I certainly don't consider them "useless", either during the ride or after the ride. Yes - horses have vetted through and then crashed. However, there are also those horses whose gut sounds decrease steadily throughout a ride, or who show increased dehydration, etc. It is another tool to help you judge the condition of your horse throughout the ride.
On Jul 8, 2008, at 3:40 PM, Tom Sites wrote:
I've made this same statement before. For some reason i was appointed to the first AERC Active Riders Committee and i proposed that ride cards be used in determining selection. I was not in popular sentiment at the time and the idea was rejected. I was not nominated the next year.
I still think that data is important in analyzing a horse/rider history. It is full of relevant information including Vet notes. I still stand by this years later and think those that find no importance to vet cards have either no vision or analytical expertise. ts
