Fortunately I hear from more and more riders that they spend more time
with their horses than they spend with their wifes (in my case:
husbands). I already felt guilty about it, but I think he will have to take it
for granted. We will catch up during the winter season again!
Desiree Hanen - The Netherlands
(Still... it takes Love over Gold & to finish is to win!)
>>> Truman Prevatt <prevatt@lds.loral.com> 10/11/95 04:12pm >>>
I thank you are right. If you spend that much time with a horse you
should know it. At each vet check I know how fast Misty should come
down. For example she takes longer at the first check than the second
from pure excitment and nerves and the large number of horses that
tend to be there.
I know that she is always a "little runny" at the beginning of the ride.
If she weren't I'd be worried. I know that when Misty hits 68 she starts
to drop like a rock so if she hangs at about 64 to 68 then something may
be wrong.
Misty is a big horse (almost 16 hands) and is black so she is a panter -
not bad but on a hot day when her heart rate dropes to 42 she will
probably be "inverted". That is normal. If she pants on a cold day then I
would be a little concerned, however.
Yea, I think I know my horse. I spend more waking hours with her during
the season than I do my wife. I think everyone knows their horse, they
just need to listen.
This is one of the reasons I believe in bring along a horse very slowly.
Not only do the structures of the body need slow development, you need
to get to know the subtle signs so that you know that either the tank is
getting empty so you can slow down or that that you have been
sandbagged and there is a lot left in the tank.
Okay, Okay, I'll get off the soap box now. Sorry...
----------------- Original-------------
>Jim, I guess since I am a neophyte (relatively) I don't understand how a
>horse in THAT bad a shape could be deemed FIT TO CONTINUE!
Obviously it
>wasn't. Was there something strange on the horse's parameters? I am
pretty
>curious. At the OD last year or two years ago, a horse had a pulse only
2
>BEATS higher than it should have been, and the rider pulled it (being a
vet)
>and 20 minutes later the horse sort of collapsed due to a tie up. Granted
>that isn't much of a clue to a problem, but I suppose if you are riding a
>horse that much, you would know when your horse didn't feel right. But
then
>that also assumes everyone dealing with the horse is scrupulous (ie
the
>rider). Don't know, that's why I am asking.
______________________________________________________________________________
The race is not always to the swift, but to those that keep running.
Truman and Mystic "The Horse from HELL" Storm
prevatt@lds.loral.com - Sarasota, Florida
____________________________________________________________________________
__