[RC] LDs, Abuse, Solutions...part 2 - Natalie Herman
Ok, on to the other topics. One...everyone on this list that has been making excuses for this "cowboy" (hate to dirty that name with a guy like this..a true cowboy ALWAYS takes care of his horse first) needs to not come anywhere near me for a long time. He was not being "ignorant" and there is nothing to "forgive" either (I never was a forgiveness/mercy type...more of an eye for an eye/justice type...) Ignorance is riding too fast by accident on a horse that wants to go but then gets dehydrated. Ignorance is taking a somewhat unconditioned horse and then pulling at a VC or riding REAL slow when you see your horse is struggling (even if you do't know WHY it is struggling). Ignorance is NOT spurring and whipping a tired horse until it dies (which it WOULD have if not for the skill of the vets). That is abuse and I hope the RM or some other local person follows up on it with the local animal control/sheriff/whomever. THis man should also be blacklisted from riding at rides for at least a year and then made to attend mandatory mentoring sessions of some kind or other if he even wants to have the slightest hope of ever attending a ride on his own again. (though if it were truly up to me, he would NEVER get to attend a ride again. But again...I don't do mercy/forgiveness very well). As to solutions for prevention/punishment of future incidences (and I think both are necessary as one can not prevent all things and wrong action needs a consequence). We do need passports of one kind or other. I think though it would be easier to have a RIDER passport rather than a HORSE one. less things to lose for those ppl with multiple horses (which so many do have). A mandatory completion of X number of LD, 50, 75, etc rides needs to be set before one can bump up to the next level. If you want to take a horse into a 50 or higher, that has not done X number of lower rides (ie you do your training at home, not at LD rides for a 50) then the rider needs X number of rides to show they have the experience to train at home before they can "skip" distances with a new horse. Heavier penalties for overriding/abuse of any kind to horse or other riders/unsportsmanship need to be put in effect with the rules set and known, not on a case by case basis (ie, if you do this, then you get this many months/years/forever ban on attending rides) If the misriding is accidental (a true "educational" mistake) then the penalty would be less than if you were letting your ego kill your horse. If possible, a mandatory mentoring of a set number of rides (also according to the severity of your mistake/ego fault) needs to be put into effect (this would be harder to do of course, but could be helped by offering the mentors some kind of "goody" like Ranelle said with a ride entry being waived or maybe a mentor prize or who knows). My thoughts, if anyone wants more info and written examples of passports or rule breakage/ban penalty email me at eponashoes @ hotmail. com Natalie (M33026)
"Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming.... 'Wow! What a ride!' " Boo!?Scare away worms, viruses and so much more! Try Windows Live OneCare! Try now!
