[RC] Pulse - Punishing the non-Arab breeds -- a suggested solution to the problem - Flora Hillman
...continued from the
previous e-mail.....
A number of us (meaning our
local cadre of endurance riders) have talked about what can be
done. We've discussed asking the AERC to have the vets take individual
parameters for the horses as they check in for their pre-ride vet check --
incorporating a special "hold box" where the rider and horse would have to sign
in and wait and relax for 10 minutes (to prevent those who would jog their
horses around, or get them jazzed up to elevate the heart rate), and then have
the vets taking a true resting pulse. If it failed to be lower
than... say.... 54 (or whatever), the horse had to wait another 10 minutes
before having a pulse check. If the horse was anxious, or
looking for a buddy, or something else was happening internally that wouldn't
all the 54 criteria (like the horse had to pee.. and wouldn't) then the rider
would be assigned the meet the standard 60 or 64 beat per minute at the
holds. That would prevent cheating -- specifically those who would attempt
to manipulate their horses hear-rate prior to the vet-in in order to get a
higher pulse criteria. All others who met the resting pulse criteria would
have a recorded hold criteria of 20 beats above the resting, not to exceed
72.
Then coming in the holds
during the actual ride, that horse would have to meet their individual
criteria before they would be allowed to start the hold time.
Easy to do -- and
easy to keep track of -- since the resting pulse info
already has a designated place on the rider
card.The hold pulse criteria would be
written next to the resting pulse. There is not one iota more the vet has to do
other than to glance at the horse's individual criteria, and see if it's
been met.
THAT scenario would
level the playing field -- AND give ALL THE DIFFERENT BREEDS a chance to not
only compete... but to win.
We want... and need...
this organization to be as fair as possible for ALL their members and ALL the
different breeds, but to overburden with rules that only suit one breed, and
penalize all the rest, isn't the way to do it. If the
organization pushes to lower it's current "one-size-fits-all" criteria,
then I think what may happen is that only Arabian horses will be able to compete
successfully for the win -- so the AERC might as well become the Arabian
Endurance Ride Cartel -- or they will have to initiate different divisions
(similar to eventing and dressage and the AHSA) that are split Arab and
non-Arab. Maybe even horse and pony.
And yet ... we could
take a big step forward into the 21st century by just recording the resting
pulse at the beginning, and using that for the individual's criteria to
complete. Easy, simple, expedient... and
fair.
Think about the above,
guys. We need fairness for all, not a "one shoe size -- one
breed only" mentality.
In closing, I'd like to
briefly address the metabolic issues I've seen and heard during many of the
final holds of an endurance ride -- when horses are beginning to be marginal, or
are halfway there, but the vets are letting them go anyway, and NOTHING is
written on the card! I've watched and overheard vets caution riders,
and then watched those same riders book it once they were out of sight of the
hold. At first it astonished me -- now I know why.
They aren't "penalized" by having a vet remark anything on the card, so ...
who's to know? They can top ten with impunity, and not a word is said. I
think it's about time something is recorded on the card.
Enough for now ... have to go
out and ride in this lovely 14" + of snow currently being dumped on Northern VA
and Washington DC.
