humblepie
Well-Known Member
Do the runners have to "vet" or "doctor" at any point or is it left to them to decide if they are okay? Very good report, thanks for sharing.
Another Man V Horse entrant…
- Thread starter Ample Prosecco
- Start date
QuantockHills
Well-Known Member
There's a man v horse event on the Quantock Hill's in Somerset this October if anyone is looking for another event... it's got a Facebook group but I cant remember the name!
palo1
Well-Known Member
Good grief, no! It is relatively easy for the runners to pull out and there is a great deal of support from stewards throughout so if someone is pushing themselves too hard it would be easy to get help. Honestly, some of the runners would not pass a trot up but they are, largely, committed and experienced and it is their call!
Tiddlypom
Carries on creakily
That’s a good point.
An HHOer posted not so long ago that she was indeed pulled up and ‘vetted out’ during the final running stage of a triathlon.
So a responsible race should take due care of its human runners too, who may be struggling more than they think.
Annagain
Well-Known Member
The difference is the runners are adults with capacity to make their own decisions (albeit possibly with clouded judgement), the horses aren't.
clinkerbuilt
Well-Known Member
not endurance but relevantly from current H&H online (pasted for accessibility):
"‘I’m proud we’ve done this’: 12 oversized riders asked to dismount at major show
Twelve people too big for the ponies they were riding were asked to dismount at the Royal Three Counties Show (16–18 June) – and a weight limit is likely to be brought in next year.
For the first time, and in the interests of equine welfare, the show applied a rule stating that anyone riding on the showground had to be “suitably mounted”. A welfare officer was brought in to ensure this was the case, with the result that 12 people, including some repeat offenders, were asked to dismount.
Show secretary Betsy Branyan told H&H the rule came in after issues at last year’s event.
“We saw several larger riders, especially on show ponies, and we thought we needed to do something,” she said. “It was getting beyond acceptable.”
The welfare officer was Amanda Stoddart-West, livestock and entries co-ordinator of the Great Yorkshire Show (GYS), which brought in a 20% weight limit for all riders, seven years ago.
“We didn’t go as far as the GYS but after this year, I’m seriously considering it,” Ms Branyan said. “There were riders whose stirrups were by the ponies’ knees, one man was pushing 5ft 9in on a 12.2hh – there was no doubt it looked wrong.”
Ms Branyan said the vet was involved on one occasion; the rider’s height was not excessive but her weight was thought to be, and it was agreed that the “rider to horse weight ratio was incorrect”, but others were pulled up as although their weight was not excessive, they were too tall for their mounts.
“I feel proud that, as a show, we’ve done this,” she added.
Mrs Stoddart-West told H&H that, at the show, she was in constant contact with the stable team and some of the stewards, and between them they covered the lorry parks and warm-up areas.
“It meant we could see what was going on, and it saddened me,” she said. “I saw one mother telling her eight-year-old child to ride on the bottom rein and keep the bit moving, so basically saw the pony’s mouth. Eventually, she got the child off and she got on. I thought, ‘Nope, this is supposed to be a child’s pony and shouldn’t need this.’”
Mrs Stoddart-West said she was “horrified” by some responses to her interventions.
“There were some who weren’t too heavy but they were too tall – knees over the ponies’ shoulders which resulted in them sitting on their loins, affecting the overall balance,” she said. “It’s not just about weight. I told them there are people who want to stop horses being ridden, and you’re giving them ammunition.”
She added that some were asked to dismount more than once, to the point they saw her approaching and did so before she arrived.
“That’s what we’re dealing with,” she said. “People who think there’s a different rule for them. I think next year, they’ll be using scales.”
“I’m delighted the Three Counties team is being so proactive, and everyone is working together, which is great.”
“Lots of other exhibitors came up to say thank you,” she added. “For trying to make it a level playing field – and for looking out for the welfare of the animals. It gives me hope we’re going in the right direction.”
World Horse Welfare deputy chief executive Tony Tyler told H&H the Three Counties team should be “applauded for not tolerating mismatched horse and rider combinations which are an obvious affront to horse welfare”.
“There are horses and ponies for all shapes and sizes and it’s all about ensuring the right match,” he said. “When the match is not right, we hope more shows will take a stand for the welfare of the horses and ponies, and for the future of equestrian competition.”
"‘I’m proud we’ve done this’: 12 oversized riders asked to dismount at major show
Twelve people too big for the ponies they were riding were asked to dismount at the Royal Three Counties Show (16–18 June) – and a weight limit is likely to be brought in next year.
For the first time, and in the interests of equine welfare, the show applied a rule stating that anyone riding on the showground had to be “suitably mounted”. A welfare officer was brought in to ensure this was the case, with the result that 12 people, including some repeat offenders, were asked to dismount.
Show secretary Betsy Branyan told H&H the rule came in after issues at last year’s event.
“We saw several larger riders, especially on show ponies, and we thought we needed to do something,” she said. “It was getting beyond acceptable.”
The welfare officer was Amanda Stoddart-West, livestock and entries co-ordinator of the Great Yorkshire Show (GYS), which brought in a 20% weight limit for all riders, seven years ago.
“We didn’t go as far as the GYS but after this year, I’m seriously considering it,” Ms Branyan said. “There were riders whose stirrups were by the ponies’ knees, one man was pushing 5ft 9in on a 12.2hh – there was no doubt it looked wrong.”
Ms Branyan said the vet was involved on one occasion; the rider’s height was not excessive but her weight was thought to be, and it was agreed that the “rider to horse weight ratio was incorrect”, but others were pulled up as although their weight was not excessive, they were too tall for their mounts.
“I feel proud that, as a show, we’ve done this,” she added.
Mrs Stoddart-West told H&H that, at the show, she was in constant contact with the stable team and some of the stewards, and between them they covered the lorry parks and warm-up areas.
“It meant we could see what was going on, and it saddened me,” she said. “I saw one mother telling her eight-year-old child to ride on the bottom rein and keep the bit moving, so basically saw the pony’s mouth. Eventually, she got the child off and she got on. I thought, ‘Nope, this is supposed to be a child’s pony and shouldn’t need this.’”
Mrs Stoddart-West said she was “horrified” by some responses to her interventions.
“There were some who weren’t too heavy but they were too tall – knees over the ponies’ shoulders which resulted in them sitting on their loins, affecting the overall balance,” she said. “It’s not just about weight. I told them there are people who want to stop horses being ridden, and you’re giving them ammunition.”
She added that some were asked to dismount more than once, to the point they saw her approaching and did so before she arrived.
“That’s what we’re dealing with,” she said. “People who think there’s a different rule for them. I think next year, they’ll be using scales.”
“I’m delighted the Three Counties team is being so proactive, and everyone is working together, which is great.”
“Lots of other exhibitors came up to say thank you,” she added. “For trying to make it a level playing field – and for looking out for the welfare of the animals. It gives me hope we’re going in the right direction.”
World Horse Welfare deputy chief executive Tony Tyler told H&H the Three Counties team should be “applauded for not tolerating mismatched horse and rider combinations which are an obvious affront to horse welfare”.
“There are horses and ponies for all shapes and sizes and it’s all about ensuring the right match,” he said. “When the match is not right, we hope more shows will take a stand for the welfare of the horses and ponies, and for the future of equestrian competition.”
Julia0803
Well-Known Member
Not really, no. At least not in human only races.
My husband does ultra marathons- 50km/50m/100k and one 100miler.
He’s an absolute wreck the next day… and usually multiple days (and often looks like complete death after finishing the longest distances).
There are some qualification rules- about having to have completed x number of races at y miles before you can enter the longer ones to try and safeguard people from attempting too greater distance without the required fitness and training.
I don’t know why he does it to himself tbh!!
However, we have often joked there’s no way he’d pass an equivalent pre ride vetting- either on lameness or metabolic issues.
However, he is an adult and able to make informed decisions about his health etc, what he is willing to put himself through and the risks, as a previous poster said.
Gamebird
Well-Known Member
With human endurance running there are some safeguards, but as has been mentioned people can speak up for themselves, or be questioned about their symptoms. There is no animal welfare angle. Most ultra distance races have cut-offs throughout races (eg. you must have left check-point 3 by 11.15am), and if you don't make the cut-off you have to pull out. If you are within the time at a checkpoint, but still considering pulling out for physical/energy/exhaustion reasons, you are often encouraged to try to continue, or at least not make a decision until after you've had a seat for 10 minutes, some food and a hot sugary drink. It is amazing how that can turn exhaustion and despair into someone who actually goes on to complete!
There is also a requirement to carry a minimum basic mandatory amount of kit to prevent hypothermia or hypoglycaemia, and usually a minimum amount of fluid to carry and this will be checked before starting. It would be hard to carry food/water/blankets etc. for a horse!
For foreign ultras or mountain races some require pre-entry doctors checks/bloods/heart testing. I have never heard of this in the UK though. The harder/longer races do have qualification requirements. The one I did at the weekend was not too rigourous though - only to have previously completed a race of greater than marathon distance within the cut-offs for that race in the previous 18 months, and it was not checked. Other races do check.
There is also a requirement to carry a minimum basic mandatory amount of kit to prevent hypothermia or hypoglycaemia, and usually a minimum amount of fluid to carry and this will be checked before starting. It would be hard to carry food/water/blankets etc. for a horse!
For foreign ultras or mountain races some require pre-entry doctors checks/bloods/heart testing. I have never heard of this in the UK though. The harder/longer races do have qualification requirements. The one I did at the weekend was not too rigourous though - only to have previously completed a race of greater than marathon distance within the cut-offs for that race in the previous 18 months, and it was not checked. Other races do check.