Re: ride fees

[Merryben@aol.com]

In a message dated 7/7/98 12:01:22 PM Pacific Daylight Time,
vanhove@unavco.ucar.edu writes:

<< I do try to call ride managers
 and let them know I plan to attend so they can figure how many meals and
 vets they need.  (Of the Mt. region rides I attend most managers have
 no penalty for not pre-entering and many do not mail out entries, preferring
 to confine the paperwork to the actual date of the ride.)  >>


As a ride secretary for a bunch of rides each year and also former ride
manager,  I would prefer entries ahead of time.  In fact my biggest gripe [and
my friends will tell you I have many] is people who come to enter the day of
the ride.  Of course, at our rides, we refund all of the entry fee.  It is not
fun to try to get your own horses ready for the ride in the morning with
people who come late to enter, demanding to be taken care of because "they
have to vet in" and you are holding them up.  Also, some [not all] people who
call to say they are coming don't bother to call and let you know if their
plans change.  After all, they didn't pay money that they want refunded  It is
more than frustrating to have riders who just don't show up or call.  Everyone
wants to know how many riders you have and are not happy when sometimes you
just can't tell them.  

Also, since I am listing peeves, I went to a ride this weekend and volunteered
to help since I still cannot ride and my roommate really doesn't need a crew.
I sat at a table for 10 hours.  I only made one bathroom run and the ride
management provided the lunch.  There were two different lengths of ride with
one having 3 vet checks and the other having 2.  They were all in camp.  In
addition, we had only one clock [mine] so that after your hold started you
would be sure to time out on the same clock.  While I realize that it is
important to get your correct time and get out of the check on time, riders
need to get a grip.  Most of the riders are great but there are always a few
who just can't seem to get the idea that they have a few minutes to wait for
their out time and complain bitterly because they think they are being held
up.   There is never a good reason to be rude to ride management for any
reason.  Even if they are wrong.  This is supposed to be fun.  AT the risk of
getting flamed, this was not a problem with the top runners at this ride.  It
was mostly the middle of the packers.  Rudeness just makes people not want to
help ride management and ride managers wonder why they are bothering to do all
of this work.  It certainly isn't for the "big bucks" they are
making........MB