Re: simipathy or butt kick

[Howard4567@aol.com]

I thought I'd share this one with you. The title "Simipathy or butt kick" is 
how I received this email.  I've read it over and over and thought it should 
be on RC.  I took out the girl's name and email address.  Another person on 
RC wrote to me privately and thought I made the whole story up to get 
attention or mess with riders' heads or whatever.  

It took a lot for me to write that story, you can question me all you want, 
and this is the last I will say any more about it; it happened.  I don't mind 
the criticism.  I really hope that you never experience, with your horse, 
what happened to Dance Line.  As Nancy Loving said in her recent article, 
"When you pass a horse on IV at a ride try not to think what an idiot rider 
that must be, say to yourself, "There but for the grace of God, go I."
  
I've tried to answer all of you who've emailed me privately.  If I missed 
someone let me know.  For the one lady who thought I made my story up, please 
read below.  I don't enjoy receiving mail like this but am not surprised 
someone feels this way.  There is nothing any of you can say or do to me that 
will make me feel worse than I did last Saturday night.  

I'll probably be offline for awhile, but I won't quit RC.  And since it's 
difficult for me to keep my mouth shut I probably won't turn into a lurker.  
But it's a beautiful day and I'm going out to groom my horses and have a chat 
with Dance.

cya,
Howard

In a message dated 3/24/00 1:53:46 PM Eastern Standard Time, ****** writes:

<< Howard
 
 In your first story you told everybody that 7 years ago you killed
 another horse under similar circumstances!
 
 How many horses do you have to kill from over riding to learn that you
 are doing something wrong!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
 
 Some people have no business having horses, let alone try to do
 endurance riding.  You sound like one of them.
 
 You write this story to ridecamp like your trying for a prize if you can
 tell your story well.
 
 I'm trying to be sorry for you for this incident,  but I can't. Only the
 horse!!  Especially after you have already killed one horse.   I think
 that is awful!!!   You should have a 75 lb pack put on your back and
 then be made to go out and run 50 miles and see how you fill.
 
 I can't believe the people on ridecamp are holding your hand and talking
 softly to soothe your guilty conscience.
 
 I think you should be shot!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
 
 NO HORSE DESERVES THAT KIND OF LACK OF CARING FROM IT'S OWNER THAT
 CLAIMS TO LOVE THIS ANIMAL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
 
 WHAT A HYPOCRITE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
 
 I DELETE EVERYTHING YOU WRITE ABOUT NOW.   I DON'T CONDONE HORSE
 SLAUGHTER BY RIDING THEM TO DEATH!!!!!!!!!!
 
 YOU ARE THE KIND OF PERSON THAT GIVE ENDURANCE RIDERS A BAD
 NAME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
 
 YOU SHOULD SELL THE HORSES YOU HAVE LEFT BEFORE YOU KILL THEM TOO!
 JUST SO YOU CAN FINISH A 50 MILE RIDE!!!!!!!  THAT IS
 DISGUSTING!!!!!!!!!!!!
 GEE,   WAS IT WORTH IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
 BUT I DOUBT THAT YOU ARE CAPABLE OF KNOWING THE RIGHT THING TO DO WITH
 YOUR MUCH LOVED HORSES.
 
 I'M SORRY THAT YOUR DAUGHTER HAD TO SEE HER FATHER IN SUCH A FINISHING
 FIT THAT YOU WOULD KILL THE HORSE TO FINISH!!!!!!!!!
 WHAT A GOOD EXAMPLE FOR YOUR DAUGHTER!!!!  HOPE SHE DOESN'T GROW UP LIKE
 YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
 
 
*her name*   (and very disgusted that someone would do this)
 
  >>