Re: RC: MALIBU RIDE AND TRAIL INCIDENT

["Truman Prevatt, PhD" <tprevatt@mindspring.com>]

Behavior as described in this incident can have a serious long term effect on all endurance riders. We must to learn to share the trails with other user. The fastest way to get us thrown off public land is to be perceived as being a hazard to other trail users.

Several years ago there was an accident on a SE endurance ride. It was not caused by the type of rudeness was displayed at the Malibu ride.  A group of riders came upon a group of trial riders. The trail riders got off the trail when they saw the riders coming. The endurance riders slowed and trotted by. One of the trail
horses spun to try to go with the endurance horses. The small boy riding him fell off and broke his arm and the horse hit a tree with his shoulder felll to the ground dead - probably broke a large blood vessel.

SERA provides good insurance to all our rides and the insurance did cover the bills and the cost of a new horse for the boy. This was an accident and all involved knew it was a freak accident. So we still run endurance rides there. If it had been an act of reckless riding, would you as a land manager allow more endurance
rides there?  I doubt if I would. So this issue is something we have to all think about every time we go to a ride or train hard on public lands.

The other issue is while ride insurance will cover the ride manager, and the land manager in the case of SERA's insurance - if it is a case of dangerous riding on the part of a rider that causes an accident that results in a pay out, the insurance company will go after that person to recover cost.  So each and every one of
us is responsible for the way we ride and how we treat other trail users.

Hopefully a handful of rude riders won't spoil it for the rest of us.

Truman


Merryben@aol.com wrote:

> My solution and what I would do.  Assuming that this was true and could be documented, I would disqualify the riders for unsportsmanlike conduct.  Not an easy or popular decision.  I would consider giving the juniors a completion, depending on their age.  Juniors are pretty much stuck with keeping up with their sponsors.
>
> At one ride, I did not ride and sent my juniors with another sponsor who was going to ride "slow".  He bombed off and the kids just refused to keep up.
>
> Anywayt, that's my solution.....
>
> maryben
>