Re: RC: Fwd: RC: "Weighty issue"

[BMcCrary27@aol.com]

In a message dated 4/20/99 8:37:56 AM Pacific Daylight Time, SandyDSA@aol.com 
writes:

<< Please understand, no disrespect intended here, and certainly I understand 
 this issue, having been on both sides, mostly the SHORT side :). But to 
start 
 weighing in horses as well as riders....where will it end? We CHOOSE to ride 
 the horses we do. I wouldn't expect to do well in polo with my horses, but 
 they ARE nice show and endurance horses. The system does not in itself favor 
 anyone in particualr; howveer, it DOES award the horses best suited to teh 
 sport. >>

Do I understand this thread correctly?  That someone is taking into 
consideration the weight of the horse in BC judging?  I've never heard of 
this before.  Have I missed something along the way?
My personal opinion is to drop weight divisons entirely!  I realize a horse 
is supposed to be disadvantaged by carrying a heavy rider rather than a light 
one, but I've seen a small (14.2, 850#) horse carry a light heavyweight rider 
to a 2nd place (2nd only by a squeek).  I feel it is a rider's choice to pick 
a horse that will carry his weight if the rider wishes to be very competitive.
I also feel that a lot of a horse's ability to finish in top position is in 
that horse's head, and the rider's.  This sport could be simplified by 
dropping the weight divisions.  Of course more divisons means more awards 
(happy riders, unhappy AERC bank account).
Let the horse compete on his own merit.  If a rider weighs 250# w/tack, then 
ride a horse that can carry 250# w/tack!  
Realize here that I'm a mathimatically challenged person.  I'm also prepared 
to take whatever flack may come my way.  My husband certainly doesn't agree 
with me, even though he was the one who rode my little horse to that 2nd 
place.
It's just that the more AERC tries to make all riders happy, the less it is 
able to do so.

The above opinions are mine and in no way are meant to reflect the opinions 
or policy of AERC. 

Barbara McCrary


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