> K S SWIGART katswig@earthlink.net
>
> The AERC rules DO provide for Ride Managers to deny entry, completion, or whatever they choose to a participant if that participant breaks a published ride rule. Even one about dogs.
>
> I quote from the opening paragraph of the AERC rule book:
>
> "Additional measures may be taken by any ride to provide greater safety for equine and rider. However, except in the event of emergency, these additional measures must be explained to the competitors and made available to them in written form at a pre-ride meeting."
At my very first ride, going on almost three years ago, on the form it said "NO DOGS ALLOWED." So, when I found the place, unloaded my giraffe, and wandered around, I was very surprised to see dogs everywhere. It was my first lesson in the fact that endurance riders aren't very good at following certain types of rules. And it was one of the first clues that I had found a place I could call home.
I just started bringing my Chow lately to rides. She spends most of the weekend under my horse trailer, you would never know that she was there. And the only horses she comes out to scare is my Paint when the wife is on her. We're not sure why the dog does this, but she does. I think she's testing my wife's riding ability and endurance.
Anyway, the dog has been coming cause everyone in the family is there. Almost all the horses (I do have ONE friend who will watch the extra horse I leave behind) and the entire family are at the ride. My dog has yet to steal food from a neighbor or get loose at a ride. I'd like to keep bringing her; she's the cutest thing you ever did see. And the only time she's ever barked at a ride was when a neighbor's horse got loose. If she didn't bark the horse might have taken off before we caught her (actually I don't think the horse was going to do that but she was a potential threat to us "tent" dwellers).
cya,
Howard (dogs do take the excitement level up a notch at most endurance rides; especially around camp. Make it ten bucks and I'll shut up about this one)