Challenges of Working at Eventing Competitions

A new course, “The Challenges of Working at Horse Trials and Three Day Events” was held at Hartpury College on August 13th, which coincided with a CCI*, CCI** and CIC*** competition.   The CPD course was designed to provide those with an interest in working at either Horse Trials or Three Day Events with the necessary background on the veterinary arrangements and the anticipated emergency situations that might arise.   An FEI Veterinary Delegates course followed on the Friday and Saturday, for those interested in becoming FEI Veterinary Delegates for any of the equestrian sports. 

Overall, the day focussed on the practicalities of preparation and the potential trouble-spots that can occur at eventing competitions.   Kicking off was Rachael Conwell with some practical tips about preparing for the day’s sport, including: necessary equipment, necessary clothing (don’t forget your rain gear or sunscreen), the practical arrangements for horse ambulance and potential referrals, as well as the ever-important communication between the veterinary surgeon and the other event officials.  The points made in this early talk were reinforced during a later talk relating to “The down and trapped horse” which emphasized that days at horse trials can be tedious 99% of the time, but preparation for the other 1% of excitement is the most important.   For example, it is rare to have to anaesthetise a horse to extricate it from a fence, but just in case, prepare well and bring some ketamine along!    Planning routes to each fence and anticipating the challenges that may be faced when extricating a horse from a ditch or a fence, will help to deal with any situation that arises.  Both talks emphasised the need to prepare in advance and to arrive at the venue with enough time to spare to meet other officials (doctors, technical advisors and delegates, organisers and the control team), to familiarise yourself with the course and to find your way efficiently to both sides of each fences.   

After a brief review of the injuries that occur most commonly at eventing competitions, Ian Camm provided delegates with an informative talk focussed on treating acute musculoskeletal injuries emphasizing that the first challenges are: to determine the potential location of the problem, to stabilise the area if required, to provide emergency stabilisation if necessary, and to move the horse off of the course and back to the stables area or to a referral centre.  With his wealth of experience, Ian was able to provide a practical insight into the challenges of working at the competitions.  The delegates were able to apply the theory from the lecture in one of the afternoon practical sessions during which the application of the most common splinting techniques were demonstrated.  Since tendon injuries are common in event horses, Charlotte Avella was invited to enlighten the audience about the latest research relating to tendon injury, treatment and prognosis.  The appropriate short and long term treatment of these injuries was discussed.  Specific case examples with ultrasound images were discussed in smaller groups during Charlotte’s practical session. 

The morning session concluded with Rachael helping the audience with decisions regarding which cardiac arrhythmias are significant and may affect performance and which are not a cause for worry.   Most auscultation of hearts at events is now only at the conclusion of the cross country phase, as phases A, B, and C are no longer part of the competition – making the vets job a bit easier.  Rachael concluded with a useful talk about the recognition and treatment of exertional rhabdomyolysis in the acute phase and top tips for the treatment of the over-heated horse.

After lunch, the splinting and tendon injury practical sessions took place within the palatial equestrian facilities of the college.  The third practical session was led by Paul Farrington with the title of “The Tired Horse”.  As custodians of horse welfare, one of the potential situations the veterinary surgeon may face at a competition is the recognition of the exhausted horse, before a catastrophe occurs.  This is not always simple and the examples on the video were designed to demonstrate: the horse that is finishing well, the horse with an acceptable level of fatigue and the horse that should be stopped on course.  Examples of poor riding and poor fence design were included which stimulated some useful discussion about how to react to the different situations, particularly since decisions must be made quickly on the day.

The final session of the afternoon was the most arduous, requiring the delegates to walk around the cross country course in the beautiful August sunshine with course designer Eric Winter (see photos).  Eric provided an insight into the challenges he faces as course designer to make the course a suitable test for horse and rider at each level, without presenting either with an unsafe situation.   Eric continued the theme mentioned throughout the day that teamwork between event officials is essential, particularly in an emergency situation.  The course designer and fence repair team know more about fence construction and destruction than the average vet, making them invaluable when a fence needs to be disassembled to extricate a trapped horse. 

The day concluded with a relaxed final “cuppa” in the dining room at the College.  The course evaluations were generally excellent with some constructive comments for improvement.  Since the course was well-reviewed and over-subscribed, it will be back run again in 2010!