LD's, BC Scoring, and AERC(long)

[Cheryl Newbanks <horsetrails@inficad.com>]

Heidi makes a great point here:

> It isn't
>necessarily WHAT one gets for a prize as much as it is being able to evaluate
>what you have done.  

The ride I was on last weekend didn't feel as great an accomplishment as
past rides, though I finished a 30 in 5 hours with a horse that was in
excellent shape, I still missed the vet scoring for BC and where I came in
in the pack.  I teaches me how I did and helps me evaluate our performance.
 Without knowing where I placed and how we scored it just felt like an
everyday ride.  
I can see using a CTR for green horsepersons who need to learn to care
properly for their equine buddies.  But for an experienced horse person
who's already learned equine care and management from experience in an
intense athletic equine sport environment CTR may be too restrictive for
them.  So I believe LD and CTR need to be kept as separate entities.  
I think the main problem is that ALL LD's are not run by the same
standards.  Maybe if AERC standardized sanctioned LD's so they are run
similiarly then there would be less complaining/whining.  Not being an AERC
member as of yet I don't know if they do standardize their sanctioned rides
and if they do then they should enforce these standards.
 Example: Up till last weekend's ride the 3 previous LD's I've done were
run pretty much the same.  Criterias where all 64, you timed in at the vet
check, then found a p&r person when you hit criteria and then vetted out.
At the first 3 rides the vet cards were all the same using the A,B,C
scoring, all vets did jug refill, cap refill, skin pinch, gut sounds, pulse
and respiration, then checked their legs and asked for a trot out.  There
was a 30 minute hold at the first vc and an hour to present to the vet at
the final check once you hit criteria. The first 10 finishers were
presented for BC.  

But at the last ride, you timed in then vetted out at check 1 criteria was
68!  No p&r people, no abc scoring, they checked pulse and respiration, cap
refill, no gut sounds checked at all, no scoring what so ever and a trot
off at the end.  Just a general looks ok on the card and p&r was recorded.
1st vet check didn't really have a hold once you hit criteria, you vc'd
then you were off.  The last check was a time in, then make sure you
presented to the vet within 30 minutes of your time in for completion, no
p&r, criteria  68 and the card was the same as first check, no abc scoring,
no gut sounds taken, cap refill was done, skin pinch and color was looked
at and a looks ok on the card after trot off.  The only other thing the
card did record was p&r and how many seconds cap refill took.  

How can AERC sanction a ride that follows no standardized approach to
protecting the horse? Or are the standards so minimal that I can actually
see such a vast difference in the management of an AERC ride as I just
described.   I thought that was was AERC was founded for, to promote
endurance riding in a safer manner then in the past.  Don't ride managers
have to submit some type of ride proposal to be sanctioned by AERC?  Does
AERC just sanction any ride without knowing if it complies?  I don't know
these answers, if anyone out there does let me know since I am not a member
of AERC and I am thinking of joining.  If I join dosen't my dues payment
ensure me that an AERC sanctioned ride will be run in the manner that I can
expect based on AERC standards?  If not, why join?
   
                                 Cheryl Newbanks 
                ~~ ^ ^       Just In Time Ranch
~~~\   _  ~~/ /\ /       Buckeye, AZ
       ( )__     ) ' '        horsetrails@inficad.com
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