By Melissa Ribley, DVM, Veterinary Committee Chair

At a more competitive event such as a championship-level ride, more veterinarians will be required to monitor the horses more closely.

If the ride is point-to-point where the start, vet checks and finish are all in different locations, the vets will end up quite spread out and thus more vets on staff will be required.

The more open vet checks there will be at any one time, the higher the number of vets that will be required.

At rides where all the vet checks and finish are in one location, fewer vets will be required.

If the ride is anticipated to be a large ride (i.e., 85 or more riders) and/or one attracting competitive riders such as a championship-level ride, it is recommended to have on staff a treatment vet whose duties can be delegated exclusively to treatment if needed.

If you as the head vet will be contacting the other ride vets, consider hiring a vet new to the sport. This works well if the ride is large enough that there will be a number of experienced vets already working the ride and the new vet would not be working any checkpoint alone. Working directly with a more experienced vet will provide guidance and a learning experience. This is a great way to get more vets interested in the sport, learning about the sport and available to work rides. Be sure to recommend new vets read the vet guideline handbook or listen to the tape before the ride. There is also now a video/DVD available.

Plan vet checks, staffing

You should contact the rest of the vet staff before the ride and indicate what time they should arrive (you may not need all vets present for the pre-ride vet check) and how long they will be expected to stay. Ask if they will be bringing treatment supplies and how much. Ask if they will need sleeping accommodations and pass this information on to the ride manager.

To keep your vets on staff happy and willing to return next year, remind ride management of the necessities: food/drink for the vet staff, adequate help such as vet secretaries and P&R people, trailers to transport horses in an emergency out of a checkpoint, communication between vet checks, and adequate lighting for the vet checks after dark on 100s. All of these things make the vetting go more smoothly, the vet staff happy and your job as head vet easier.

You will be asked by the ride manager, especially if this is not an established ride with vet check logistics already in place, to participate in planning the number, placing and layout of vet checks. Keep in mind it is recommended, if logistically possible, to have a vet check early on in the ride, i.e., 12-15 miles. The ride manager will ask your input on hold times as well.

Briefing riders and vets

As head vet, you should be prepared, with notes if necessary, to present at the pre-ride briefing the set criteria, hold times, logistics of best condition judging, responsibilities of the riders with respect to the welfare of their horses, and any other veterinary items specific to that ride. It is a good idea before the ride to meet with your veterinary staff, especially if it is a larger ride with multiple vets and checkpoints spread out. Here you can go over ride policies such as turning in all pull cards to the ride secretary, getting second opinions on questionable horses, communicating to management any horses pulled after the finish line (a common source of miscommunication and error when reporting ride results), etc.

During the ride, set up the veterinary flow chart so you are at the main, critical vet checks and at the finish line. This is where you will need to be to help resolve veterinary questions or conflicts. It is customary for the head vet to participate in the best condition judging. If other members of the vet staff are free to participate, it is best to get as many opinions as possible.

Prepare post-ride reports

After the ride, it is an important responsibility of the head vet to complete the post-ride statistical report and hand this in to the ride manager. This is an important form with valuable information used by AERC and for research projects.

If there is the unlikely and unfortunate occurrence of a horse fatality at the ride, the horse fatality report form must be filled out by the head vet and sent directly to the AERC office. Fortunately, this is rare, but when it happens discuss the recommendation of a necropsy with the owner. Remind the owner of the valuable information that will be obtained and that a portion of the cost will be covered by AERC if the necropsy is performed at a referral facility or lab capable of performing the procedure. If you are fortunate enough to be located near a state or private veterinary laboratory, it is best to have the necropsy performed there rather than at the ride site.

As you can see, working the ride as head vet rather than a control vet entails more responsibilities, higher expectations and working more closely as a part of ride management. One should not consider this role without having the experience of working at least a few rides. Once you have the knowledge of working at least several endurance rides, the fulfilling endeavor of leading the vet staff is well worth the challenges and extra work the ride will present.

IT'S YOUR RESPONSIBILITY: TREATMENT SUPPLIES

Regardless of whether the ride will have a designated treatment vet, it is the head veterinarian's responsibility to ensure there will be adequate treatment supplies at the ride site. This is not the ride manager's responsibility. When arranging your flow chart -- indicating which vets will be at what vet checks, and when -- consider that there should always be a vet present at every open vet check who has at least minimal treatment supplies to handle emergencies. Ongoing treatment or monitoring can then be referred either to the ride treatment vet or to a local veterinary hospital.

Return to Top