Re: Vet check question.

[Susan Evans Garlinghouse <suendavid@worldnet.att.net>]

K S Swigart wrote:

> The last thing in the world I need at an edurance ride is to have a P&R
> person escorting me to the vet based on a 15 second evaluation.
> 

> I have no problem with P&R people writing down on the vet card any
> odditites that they notice, nor do I have a problem with them telling the
> rider about it, providing the rider with information that they may not
> have because they don't have a stethoscope.  I guess I also wouldn't mind
> being asked, "Would you like me to help you find a vet?"

At the risk of sounding like a "me too", I agree with Kathy---if it were
the responsibility of the P&R person to decide whether my horse was in
dire need of a vet RIGHT THAT MINUTE, then they would be a ride vet, not
a P&R person.  Now, if the P&R person WAS a DVM, then I might be more
prone to listen, but I have yet to see that at a ride, and as Kathy
said, the experience level of P&R people can really swing from one
extreme to another---and even if they are experienced, 15 seconds is not
enough to make a clear decision on my horse's state of well-being, even
if it were their place to decide.

I agree that they can and should write down any abnormalities that they
feel are present, keeping in mind that between the rider, the ride vet
and the P&R person, they of the three are the least qualified to say
whether this is truly something to be alarmed about or not.  And I too
have no problem with them offering to go fetch a ride vet IF the rider
wants one and also feels there's something wrong.  But a P&R person
making unqualified judgements and dragging a horse over to a vet is not
only not doing their job (which is, as Kathy said, getting the riders
through the gate, period), they're depriving that horse of his time to
rest, eat, adjust tack, etc, AND taking their P&R services away from the
other riders coming in.  I appreciate any volunteer pointing out what
MAY be a potential problem, but it is NOT their place to decide where
that horse goes right that minute.  Look at it another way---what if you
were at a ride, and a by-stander ran up and said they didn't like the
way your saddle fit, and they were taking your horse over to his truck
to re-stuff the saddle and put on a different pad.  IMO, same principle,
but not his job or his right.  Do your job, point out potential problems
to those who do have the right to make decisions and go on to the next
horse.

And absolutely no offense to anyone in another region, but I also agree
that just because you manage your P&R teams differently does NOT mean
the rest of us don't care about our horses.

Just my two cents, of course.

Susan Garlinghouse