Horses need to be examined at least every 15 miles and have at
least 90 minutes of hold in a 50 mile ride and 3 hours in a 100 mile ride.
there are rides where there are too few vets, they check the horses
too few times and when they do check them they only do a half assed job of
it. That has got to change!
Rules - no more than 15 miles between vet checks. At least three
vet checks in a 50 and at least 6 in a 100 mile ride. At least 90 minutes
of hold time (3 - 30 minute holds) in a 50 mile ride and 3 hours in a 100
mile ride. The holds can be shorter towards the end of a 100 if they are
longer near the first part of the ride.
It is not rocket science.
Gaykle Ecker's research showed that horses need to rest every 15 miles at
least and that losses occur early in the ride so you need rest stops early
in the ride. Every ride where horses die or require extensive treatment has
had one or more loops in excess of 15 miles and fewer than three checks
per 50/6 checks per 100 miles.
Bingo! Come to NE CA and NW
NV...........they regularly have 50 milers here, where the horses only see a
vet after 25 miles and then again at the end of the race. There was talk
of change after a mare died at the NASTR race in 2001.........but it
was just talk.
I am appalled by the horse deaths and the fact
that AERC BOD as a whole is completely ignoring them as evidenced by their
silence on the subject, failure to respond o enquiries from the membership
and failure to act in any substantive way to prevent these deaths. There
were two deaths at one ride last February and one ride manager has had at
least 5 deaths at his rides over the past few years.
In the spring
of 2002 I sent several messages to the AERC Board. While there are several
on the BOD who do want to see some change occur, they apparently are not
in the majority, otherwise there would be some action. Their lack of
action makes me wonder if the Directors take their responsibility
any more seriously than the corrupt Directors of ENRON.
I protested this mare's death in writing with
a check for $100. You know what happened to it????? After I
didn't hear anything for a long time, I inquired and found
out.............they lost my check. If we do nothing, and we don't talk
about it, and we don't act for change, it will go away,
right????
Linda
As for the AERC convention, I will have some strong words for the
BOD. I have a lot of support from some Directors and some AERC members. We
need to stop these deaths before some animal welfare organization shuts us
down!!
