Re: RC: Ummm,, I'm confused

[Linda Cowles <kadence@ix.netcom.com>]

If Endurance was like little league, was a sport centered around endurance racing children, I feel the AERC would have to mandate age restrictions.

This sport is focused around endurance racing equines. Once AERC assumes the responsibility for mandating who rides and why, they assume responsibility and are burdened with more rules, controversy, liability. Once we start stating that certain ages are "safe", as an organization we become liable if we are proven wrong. There
are adults who are too "immature" (as in inexperienced) to be riding in this sport! Endurance safety is isn't a question of age, but of preparation.

There are some age specific rules, the helmet rule and the sponsor rules, and I happen to agree with those rules. But an age rule? We don't have any problems to fix here, folks. Why the landslide of concern?

There are many children in precarious circumstances... Endurance kids are generally VERY sheltered compared to many children in this country who are exposed to alcohol, drugs, fast food, toxic environments, family fights, emotional neglect and deprivation, violence and sex on TV, absence of love and affection. There are many
ways to raise children... raising one on the back of a horse behind a loving dad works for me!

I grew up in a family that gave their kids a high degree of freedom, and the whole family suffered from the "help" the community tried to press on us. I was a three year old dissecting dead things on the front porch with my very own antique (early 1800's) set of surgical scalpels. I was raised around knives and knew they were
sharp and would cut you open. I had already help gut freshly killed chickens, after watching the chicken be killed, to learn respect for what I ate, so knew what would happen if I wasn't careful.

Real life... most kids aren't prepared for it.

Before I was 4, I had my own microscope (another antique), knew about penicillin, protozoa and cell division, understood about parasites and bacteria, was breeding parakeets, fish, helping deliver puppies, holding my great granddads hand as he passed away. I knew how to graft fruit trees and roses, plant seeds.

I grew up surrounded by danger. Only we called it "living".  I am so glad I didn't have parents that "protected" me from becoming who I am now.

A well prepared child on a safe horse? The parents know what they're doing? Sounds a heck of a lot safer than a safety seat in an ATV on 80 MPH California freeways surrounded by drunk drivers and recent immigrants.

Linda Cowles

   (who grew up a lot like Cliffy and knows what all the other kids are missing)



"guest@endurance.net" wrote:

> A.P. AmandaPerez@ureach.com
> please forgive this newbie lurker question... I am not an endurance rider yet... hope to be one day tho...  have been reading ridercamp archives and the debate about little boy made me wonder: if its up to the parents to decide how old is old enough, why have age limits for horses?  shouldn't that be up to the horses owners?
>
> Just Wondering
>
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