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[RC] Safe??? - k s swigartBeth Walker said: So ... you are saying that ride management has no responsibility to see that: 1) The trail is scouted, marked, and obviously dangerous places are routed around. 2) Road crossings have crossing guards if there is a high probability of a collision in their absence 3) Water is provided or available on the trail and at vet checks etc. Well...since I have been to endurance rides that provide none of these things. The only thing that the AERC requires is a measured and marked trail with a finish line. 1) I have been to plenty of endurance rides that explicitly state in their waivers that ride management has made no attempt to mark hazards or dangerous places and that it is the responsibility of each individual to identify them (especially since everybody's definition of "obviously dangers place" is different). So no, I don't think that ride management has an obligation to route the trail around obviously dangerous places, but rather the responsiblity of the rider to identify what s/he determines to be dangerous and avoid such places as deemed necessary. 2) I cannot count the number of rides I have been to that have not had crossing guards. In fact, it would be easier to count the ones I have been to that HAVE had such things. Personally, when I am out riding (whether at an endurance ride or not), I consider it safe to assume that roads might have traffic on them and that I ought to check to make sure that they don't before crossing them. I was taught this, I am pretty sure, when I was about 6 (you know that old, "look right, look left, look right again" and yes, I am showing the fact that I was in the UK when I was 6 although I don't make the mistake of looking the wrong way first now that I am no longer in the UK). So no, I don't consider it a responsibility of ride management to provide crossing guards, but rather the responsibility of the rider to be careful crossing roads. 3) While water on the trail and at vet checks is nice, and I prefer to be told if I am going to have to provide them for my horse myself, I do not consider it a necessity nor an obligation of ride management (and have been to rides that don't provide it, including, nostalgiacly, the Outlaw Trail). At the 2001 XP ride, ride management didn't provide any water on the trail, such that after a while riders grouped together to ensure that there would be water out in the Nevada desert (among other places, _I_ wandered into stranger's front yards in Kansas and asked for water for my horse). Water on the trail and/or at vet checks for riders I have found to be the exception rather than the rule. So no, I don't consider it a responsiblity of ride management to provide water, but rather the responsibility of the rider to ensure that either there will be water or to provide it for him/herself. Information in advance on what ride management is or isn't going to provide is nice, but I consider it safe to assume that unless explicitly stated otherwise, what ride management is going to provide is what the AERC requires them to provide, which is a marked trail with a finish line and a control vet at the vet checks (I don't even assume that a treatment vet will be available, and have been to plenty of rides that have handed out the phone number and location of the nearest veterinary hospital in the event my horse is in need of treatment). At an AERC ride there is no reason to assume that ride management will provide anything more than what the AERC requires in its rules. Many rides DO provide more than this, but these things are "perks." kat Orange County, Calif. :) =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Ridecamp is a service of Endurance Net, http://www.endurance.net. Information, Policy, Disclaimer: http://www.endurance.net/Ridecamp Subscribe/Unsubscribe http://www.endurance.net/ridecamp/logon.asp Ride Long and Ride Safe!! =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
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