes them a 
bit longer to mentally process a gaited horse for an anomaly, since we just 
don't see that many of them.

Heidi

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