Re: Pregnant mares

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

My mistake, I  thought such a rule existed, but as you and Heidi have
pointed out, no such rule exists.  I stand corrected.

Susan

Robert Morris wrote:
> 
> You stated>>>>>"but I think AERC's rules about
> > pregnant (at least *obviously* pregnant) mares in competition are good
> > ones in helping keep the lions from the door."<<<<<<
> 
> Please identify the rule number and paragraph where you find this. It was
> not in there when I helped codify the AERC Rules and Regulations a few
> years ago and I have no recollection of any such rule being inserted since.
> 
> Bob Morris
> Morris Endurance Enterprises
> Boise, ID
> 
> ----------
> > From: Susan Evans Garlinghouse <suendavid@worldnet.att.net>
> > To: Rayna5 <Rayna5@aol.com>
> > Cc: ridecamp@endurance.net
> > Subject: Re: Pregnant mares
> > Date: Sunday, April 19, 1998 6:42 PM
> >
> > Rayna5 wrote:
> > >
> > > I dont understand all the reluctance to use bred mares.  I have had
> several
> > > bred mares over the years and used all of them almost to the last
> minute.
> > > So IMHO, I think it is MUCH better to use a pregnat mare, with common
> sense,
> > > than to let her get so out of shape. I think they are better for it all
> the
> > > way around.
> > > Julie Lindeman
> > > Brush Prairie Wa
> >
> >
> > The key word there is "common sense".  There's a big difference between
> > a six mile jaunt down the trail and competing on a heavily pregnant or
> > lactating mare on a fifty-mile endurance race.  I'm not a DVM, but I
> > would certainly imagine the potential stresses of blood glucose
> > depletions, rises in core temperature, dehydration etc could be
> > potentially damaging to a fetus as well as the mare.
> >
> > Something else to keep in mind is endurance's public image---for an
> > awful long time, we've all had to listen to how cruel we all are to our
> > horses making the poor dears go all that way (like as not pulling like a
> > train).  We're just now starting to get some grudging validation from at
> > least some of the rest of the equestrian world.  Can you imagine the
> > uproar from the activists if a pregnant mare decided to foal out on the
> > trail, or got into trouble and died or lost the foal?  Yikes.
> >
> > I ride my mares right through their pregnancy too, and congratulate you
> > for keeping your mares in shape as well, but I think AERC's rules about
> > pregnant (at least *obviously* pregnant) mares in competition are good
> > ones in helping keep the lions from the door.
> >
> > Just my .o2.
> >
> > Susan Garlinghouse
> >