Re: MECHANICAL FATIGUE

[Barbara <madill@teleplex.net>]

At 12:00 PM 5/15/1998 EDT, you wrote:
>In a message dated 98-05-15 10:41:44 EDT, madill@teleplex.net writes:
>
><< Well, it turned out that my "eyes" were actually finer tuned than the
> vet's, and, when he saw me nodding in accompaniment to a horse being
> trotted, he asked my opinion.  He took a second look at the animal in
> question and there went my experiment because he asked that I score the
> locomotion as well!   >>
>
>Although it does not take a DVM degree to be good at evaluating motion (and
>conversely a DVM degree is not a guarantee that the holder can properly
>evaluate motion) I DO have a real problem with the veterinarians AND lay
>people who try to find the absolute pickiest little details of locomotion and
>then disqualify the horse. 

	I have a problem with any judge, vet or otherwise, who is not supportive
of the horse and rider.  There is a difference with a locomotion problem
that threatens the well being of a horse and a "nitty gritty"!  Believe me,
with Arabs, I know -- I've been clobbered for having a  "princess and pea"
horse who trots across the boulder strewn jogging strip acting as if she's
at least Grade IV (nothing clinically wrong) while a less sensitive
individual clomps along as if the same strip is a bowling alley!

	First reponsibility is safety of horse and rider.  Second is to HELP all
riders complete.  Finally, especially in CTR, is the responsibility to
separate the horses.  I've always noticed that the ride usually separates
into three sections.  The top section is usually so close that you could
toss up the ribbons and yell "Catch".

	The middle third needs to be nurtured so that riders can see themselves
and their horses somewhat objectively.  The rider is competing against only
one -- himself!  Too few riders realize this.  If more riders would WORK
rides before they rode them, they might be able to see the forest and their
own place in that forest.

	Bottom third usually knows they have homework to do!

BFN
Barbara