There are a lot of good suggestions to reduce the racing on 25 mile rides=
. The
only problem is, over the last 20 years they've all been tried in one =
part of the
country or another. We've tried most of them here in the Southeast. =
They
don't prevent green horses from being over-ridden.
Nothing short of a rope around the rider's neck will stop some people =
from
running the 25's just as fast as they can, for "braggin rights" if nothin=
g else.
We also have the political reality of many 25 mile riders wanting placing=
recognized (and some people only want to ride 25's and never plan to move=
on
to longer rides).
The AERC and SERA have struggled with the formula for years. I think =
the
current approach of *strict* veterinary control on the 25's, and not coun=
ting
the horse as finished until his pulse recovers to 60, is the best method =
we've
found for protecting the horses.
By all means, do whatever possible to recognize and encourage the riders =
who take good care of their horses, but don't expect the impossible.
--Joe Long jlong@HiWAAY.net