Getting through the Vet Checks at Tevis

Enduranceridestuff.com - Full Article

by Karen Chaton

One of the most useful pieces of advice I was given prior to riding the Tevis this year was to make sure I got in line to vet as soon as I got my horse’s pulse timed in.

This is good advice. If you stop for even a minute after getting your pulse and in-time to let your horse eat, or for you to run to the restroom – when you come back you could have a half a dozen horses or more in front of you in the line to vet through.

On a ride like Tevis, every minute counts. If you spend five extra minutes at 8 of the vet checks, that is forty minutes that you could have used walking later in the ride rather than trotting if you are pushing the cut-off times.
sara trot out tevis Medium 300x214 Getting through the Vet Checks at Tevis

Sara vetted behind me. I got to the other side and stopped at the hay to let Bo eat while we waited. This is Sarah trotting towards me.

I had luck on my side this year because I never had to wait in a line to vet. Perhaps there would be one horse in front of me but the majority of the time I just walked up to the vet and vetted right through...

Read more here:
http://enduranceridestuff.com/blog/2010/07/vet-checks-tevis/