Stallions in endurance riding

[guest@endurance.net]

Karen Webb kwebb@gssb.com
Along some of the same lines as previous posts about this topic, it would
be greatly helpful if ALL riders would pay attention to ribbons in the
manes and tails of horses.  I ride a stallion and a mare.  My stallion
does not kick, but I always put a red ribbon in addition to a yellow
ribbon in his mane and in his tail, hopefully just to keep people from
getting right on top of him.  The mare does kick and always wears a red
ribbon in her mane ad tail too.  I can't tell you how many times I have
had people run up right on top of either horse, crowd, jostle, whatever,
and especially the stallion.  He is very well behaved and I always try to
give advance notice when possible that he is a stallion, but it amazes me
how many riders just do not bother to notice those ribbons which are put
there for darn good reason.

I was at the Biltmore ride and much the same thing happened with my mare
who kicks.  Another obnoxious thing occurred while we were at a watering
tub.  My mare, who won't drink for about the first 10 miles, was minding
her own business and trying really hard to drink at one of the watering
tubs along with two other horses.  One lady on a gelding kept letting him
nip my mare in the face, preventing her from drinking!  He did it several
times, I brought it to her attention and she still let him do it!  Very
Rude!

You know they say, no bad dogs, just owners.  I think its very true with
horses as well.  Yes, stallion owners need to be extra vigilant, but
everyone needs to be considerate, no matter what gender of animal you
ride.