I don’t know if this was posted elsewhere, it showed up on my FB last night. I’m not an endurance rider (although I really would love to try a ride). I personally do not feel this horse should have been allowed to be ridden. I’d also like to know how old the horse is.
Wow…I’m no endurance expert but that does not look good…
Also I did some googling and found this info on the horse http://aeraspace.com.au/HorseHistory.aspx?HorseID=6702
That is not lean (as they describe it) that is skinny. How can it even compete, it lacks muscle.
That horse is under a 3. If the new AERC rules pass, no horse under 3 enters. But this was not an AERC race. It’s cringe-inducing that FEI judges passed the horse to race as is.
Quote from article: [U]
Shakla’s Sudden Impact was passed fit to race at Compiègne by the same judges
[/U]And the Vets dismissed this horse from the race.
Why are the Judges determining who is able to race, yet the Vets pulled this horse after 40 plus miles? Wouldn’t the Vets be inspecting the horses? Obviously a Vet would know more than a Judge. Poor horse.
Who are the judges? This is an instance where the guilty should be named and shamed.
According to the Telegraph article, two vets determined the horse was fit BEFORE the race. Apparently, a different vet pulled it for lameness after 40 something miles, not for metabolic problems.
I’ve judged at a buttload of CTRs and a fair number of endurance rides, and I’m appalled.
But then, FEI endurance has disgusted me for quite some time.
They appear to have more concern with riders’ clothing than the condition or treatment of the horses.
Chronicle article is Here.
When I first bought Hoover, he looked like and everyone said OMG he’s thin. It took months of refeeding before I or COTHers were OK with my starting to get on him at all - he didn’t gain much weight until a shipment of senior feed finally came in to give him some serious calories. And this horse from the article was doing 160KM?? I can’t see it, after having rehabbed Hoover. And I repeat what we all said about Hoover when the senior feed had just come in: : We all said ‘There still just isn’t much back muscle there to sit on’.
for those who wonder, here’s Hoover now: . He’s currently on a diet!
I understand that endurance horses should look lean, but that pic is appalling. Wow. I feel like I need to go look up the FEI endurance history… I can’t imagine any vets I know saying that horse looks to be in good condition.
[QUOTE=Lisa Preston;7601428]
That horse is under a 3. If the new AERC rules pass, no horse under 3 enters. But this was not an AERC race. It’s cringe-inducing that FEI judges passed the horse to race as is.[/QUOTE]
This horse is not 3. He was born in 2002. And if you look at his record he ( see 2nd link that was posted) he was in Australia till last year and did some of Australias biggest races.
P.
The 3 was in reference to the Henneke Body Scale, not the horse’s age
Oo that makes more sense.
P.
[QUOTE=independentlyawesome;7605759]
I understand that endurance horses should look lean…[/QUOTE]
Not so much, actually. Google “Susan Garlinghouse Tevis body condition study.”
That poor horse.
That’s not fit… that’s starved.
this has been much publicised over here. Someone found a pic of the horse competing in Australia - he looked absolutely fine. Then,it seems,he was sold to the Bahreinis 
for whom he has attempted two FEI races but failed to complete on both occasions. I dont even want to think about what will happen to him now. It would be nice to imagine he will get some R & R but not holding my breath :no:
http://www.horseandhound.co.uk/news/thin-endurance-horse-passed-fit-race-horrifies-riders/
Really , no excuse…
It would appear that many Middle Eastern riders have no concern for the welfare for their horses. Between the doping issues, horses breaking down during competitions and now this, they are ruining the sport of Endurance. It is a shame that more is not done to stop this type of behavior, but I believe now people are trying to get this under control as it is becoming rampant and hard to ignore or cover up. Nothing like closing the barn door after the horse is loose. Excuse the pun…
