The basic thing here is a matter of
philosophy. Some feel that "the group" (I am using "the group" to
refer to the government, an organization, church, rule book etc.) knows better
than the individual and that the individual can not be trusted. If you
feel that individuals can not be trusted to do what is right and best, the next
logical step is to transfer the responsibility to what you feel is the
appropriate "group". This idea tends to go completely
through a society.
An individual can not be trusted to care for
his/her horse, so you need log books and organizational rules mandating a
comprehensive series of qualifications. A buyer of a horse can not trust
his own judgment, his vet, or to judge the honesty of the seller, so he/she
trusts a logbook of the horse's record.
An individual can not be trusted to know the
difference between corporal punishment and child abuse, so the government bans
all spanking of children.
An individual can not be trusted to only use deadly
force when it is justified, so the government bans all use of deadly force, even
when the individuals life is threatened.
In the USA there is still a majority, though it may
be shrinking, who believe that individuals can and should be trusted to make
many decisions on their own.
In the case of endurance, I am a firm believer that
it does work. Our endurance horses in general are healthy and have long
careers. I am the one who is responsible for the health of my horse.
I take this seriously. Like most dedicated endurance riders I have pulled
horses that were cleared to go on.
There is nothing to prevent an individual of doing
exactly what I have done since 1990. I keep my own personal log book with
the story of each ride. I record the horse, the weather, a description of
the trail, my time, and any significant horse health issues. I do not keep
ride cards because most of the information is not significant. For example, one
vets A- gut sounds may be the same as another's B. If there is a pull, I
will find out exactly what happened and write this down, much more informative
than a scribbled C or D or just "pull-lame".
Ed
Ed & Wendy Hauser 2994 Mittower
Road Victor, MT 59875
