Ridecamp: Re: [RC] rider option

Hope, it is NOT a penalty....and considering how little we do with Ride
Codes at this point, why do you care? You should be more concerned about
the fact that it wasn't accurate than what it did or didn't do to your
"reputation". <grin> 

I had 3 LAME pulls in a row this year....because I was trying to figure
out what was wrong with my horse...he was perfectly sound on long
training rides, but was off again about halfway thru the rides. (Turned
out to be something up high in his hip from a fall) Our ride vets helped
me figure that out...and recommended an exercise program to help me get
him over it...can't analyze a lameness problem if he ain't lame! I could
care less as long as the code was ACCURATE for statistical purposes. 

If it had been 3 metabolic pulls, I still wouldn't have been
concerned...except about what that's telling ME! Way back before we got
all the on-line stuff, I had a horse that was the fittest horse I have
ever owned...he was AWESOME!  However, he just didn't take care of
himself at rides...the travel, the excitement, all the other horses
passing him....just a nervous wreck. I finished one 50 on him (and I
think Ann Stuart felt sorry for me on that one <grin>)...every other one
I tried he thumped at about 40 miles...every time. We were back of the
pack, he was never in any danger, parameters were good, but just
thumped. All those were metabolic pulls. No big deal...I knew why. What
I learned was that he was never going to be an Endurance horse. That's
why you don't care WHAT the pull was for...except for accuracy and
statistics. They are simply that...statistics.

If the Vet Committee needs pull code info, I will be happy to provide
it...as long as the definition is consistent for all codes, I don't care
what they call it. They can call it "Horse Abuse 1" and Horse Abuse 2"
for all I care as long as the Vet Committee and the statisticians
understand it. 

My gripe is that if we're going to the trouble of defining them and
keeping track of them, let's USE the dang things constructively or get
rid of them! I hate recording useless information. It wastes my time,
the Vet's time, the RM's time, and AERC's time. If we need more than
that; a form, a log book, whatever and it helps our horses be safer and
our riders ride smarter, I'll do it! That folks, is the bottom line on
this issue.  It ain't about egos. 

I keep a file on EVERY ride, which includes the vet card, the entry
form, the trail map, etc. I also make notes on that ride...the terrain,
weather, what I did wrong, what I did right, and whether I agreed with
the Vet assessment of my horse at each check and why I thought he scored
me as he did.  Now that's useful information! And when I go BACK to that
ride I am more prepared that I was the last time. 

Bastardizing a quote from John Lyons:

At every ride:

1. You should be safe.

2. Your horse should be safe.

3. After the ride, you AND your horse should know more than when you
started the ride.

I will be happy to fill out ANY form on a pull.  If somebody goes to the
trouble of sending it to me, I will send it back, accurate to the best
of my ability.

I simply don't see this is a big thing.  IMHO, this doesn't seem to be
an issue in the SE...for the most part, everyone seems to be more
concerned about learning more about caring for ther horses and becoming
better riders than they are about what got written down as the pull
code. Just figure out what you could have done differently and get
better every time.

Jim, Sun of Dimanche, and Mahada Magic


hope lundquist wrote:
> 
> AERC BOD and all. I hope that the present Ride Codes are not used to
> disseminate false information. I believe they are froth with errors. I
> recently looked up on the AERC Horse Web one of my horses that show the
> Horse as lame. News to me! ( Mike Maul recently told me how to look up this
> Information) I had fell off my horse on a steep down hill when my saddle
> slipped to the side and I had to drop myself out out the saddle. Lucky for
> me my horse stopped dead and looked down at me lying on the ground. I was
> bruised but not broken. I led my horse down to a spot that I could put the
> saddle upright and proceeded back to camp and told the Vet I was pulling
> because I had taken a fall and felt bad. Now the Time factor comes into
> play. If there is an error or dispute or what ever you want to call it the
> Rider get the shaft and the false information goes on & on. It will be in
> there for eternity.
> Hope Lundquist AERC 2060
> 
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-- 
Richard T. "Jim" Holland
Three Creeks Farm
175 Hells Hollow Drive
Blue Ridge, GA 30513
(706) 258-2830
FAX (706) 632-1271


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 Ridecamp is a service of Endurance Net, http://www.endurance.net.
 Information, Policy, Disclaimer: http://www.endurance.net/Ridecamp
 Subscribe/Unsubscribe http://www.endurance.net/ridecamp/logon.asp

 If you are an AERC member - PLEASE VOTE in the Director at Large 
 and By Laws Elections.

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