Prompting

[Nancy Mitts <Mitts-N@mail.mssc.edu>]

I can remember several years ago when the rule on prompting was a hot topic
concerning how much help a crew should be allowed to give without being
unfair. The consensus was there was no way to keep the playing field
perfectly level by the writing of endless rules. The end result as I recall
was that crews would be allowed to meet riders on trail, unless the ride
manager chose to prohibit it, in writing, in advance of the ride.
Otherwise, "prompting" was considered to mainly consist of unentered horses
or crews from encouraging a horse faster than he would normally go.
Technology certainly has put a new twist on this!! While I agree that radio
communication may not be in the "spirit" of the sport, I'm not sure it is
it's death knell either. Frankly, while I find my heart monitor
interesting, and a valuable tool in conditioning, I've not found it gave me
a competitive advantage over other horses. I'm looking forward to hearing
more opinions on this as I've a pretty open mind so far. One problem I see
with a sealed "emergency" pack (not necessarily used to make weight) is
what happens if a rider finds someone else in trouble? Would unsealing the
pack eliminate them from the race? Methinks this is another on of these
issues we need to look at from all angles before rushing to judgment. 
Nancy Mitts
Central Region