I really do not think
that would work. I for one will not take responsibility for the actions of
another adult. It is pretty hard to MAKE an adult behave if they don't want to.
Time and time again they
same riders push their horses to the limit. They ride them like they are
machines.
Try and talk to them
about it. They really do not believe they are doing something
wrong.
I spent a night at the
clinic with a horse that was in need of treatment. The owner slept all night.
Left me stranded without a vehicle. She refused to spend the money for treatment
or drive the horse in to be treated.
Another rider hauled the
horse.
I put my credit card up
as payment. We stayed up all night.
The ride manager is one
of my best friends and she turned to me for help. She came to my rig and asked
me to do something. She is a vet and the horse was beyond treating at the
ridecamp.
She came to me and said "
You know the rider do something , I can't have a horse dieing slowly in my
ridecamp in front of 25 first year vet students."
This ride was put on to
teach vet students about endurance. I bet they were most impressed when the
rider stated "If I had my rifle I would just walk it into the bush , I don't
much like this horse anyway"
They sure got a lesson
that day.
To make a long story
short the horse survived. The owner claimed it back, paying the bill and against
all vet advice hauled it for hours then let someone ride the crap out of it
again 2 weeks later.
Did she even say
thankyou. NO! Ask her about it now and she will tell you the horse would have
been fine without treatment.
Yes she knows better then
25 vet students, 2 Professors , one of whom is an FEI Vet and another vet who
was there to work the ride. Not to mention the vets who worked on the horse at
the college.
Some folks never learn.
AERC and other
organizations need teeth.
I also think that
everyone riding with AERC should belong. I can't use the local gym without a
membership or take out a library card without a membership.
This 1/4 horse in
question at the Mariposa ride must have shown something at the vet checks. How
did it slip through the cracks?
I like Roxanne's idea that "day-members" only be allowed to
ride for completion. I would go a step further though, & say that
"day-members" only be allowed to ride WITH an AERC member as "sponsor".
The "sponsor" would then become as responsible for the abuse as the actual
non-member rider.
Dianna 4093
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