At the AERC convention in March, the Welfare of the Horse Committee presented a proposal to improve equine welfare in endurance.
The proposal reads as follows (from the AERC website):
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Proposed Motion
1. Initial triage and treatment availability at all rides, including intravenous fluid therapy.
2. Thirty minutes to meet recovery pulse at the finish line, with exceptions where needed for rides
with finish lines far away from final checkpoints.
3. Recovery pulse rate at the finish lowered from 68 bpm to 64 (or less) bpm.
4. Horses must be six years of age to start a 100 mile ride.
5. Horses shall have Body Condition Scores of no less than 3.0 and no greater than 8.0 to start an
endurance ride.
6. Exams on all equines by a control judge before they leave the ride site, but no sooner than two
hours from when they cross the finish line.
7. Standardized control judge ride cards should be used nationally, with sections added for BCS
scores and graphs for each quadrant of the gastrointestinal examinations.
8. Rides should have at least one hold on distances of 25 miles or greater.
9. Rides should have at least two control judges, one of whom is able to provide treatment as
required by number 1 in this proposed motion, with exceptions where needed for wilderness rides.
Background, analysis and benefit
Other than the Drug Rule Policy, AERC has not had major substantive rule changes specifically relating to equine welfare since the 1990s. Our current rules are outdated and not protective enough as pertains to equine welfare. In addition stronger guidelines are needed for the inexperienced or novice rider, owner and/or veterinarian, who do not have the years, or even decades, of knowledge on how to safely complete an endurance ride. Improved, standardized veterinary control and
treatment from coast to coast will result in better quality control on a national level and across Canada. Stronger welfare measures will demonstrate our sincerity and desire to provide for a safe, humane and respectful environment for our horses to compete in that specifically aims at reducing “avoidable suffering,” and not just focusing on reducing overall fatalities. The standard has been raised worldwide on what the public perceives is acceptable treatment for horses competing in sporting events. AERC needs to look beyond preventing just death and destruction and consider what we can do as an organization, day to day during our endurance rides, to make competitions even safer, fairer and more comfortable for our horses.
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Well, now.
These are all laudable goals, and I support the changes in general. However, I feel it must be pointed out it is clear the changes are being pursued out of a need to Do Something. There is no evidence any of these changes will make a dent in the number of pulls and treatments at rides. We just feel the need to change the rules in order to look like we're forward thinking.
I don't have a problem with this, generally speaking. Honestly these rule changes are laudable, even if they don't change a thing. In the current issue of Endurance News, the Vice President's message includes a suggestion we need to make these changes because riders see horses getting treated and find it traumatic. I suppose those things happen, and I have certainly seen a horse crash. I wouldn't call the experience traumatic. Additionally, looking back on those treatments, I don't see how any of them would have been prevented by any of these rules.
From everything I've read and heard, this is a feel good measure which won't harm anything. Some things I would do a little differently than this list suggests, and there are a couple I would scotch.
Here are my positions on the changes:
1. Initial triage and treatment availability at all rides, including intravenous fluid therapy.
I have seen horses requiring treatment during a ride. I have never seen that treatment unavailable. This rule is fine, I don't think it changes anything, and I'm just a little surprised we feel we need to lay it out.
2. Thirty minutes to meet recovery pulse at the finish line, with exceptions where needed for rides
with finish lines far away from final checkpoints.
I'd like to know the definition of "far away." Never have I been to a ride where the finish line was more than a ten minute walk back to camp. And it's the managers of those rides who, when this was first proposed, objected the most strenuously to this change. I don't see how a ten minute walk back to camp should be considered anything less than part of the recovery. I would have this as a firm change, rather than "with exceptions."
3. Recovery pulse rate at the finish lowered from 68 bpm to 64 (or less) bpm.
I think 64 is just fine. I wouldn't drop it any lower than that. There are conditions under which I wouldn't want to see 60 as the recovery, and I really don't want to see 56. I also would like to see 56 as the bottom, as there is a point of diminishing returns, and I think that's it.
4. Horses must be six years of age to start a 100 mile ride.
Although it's been done, I don't know how you get a horse ready, both physically and mentally, for a 100 mile ride before it's at least six. More like seven.
5. Horses shall have Body Condition Scores of no less than 3.0 and no greater than 8.0 to start an
endurance ride.
I find myself a little conflicted on this one. My daughter's horse, Tahoe, went to his first ride a little on the thin side. Enough so I was pulled aside and had this pointed out to me. I knew he was thin. I also knew we'd had him for over six months, and despite everything I and the vet could do, he hadn't appreciably gained weight. He was better than he was when we got him. We took him to the ride because we had discovered he ate better when he had the right amount of work. Indeed, all the weight we'd finally managed to put on him had been after we started conditioning him for his first LD. By the time he went to his second ride, he'd put on an additional 50 pounds, and while that didn't make him normal weight, he wasn't as painfully thin as he had been. He would never put on enough weight to look normal, and I doubt he would ever have passed this standard. I think this standard is good, but knowing there are horses that will never achieve a "normal" body weight, it makes me a little sad.
6. Exams on all equines by a control judge before they leave the ride site, but no sooner than two
hours from when they cross the finish line.
The idea here is to make sure all the horses are fine before they go home. I understand the motivation. I'm sure there are horses that have crashed after leaving. I don't know if we know how many or how common it is. I really don't know how I feel about this one. I do know I'll be annoyed if I have to drag Hoss's head out of his food two hours after we've finished in order to haul him back to the vet, and he'll be annoyed, too.
7. Standardized control judge ride cards should be used nationally, with sections added for BCS
scores and graphs for each quadrant of the gastrointestinal examinations.
Yeah, I don't really see the advantage of this one. Maybe it's because I've done the XP rides, where you fill out a vet card, preprinted all As on the parameters, and toss it in the box, where it is never seen again. Once vet cards are used, they're given back to the riders or end up in a box somewhere collecting dust or are discarded. So this particular change doesn't improve data collection or aide in any way in research. I don't see it making a difference.
8. Rides should have at least one hold on distances of 25 miles or greater.
I suppose this is a good change. The only time I've ever seen a 25 mile ride lack a hold was at an XP ride where the Duck just hung out about halfway through the course and checked over those horses before sending them on their way. He did it that way because there was no way to get the LD horses and the 50 mile horses to a common vet check; the midway vet check for the 50 was back at camp. Under the circumstances, and knowing how the Duck feels about personal responsibility, I doubt this change could possibly make him happy. Since I find myself wanting the Duck to be happy, I don't want this change to happen.
9. Rides should have at least two control judges, one of whom is able to provide treatment as
required by number 1 in this proposed motion, with exceptions where needed for wilderness rides.
This is another of those changes I'm ambivalent about. I can't recall more than one ride with only one vet, and that one was fewer than 20 entrants, and all vet checks back in camp. And I'm not even sure I'm remembering correctly, and there may have been a second vet. I'm not sure. Like the requirement for veterinary treatment, this seems more like requiring something which is already effectively in place than making a necessary change.
Saturday, May 3, 2014
Thursday, May 1, 2014
Goals for 2014
Having undergone hip replacement surgery, I had really planned to take 2014 off. It's not working out that way.
The improvement with the new hip is amazing. I'm even able to mount Hoss easily from the ground (although I'll use a block or a rock or a stump if one is available). When we did the 20 mile ride at Cuyamaca, it became clear I haven't exactly lost a huge amount of fitness. I felt it on Sunday morning, and I knew I'd ridden 20 miles, but I wasn't crippled or anything.
Now I'm doing the 30 mile ride at Vail Lake in a couple of weeks, and I'm contemplating the 50 at Descanso. I know, I said in the previous post I don't like doing the 50 at Descanso, and that hasn't changed, but there's a reason. I'm also planning to do the Virginia City 100.
Yep. I said it. The Virginia City 100.
Now, Virginia City is in September. I could, quite easily, get Hoss and myself ready without doing any endurance rides between now and then. I just think it's easier to get ourselves prepared mentally if we get to a ride or two. And the only endurance ride I can reasonably get to between now and then is Descanso.
Nothing is simple, of course, so I have a bit of a conflict. My niece will be singing her very first solo in the Youth Benefit Concert at our church that very Saturday night. So I had better be able to boogie on down the trail. I haven't absolutely decided to do the 50 yet, although my entry is in for the 50 (I entered before I realized the conflict). To that end, we'll see how we do at Vail Lake, and get in some long solo rides and see how we do in that regard before I make a final decision.
So, here are my extremely simple goals for 2014:
Get a few rides done.
Go to Virginia City 100 (note I did not say *complete*)
Have fun!
The improvement with the new hip is amazing. I'm even able to mount Hoss easily from the ground (although I'll use a block or a rock or a stump if one is available). When we did the 20 mile ride at Cuyamaca, it became clear I haven't exactly lost a huge amount of fitness. I felt it on Sunday morning, and I knew I'd ridden 20 miles, but I wasn't crippled or anything.
Now I'm doing the 30 mile ride at Vail Lake in a couple of weeks, and I'm contemplating the 50 at Descanso. I know, I said in the previous post I don't like doing the 50 at Descanso, and that hasn't changed, but there's a reason. I'm also planning to do the Virginia City 100.
Yep. I said it. The Virginia City 100.
Now, Virginia City is in September. I could, quite easily, get Hoss and myself ready without doing any endurance rides between now and then. I just think it's easier to get ourselves prepared mentally if we get to a ride or two. And the only endurance ride I can reasonably get to between now and then is Descanso.
Nothing is simple, of course, so I have a bit of a conflict. My niece will be singing her very first solo in the Youth Benefit Concert at our church that very Saturday night. So I had better be able to boogie on down the trail. I haven't absolutely decided to do the 50 yet, although my entry is in for the 50 (I entered before I realized the conflict). To that end, we'll see how we do at Vail Lake, and get in some long solo rides and see how we do in that regard before I make a final decision.
So, here are my extremely simple goals for 2014:
Get a few rides done.
Go to Virginia City 100 (note I did not say *complete*)
Have fun!
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| Hoss having a good roll after a ride to the beach at Sun Coast Farms |
2013 Ride Year Report
Here we are a third of the way through 2014, and I just realized I neglected to cover how we did for Ride Year 2013!
I had set the bar pretty low for 2013, but still failed to meet two of our goals. Obviously we didn't finish Tevis, and I rode Eclipse at Twenty Mule Team, scotching the only other 100 mile ride I had planned to do for the year. But that 1,000 mile goal? We got that one done.
So here's how it played out:
8th place in National Mileage
1st place Regional Points
1st place Pioneer Award
We also once again were awarded the Intermountain Wild Horse and Burro Association's High Mileage and Overall High Mileage award.
Not bad, all things considered.
I had set the bar pretty low for 2013, but still failed to meet two of our goals. Obviously we didn't finish Tevis, and I rode Eclipse at Twenty Mule Team, scotching the only other 100 mile ride I had planned to do for the year. But that 1,000 mile goal? We got that one done.
So here's how it played out:
8th place in National Mileage
1st place Regional Points
1st place Pioneer Award
We also once again were awarded the Intermountain Wild Horse and Burro Association's High Mileage and Overall High Mileage award.
Being a Mentor
It's not something I would ever have imagined myself doing. I am a bit of a loner, and could be considered downright curmudgeonly. But Beth finally found the perfect match for Eclipse (ride stories about him here, here and here), and happily enough, his new owner is interested in endurance.
Beth has never been known for giving up on an idea. She wanted me to introduce Eclipse's new owner, Daniela, to the joys of endurance riding. I don't think it ever occurred to me to say no. "No" wasn't an option.
I started trailering Hoss down to see Daniela and Eclipse for rides twice a week, on Saturdays and Wednesdays. It was good for me, too. I don't think I would have gotten back into riding as much as I have as quickly as I have if I weren't helping someone else along.
Daniela and Eclipse are a fantastic match. He obviously loves her a great deal and will do whatever he can to make her happy. Sure, he'll take advantage of her if he can, but he certainly wouldn't hurt her if he can at all avoid it.
Our original plan was to do the Descanso 25 in June. Unfortunately this turns out to be a conflict for Daniela, whose cousin is marrying on that date. In Austria. Definitely can't do both. Knowing it would be a pretty long time before the next available ride, I proposed doing the 30 at Vail Lake instead, a good five weeks earlier.
Daniela was hesitant at first, especially since I'd told her Vail Lake isn't one of my favorite rides. It has a lot of hills and some of them are a little hairball. In honesty, it's less the difficulty of the ride I dislike than the number of vet checks on the 50. Having done so many XP rides with even crazier hills and climbs, I can't blame it on that! But, also as a result of doing so many XP rides, I've become seriously disenchanted with the 3 vet checks and a 5 minute hold tradition we seem to have here in the Pacific Southwest. I don't really even want to do a 50 at Descanso anymore. So when we were discussing which ride to do, I was less than entirely clear. Given a choice between Descanso and Vail Lake, I'll go with Descanso. It has fewer climbs and it's closer. Also, I had hoped to have Daniela experience a ride from the perspective of a volunteer before she rode, and volunteering at Vail Lake before riding at Descanso would have been perfect. It's not to be. I don't have any reason to think it'll be a problem.
On April 19, we put both horses in the trailer and went up to Cuyamaca for a long ride, the longest ride Daniela has yet done. I knew she needed to get a good long ride in to cement her confidence she can do 30 miles.
We parked at the Sweetwater Bridge staging area, and set out for the first half of our ride. The Descanso ride uses this staging area as a vet check, so it's pretty much right in the middle of the 25 mile ride trail. Because we parked there, though, we lost about 5 miles of the trail used for the Descanso ride.
Daniela was enchanted with the park. She even took a little video.
Daniela is going to make a great endurance rider. As we rode, we talked about various things. One thing that came up was the difficulty of finding others to ride with. Most other riders want to do nothing but walk. The both of us are bored to tears by that particular plan. We want to see lots of miles, and we want to do it fast. And that's what makes an endurance rider.
Beth has never been known for giving up on an idea. She wanted me to introduce Eclipse's new owner, Daniela, to the joys of endurance riding. I don't think it ever occurred to me to say no. "No" wasn't an option.
I started trailering Hoss down to see Daniela and Eclipse for rides twice a week, on Saturdays and Wednesdays. It was good for me, too. I don't think I would have gotten back into riding as much as I have as quickly as I have if I weren't helping someone else along.
Daniela and Eclipse are a fantastic match. He obviously loves her a great deal and will do whatever he can to make her happy. Sure, he'll take advantage of her if he can, but he certainly wouldn't hurt her if he can at all avoid it.
 | |
| Daniela and Eclipse |
Daniela was hesitant at first, especially since I'd told her Vail Lake isn't one of my favorite rides. It has a lot of hills and some of them are a little hairball. In honesty, it's less the difficulty of the ride I dislike than the number of vet checks on the 50. Having done so many XP rides with even crazier hills and climbs, I can't blame it on that! But, also as a result of doing so many XP rides, I've become seriously disenchanted with the 3 vet checks and a 5 minute hold tradition we seem to have here in the Pacific Southwest. I don't really even want to do a 50 at Descanso anymore. So when we were discussing which ride to do, I was less than entirely clear. Given a choice between Descanso and Vail Lake, I'll go with Descanso. It has fewer climbs and it's closer. Also, I had hoped to have Daniela experience a ride from the perspective of a volunteer before she rode, and volunteering at Vail Lake before riding at Descanso would have been perfect. It's not to be. I don't have any reason to think it'll be a problem.
On April 19, we put both horses in the trailer and went up to Cuyamaca for a long ride, the longest ride Daniela has yet done. I knew she needed to get a good long ride in to cement her confidence she can do 30 miles.
We parked at the Sweetwater Bridge staging area, and set out for the first half of our ride. The Descanso ride uses this staging area as a vet check, so it's pretty much right in the middle of the 25 mile ride trail. Because we parked there, though, we lost about 5 miles of the trail used for the Descanso ride.
Daniela was enchanted with the park. She even took a little video.
Daniela is going to make a great endurance rider. As we rode, we talked about various things. One thing that came up was the difficulty of finding others to ride with. Most other riders want to do nothing but walk. The both of us are bored to tears by that particular plan. We want to see lots of miles, and we want to do it fast. And that's what makes an endurance rider.
Sunday, April 27, 2014
Roxy, 10/31/1999 - 12/20/2013
Obviously it's been some time since my dog, Roxy, crossed the Rainbow Bridge. I just haven't gotten around the writing about her, and of course a lot has happened since then.
Roxy was a great dog. She wasn't a nice dog, but she was a good dog. I picked her up from the animal shelter in April of 2000. She was about 6 months old, and not entirely fully grown.
It quickly became clear she was going to need a crate. My children and I were living with my mother at the time, and Mom was very resistant to the idea of a crate. This lasted until Roxy chewed the corners of the coffee table and dug up the carpet inside the front door. Mom was truly converted when, after I had acquired a crate, Roxy very quickly started putting herself into it when she was about to be left home alone.
Roxy was always a bit touchy. She never liked being hugged or mugged. This was a trait my daughter, not quite 7 when we brought Roxy home, could not understand. My daughter insisted on sticking her face up to Roxy's muzzle, demanding kisses. Roxy would invariably warn her, and I would tell her she needed to stop. It took Roxy finally biting my daughter in the face for her to get the message.
Once I had Roxy reasonably well trained, I started taking her along with me on work days. The first time I took her with me was to a barn in Alpine, where my trainer worked, and I would be there all day. Roxy, of course, had a grand time and was absolutely exhausted by the time I put her back in the truck to go home. About three miles down the road, I noticed this rather rancid odor coming from the back seat. I glanced back and realized I had put the Swamp Thing in my truck. Turns out Roxy had found a wonderful old mud puddle to play in.
Roxy was an only dog until my marriage in 2001. At that time, we brought home a second dog, Mauser, who had belonged to a friend. My friend had found Mauser abandoned at the boarding facility she kept her horse at, and brought him home. He quickly proved to be a bit more than she and her husband could keep up with. She had been diagnosed with leukemia some time earlier, and Mauser just needed more exercise and attention than she had energy to provide. When he methodically removed the linoleum from the kitchen floor, that was the last straw; he had to go. And anyway, he had made it abundantly clear on visits that he wanted to be my daughter's dog.
Roxy and Mauser made quite the pair. I stopped taking Roxy with me on work days, as it became clear she'd rather stay with Mauser, and Mauser wasn't reliable for a "truck dog." So most days they stayed home together.
At 2 1/2, Roxy started having some difficulty with front end lameness. I took her to the vet, and she was diagnosed with early onset arthritis. I've heard all that stuff about "hybrid vigor" and how tough mixed breed animals are, but none of that applied to Roxy, at least not in the physical sense. Once she got accustomed to the pain associated with the arthritis, it was impossible to tell she really had any trouble with it.
Roxy and Mauser came with me on my conditioning rides with Phoenix and were a constant presence in my life. They would run along unflagging for upwards of 20 miles. They were wonderful companions and a great deal of fun to have along.
When she was about 4, Roxy was along for a trail ride and started seeming just not quite right. We got to the top of a hill and she paused, looked back toward the barn, and seemed to consider going home. I noticed she was coughing quite a bit.
Yet another visit to the vet revealed she had developed chronic bronchitis. This diagnosis slowed her down significantly. The length of our trail rides was necessarily shortened, although she never gave it up entirely.
Shortly before Thanksgiving 2006, I was exercising the dogs on my mountain bike. Phoenix was laid up for reasons I no longer remember, so exercise had to happen in another way. I did not notice when the coyotes snuck up behind me and cut Roxy off. Mauser did. His actions in rescuing her saved her life, but he lost his own in the process.
Roxy was an only dog again, and my daughter had lost her dog in a cruel and untimely fashion. By February it was time to get another. We searched online and found a cute little mixed breed dog by the name of Tanner. He came to us and found his forever home.
Roxy once again started going with me to work regularly, leaving Tanner home alone most days. He turned out to have a habit of jumping out of the truck if the windows were left open, so I couldn't really take him along.
Roxy was like my little farrier ambassador. She would greet people warmly and spend her days sunning herself and playing with people when the opportunity arose. One of my clients was a soccer player and had an old soccer ball in her shed. She quickly learned to go find the soccer ball and played vigorously with that client every time we saw her. At that same barn, many people kept dog treats in their sheds, and Roxy learned to greet those who did at their sheds to get a cookie. She did get to where she loved certain people so much she'd follow those individuals around their respective barns while I worked. Once, someone found her and was in the process of taking her to their car take her home, thinking she'd been lost. After that, I put a tag on her identifying her as "the farrier's dog."
After we had Tanner for a while, he developed seizures. As a result, he, too, started coming with me to work, so I could keep an eye on him during the day. His seizures have been well controlled with Phenobarbital, and he continues to do well on the meds.
The fire in 2007 was the impetus for getting Roxy to the vet when she was having bladder control issues. She'd always had a little "leakage", since she was young. During the fire, she was really having trouble when we were staying at a friend's house, evacuated from our home. I already had Tanner scheduled for something, so I took Roxy in as well, thinking I might as well have her checked out on the off chance something could be done for her bladder control issue. It turned out she had kidney failure, and she was very sick. She was hospitalized for three days. But she was always a tough dog and she pulled through. She had permanent kidney damage as a result.
We moved to Jamul in 2008, when Roxy was 9 years old. She was definitely showing her age by then. She was on a daily anti-inflammatory. One day, while she was sunning herself in the driveway of our new home, our young cat, Tiger, came running up the driveway, being chased by a coyote. Tiger was no dummy. Roxy did not like the cat (she didn't like any other animal, honestly). Tiger made a beeline for Roxy, jumped the dog lengthwise, and left the coyote face to face with a very annoyed dog. Roxy successfully chased the coyote off. She was quite proud of herself, but it was clear she needed young dogs as back up. She was lame on three legs.
We got two younger dogs, Mac and Ash, for Roxy to teach and to back her up. They picked up the notion of livestock guardian quickly, and readily looked to Roxy for guidance.
Over the next couple of years, Roxy gradually got more lame, and developed ulcers. Ultimately she blew the cruciate ligaments in both hind legs. Due to her age and other health issues, she was not a good candidate for surgery. She would soldier on with her hind legs wobbly and unstable.
It didn't take Roxy long to become accustomed to her new disability. She continued to come along on morning walks and trail rides. I had to start locking her in the house if I was doing a ride too long for her.
Toward the end of her life, Roxy developed dementia. We were very lucky in that it was happy dementia. The dog who, her entire life, disliked the other pets so badly she had sent every one to the vet at one time (she flung my daughter's first cat through the air; when Tiger was little, Roxy bit her badly enough to lame her; she nailed both of the younger dogs in their faces; she picked Tanner up by the upper jaw and shook the hell out of him), changed her tune and was cheerfully playing with the other dogs. This made it possible to manage her for a much longer time than would otherwise have been feasible.
Roxy got more lame, and less able to keep up on morning walks. She would also forget what we were doing, and wander off on her own. As she got more debilitated, she became more apt to snap if she felt threatened. And it was difficult to know when she'd feel threatened.
I began to notice Roxy was getting thinner. She was eating well. I had put her on a particularly tasty dog food with very small nuggets and wet food, and she was eating two cups of food a day reliably. And yet, my always thin dog was getting thinner. Just a month after my hip replacement, it was clear. Roxy was nearing the end.
I knew Roxy was the sort of dog with an inherent dignity. Had I kept her going, her bladder control would only have gotten worse. She would have begun to forget where the door was, who her people were, what she was doing at any given moment. And it would have been horrifying for her.
I took her to the vet, knowing it was time. She walked quietly and easily into the exam room, and laid quietly in my arms as she passed. I knew I had done the right thing as I watched the pain drain from her body. She was ready to go, and she left this world with the quiet dignity she had lived.
Roxy was a great dog. She wasn't a nice dog, but she was a good dog. I picked her up from the animal shelter in April of 2000. She was about 6 months old, and not entirely fully grown.
It quickly became clear she was going to need a crate. My children and I were living with my mother at the time, and Mom was very resistant to the idea of a crate. This lasted until Roxy chewed the corners of the coffee table and dug up the carpet inside the front door. Mom was truly converted when, after I had acquired a crate, Roxy very quickly started putting herself into it when she was about to be left home alone.
Roxy was always a bit touchy. She never liked being hugged or mugged. This was a trait my daughter, not quite 7 when we brought Roxy home, could not understand. My daughter insisted on sticking her face up to Roxy's muzzle, demanding kisses. Roxy would invariably warn her, and I would tell her she needed to stop. It took Roxy finally biting my daughter in the face for her to get the message.
Once I had Roxy reasonably well trained, I started taking her along with me on work days. The first time I took her with me was to a barn in Alpine, where my trainer worked, and I would be there all day. Roxy, of course, had a grand time and was absolutely exhausted by the time I put her back in the truck to go home. About three miles down the road, I noticed this rather rancid odor coming from the back seat. I glanced back and realized I had put the Swamp Thing in my truck. Turns out Roxy had found a wonderful old mud puddle to play in.
Roxy was an only dog until my marriage in 2001. At that time, we brought home a second dog, Mauser, who had belonged to a friend. My friend had found Mauser abandoned at the boarding facility she kept her horse at, and brought him home. He quickly proved to be a bit more than she and her husband could keep up with. She had been diagnosed with leukemia some time earlier, and Mauser just needed more exercise and attention than she had energy to provide. When he methodically removed the linoleum from the kitchen floor, that was the last straw; he had to go. And anyway, he had made it abundantly clear on visits that he wanted to be my daughter's dog.
Roxy and Mauser made quite the pair. I stopped taking Roxy with me on work days, as it became clear she'd rather stay with Mauser, and Mauser wasn't reliable for a "truck dog." So most days they stayed home together.
At 2 1/2, Roxy started having some difficulty with front end lameness. I took her to the vet, and she was diagnosed with early onset arthritis. I've heard all that stuff about "hybrid vigor" and how tough mixed breed animals are, but none of that applied to Roxy, at least not in the physical sense. Once she got accustomed to the pain associated with the arthritis, it was impossible to tell she really had any trouble with it.
Roxy and Mauser came with me on my conditioning rides with Phoenix and were a constant presence in my life. They would run along unflagging for upwards of 20 miles. They were wonderful companions and a great deal of fun to have along.
When she was about 4, Roxy was along for a trail ride and started seeming just not quite right. We got to the top of a hill and she paused, looked back toward the barn, and seemed to consider going home. I noticed she was coughing quite a bit.
Yet another visit to the vet revealed she had developed chronic bronchitis. This diagnosis slowed her down significantly. The length of our trail rides was necessarily shortened, although she never gave it up entirely.
Shortly before Thanksgiving 2006, I was exercising the dogs on my mountain bike. Phoenix was laid up for reasons I no longer remember, so exercise had to happen in another way. I did not notice when the coyotes snuck up behind me and cut Roxy off. Mauser did. His actions in rescuing her saved her life, but he lost his own in the process.
Roxy was an only dog again, and my daughter had lost her dog in a cruel and untimely fashion. By February it was time to get another. We searched online and found a cute little mixed breed dog by the name of Tanner. He came to us and found his forever home.
Roxy once again started going with me to work regularly, leaving Tanner home alone most days. He turned out to have a habit of jumping out of the truck if the windows were left open, so I couldn't really take him along.
Roxy was like my little farrier ambassador. She would greet people warmly and spend her days sunning herself and playing with people when the opportunity arose. One of my clients was a soccer player and had an old soccer ball in her shed. She quickly learned to go find the soccer ball and played vigorously with that client every time we saw her. At that same barn, many people kept dog treats in their sheds, and Roxy learned to greet those who did at their sheds to get a cookie. She did get to where she loved certain people so much she'd follow those individuals around their respective barns while I worked. Once, someone found her and was in the process of taking her to their car take her home, thinking she'd been lost. After that, I put a tag on her identifying her as "the farrier's dog."
After we had Tanner for a while, he developed seizures. As a result, he, too, started coming with me to work, so I could keep an eye on him during the day. His seizures have been well controlled with Phenobarbital, and he continues to do well on the meds.
The fire in 2007 was the impetus for getting Roxy to the vet when she was having bladder control issues. She'd always had a little "leakage", since she was young. During the fire, she was really having trouble when we were staying at a friend's house, evacuated from our home. I already had Tanner scheduled for something, so I took Roxy in as well, thinking I might as well have her checked out on the off chance something could be done for her bladder control issue. It turned out she had kidney failure, and she was very sick. She was hospitalized for three days. But she was always a tough dog and she pulled through. She had permanent kidney damage as a result.
We moved to Jamul in 2008, when Roxy was 9 years old. She was definitely showing her age by then. She was on a daily anti-inflammatory. One day, while she was sunning herself in the driveway of our new home, our young cat, Tiger, came running up the driveway, being chased by a coyote. Tiger was no dummy. Roxy did not like the cat (she didn't like any other animal, honestly). Tiger made a beeline for Roxy, jumped the dog lengthwise, and left the coyote face to face with a very annoyed dog. Roxy successfully chased the coyote off. She was quite proud of herself, but it was clear she needed young dogs as back up. She was lame on three legs.
We got two younger dogs, Mac and Ash, for Roxy to teach and to back her up. They picked up the notion of livestock guardian quickly, and readily looked to Roxy for guidance.
Over the next couple of years, Roxy gradually got more lame, and developed ulcers. Ultimately she blew the cruciate ligaments in both hind legs. Due to her age and other health issues, she was not a good candidate for surgery. She would soldier on with her hind legs wobbly and unstable.
It didn't take Roxy long to become accustomed to her new disability. She continued to come along on morning walks and trail rides. I had to start locking her in the house if I was doing a ride too long for her.
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| Roxy dressed as a "cow" for a costume contest |
Roxy got more lame, and less able to keep up on morning walks. She would also forget what we were doing, and wander off on her own. As she got more debilitated, she became more apt to snap if she felt threatened. And it was difficult to know when she'd feel threatened.
I began to notice Roxy was getting thinner. She was eating well. I had put her on a particularly tasty dog food with very small nuggets and wet food, and she was eating two cups of food a day reliably. And yet, my always thin dog was getting thinner. Just a month after my hip replacement, it was clear. Roxy was nearing the end.
I knew Roxy was the sort of dog with an inherent dignity. Had I kept her going, her bladder control would only have gotten worse. She would have begun to forget where the door was, who her people were, what she was doing at any given moment. And it would have been horrifying for her.
I took her to the vet, knowing it was time. She walked quietly and easily into the exam room, and laid quietly in my arms as she passed. I knew I had done the right thing as I watched the pain drain from her body. She was ready to go, and she left this world with the quiet dignity she had lived.
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| Roxy on her 14th birthday |
Thursday, April 24, 2014
AERC and Omeprazole
The latest issue of Endurance News contains an article penned by Dr. Chrysann Collatos in support of changing current AERC rules to permit the use of omeprazole during competition. The majority of the Veterinary Committee supports this change (the composition of this majority is not revealed).
Historically, the AERC has had a firm "no drugs" policy. Over the years, as testing has gotten more sophisticated, it has become necessary to go from a strict policy of horses must come up with no levels of drugs on blood and urine tests to "allowable" levels. This is wise policy. In the past twenty years or so, testing has gotten pretty good. At this stage in the game, it's possible to detect a sedative in a horse's blood that was administered as much as a month before. Clearly, a month after the horse was sedated for a float, the sedation isn't doing much to the horse's physiology, and it would be ridiculous to disqualify a horse under those circumstances.
AERC's drug policy, as stated in the most current version of the rules, is as follows:
The most telling phrase here, I think, is this: Endurance equines should compete under their natural abilities without the influence of any drug, medication or veterinary treatment.
If Omeprazole is allowed, it violates this principle.
Many arguments have been made for allowing it.
Legend and Adequan (as well as several other chrondoprotective substances) are permitted.
Pergolide is on the allowed substances list.
It's cruel not to permit it.
And, the favorite argument of 12 year olds everywhere, all the other equine sports are allowing it.
Honestly the first two arguments hold up the best. It seems we've already moved away from the "no drugs" ethic of old. That being the case, I would be in favor of walking these back.
The idea it is cruel not to permit the use of omeprazole is a bit odd. I submit it is cruel to require an animal to perform in a sport if it can't do so without pharmaceutical support.
And of course, everyone else is doing it. Yes, FEI allows it. Yes, most other sports don't blink at the idea of drugging a horse in order to perform. These sports also allow anti-inflammatories and other pain relievers in competition. If the argument works for Omeprazole, it works for the others, too.
The primary rationale the veterinary committee's article provides is to protect the multi-day horse. The principle is, multi-day horses are away from home for an extended period, their lives and feeding schedules disrupted, and thus more prone to ulceration. This may well be true, however, the rule change would not apply exclusively to multi-day horses.
As the rule currently stands, a horse may be administered Omeprazole up to 24 hours before the start of a ride, then can be dosed again as soon as it finishes the ride and is vetted out. This means, for a single day ride, the horse may go without a dose of Omeprazole for 12-24 hours, depending on length of the ride and ride time.
It is well established Omeprazole has a residual effect protecting the horse's stomach for quite some time after it is withdrawn. Thus, especially for the one day ride, if a horse really can't do without the Omeprazole for the time of the ride, it isn't suited for endurance.
It is my hope AERC will reject this change, and leave the current rule stand.
Historically, the AERC has had a firm "no drugs" policy. Over the years, as testing has gotten more sophisticated, it has become necessary to go from a strict policy of horses must come up with no levels of drugs on blood and urine tests to "allowable" levels. This is wise policy. In the past twenty years or so, testing has gotten pretty good. At this stage in the game, it's possible to detect a sedative in a horse's blood that was administered as much as a month before. Clearly, a month after the horse was sedated for a float, the sedation isn't doing much to the horse's physiology, and it would be ridiculous to disqualify a horse under those circumstances.
AERC's drug policy, as stated in the most current version of the rules, is as follows:
13. Prohibited Substances and Treatments: General Provisions:
13.1 The purpose of this rule against the use of Prohibited Substances or Prohibited Treatments in equines during endurance rides is both to protect the equines from harm and to ensure fair competition. Endurance equines should compete under their natural abilities without the influence of any drug, medication or veterinary treatment.
13.1.1 Prohibited Substances or Prohibited Treatments as defined in this rule shall not be administered to or used in an equine competing in an endurance ride. No equine in which a Prohibited Substance or its metabolite is present shall compete in an endurance ride, regardless of when the Prohibited Substance was administered to it.
The most telling phrase here, I think, is this: Endurance equines should compete under their natural abilities without the influence of any drug, medication or veterinary treatment.
If Omeprazole is allowed, it violates this principle.
Many arguments have been made for allowing it.
Legend and Adequan (as well as several other chrondoprotective substances) are permitted.
Pergolide is on the allowed substances list.
It's cruel not to permit it.
And, the favorite argument of 12 year olds everywhere, all the other equine sports are allowing it.
Honestly the first two arguments hold up the best. It seems we've already moved away from the "no drugs" ethic of old. That being the case, I would be in favor of walking these back.
The idea it is cruel not to permit the use of omeprazole is a bit odd. I submit it is cruel to require an animal to perform in a sport if it can't do so without pharmaceutical support.
And of course, everyone else is doing it. Yes, FEI allows it. Yes, most other sports don't blink at the idea of drugging a horse in order to perform. These sports also allow anti-inflammatories and other pain relievers in competition. If the argument works for Omeprazole, it works for the others, too.
The primary rationale the veterinary committee's article provides is to protect the multi-day horse. The principle is, multi-day horses are away from home for an extended period, their lives and feeding schedules disrupted, and thus more prone to ulceration. This may well be true, however, the rule change would not apply exclusively to multi-day horses.
As the rule currently stands, a horse may be administered Omeprazole up to 24 hours before the start of a ride, then can be dosed again as soon as it finishes the ride and is vetted out. This means, for a single day ride, the horse may go without a dose of Omeprazole for 12-24 hours, depending on length of the ride and ride time.
It is well established Omeprazole has a residual effect protecting the horse's stomach for quite some time after it is withdrawn. Thus, especially for the one day ride, if a horse really can't do without the Omeprazole for the time of the ride, it isn't suited for endurance.
It is my hope AERC will reject this change, and leave the current rule stand.
What The Future Holds
When I had my hip replaced, I went in knowing it was highly unlikely I'll ever pick up shoeing horses again. I had stopped working in June, so it wasn't so much of a blow by the time the surgeon expressed his doubts about doing it. He thinks I'll be able to do it on a limited basis, but the risk of ruining the implant is pretty significant.
So, what to do?
I am in the fortunate position of being married to a talented man who is making enough money to support us while I explore. He also doesn't mind doing so. It's an enviable position, I know.
Late last year, I received in the mail a copy of the brochure for Grossmont Adult Education. I flipped through it, and found a few classes caught my eye. One was a gluten-free baking class. I was a little conflicted about taking it, as it occurred at a time which would prevent me from attending choir rehearsals for a few weeks, but I decided to take it anyway in the spirit of self-preservation. A second was gardening. I have a fantasy of gardening. It turns out I kinda suck at it. The third was sewing.
Sewing? Well, I had done some before, and one of my ideas for a future career has been making biothane tack. So a sewing class sounded like a good start.
I started out by measuring a couple of windows in the house and designing very plain curtains. They're horse print, naturally, and of course they didn't come out quite right, but they're pretty okay. They'll do.
In the meantime, I found a couple of patterns for things I kinda liked. Every Sunday I've been on to perform at church for the last couple of years, I've had two color choices: black or blue. It was getting boring. So I found a pattern for a top and a pastel purple fabric. I had the shirt made in an afternoon.
My daughter was home for Julian's Celebration of Life, and we were going through some pictures my mom had sent home with her. We found one of me, my daughter, my son, a friend's two daughters, and someone in my ex-husband's dragon costume (I don't think it was him; whoever it was isn't nearly tall enough for my ex). My daughter was perhaps 3 years old. We were all in our Halloween costumes. Three of the costumes I had made.
Holy crap. Evidently I used to do this quite a bit!
Now I've been able to recall more. When I was in Junior High, my friend's mother helped us make dresses for 9th grade promotion. I still remember the things she taught me. Amazing.
Since all of this, I have made:
These silly heart-shaped zipper pouches.
Yet another top for me. (I did two of these; one is black and I couldn't get my camera to take a picture of it):
And a skirt for myself.
I still have another top to make, and I will be making a dress for my niece for the Youth Choir Concert in June.
I've also acquired quite the collection of sewing machines. I have two modern Singer machines. One I had purchased to replace the previous one, which up until recently I thought was toast. It turns out the older Singer just needed some intensive TLC. It will still bind up if I go too fast, but it sews just fine.
Another is a table-mount White machine of indeterminate vintage, surely 60s or earlier, I was given by a friend. It was in the house she and her husband purchased. The previous owner's wife had used it for many years, but the machine has sat in less than ideal conditions since her passing. It sews reasonably well, but it needs a little service, as the clutch will release if the machine is run in reverse.
Lastly, I brought home my grandmother's 1956 Brother machine. After replacing the belts, it's working pretty well. When the new Singer machine was binding up and I didn't want to take the time to service it, I moved to the Brother to finish sewing the skirt, which was my latest project. I do need to have it serviced, as it will drop the bobbin stitch on zig-zag and the feed drop won't release. Still, it works pretty well, and there's something about having a piece of family history.
I have purchased a ridiculous number of patterns. Patterns for horse blankets, saddle and hay bags, fly masks, half chaps and full chaps, and Australian outback jacket. Who knows where this could lead.
I am so totally excited.
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