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[RC] Distance between vetchecks - k s swigartSomebody said: As a rider I can feel the difference in my horses when they hit the 18 to 20 mile mark of a loop with no checks. They feel so much better when the checks are between 13 to 15 miles, and they recover so much faster from a ride, even when ridden at speed. IMO 20+ miles is just too far. At the risk of offending...well...god knows who.... :) I would like a raise of hands. How many people don't know that any rider is allowed to stop and rest their horse anywhere they want between vet checks? How many riders think that the only place they are allowed to rest their horses is where ride management has mandated it? Quite frankly, if somebody, as a rider can feel the difference in their horse at 18 miles if they haven't given the horse a rest before then, there is ABSOLUTELY NOTHING stopping that rider from stopping and resting their horse at 13 to 15 miles even if ride management has not dictated that they must do so. :) All the mandatory rests in the world aren't going to make a hill of beans of difference to the welfare of individual horses if riders do not know and understand that they need to rest their horse where it needs to rest, whether there is a vet check there or not :(. On the old Outlaw Trail it was 45 miles to the first vet check (with an 11,000+ foot mountain to go over), I don't know ANYBODY who did that ride who didn't stop and rest their horse at Meeks Lake (no vet check there, it is the top of the Boulder Top) let the horse drink, graze, eat the grain or whatever supplement that the rider brought along for THEIR horse, and most people stopped and let the horse drink and graze at/around Pear Lake too (before climbing up to the Boulder Top). Ride management didn't mandate it, but that didn't stop thinking riders from doing so. :) And for those of you who raised your hands because you didn't know that you were allowed to rest your horse between vet checks.... ....what do you do when you are riding at home and there is no vet or ride manager there to tell you where you need to rest? ? ? ? ? ? :) Genuinely curious. kat Orange County, Calif. =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= 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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