Proposed Rule Changes & Welfare of the Horse

 The Equine Welfare Reform Package  

This motion proposal was voted on by the AERC Board of Directors on February 27, 2014.  The points of change are:

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 cardsshould 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.

 

Rule changes to be effective in new ride year 2015.

It will be interesting to see changes coming in the next few years.  Especially those that are for the welfare of our equine friends♥