Endrete
Well-Known Member
(Please excuse what will be a long post but am not impressed and wanted to give as much background info as possible.)
So, I went to watch the CHAPS grading at Arena Uk on Saturday.
I was considering taking my boy and some of my youngstock but will probably not now! I have to say that I was a tad concerned about some of the things going on and would like to see your comments...
Firstly, all the horses are vetted on the day. There were two women vets, a vet student and a man doing the flexion tests. Quite a few of the owners etc stood around watching were concerned about the way the tests were being carried out. He looked like he was trying to pull the poor horses legs off, actually leaning his full weight backwards and out at random angles and not consistant on each horse.
During the morning we were backwards and forwards watching the vettings and the horses in front of the graders. Quite a few of the horses were being sent off lame after the flexion tests but confusingly some were still passed whilst others failed.
Any way, after lunch we were stood right behind the vet and at one point, she turned around to her colleague and said very quietly 'we have just lamed that. We better put it through.'
Que some jaw dropping as the three of us looked at each other in horror!!!
Out of sheer fascination we stayed to watch the rest of the afternoon vettings. The one that really sticks in my head was a stunning fresian x stallion. We watched him trot up and he looked great. The vet took a quick look and then the man did the flexion test. Stallion trotted away sound.
Vet pulled him in and said his horse was lame??
She had also noticed that his joints at the back looked a little unusual but she could not tell what was wrong with him if anything. We had a look at him after and basically, his hock joints on the inside are larger and more prominent then you would generally see but equal and matching on both sides. No swellings and horse had never been lame (in fact had been 5stage vetted very recently and passed, by a vet I happen to know).
Anyway the stallion's owner on this occasion was brave enough to say that he disagreed. He told the vet that he is a farrier, so by profession he should know if a horse is lame and that his horse was definately not. Vet seemed to be having a bit of a panic and told stallion owner that horse was just the sort that they wanted to see and to represent him at a future date with x-rays but couldnt be graded today as it was lame.
The stallion's owner was furious and decided to complain. I spoke to him in the cafe and he told me that he had spoken to the man doing the flexion tests because as a farrier he wondered why they were being done in that particular fashion. It turns out that this guy was 'just helping out' and 'doing what the vet told him'. He wasnt even a vet student...
Now please forgive me if you think I am being a bt fussy but would you not think that the person doing the flexion tests should be a vet??? Apparently not! (Also a bit strange that after the fuss with this particular stallion all the vets disappeared for a bit and when they came back the 'helper', still doing the flexion tests, was doing them differently - hardly any pressure on the leg and straight up without twisting the shoulder or pelvis)
One of the stewards went out and had the fresian x trotted up again and agreed that he was fine. The stallion's owner was eventually allowed to present his horse to the graders (on the understanding that if the judge he had spoken to gave him the thumbs down in the first trot up then he could withdraw and represent another day). Horse did the walk and trot up on the triangle and looked fine, he was turned loose and was fine and he was then ridden and looked fine.
So, CHAPS gave him his score sheet at the end of the day and he had passed, subject to thier vet having a chat with his vet about the joints.
Well, I think this stallion's pass/not pass is still an ongoing issue. However, I was pretty shocked at the goings on (there were a few other things too but thought this post might end up like a book!!)
So, is this reprensentative of how this society operates?
I personally would be furious to know that the person performing any tests/touching my stallion on such an important day was not a qualified vet. What do you think?
So, I went to watch the CHAPS grading at Arena Uk on Saturday.
I was considering taking my boy and some of my youngstock but will probably not now! I have to say that I was a tad concerned about some of the things going on and would like to see your comments...
Firstly, all the horses are vetted on the day. There were two women vets, a vet student and a man doing the flexion tests. Quite a few of the owners etc stood around watching were concerned about the way the tests were being carried out. He looked like he was trying to pull the poor horses legs off, actually leaning his full weight backwards and out at random angles and not consistant on each horse.
During the morning we were backwards and forwards watching the vettings and the horses in front of the graders. Quite a few of the horses were being sent off lame after the flexion tests but confusingly some were still passed whilst others failed.
Any way, after lunch we were stood right behind the vet and at one point, she turned around to her colleague and said very quietly 'we have just lamed that. We better put it through.'
Que some jaw dropping as the three of us looked at each other in horror!!!
Out of sheer fascination we stayed to watch the rest of the afternoon vettings. The one that really sticks in my head was a stunning fresian x stallion. We watched him trot up and he looked great. The vet took a quick look and then the man did the flexion test. Stallion trotted away sound.
Vet pulled him in and said his horse was lame??
She had also noticed that his joints at the back looked a little unusual but she could not tell what was wrong with him if anything. We had a look at him after and basically, his hock joints on the inside are larger and more prominent then you would generally see but equal and matching on both sides. No swellings and horse had never been lame (in fact had been 5stage vetted very recently and passed, by a vet I happen to know).
Anyway the stallion's owner on this occasion was brave enough to say that he disagreed. He told the vet that he is a farrier, so by profession he should know if a horse is lame and that his horse was definately not. Vet seemed to be having a bit of a panic and told stallion owner that horse was just the sort that they wanted to see and to represent him at a future date with x-rays but couldnt be graded today as it was lame.
The stallion's owner was furious and decided to complain. I spoke to him in the cafe and he told me that he had spoken to the man doing the flexion tests because as a farrier he wondered why they were being done in that particular fashion. It turns out that this guy was 'just helping out' and 'doing what the vet told him'. He wasnt even a vet student...
Now please forgive me if you think I am being a bt fussy but would you not think that the person doing the flexion tests should be a vet??? Apparently not! (Also a bit strange that after the fuss with this particular stallion all the vets disappeared for a bit and when they came back the 'helper', still doing the flexion tests, was doing them differently - hardly any pressure on the leg and straight up without twisting the shoulder or pelvis)
One of the stewards went out and had the fresian x trotted up again and agreed that he was fine. The stallion's owner was eventually allowed to present his horse to the graders (on the understanding that if the judge he had spoken to gave him the thumbs down in the first trot up then he could withdraw and represent another day). Horse did the walk and trot up on the triangle and looked fine, he was turned loose and was fine and he was then ridden and looked fine.
So, CHAPS gave him his score sheet at the end of the day and he had passed, subject to thier vet having a chat with his vet about the joints.
Well, I think this stallion's pass/not pass is still an ongoing issue. However, I was pretty shocked at the goings on (there were a few other things too but thought this post might end up like a book!!)
So, is this reprensentative of how this society operates?
I personally would be furious to know that the person performing any tests/touching my stallion on such an important day was not a qualified vet. What do you think?
