Re: RC: fit to finish?? Tevis riders

[LSimoni197@aol.com]

On the XP, and I was there, any injury or ailment of significant effect to 
the horse was reason to hold the horse.
As many others have stated, the horses of the XP ride remained healthy, and 
were cared for by their riders and crews.  Very little veterinary assistance 
was needed.
In all this discussion by those who were not there, they loose sight of the 
fact that the horses were healthy and treated well.  These horses were able 
to go on and on because there was no abuse.  That is really the test of 
proper treatment of a horse, his ability to go on and on.  We seem to have 
people without a degree in medicine saying that the horse was not fit.  Well, 
vets did look at the horses daily and determined which horse was fit to do 
so, and checked them again after the ride to determine what condition the 
horse was in.
This has been a game of telephone on Ridecamp.  A small rub has become 
SOOOOOO BIG.  With each telling the problems grow in the mind of the 
listener.  
Many of these horses are going on to the Tevis tomorrow and many more could 
have gone on if they had a paid entry.  Wow, I am so proud of the real 
horsemen and women out there who know how to ride and take care of their 
horses.  There will be horses pulled and injured out there on the trail 
tomorrow.  This will be because it is a very difficult trail.  Because of all 
the thousands who have done it before we know this is not asking too much of 
the horse.

Good Luck Tevis Riders!      Lynge