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[RC] ignorance - Ridecamp Guest

Please Reply to: Sandy Bolinger sbolinge@xxxxxxx or ridecamp@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
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WOW---I've been off the list for a couple of years - and I come back to 
something about which I feel strongly.  Bear with me while I try to make a 
point here.  When I first started out in endurance almost 20 years ago my 
daughter and I went to a ROC in Wyoming...just to see.  We just happened to 
camp next to one of the top riders in the country whose horse crossed the 
finish line somewhere in the top ten but then crashed horribly.  We watch all 
through the night something that will stay with me always ---the most 
herrculean effort by the ride vets that you can possibly immagine to save this 
horse and it went on ALL night. The owner, after several hours, finally went in 
her camper and went to sleep. The horse, unbelievably, survived. Needless to 
say I was horrified, figured the horse had been horribly overwridden and god 
forbid that the rider went to bed!  AFter 20 years of endurance riding with a 
lot of crewing at championship rides, I have seen and experienced a lot.  I 
have about 3500 mile of endurance and with all that consider my knowlege in 
terms of this sport, barely the tip of the iceburg.  But with the expiences I 
have accumulated over the years...my perception of that event 20 years ago has 
remarkably changed.  That rider knew her horse inside and out...passed all the 
checks and even more important than passing the checks, knew that her horse was 
eating, peeing, pooping, drinking, moving just fine throughout the ride.  I 
have seen horses crash after a slow 25.  I know of horses that have "crashed" 
just standing out in a pasture.  I have a friend who took a horse on a multiday 
a couple of years ago...she is one of the carefullest and slowest riders I know 
and her horse had something happen that sounds similar to Bevs horse.  The vets 
figured it must have been a stroke or something similar..her horse did not make 
it.  The horse could have just as easily collapsed runnning around in his 
pasture.  She was devastated of course.  As far as going to bed or what ever 
while your horse is being treated...What can you do??? When that horse was 
being treated at the ROC at anytime there were four or five vets working on 
her...again,what could the owner do. I do believe my point is this...until you 
have put in the time in this sport, you have no business voicing your 
ignorance....I have learned that first hand!  Over the years there have been 
cases of abuse which have been dealt with through proper channels. And the 
owners have been dealt with appropriately. This does not even come close. 
Whoever this ignorant poster is,,,she should do her homework, spend some time 
in the trenches, etc., before she EVER even considers making the stupid 
comments that she did.            Good to be back (I think!) Sandy Bolinger


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