Re: Horse Dying at Endurance Ride

["Linda Hedgpeth" <lth@thegrid.net>]

Yes, I'm serious.  I've seen this on the rides that I've been to in N.
Nevada.  I have always thought it was too many miles to go in between
checks.  I ride LD right now because I have not been able to condition
my horse enough for the longer miles and even the LD's (NASTR-
Palomino Valley and Comstock for example) have the riders go out and
do 20 or 25 and come back to camp for their first check.  Then they
finish with a short 4-5 mile loop and come back for the final one.
When a yahoo is out there going hell bent for leather, a horse can get
in trouble in that first 25 on an LD.  I personally prefer rides with
the checks spaced at about 12-15 miles or so.  I came from Monterey
County and it seemed the rides were more like that down south.

You are right about Susan not being able to prevent it.  I imagine
it's a tough call when a horse is technically passing at a check, but
still looks iffy enough to the vet to tell the rider to slow down and
take it easy.  A lot depends on the integrity of the rider at that
point.  Had she slowed down, things may have gone very differently.
With just the one check and still 25 miles to go with nothing and no
one to intervene, it can mean trouble.

Linda

> Linda...
>
> Are you serious?  Only ONE vet check between start and finish? In
the
> desert in June? I don't believe it! This MIGHT be acceptable at say,
a
> National Championship Ride, where all the riders are knowledgeable.
But
> a standard ride? With maybe beginning 50 milers? NO WAY! Why would a
> Ride Manager do this? Maybe there is something I don't know here
> (lacking facts and I wasn't there) but if this is true, this is
> definitely a case of poor judgement!  The poor vet didn't have a
chance
> of preventing this!
>
> Jim and Sun of Dimanche
>
> Linda Hedgpeth wrote:
>
> >
> > One of the points that has been brought up concerning this ride
and,
> > perhaps, others like it is this:  On the 50 miler, the vet check
is at
> > the halfway point ONLY.  There is NO OTHER VET CHECK until you get
> > back to camp at the end of the ride.  This person suspected her
horse
> > was ill and elected NOT to vet in at the end.  The vets told her
to
> > slow down at the halfway vet check.  She didn't and came in on a
sick
> > horse.
> >
> >  *Perhaps* if there had been two vet checks on the 50 mile course
> > instead of only one, they could have DQ'd her at the second one.
That
> > way, if the mare was questionable at the first and was still
getting
> > the dog snot ridden out of her, there should have been some
clearer
> > signs at the second . . . . and maybe she would be alive right
now.
> > IMHO, the vet checks should be a little closer together than 25
> > miles - especially on desert rides in June.
> >
> >  Just a thought.
> >
> >  Linda Hedgpeth
> > Janesville, CA
> > lth@thegrid.net
> >
> >
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