speaking of Tevis...

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

Since we're (as always) kind of on the subject of Tevis, I just wanted
to let everyone know we (as in me, and trusty assistant/husband David) 
will be at Robie Park again this year collecting research data on
endurance horses, on as many horses as we can convince to volunteer.

This will be Phase II of the weight-carrying and condition score study
we did in '95 and '96, which some of you saw and heard about at the West
Region Conference in Sacramento last March.  This next phase will try to
associate and validate a weight-carrying index that predicts horses with
the best chance of finishing (and worst) with body weight, condition
score, weight of the rider and circumference of the cannon bones.

We'll be trying to get most of our measurements while everyone is
waiting in line for the pre-ride vet check.  Any we miss, we hopefully
will be able to catch by wandering through camp afterwards.  All we'll
be doing is measuring the heart girth, body length and cannon bone
circumference of your horses, assigning a body condition score and
collecting ride data from the long-suffering ride management after the
dust settles.  We'll have flyers either in rider packets or on the
check-in table for anyone who wants more details.  I know there were a
bunch of people after the conference that wanted to know about where
their own horses ranked, so here's your big chance to find out.  Plus
hopefully, we'll be able to come up with more useful data to help riders
increase their chances of completing, choosing good prospects, etc.

Anyway, you won't be able to miss us---I'll be the
ummm...famine-resistant...lady crawling around with a measuring tape and
peering under horse tails.  See y'all there!

Susan Garlinghouse