Re: RC: Vet Criteria (was Barney/Valerie)

[Truman Prevatt <tprevatt@mindspring.com>]

I don't think Lynn was addressing in any way tighting the vet criteria for
your garden varity AERC ride, but what would need to be done if endurance
does in fact end up in the public sportlight which would be on the world
chanpionship or olympic level. The FEI ride critera are in fact stricter
than what we are used to experiencing at our local rides. The way the rider
is allowed to interact with the vet at FEI championship rides is much
different than we are used to.

I agree that rider education is a key factor, but at the upper levels where
it is in fact a race, the vet must function as an advocate for the horse and
an official of the race much as the referee functions in an NBA basketball
game to be able to dismiss a rider if necessary. Even in local rides the
vets must (and do according to the rules ) have the authority (and be
willing to use it ) to interceed on the benefit of the horse and pull a
rider.

I have been pleased that over the past several years, at least in the SE
region, the number of treatments has decreased and I don't remember the last
serious treatment I have seen. So I don't believe we have a serious problem
at the local AERC level - however, the article in the June EN on "changing
the pay scale" suggest otherwise. I do believe there may be problems at the
high profile FEI rides such as the world championship that need addressing.

Truman

guest@endurance.net wrote:

> K S SWIGART   katswig@earthlink.net
>
> Lynn Kinsky said:
>
> > I think it will be great if endurance is an Olympic sport, but the vet
> > criteria should be looked at and tightened so horses can get pulled
> before
> > they turn into a PR horror show.
>
> Just out of curiousity, in what way, exactly, do you think that
> vet criteria should be "tightened" so that "horses can get
> pulled" before they run into sufficient physical difficulties
> that it will look bad on TV?
>
> I am not interested in some "the vets need to do something to
> about this" answer.  What I am looking for is specific detailed
> changes to the veterinary criteria.
>
> If what we are doing now is allowing endurance horses to be
> turned into a "PR horror show" and you think that changing the
> vet criteria will keep this from happening, which vet criteria
> would you like to change and in EXACTLY which way?
>
> I, personally, think that this attitude about the vets and the
> veterinary criteria is totally wrong-headed in the application
> to endurance (and detrimental to the well being of horses, I
> might add).
>
> I do not think that the vets are at an endurance ride to judge
> the condition of the horses and keep overzealous riders (and
> horses, I might add, since riders cannot do it without
> connivance from the horse) from running horses into the ground.
>
> It would be far better for the horses, the riders, the vets, and
> the associated PR if the attitude, instead, were that the vets
> are not the judges to keep competitors from exceeding the
> veterinary criteria, but rather that the ride vets are part of
> the team that assists in getting the horse through the day
> (whether that means through the entire course or not) and to
> give their professional advice to riders.  While EVERYBODY
> understands that it is more important for the horse to get
> through the day than it is to get the horse through the course.
>
> And the way to do this is not by "tightening" the vet criteria,
> but rather by educating the riders, the vets, AND the horses, so
> that all the participants (the riders, the vets, and the horses)
> will listen to each other evaluating the SCADS of very subtle
> information in order to determine the condition of the horse and
> its fitness to continue.
>
> It is not tight veterinary criteria that will best help horses,
> it is educated and communicative participants.
>
> kat
> Orange County, Calif.
>
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