RE: The Way We Win

["Bob Morris" <bobmorris@rmci.net>]

MB:

 

Sorry to hear about your horse but in regards to my comments on-line about requiring a necropsy when a horse dies at a ride I refer to my copy of the AERC Veterinary Guidelines for Judging AERC Endurance Competitions. (revised September 1999) If you would check this document, that was prepared by the AERC Veterinary Committee you will see on page 28 Article 9 section I a complete paragraph dealing with the death of a horse at a ride. This section deals with the suggestion of having a necropsy, the objective in performing the necropsy and what to do during the necropsy. Then fast forward to page 43 the Post Ride Statistical Report where in the same suggestions are made.

 

Both you and your acquaintance Heidi suggest that a necropsy would be futile! Are you saying that the Vet Committee is way off base on their suggestion?

 

Realize now, that suggestion I made was just to make the fact mandatory rather than a suggestion. It did not originate with me. It came from the recommendations of the Vet Committee!

 

My concept was that if certain riders were aware that they were signing a contract for these required services prior to the ride, they might reconsider their actions. This would apply to all riders AERC Members or not. It would be the one control the AERC would have on non-members. It would be a contract that would be upheld in court.  It could be the control we have been looking for.

 

In as much as your instance was a very particular one perhaps you might care to reconsider your position.

 

Bob Morris

-----Original Message-----
From: Merryben@aol.com [mailto:Merryben@aol.com]
Sent: Tuesday, July 31, 2001 6:08 PM
To: rides2far@juno.com
Cc: ridecamp@endurance.net
Subject: RC: The Way We Win

When I lost my horse recently, we did a lot of testing to find out why.  We
had to test for Rabies and as you know, that involves sending the animal's
head to the State.  It is not a pleasant thing to have done or for that
matter to be the vet doing it.  He did not have Rabies.  The EPM testing is
not back yet.  He did have inflammation in the spine according to spinal
fluid tests.  This horse had two severe neck injuries a year and about 2
years ago, severe whiplashes for want of a better word.  There was something
on one of the x-rays but the State declined to look for it.  He suddenly and
without warning started going around in a circle, fast, like a cat chasing
its tail.  Then he trotted about 100 feet or so, very disjointed and weird
looking and then went down.  My roommate turned him over a few times to keep
him from being in just the one position.  He had no control in the back.  His
tail was limp.  His entire hindquarters were icy to the touch.  I touched his
neck the next day after he had been dead for 12 hours and it was no colder
than his entire hindquarters were the night before when he was still alive.  
The point of this is, no necropsy and no tests so far have told us anything
we did not know just before we  euthanized him, other than what he did not
die of.  Necropsy is not a sure way of finding out anything.  There are also
people that would sooner die than have their horse "cut".  I know people that
don't even want blood drawn because you have to stick a needle in them.  I
don't think we can mandate a necropsy nor do I think it is necessarily a good
thing.  I have no idea what my vet  bill this month will be because of this,
my cat shots and the fact that I think my German Shepherd has a hernia or
something that looks like it and I have an appointment for Thursday, but
animals are expensive and I think the cost may outweigh the good of what we
are trying to accomplish....

mb