Re: trot-out terrain

[Terry Woolley Howe <cancer@inet1.inetworld.net>]

>On the three rides I've done most recently, the trot-out areas for vet
check were totally unrepresentative of the terrain on the ride. My horse was
unshod because I had called ahead and checked with ride managers who said
the rides were all dirt, no rocks or pavement. I had been conditioning the
horse unshod all season. To make a long story short, the terrain on the trot
out (for initial and intra-ride checks)was on paved or large-gravel drives,
and my horse short stepped on the pavement because she's always paranoid of
slipping, and gimped on the sharp gravel. Throughout the rides she was fit
and smooth under me and to the appearance of other riders, but I always got
lameness grades at the checks because of this odd terrain. Is this really
fair? Shouldn't the trot-out terrain be representative of the course?

>What do you guys (anyone who reads this) think? 
>


It's not a matter of fairness.  The trot out area is not picked because it
is or is not representative of the type of footing on the course you are
riding.  Often, there are limited areas along a course that will accommodate
a vet check so once the vet check is established, an area is picked that has
even footing and sometimes that happens to be on a  gravel road, and
sometimes it's on pavement, but unfortunately ride management has to work
with what it's given.  

Terry Woolley Howe
San Diego