Re: Presenting a horse so as to maximize possibilties for BC

[CMKSAGEHIL@aol.com]

In a message dated 98-06-16 13:16:17 EDT, you write:

<< BC scores are often very close ... a little effort and attention to
 detail can make the difference. >>

And ABOVE ALL--make sure he eats and drinks!

I do get aggravated when vets expect horses to look like halter horses--while
the "presenting" makes a better impression, for sure, a sound horse is still
sound, and unless the presentation is pretty bad, shame on the vets that can't
tell the difference.  Impulsion and "animation" are not necessarily the same
thing--the former implies beinig able to utilize one's hindquarters to collect
and drive in a supple manner, while the other is just pizzazz and doesn't
count for beans as to whether or not the horse is capable of going on.  There
are an awful lot of points on the BC form that don't have a thing to do with
"presentation"--10 points for recovery (although "presenting" in a calm,
quite, relaxed fashion helps), 10 points for various hydration factors (cap
refill, mucous membranes, skin tenting, gut sounds, jugular fill), 10 points
for lesions producing or potentially producing pain (sore backs, interference
marks, tack galls, etc., plus tendon and ligament filling or soreness) before
you even get to the 10 points for soundness and the 10 points for various
fatigue-related factors such as impulsion, muscle tone, etc.  The latter two
are the parts where the presentation in hand plays a part--some vets are more
easily impressed than others by the "up" look that some horses have...

Heidi Smith, DVM--Sagehill Arabians (Oregon)