Re: RC: Re: fees

[jlong@mti.net (Joe Long)]

On Mon, 27 Sep 1999 15:11:36 -0600, renegade12@juno.com wrote:

>... and I believe we are opening a pandora's box by allowing LD rides
>in excess of 35 miles.  I do see rules problems if AERC must address the
>many current rules that are impacted by defining LD as "0 to 49" miles.  

Not the least of which is that the definition fundamentally doesn't make sense.
In the early days endurance rides were 100 miles; then shorter and shorter rides
were being held, some shorter than 50 miles.  When the AERC was founded,
endurance rides were defined in the Bylaws as being rides of 50 miles or more in
length.

When the AERC decided to take the 25 - 35 mile rides under its umbrella, mainly
for safety and insurance concerns, the AERC defined that range as "Limited
Distance."  It was understood that rides in the 40 - 45 mile range were a kind
of "no mans land" where they were too short to be endurance rides, but too long
for young and green horses, so they were kept out of the definition.  Also, of
course, it was decided that 25 miles was the shortest distance that was
acceptable for the Limited Distance program.

Now, I doubt that any AERC member would consider a 1 mile ride or a 5 mile ride
or even a 15 mile ride to be a Limited Distance ride -- but that's what this
Bylaws Amendment says.  All of the waivers and work-arounds don't change that.
To me, it just makes no sense to define something in the Bylaws that so clearly
just ain't so!

We had a good working definition that had few real-world problems, and we
replaced it with a flawed definition that is nonsense on its face and has real
problems.  I sincerely hope we go back to a sound definition.

-- 

Joe Long
jlong@mti.net
http://www.mti.net     Business
http://www.rnbw.com    Personal


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