Emergency Care at Endurance Events
Endurance rides are often held in wilderness areas without good road access, posing a challenge when trying to reach a horse in distress. A Treatment Veterinarian should be equipped with sufficient horsepower (vehicle, ATV, or horse) to reach a horse
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Endurance horses perform protracted exercise of up to 12 hours for a 50-mile event, and up to 24 hours for a 100-mile competition. Besides metabolic issues created by fluid depletion and electrolyte imbalances due to sweating during sustained performance, immune and respiratory challenges stemming from transport to the event are added concerns. At the 2008 American Association of Equine Practitioners convention, held Dec. 6-10 in San Diego, Calif., this author (Nancy Loving, DVM) presented on unique conditions associated with offering emergency care at endurance events.
Dr. Nancy Loving discusses veterinary care at endurance events.
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Nancy S. Loving, DVM, owns Loving Equine Clinic in Boulder, Colorado,
and has a special interest in managing the care of sport horses. Her book, All Horse Systems Go, is a comprehensive veterinary care and conditioning resource in full color that covers all facets of horse care. She has also authored the books Go the Distance as a resource for endurance horse owners, Conformation and Performance, and First Aid for Horse and Rider in addition to many veterinary articles for both horse owner and professional audiences.
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