V/C Pet Peeve

[sshaw@pacbell.net]

I am only going on and on about this because it IS a pet peeve of mine
(other than Vet's dogs in vet checks), but in response to a few very
notable members of ridecamp I would like to further express:

1) If you can't hear with a stethoscope then you can get down off your
horse and watch it. (Him or Her). Or very easily you can put your hand
at the girth area or under the girth and you can very easily feel the
heart beat. Especially if you are riding your horse too hard as it will
really be pounding. I realize that this now means that you have to find
your glasses in order to look at your watch in order to count the
seconds, but it can be done. Another way is, to guess at what a second
is on the clock and try to match that to your horse's pulse. If it is
not at that, then don't ask for a P/R!!

Another place to look for or find the pulse is on the front leg, stoop
down there, feel it on the inside and look at your watch at the same
time. (Oh yeah, get stepped on by your horse at the same time too! That
happens.)

In response to another....well Joan Rueprect, don't tell me you can't
find a pulse. I know that you really could if you HAD to. But after
completing nearly 20 Championship Ride & Ties, countless endurance ride
and riding where you do in the pack, I know that you can and always do
present you horse at criteria. It is not the YOU's that I peeve about
going through the V/C's.

Steve Shaw