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Re: [RC] [RC] Ft. Valley: Let em' race! - Heidi SmithLet's face it, horses freak easy. Accidents happen easy, NOBODY can ride it with their eyes closed, NOBODY knows every rock and NOBODY is immune to disaster! I'm also very sure that if something happened that was caused (even partailly) by either of these riders or management everyone would feel just awful but the victim would still be the victim! This statement is true every time we get on a horse--be it at a ride, at home, or anywhere else. If we wanted an absolute removal of risk, we would have to all sell our horses and stick to riding our easy chairs. Just came back from Steph's multiday--no disasters, but one horse bucked its rider off as she tried to mount at a vet check, and she hit the ground awfully hard and was hobbling around pretty miserably the next day. Another horse tripped and pitched its rider just going down the road and resulted in the rider having some cracked ribs. I got popped pretty good when my horse spooked at a deer a few months ago, on a quiet little training ride at home. Riders assume risks at the race track, going over fences, and even doing walk-trot-canter classes in the arena--went to a horse show last month and one girl got shook up pretty bad when she came off her horse in the arena sand at a canter. Heck, life is a risk--I get in my truck every day and drive down the highway to work, despite cars coming 70 mph from the other direction, and dark-colored moose that like to hang out on the highway after dark when I'm late getting home. I guess I should give that up, too, and just stay home. But oh, yeah--I get asthma at home if I start up the woodstove in the winter, so I guess that's risky, too... Lighten up, John Thunder--riders and RM's certainly do what they can (and need to do what they can) to minimize risk by developing the appropriate skills or by designing finish areas as safely as possible. But people ride this sport because they love the nature of what it is--and there is some element of risk in the nature of everything. Heidi =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Ridecamp is a service of Endurance Net, http://www.endurance.net. Information, Policy, Disclaimer: http://www.endurance.net/Ridecamp Subscribe/Unsubscribe http://www.endurance.net/ridecamp/logon.asp Ride Long and Ride Safe!! =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
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