Re: [RC] Philosophy and goals in distance riding ! Long! - Tiffany D'Virgilio
I'm not trying to be flippant, I am curious why people have that idea that endurance is dangerous for horses. I have seen more people deeply care for the horse's welfare than in all the other horse sports I've either been involved in or watched. We have all heard of or have seen show trainers beat the crap out of horses, put tight draw reins or other training "devices", I've seen?H/J trainers who put nails on the training poles so old dobbin lifts those feet higher,? I've seen little girls beat their horses when they didn't get that blue ribbon. I showed my whole childhood, boarded at the LAEC where there are some VERY well known H/J and show barns, and I have yet to see the horse sport where more love, concern and horse wisdom are applied than endurance.
The vast majority of endurance riders don't race, so the vast majority of endurance horses are not at an increased danger level, or even injury level when compared to other horse sports. Does the horse welfare committee haven any stats on % of horses injured??
It makes me sad that people would think endurance is a dangerous sport for horses. All horse sports carry some level of danger, but I don't feel like endurance should be singled out are more dangerous than eventing and the like.
Tiffany
On Apr 4, 2006, at 8:52 AM, Tiffany D'Virgilio wrote:
Endurance more dangerous for the horse than jumping or eventing? Why do you have that view?
I see many older endurance horses up into their twenties, I haven't seen many 20 year old eventers or jumpers. I watch all kinds of horse events and have yet to see a sport that is more horse friendly than endurance.?
?When Renee' (an excellent?, track exercise rider)?was first bitten by the endurance bug, I tried for a very long time to talk her out of the sport because I thought it was entirely too dangerous for the horses. I would have been very pleased for her to redirect all of her equestrian efforts back into eventing, dressage and?jumping.
