Leaving after ride

[rides2far@juno.com (Angela C. McGhee)]

O.K. folks, 
Kinda quiet out there, so I think it may be a good time to mention a
trend that's been bothering me lately.  It seems that at more and more
rides, people come in off the trail, pack up and haul home.  I really
hate this for many reasons.  

First and foremost, I think it is TERRIBLE for the horses.  A horse who
has just done a long distance ride needs time to wind down, sleep, drink,
urinate, eat, all the things that trailering discourages.  I have never
left the ride sight immediately after a ride, and the number one reason
is that there is a vet on call should anything go wrong.  It's not
unusual for a horse that looks fine after completion to have some
problems like colic later on.  Who wants to be hauling down the road in a
strange part of the country at night, and suddenly need a vet? 

Last year, at the Witchdance ride in Mississippi, there was a horse that
required fluids after the race.  The horse did not look particularly bad,
but it was treated.  I believe this started at about 3:30 or 4:00 in the
afternoon. The vets left as soon as the ride was over and before the
awards.  That night, it was very cold, and management went home too.  I
decided to sleep next to the big campfire in the middle of camp, and was
awakened at around 2:00 AM by voices.  Looked up to see 2 riders
discussing this horse who had obviously taken a turn for the worse.  The
next 2 hrs. were a nightmare.  There was nobody in camp who knew how to
get hold of a local vet.  No one knew how to get hold of management.  The
owner of the horse left to try and find a vet (in the boonies at 2:00
A.M.) meanwhile, we sat up and watched the horse go into shock and die. 
The backhoe got there before the vet did.  I have never felt so helpless.
 I had seen the horse earlier and it didn't look bad.  It was almost 12
hrs after the end of the race when the horse went down.  I would have
thought it had had time to stabilize.

This was not a case of the owner leaving the camp, but it was the same
sort of situation you would be in if you left.  Had the vets been at the
camp where they should have been, and the rider loaded up and hit the
road like so many do, it would have been the same situation...and how
many vets want to answer a call from a truck stop in the middle of the
night, for a horse that's dying?  What sort of impression would they have
of our sport?  

The Saturday night after a ride is when all the great socializing goes
on.  It is when ride managers enjoy taking their time and handing out
awards and making the party last a little longer.  As a manager, there is
nothing more irritating than someone chasing me around wanting me to
leave my job to give them their T-Shirt so they can leave.  

Naturally there are exceptions.  For instance, a friend had to leave
early after this last race because his uncle had died and he needed to go
to the funeral.  He rode conservatively, and it wasn't far home...O.K. 
But, it seems to me that more and more people are simply flying in,
getting their miles, then rushing home to sleep in their own bed,
regardless of the dangers.  New people come along, and consider it the
norm.  Funny thing is, it seems that many who leave, have the most lavish
camper/trailers.  I guess if you don't like to camp, even a great camper
isn't as good as home.

When I was commenting on this phenomenon at the last ride, I heard about
a horse who won BC last year, left early, and almost died on the drive
home.  Add to that the dangers of the rider's "adrenaline high" wearing
off their falling asleep at the wheel, and I think maybe everybody just
needs to hang around and enjoy a good night of storytelling at the
campfire before packing up and heading back to the rat race.

Sincerely,
Angie McGhee

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