Ridecamp: [RC] RC: Vetting procedures

This has been bothering me for a while, and I finally decided to bring it up 
on Ridecamp.  Please don't even bother trying to figure out who I'm talking 
about, as it has happened to one degree or another with different vets and 
it's not really important WHO the vet was. 

The vet, at the third check of a 50, watched my horse trot out and back and 
then marked the vet card with satisfactory marks all down the column.  Never 
put a stethoscope on my horse to check gut sounds, never checked cap refill, 
jug refill, muscle tone or any of those other things that vets usually do at 
a vet check.  I was sufficiently concerned as my horse has not done a lot of 
50's and has had less than "A's" in the past, to check her gut sounds before 
I left the check.  

Another rider told me that he did his pre-vet of her horse the same way at 
that ride.  Never laid a hand on the horse.  I was told by a person who knows 
this vet that the vet knows more just by looking at a horse than most would 
by a full exam.  I don't dispute the level of knowledge, just want to find 
out if this is common vetting procedure, or should I (always nervous abut the 
condition of my horse) try to get a different vet when possible.  Do people 
like the more experienced vets who can tell a lot by looking? Or would they 
rather have a more thorough exam?  A couple of pieces of the puzzle:  The vet 
knew and recognized my horse from another ride where a friend had given the 
vet my horse's life history (first  50).  The vet commented that my horse 
looked a lot better than the other ride.  The vet also rides endurance.  
There was no line at the vet check, so speed of vetting was not an issue.  

I don't believe this vet's procedures were necessarily wrong or inadequate, I 
just always worry that some fairly minor sign that all is NOT RIGHT will be 
missed, and my horse is going to fall over dead 2 miles out of the vet check. 
 Am I being extraordinarily paranoid, or what?  jeri

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