Re: RC: Re: RO

[CMKSAGEHIL@aol.com]

In a message dated Wed, 10 Oct 2001 12:01:59 PM Eastern Daylight Time, Susan Young Casey <glenn218@yahoo.com> writes:

> You said that if the horse "just doesn't feel right"
> that would be a M pull even though the rider made the
> decision.  However, if the horse doesn't meet the
> criteria for the vet to pull and can't really say
> something metabolically is going on, can you still
> report the pull as M?

That's where I'd put it.
An interesting case comes to mind--it occurred several years ago on a 100-miler.  The horse and rider were quite experienced.  They came into the first check at 20 miles, and the rider reported that the mare "just wasn't right."  Her pulse recovered relatively quickly, and continued on down into the 40's.  Hydration parameters all looked good.  Gut sounds were down a bit, mayhaps a B, if memory serves.  As I recall, the mare wasn't really ripping her hay bag down, either, but was eating a bit.  Certainly nothing out of the ordinary, and nothing one would pull her for, with all other parameters being just fine.  But the rider was really concerned, and I told her to trust her gut--I've been in the flip side of that equation, where I've had a vet argue with me that there was nothing wrong with my horse, and I've gone back out on the trail, only to get out there and realize I should trust my own instincts, and turn around and come back.  As it turned out with this mare, the rider DID opt to pull, and about three
 hours later, the mare crashed with one of the worst colics I've ever had to deal with in a ride camp.  Fortunately she came through it fine, but it serves as an illustration that "not feeling good" is a metabolic issue worthy of note.

Heidi