unsanctioned rides

["jsalas" <jsalas@tampabay.rr.com>]

Colleen, sanctioning a ride does not always make it worthwhile, nor does it keep horses from dying. My daughter, girlfriend and I attended a ride in April. The trails were so screwed up it took everyone at least 4 hrs to do a "12 1/2" mile loop. The vet was such a cocky son of a gun he made it very clear he was going to "teach those LD'ers how to ride slow"  and to top it off, no results yet. It seems no one knows where they are. All that, and no points either. That was not the first ride I have ever been to that was that bad. A good ride manager with common sense and crew (including vets) with a sense of humor can pull off an incredible ride with no horses on IV's, with or with out sanctioning. Most rides with bad conditions and high pull rates are  sanctioned. Know whuda mean, Vern? Ride 'em any way you can. Lisa Salas, The odd Farm, where we ride for excitement and try to keep it safe.