Re: spongeing at camp/IAHA Rides

[CMKSAGEHIL@aol.com]

In a message dated 98-06-24 12:39:07 EDT, jdevr@mail.dave-world.net writes:

<< Wondering if anyone else has encountered this problem/thought.  We would
 like to have the criteria changed to at least 40 bpm = 0 points.  Or better
 yet 36 bpm = 0 points.  That would at least give a little more advantage to
 the best conditioned horses. >>

I am afraid I will have to disagree with this.  Conditioning only has a little
bit to do with resting normals, and I see many horses who are extremely fit
and recover very promptly, but still have a resting pulse of 40-44.  I think
the solution to the "clean card" dilemma at CTR's is to first of all design
the course in such a way and assign an appropriate speed to the course that
the horses are stressed sufficiently to separate them out.  Secondly, I was
intrigued by Rita Schlimm's comments that I was "harder" on the horses on my
metabolic scoring than many vets she had worked with.  I have used an
adaptation of our old Rocky Mountain CTR scoring system for 17 years (with
constant modifications and updates) to judge BC at endurance rides, and I had
no trouble whatsoever scoring the horses at Region III and not having ties and
clean cards.  I only had one clean card going in to the finish, and that horse
lost a point for something at the finish.  I think Rita has a valid point that
the veterinary judges must not be afraid to judge!  That's what we're there
for.  There are a lot more categories on that score card than just pulse
recovery, and it is pretty hard for a horse to go 25 or 35 or 50 miles without
showing some metabolic sign somewhere!

Heidi Smith, DVM