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Re: Norco injury



Wow, I don't even know where to begin in replying to this post.  It is the
perfect example of how internet lists like this can cause outrageous rumors
and sometimes out right lies, from people who weren't even present to know
what was going on. Let me first say thank-you to the people who have
responded so far for their very sane advise on the trials of endurance
riding.

I guess I should let you know who I am.  My name is Julie Herrera and I have
been Lynne's right hand at the Norco ride for the last 4 years.  I was in
charge of running Vet check 2 , which was located at base camp.  The series
of events were this: several riders came in telling us that a horse was
bleeding badly and needed attention.  Within a minute the photographers
husband came and told us that the RIDER DID NOT EVEN KNOW HER OWN HORSE WAS
BLEEDING UNTIL THE PHOTOGRAPHER TOLD HER.  I am not pointing this out to say
that the rider was wrong in not knowing, only to say that the horse was
trotting along so well that there was not an indication of a problem until
someone else pointed it out.  Obviously the rider stopped and immediately
applied pressure to stop the bleeding.  I called Lynne  who then put a vet
on the phone with the rider.  Together they decided that the FASTEST way to
get treatment was for the rider to continue to basecamp.  She was escorted
in by our very own "Calvary", a Norco  Riders mounted  volunteer, and was
attended to immediately upon arrival at base camp.  The rider was very calm,
understanding, and appreciative of the vet care her horse was given.  At no
time was the horse ever in danger of "bleeding to death" !

On an educational note let me share with you what I learned from the vet
during this situation.  While humans blood coagulates relatively  quickly,
on a horse it takes 16 minutes.  So you you can't apply pressure for 1
minute and then panic because your horse is still bleeding.  Also, while a
human will feel faint after loosing a pint of blood, a horse can loose up to
2 gallons before being in serious danger.  Go fill up a 2 gallon water
bucket to realize just how much that is!  Now if a major artery was cut I am
not sure how long it would take to bleed out 2 gallons.  Luckily , in this
situation, it was a vein.  There is no doubt that it was serious, however,
it was not life threatening.

Barbara, I am a "warm and fuzzy" person when it comes to my horses as well
but we have to be realistic.  Accidents do happen anytime , anywhere, and
you said yourself that your friend who was the rider of this horse knows
that.  I think that she was very lucky to have all the people around and
receive the quick attention that she did.  What would she have done if she
had been out on a pleasure ride by herself?  What will you do if you are
ever in this situation?  I think you owe Lynne a big apology for maybe
typing before you really thought about it.

Julie

 Original Message -----
From: <guest@endurance.net>
To: <ridecamp@endurance.net>
Sent: Sunday, September 02, 2001 3:51 PM
Subject: RC: Norco injury


> Barbara Bowen bluhorse@gte.net
> I was wondering if anyone out there at the Norco ride could
>  tell me why a horse that was reported to be, "bleeding to
> death on th trail," (she didn't, and is recovering) was not
> attended to on the trail by a vet or at least trailered to the
> nearest vet check?  Was it impossible to get to the horse?
>  No communication?  I am a novice and pretty warm and
> fuzzy about my horse.  I almost took him to Norco LD this
> year but he was slightly off a few weeks ago so I abandoned
>  plans.  He finished 3rd and BC in LD (I know...doesn't
> count) with a friend riding him two years ago at Norco.  That
> same friend calmly stanched her bleeding horse this year (a
>  vein had been cut...probably on bamboo) and had to walk in
>  to the vet check/base camp, after slowing the gushing
> blood to a manageable flow, which was only a mile away.
>  She is a very experienced rider and seems to chalk this up
> to %^$# happens.  Good for her.  Me, being the silly
> inexperienced novice (let's get that out of the way), am
> simply horrified to think that her mare (who lives next door to my horse)
> suffered without vet attention or at least a ride to
>  the camp.  Is that typical of endurance rides?  Should I give
> up the idea of participating right now for fear my horse would
>  be left to die?  Because if that is how emergency situations
> are handled and prioritized...count me out.  But perhaps there is some
> reasonable explanation.  I was not there...
> which is a good thing.
>
>
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