Re: MECHANICAL FATIGUE

[Teddy Lancaster <Teddy@runningbear.com>]

John:

Do not be discouraged. CTR's are judged subjectively.  What one vet sees
another may not...the vet may be right or wrong, but your are paying and entry
fee for his opinion.  You will have to sit back and assess what happened and
decide how best to improve matters yourself.  So much depends on presentation.
Experience will teach you the best way to present your horse to his best
advantage.

Good luck and give it years, not just a few rides.

Teddy


John B. Ayers wrote:

> We fininished our FIRST 25-mile CTR on May 9th  (GMHA Brown Bag)
> with a score of 91.  We lost 6 1/2 points for mechanical fatigue.  Length
> of stride and height of stride both -2).  At the 15-mile Mud Ride on Apr
> 25th
> we lost 4 points for the same.
>
> Could the fact that all four shoes are 4-nailed (he lost shoes last Winter
> and because he knew we were starting CTR the farrier added the 4th)
> contribute to this? How would one recognize whether the horse has
> sore feet?
>
> Several riders suggested we work on our trot-out.  We've signed
> up for a Ride Clinic on May 23rd to work on this and other whatever
> else will help.
>
> What else might we do to improve our score in this area?
>
> John and Meshack (VT)