Ridecamp: Re: [RC] They all kick.

After following this thread and the other one about green horses, all I have
to say to those of you who are making excuses is teach your horse some
manners! Sheez! Why is there a tolerance of such ill-behaved horses in
endurance?

While we're on the subject of kicking and greenies, we might as well talk
about biters. I did pulses the week before last at a small ride and for a
few of the horses (one in particular), I had to hold the heart monitor in
one hand and make a fist with the other to ward off the bared teeth. Yes,
the horses were girthy because of the sand and mud, I was very cognizant of
that. But, darn it, if a horse is coming at the pulse taker (or anyone) with
teeth bared, correct the beast, pulse be damned!

Deanna


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On Tue, 28 May 2002 18:01:59 -0600, "Brenda L. Kossowan"
<bekosso@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

>Jennifer: I have always held that the rider who is kicked is at fault -
>even when it was me. All horses kick, some without any predictability.
>There is simply no excuse for crowding another horse on the trail
>(acknowledging that sometimes the darn things do get away on ya, eh?).

I've stayed out of this so far, but I've seen comments to this effect
too many times.  And, it -- just -- isn't -- so.  Any horse can kick,
yes, but it is simply not true to say that the horse/rider getting
kicked is always at fault.

I once passed another horse on a two-track (jeep road).  The horse I
was passing was in the left track, I was in the right track, and I
called to the rider to let her know I was passing on her right.  Her
horse just fired out to the side and nailed me on the leg.  No break,
but a lot of pain for the rest of the ride.  I was not at fault in
that situation.

There was another SE horse some years ago that was a notorious kicker.
The owner/riders seemed to do nothing to correct it.  I would have
refused entry to that horse from a ride I managed.  One of the times
it hurt someone, was at the start of a ride.  The trail was narrow,
horses could pass only closely.  The rider of this horse squeezed past
another, and the horse kicked the rider in the leg doing her serious
injury.  That rider, and her horse, were in no way at fault, they were
being passed at a narrow place, it was 100% the fault of the kicking
horse and his rider.  I considered it extremely irresponsible of the
rider to even try to pass in such crowded conditions near the start,
knowing his horse to be a vicious kicker.  He ruined that rider's ride
to gain a few seconds, and could have done far worse.

-- 

Joe Long


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