I don't think rookie riders are a problem. I think they do just fine -
at least in this region. I don't remember seeing any rookie riders
horse on IV"s - at least in this region. However, rookie riders don't
in general trailer long distances to a ride - they start out close to
home. Secondly most rookie riders are riding pretty conservatively in
LD or CTR's. They are not pushing either speed or distance.
You have to remember that it's not just the Pan Am's where we are
having significant treatments and deaths. It is happening at a lot of
the 100 mile rides and 50 mile rides. Also the Pan Am only accounts for
one death out of what or is it up to 7 now.
Since the problem seem to show up across the board in endurance rides,
I suspect there is a systemic issue related to the sport itself - as
Sue Greenall so eloquently pointed out. It's that probelm that has to
be identified and mitigated. Sue Garlinghouse has pointed to a body of
research that tells us what may be at a significant contribution
factor.
The first step to solving a problem is to quit denying there is one.
Truman
Sisu West Ranch wrote:
"Dr. Frazier told the riders a the Pan Am's that in events such
as this one out of 100 horses will die because of the event. Is that
acceptable - not to me"
I totally agree, but we must keep
the differences between a championship ride, and ordinary ride, and the
unique problems of rookie riders separate!
Rookie riders may hurt their horses
by ignorance. Education and perhaps special rules (speed, mentors,
baby sitters, etc) may help.
Ordinary rides may have horses that
have been trailered to long and are dehydrated (at the PAC all of the
horses had been there for a week- certainly enough time to recover)
Riders may need to be encouraged to stop to allow horses to eat.
Perhaps experience levels before longer distances. Perhaps log books
and a lot of things I can't think of right now.
FEI champ rides. The riders are
experienced, they have coaches. The horses are on site for a long
time. The horses have demonstrated that they can go the distance. The
riders are going to go very fast. There is a (relatively) a lot of
money. Blood testing before and during the ride is
possible. Complicated and expensive diagnostics (x-ray and/or
ultrasound) could be done before the ride. Special rules (like 52
pulse or extra stop and go stops) would be feasible. Better provision
for treatment is possible (the PAC did a good job, but things could be
improved)
Let us be very careful that the various types of
rides, riders and horses are kept in mind. If to many rookie riders
are killing their horses, target them with things that will help that
group. If to many ordinary riders and rides have problems, target
them. If would class events have real problems, (which I believe they
do) target the world class events.
Ed
Ed and Wendy Hauser
Sisu West
2994 Mittower Road
Victor, MT 59875
