OK so they check normal before you go, if his starts out higher than hormal, say 50, but returns to his normal within the allotted time, would that still be bad? I'm gonna ask the vet about his heart rate.
About riding 'sweep' or 'drag', I did that on the last 25 mile poker ride I went on. After 200 horses had gone through of all levels, I thought it was a pretty important job to make sure no one was stranded out there. I rode it with another friend, and I even got a police walkie talkie ;~D
But yeah - it'd be much better if I could ride with ecurbh. Maybe I won't do it now, with this horse, maybe I can, I don't know. I am not real serious about it - would be doing it for fun. We'll see if I can, if not, maybe after Bay retires and I have a fresher horse.
No, they don't set a "normal per horse" rate. That's why Rusty won't work. All horses rates have to fall in the same parameters. It's a pretty average parameter tho. At rest Rusty fell at the very high end of it, so that when he was working he went over, and since he had problems cooling, it took him longer then 10 minutes to come down to the proscribed parameters. Now that I think he is well, he "may" be OK. I've never gotten him in good enough shape since then to try.
Anyway, I'd just take Bays at rest, then work him good, let him stand 10 minutes and see where he is at.
Ecurbh could ride with you even if you rode drag, he'd just be at the very back of the competitiors. I've know competitors that rode with the drag riders.
And then there is one other thing. This might not be very ethical but....you could go ahead and ride him as is. In 5 years I've never been drug tested. It's so random, you'd probably get by. If you got caught, just say you didn't know:). I feel bad saying this, but IMO, the drug does not really give him an advantage beings as he has a problem. IMO it kind of balances out.
Becky