Question for Lovell

[guest@endurance.net]

PLEASE DO NOT REPLY TO GUEST@ENDURANCE.NET!!!
You must post replies to the actual sender listed below.

From: Barb Peck 
Email: bpeck@together.net

Lovell:
You stated that you've never had a horse go into any 
type of mess (willingly) (bogs, etc.) that he couldn't get him self out of.

Please don't take this wrong, it's not
meant to be a flame, 
 but how long have you been trail riding? And how many different horses have you ridden?

  That statement indicates that most horses know when footing is safe/unsafe.
While this is true of many seasoned trail horses, it is certainly not true of
all horses (and especially youngsters).

  There was an especially bad accident
near my house 2 years ago where a rider
asked his horse
to cross an unsafe farm bridge ( 10 foot drop to the river). and his
horse (who was known to be bold... and
smart) broke through some of the boards.  The horse went through, and hung by one hoof and his head/neck while
two people broke out enough boards
so the horse would drop through. (The
humans knew they might also drop through, but took the risk).

Needless to say, the rider knew better
(in this case had been TOLD the bridge was unsafe).  This horse was mentally damaged by this accident.
  I know Sh*% happens, and sometimes can't be avoided
but I think when we're on a horses's back, we (the riders) have alot of responsibilty to the horse.

While we can rely on some horses to
think for us, we're still the ones holding the reins.

Barb