Re: Fwd: RC: Re: Tevis (long)

["Joan Dowis" <jdowis@foothill.net>]

The vets at Tevis are experienced endurance vets.  Most of them have vetted
Tevis several times.  They routinely ask participants about the horse's
condition, have you done any rides this year, how many, etc.  This is
particularly true if the horse doesn't look "buff."   Frequently, the vet
will be already familiar with the horse and/or the rider from other
endurance rides.  The vets do not operate in a vacuum.   Aside from that,
if a participant comes to the ride with an unconditioned horse after having
read all the warnings in the participant's guide and other sources, he/she
has to be close to idiot level.

Joan Dowis

----- Original Message -----
From: <Endure4fun@aol.com>
To: <ridecamp@endurance.net>
Sent: Wednesday, July 26, 2000 8:48 AM
Subject: RC: Fwd: RC: Re: Tevis (long)


> In a message dated 7/24/00 9:27:46 PM Pacific Daylight Time,
> guest@endurance.net writes:
>
> << ously...if not there wouldn't be so many people pulling their entries
at
> the last minute. The vets at the ride do a great job on trying to weed out
> horses with potential problems early in the ride.  In my opinion
> riders/competitors need to accept full responsibility for th >>
>
> If this were totally true, then the vets should have pulled numerous
horses
> at the preride vetting.  The Vets need to pull horses that aren't fit to
> start at the start, not "early on in the ride."  I know WSTF would loose a
> lot of money if this were to happen, but this and all rides shouldn't be
> about the "money" but about giving riders and horses a great ride to do.
The
> vets need to be more "strong" about not letting a horse start then
thinking
> they can pull it at first vet check.  I can't believe some of the horses
that
> riders presented.  I truly wonder if the riders had any thought for their
> horse or was it just, "hey it's 2000 and I can say at least I started
Tevis."
> Yes, we riders need to honest with ourselves about entering our horses in
any
> ride.  We are supposed to be in control here and know our horses and if
for
> some reason we lose our "good judgment" for whatever reason the vets
should
> "take control" and say "NO" at the preride vetting.  After all folks, WE
the
> riders take the horse to these rides, the horse does NOT take us.  If you
> can't be honest and say "this is not a good time to do a ride and stay
home
> for the next one" then you have no common sense and it is a sorry thing
that
> your horse has to pay for your stupidly.
> We all do endurance rides to "finish the ride with a great horse willing
to
> go on", not to "try to get through the ride and hope everything will be
OK".
> k
>