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[RC] differences in vetting and pulls - Steph TeeterI've ridden in most of the US - and have seen a lot of variations in vetting strictness, within every region that I've been in. I've seen vets that I consider too strict, and vets that I consider too lenient - and everything in between. It doesn't seem to be a regional difference. Generally a horse that has completed a course is allowed a little more lattitude in the 'fit to continue' criteria. (From rule 6.2.1 "...Because an equine at the finish line is not, in actuality, going on - and not going into the wilderness far from veterinary aid - the standards for completion need not be as strict as those on the trail, but they must meet the minimum standards below.") IMO the difference between vets extends to metabolic as well as lameness issues. Some vets do a CRI at every trot-out and are much more willing to pull a horse or warn riders when horses have poor scores on specific veterinary parameters, in particular CRI/recovery and gut sounds. Other vets use a 'keen eye' or 'gut feeling' to evaluate the horse's overall attitude. I had one vet that seemed to barely glance at my horse during an exam in a 100, I felt a little miffed at the lack of attention. Later during the hold we were talking and he mentioned that he watched me walk into the vet check, the horse pulsed down as soon as we walked in, and he was bright and eating everything in sight. So - different styles. Other vets will spend 5-10 minutes going over every inch of the horse. This difference is bit of an issue, espcially when things are at stake - such as year end points and miels and championships. We take great pains to ensure a level playing field - rules of competition, etc. I think we might want to focus a little more effort on developing a more consistent, or fair, system of DQ. At the FEI championship level, a horse that is questionable is re-evaluated by 3 or more vets. For this very reason. I've had conversations with some of the WEC selectors, where it was acknowleged that some horses were being pulled for negligible gait aberrations, and some were being granted completion with more obvious problems. At this stage in the WEC selection game, a pull (or completion) can make all the difference. There are certainly more pressing issues in our sport - this isn't a Big deal. But it is one of those low level grumbly things... Steph -----Original Message----- From: ridecamp-owner@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:ridecamp-owner@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx]On Behalf Of rides2far@xxxxxxxx Sent: Tuesday, July 01, 2003 1:51 AM To: mitts_n@xxxxxxxxxxx Cc: ridecamp@xxxxxxxxxxxxx; AERCMembersForum@xxxxxxxxxxxx Subject: [RC] Statistics on Pulls for one day rides vs multidays and regional differences Others accept that long term gait aberations are just that, > and if there is no evidence of acute pain, and it doesn't get any > worse, the > horse gets to go on. I'm curious. Any stats on number of horses pulled at the *finish line* in different regions? I've seen several 100 milers pulled at the finish and it was always a really sad thing to see, usually just stiffening up before they could be trotted out or something. Vets didn't want to do it but were adhering *strictly* to the "fit to continue" rule. Is that evenly enforced across the regions or are some people getting the miles while others get the "character enrichment". Angie ________________________________________________________________ The best thing to hit the internet in years - Juno SpeedBand! Surf the web up to FIVE TIMES FASTER! Only $14.95/ month - visit www.juno.com to sign up today! =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= 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 Ride Long and Ride Safe!! =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= 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 Ride Long and Ride Safe!! =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
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