tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5099696.post1672842471262153588..comments2024-03-25T06:09:21.796-07:00Comments on Endurance.Net: World News: Clean Endurance urges National Federations to approve 2020 FEI Endurance RulesEndurance.Nethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00250527329641206652noreply@blogger.comBlogger1125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5099696.post-84268250516424791402019-11-07T09:53:51.507-08:002019-11-07T09:53:51.507-08:00I strongly support the FEI’s resolve to reduce the...I strongly support the FEI’s resolve to reduce the prevalence of doped, injured and dying horses during endurance competitions. <br /><br />However, one of the rule changes, if passed on November 19th, will increase the prevalence of deaths. I refer to the proposal to ban bitless endurance.<br /><br />Peer-reviewed evidence shows that by removing the bit, the number of bit-induced pain behaviors was reduced by 87%. Bit-induced pain causes airway obstruction and this in turn causes waterlogging of the lung (‘bleeding’), catastrophic breakdowns and sudden death. <br /><br />If even more riders are obliged to use bits there will be a surge in the number of deaths and, for all your good intentions, you will have only aggravated two of the three problems you wish to minimize.<br /> <br />Cook, W.R. (2019): Horsemanship’s elephant in the room as a cause of unsolved problems affecting both horse and rider<br />https://en.weltexpress.info/2019/02/15/horsemanships-elephant-in-the-room-the-bit-as-a-cause-of-unsolved-problems-affecting-both-horse-and-rider/ <br /><br />Cook W.R. and Kibler, M. (2018): Behavioural assessment of pain in 66 horses, with and without a bit. Equine Veterinary Education. Open access (free) article available at <br />https://doi.org/10.1111/eve.12916<br /><br />Bleeding, breakdowns and sudden death: An interim solution for Californian horseracing?<br />https://www.horsetalk.co.nz/2019/08/23/bleeding-breakdowns-sudden-death-an-solution-california-horseracing/Robert Cooknoreply@blogger.com