Hi Everyone,
This is getting somewhat off subject, but I just wanted to comment on=20
Linda and Truman's excellent suggestions about money going for endurance=20
research. I think I'm fairly qualified because I have done=20
anumber of research projects on various equine physiology things,=20
including my Master's thesis which was specifically on factors in body=20
condition that affect endurance horses. When I chose my thesis project,=20
I had the choice of a project which was fully funded, but had nothing to=20
do with endurance horses (directly, anyway) or doing my own thing and=20
trying to find my own funding. Well, I picked my own endurance project,=20
but there was NO FUNDING AT ALL. I still find it amazing that money=20
exists to find out why horses don't get altitude sickness at 10,000 feet=20
but no money is available to help endurance horses get down the trail=20
happy and healthy.
Most of the funding available for equine research comes from either the=20
racing industry or the pharmaceutical manufacturers and the projects=20
they fund almost always boil down to "how do we make racehorses run=20
faster/not break down/stop bleeding/heal faster", or "does this drug=20
work and what are the side-effects". No one's interested in finding out=20
how to help a horse go 100 miles unless it'll also help a TB=20
gofastturnleft. I ended up spending around $5000 of my own money to get=20
my project done (I keep equating it in how many rides I could've gone to=20
instead), because I was too damn stubborn to give it up, and because I=20
REALLY wanted to do a project with some "take home" information derived=20
from it. I came up with some great results for 100 mile horses and the=20
next logical step would be to confirm results on 50 mile and LD horses,=20
but there's still no funding available and I'm too poor to keep paying=20
for it myself. This IS NOT a hint that Cosequin should fund my personal=20
research projects, just a comment that there isn't much money available=20
right now for endurance research. And there should be.
Having read 99% of the research that has been done on endurance horses,=20
I can tell you that researchers like studying endurance horses because=20
they push the envelope harder than most horses in many ways and so=20
they're interesting to look at. Alot of neat stuff has been found out,=20
BUT very little of it is reported in a form that will help the average=20
rider get down the trail better. The results usually get published in=20
the research journals which most endurance riders never see.
I am absolutely ALL FOR money being channeled into research on endurance=20
horses, but (and this may be looking a gift horse in the mouth), we=20
should try to attempt to make sure the research is such that it will=20
benefit the endurance community, not just the research institution. =20
Cosequin is in an excellent position to provide funding for projects=20
that will benefit both themselves and the sport, and I think they should=20
be strongly encouraged to continue their interest in the endurance=20
community in a more appropriate way than handing out ten big checks to=20
the rhot rods. Absolutely we shouldn't make them feel as though they've=20
done something wrong, let's make them feel as though they're the answer=20
to our prayers and now let's just point it in the right direction,=20
whether that be research, trail funds, whatever.
Finally, I agree with Teddy that Cosequin will get more respect and=20
appreciation and good PR if they spread their money around in a way to=20
benefit EVERYONE rather than the Chosen Few. How many names of lottery=20
winners can you remember? Not many? Sure, because it wasn't you. How=20
'bout the names of someone who's done something nice for YOU? I=20
remember people who did me a favor thirty years ago. 'Nuff said.
Susan Evans
Rebel Researcher
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