Endurance.Net Ridecamp Archives

Title: Completely inappropriate

I was appalled to read the post from Howard this morning as I sipped my morning coffee.  It is rude, uncalled for and out of proportion to the original posters comments.  In this day and age I believe it could be considered threatening enough to consider legal actions.

I am a dog lover…I have 2-3 dogs all the time.  My friends have dogs.  We take dogs on conditioning rides with us.  If I had to choose between having dogs and having horses I think I would just implode…I could not chose one over the other.  That said, I DO NOT expect everyone to love dogs.

Just because someone dislikes dogs doesn’t make them evil and should not mean they can be threatened with violence.  The original poster was ASKED her opinion by a previous post.  She stated her opinion and didn’t sign her name because she feared reprisal for a less than popular opinion.  A couple of you have certainly reinforced her thoughts on that matter, haven’t you?  (Shame on you)

What I do EXPECT is that people who bring dogs to rides (mine stay home) keep their dogs leashed for their own protection and everyone else’s.  I EXPECT them to keep the dog in control on the leash…I don’t like strange dogs jumping on me either.  I EXPECT people to clean up their dogs feces in camp so the rest of us don’t have to smell it, avoid it or accidentally step in it.  I  EXPECT people to keep their dogs as quiet as possible as a constantly barking dog is extremely annoying to us all.  I EXPECT people who bring their dogs to rides to follow the rules of the ride manager without grumbling or “cheating” when the manager isn’t looking. 

I guess what I EXPECT is common sense, responsibility and manners….the same thing I expect from people everywhere I go and I believe what the vast majority of posters on this subject stated. 

I think the poster who did not like dogs was EXPECTING the same thing…that a dog would not impact her endurance ride weekend in a negative way because it is after all an EQUESTRIAN event. 

Kathleen Ferguson

AERC #717

PS I can see why Howard was kicked off ridecamp if this is what his posts consisted of…I am a high school science teacher and if a student wrote a note like that to another they would be EXPELLED and PROSECUTED.  Apparently Howard is just trying to stir up an emotional issue that was coming to an appropriate end of discussion; let’s just end it anyway, shall we??