Re: [RC] [AERC-Members] Announcement from Horse Welfare Committee - Jim Holland
I agree....but you're right...this will never happen....but I sure would
like to see it put to a vote of the membership. The majority
of the membership does NOT race! :) I sure hope the BoD has a backup
plan for Horse Welfare. The number of metabolic horse deaths is not
decreasing....we already have as many as we did last year. This is
the number one problem in AERC...and it's not going away. Just don't think
rider education and peer pressure are going to get it done. Either we change
our direction or we go to a log book system with punitive action like AERA.
IMHO, AERC should be about "distance riding", not "fastest horse".
Keep in mind that in speed-over-distance events, Arabians generally
have a distinct advantage. Eliminating speed as a criteria levels
the playing field somewhat with regard to the breed of horse and might
even result in an INCREASE in membership and more LD riders moving up to
Endurance.
Ride wins and Top Ten's fade in memor with time. I am most
proud of Sunny's 1000 mile award...all with me in the saddle...and his
AHA Legion of Honor. I commend AERC for the lifetime NCR qualification
that if you have 1000 miles on the same horse...good move! THAT's
the direction we need to go. The knowledge and experience you acquire from
"many miles, same horse" and the bond that results from that partnership
is incredible.
"When I bestride him, I soar, I am a Hawk: he trots the air; the
earth sings when he touches it; the basest horn of his hoof is more musical
than the pipe of Hermes...he is pure air and fire...the prince of palfreys;
his neigh is like the bidding of a monarch and his countenance enforces
homage." -William Shakespeare, Henry V
Jim, Sun of Dimanche+, and Mahada Magic
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Probably the
only way we are going to control speed and the possibility of over-riding
is to do away with the rewards for speed. No national or world champions,
no top ten. Everyone who finishes is recognized as a "winner".
Until we adopt this as policy, there are always going to be people who
run to place first or top ten or whatever. Somehow, I don't think
this is going to happen, because the element of superior performance (first
place) is always going to be desirable. If we don't give awards,
there probably won't be as many members in AERC, because the element of
awards is very important to any sport. I once suggested the elimination
of awards at a membership meeting at convention, and my idea received a
standing ovation. But, as we can all see, it never happened.
And I'm not sure it should happen. We can't legislate common sense.
It just won't work. How to save our horses? I don't have a
good answer. And even if a rider is using the utmost common sense
and care of his/her horse, there can still be deaths. I've seen it
happen, I know it happens. I don't have any answers, does anyone
else???? And tattling on riders we see out on the trail, abusing
or over-riding horses is somehow repugnant to me. Didn't we learn
as children that tattling is a no-no? I don't like to see abuse or
over-riding, but tattling is even less appealing. Barbara
McCrary
