Hot weather syndrome

["John & Sue Greenall" <greenall@vermontel.net>]

I just got done managing the 64th running of the Green Mountain 
100 mile ride in Vermont.  It is a CTR, 100 miles in three days at 6-
7 mph.  It is over a lot of hills (Vermont ain't flat) and the weather 
turned very hot (87 on Sat).  We had horses with thumps which I 
have not seen in years, dehydration colic and one intestinal 
entrapment.  Thank goodness for Jeannie Waldron!  

This is NOT the first ride this year that such has happened.  The 
New York 100, also a CTR, had similar casualties.  It is unusual to 
see this amount and level of problems at CTR where the speed is 
slower and the rules are geared to be "safe" for the horse.  

What I saw at endurance rides this summer was worse.  Vermont 
100 (very hot, humid) had less than 50% complete.  PAC had a 
very busy treatment barn and two horse were shipped to a vet 
hospital.  

WHAT ARE WE MISSING?  This is NOT how the sport is 
supposed to be.   Tie ups and dehydration colic seem to be the 
main issues.  I know that the riders are doing everything they can 
to help their horses and I know that the vets are keeping a very 
watchful eye out, but it still happening at a very concerning rate.  It 
is what we DON'T know that worries me.  So many of us think that 
riding slower makes it safer, but that is not what I have seen this 
year.  

The only "fixes" I can see is providing more water opportunities for 
the horses in hot weather and extending the hold times or adding a 
hold so that the horses don't go as far between stops.  Neither is 
that easy to do at last minute.  

I would love to open this up for discussion.  To take healthy, fit 
horses and put them at risk (50% means it's either you or the guy 
next to you that ends up on the IV) is not good sport.  
John and Sue Greenall
mailto:greenall@vermontel.net
http://www.vermontel.com/~greenall


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