RE: Longer Tevis Winning Time

[K S Swigart <katswig@deltanet.com>]

On Thu, 13 Aug 1998, Jennifer Heim wrote:

> How 'bout you riders that did it this year?  Would you have been happier
> (and your horses more rested) having a longer rest period at Michigan
> Bluff?

I find this question slightly alarming, as it appears to suggest that ride
management and not the rider is who decides where/when and for how long to
rest the horse.

Was there some proscription against keeping your horse at Michigan Bluff
for longer than the required time?!

It seems to me a precursor the the idea that the only place that riders
need to rest their horses is at the vet checks and for the required time.
Although I suppose it is possible, that with the shorter hold time at
Michigan Bluff, that riders chose to rest their horses "on the clock" so
to speak, instead of resting them off the clock during the mandatory hold
at the vet check.

But....this wouldn't explain why the total elapsed time was longer than
usual. :).

kat
Orange County, Calif.