Ridecamp: Re: [RC] Very young riders in AERC rides or at any rides

In a message dated 10/23/02 9:08:56 PM Pacific Daylight Time, jlong@xxxxxxxx writes:


> .  I do not believe any five-year-old has the strength or judgement to handle the
> emergencies that can occur on any endurance ride.


I, also, have been skiing since the age of bed wetting and will be the first to commend Charles on his analogy of skiing compared to endurance riding!  Last time I checked, I wasn't rolling around in a wheel chair due to the stresses of physical activity to my body!  I personally want to say to JLong that I believe that you are cutting new ambitions short by trying to stop youngsters and restrict them in an arena of dedicated horse fanatics by telling children that you are allowed to be an endurance fanatic but not until you are of certain age.  How dissapointing!  I've seen too many children follow the wrong path to stop them from following the right one!  I will say that you may have a point about that physical stress thing however.  I guess their bodies, not to mention their minds, would keep in perfect health just sitting on the couch eating twinkies and watching whatever mind melting program they can find on TV all day!  Not!!!!!

Ginger