Endurance.Net Ridecamp Archives

Begin forwarded message:

From: Barb Blum <ponyplay@xxxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: posting to ridecamp

Haven't posted in a long time, so not sure how it's done now....but  
my email is: bkcbs@xxxxxxxxxxxx   (name is b. blum)
Felt the need to just add one note to the Mariposa/Abuse subject.   
So, am sending it directly to you.
======
Here's the posting:

I've known about this incident, and followed it since it happened.   
The horse could  have died, had the rider had his way, since he  
initially refused medical treatment. If it had died, would the  
protest  have been filed?

Right after it happened, Pat expressed immediate remorse over losing  
his temper and regret for his actions...as he should have.  He was  
just so appalled at the spur welts on that exhausted horse and the  
flippant, cavalier attitude of the rider. Pat initially approached  
the rider with an offer to buy the horse outright, just to get it  
away from this owner.  (Trust me, he doesn't need any more  
horses...let alone one who's prognosis for recovery is uncertain..)

After the altercation ended, Pat and another rider mentioned to the  
AERC director there that they wanted to file an animal abuse charge  
against the owner.  The director had no interest in this, as he was  
fixated on Pat's "bad" behavior.   So,  Pat  and another rider  
approached 3 volunteer sheriffs present at the ride  and again made  
the request to file animal abuse charges.  The volunteer sheriffs  
were uninterested in doing so, and offered no assistance in that  
quest.  This is what really bugs me.  It is about the horse, not  
about people's bruised feelings.  I know we can't save every horse  
who is abused, but it doesn't hurt to try and save those we come in  
contact with. I can only assume that the AERC director at the ride  
was afraid of bad publicity for AERC in the realm of horse welfare.   
Pity.  We do have a responsibility to these animals, let's not forget  
that.   So, what exactly is the AERC's postion on reporting animal  
abuse?

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