Home Current News News Archive Shop/Advertise Ridecamp Classified Events Learn/AERC
Endurance.Net Home Ridecamp Archives
ridecamp@endurance.net
[Archives Index]   [Date Index]   [Thread Index]   [Author Index]   [Subject Index]

Re: [RC] [AERC-Members] Protecting Our Horses, Protecting Our Sport - Stagg Newman

Truman,

Totally agree with your approach that we need good consistently collected data.

Are you willing to lead the effort to propose what is needed and develop an approach. I will lead the charge to try to get the BOD to act on it.

And even if the BOD does not act, let's
use SERA as the laboratory.

Believe data like this may be available from quite a few rides already.
(E.G. past PACs, Biltmore, ROC), etc. Would you be willing to analyze data from some past rides.


For example I would like to know what is the completion rate at the big rides for the early front runners and what place early in the ride the eventual top ten finishers were running. I believe many of our early front runners would be surprised at those numbers. But I do not have the facts.

If you would like to call to discuss in more detail, my number is 1-828-665-1531.

Best regards,

Stagg

On Sun, 28 Sep 2003 09:03:03 -0400
 Truman Prevatt <tprevatt@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
In order to solve any problem we need to understand that problem. As you point out "we just don't know." The AERC, however, provides a wonderful laboratory to look at how horses respond to stress.

The late nobel prize physicists Richard Feynman used to say, "when you don't fully understand a phenomenon you need to go to the laboratory." We need to go to the laboratory.

I would suggest on every ride we collect at a minimum the following data on all rides for at least two seasons:

Weather conditions
Trail conditions
Elevation gain
Elevation loss
Mileage between check
Hold time at each check

For each horse
In times at each check and finish
Out times at each check and finish - allow the calculation of recovery time
Completion status
If he/she got pulled for M or RM - at what check
Any treatment required


After the first season the data can start to be analyzed for any treands and these trends can be validated with the second season data. In reality it would be nice if the above were required in the normal reporting process.

There may be more. The above would add a large amount of data and fill in some of the holes in the database. It should be easily obtainable since most of it is already on the timing sheets of the ride. The AERC could develop a standard Excel spread sheet and supply it to ride managers that would help in reporting this data.

Some say we need a check on the average of every 15 miles. Some say we need one hour holds. Some say we need shorter recovery periods. Some say we need to base the time limit on the ride time not elapsed time. Some say all or part of this is all BS. The only way to make any educated proposals is to collect and analyze sufficient data. If you don't under stand the problem - you can't very well solve it.

Truman

Stagg Newman wrote:

Question: How can we better protect our horse.
Response Desired: Good ideas as part of a brainstorming session.





=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=


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!!

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=


Replies
Re: [RC] [AERC-Members] Protecting Our Horses, Protecting Our Sport, Truman Prevatt