With all due respect Catfish, trying to maintain a
15 mph or more pace and ending up with 78 or so lame horse is cruel, no matter
where they are. I looked up a few of these stables, some have only been around
for 10 years. One only listed 2 horses for endurance and the other horses they
have run were owned by someone else. When I try to track down some of the
previous winners, I come up with a dead end. The most beautiful facilities with
the best care must not be on the internet. Hmm.
I don't care if they hand feed these horses and
paint their toes. Something went seriously wrong at this particular race and
their ultra sounds didn't predict that, did they?
I don't buy the reasoning that the pull rate is
high because it is stricter than here. The pull rate is high because they are
running the crap out of these horses at speeds that cripple. I also don't buy
that the horses that end up permanently lame go to live at the Taj Mahal. Why?
Because it just doesn't make sense. Especially after reading your second to the
last paragraph. It is all about the money. By the way, I don't "think" some of
these horses are ran into the ground. Seeing the results of the ride was pretty
convincing of that in itself.
I don't think there is a stigma attached to the
"way it is done over there." We see results. Those are facts.
I can't even see how anyone can call a 6 hour
plus ride, on the flat dessert with caravans following to crew an
"endurance" ride. What the hell did they endure??
I don't feel the need to defend myself about how I
feel on this subject. So that is all I will say. And for those of you who think
a ride record is indicative of one's intelligence on the subject of endurance I
say this. I don't need to ride FEI or have a million rides under my saddle to
know the difference between right and wrong. My morals and values were set way
before I knew ANYTHING about endurance riding.
I get that it is a whole other world. It still
disgusts me. I am allowed to voice my opinion on that whether or not anybody
agrees because I live over HERE!
