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Fwd: RC: pulls/completions

In a message dated 8/1/99 8:37:07 PM Pacific Daylight Time, rubyjwl@cts.com 
writes:

<< perhaps rules/guidelines/educational offerings/suggestions/whatever may be
 one way of raising the consciousness of those riders who endanger themselves
 and others through their poor horsemanship. >>

Indeed. I am constantly amazed at the number of riders - top riders who 
should know better - who fail to protect their heads, either. Conversely, I 
would never think that legislating helmet-wearing is a solution - some people 
just need to be 'renegades'. No offense there, just a fact of endurance life. 
we don't like the constrictures of the show ring and so we ride endurance. At 
teh same time, stupidity should have its price, exacted on the rider, not 
innocent  bystanders, and certainly not unonvolved taxpayers who ultimately 
pay for many who refuse to protect their heads. Motorcyclists are well aware 
of this controversy - safe tack certainly falls intothis category as well; 
unfortunately, with horses, sometimes the innocent who pays the price is - 
the horse! What do we need? Tack checks at the vets checks? I hope not. By 
the time a rider is 'accomplished enough' to be on public trails in a 
compeittive situation,they should most certainly be competent at fitting and 
checking for wear or damage on thei own tack. Accidents happen - stupidity is 
deliberate in our book. 

Greetings on a beautiful summer California dreamin' day!
s

---- Begin included message ----
Karen,

Whoa girl!  I respectfully stand by my original post.  I am not the only
person who concluded (rightly or wrongly) from eye witness accounts of the
accident that improper tack may have been a contributing factor.  While the
underlying reason for the saddle slipping may have nothing to do with rider
error, leaving the scene of an accident without at least surveying the
wreckage left behind can hardly be considered sportsmanlike.

I never suggested that all people who do not use breast collars are doofuses
(doofae?).  I was merely trying (however poorly) to make the point that
perhaps rules/guidelines/educational offerings/suggestions/whatever may be
one way of raising the consciousness of those riders who endanger themselves
and others through their poor horsemanship.

I agree with several RCers who pointed out that this is a sport with
inherent dangers, and unfortunately, accidents will happen.  But I think
this is an appropriate forum for people to raise these questions and have
this kind of dialogue.

I'm not attempting to assign blame or pass judgement.  But I do think it is
reasonable for all of us to discuss these occurrences and ask ourselves,
"Was this a preventable accident?"  If the answer is no, then just chalk it
up to bad luck.  But if it appears that some identifiable factor contributed
to the accident, then we can all learn from it.  Despite our different
motivations for riding, and different styles, I think we all share a concern
for the safety and well being of our horses and other riders.

Peggy Rinehart and Yazhi
Ramona, CA

At 04:46 PM 7/30/99 -0700, you wrote:
>At 01:58 PM 7/30/99 -0400, Peggy Rinehart wrote:
>>the right stuff.  The rules are to help those poor doofuses who can't figure
>>these things out for themselves, and to protect innocent bystanders.  BTW,
>>love reading about other riders experiences at Tevis and elsewhere.  Hope to
>>be posting some of my own ride stories soon!
>>
>>Peggy Rinehart and Yazhi
>>Ramona, CA
>
>Excuuuuuuuse me, but what gives you the right to call me a doofus?  It
seems to me that a lot of people are making generalizations and judging
people they don't even know, based upon an incident that happened that they
didn't even see.  How do any of you know what really happened?  How do you
know that a breast collar would have caused a different outcome in this
incident?  The rider may have fallen off regardless, and the horse may have
bolted just the same....nobody knows that.  It isn't fair, and certainly not
very considerate for people to start putting down others and proclaiming
that "you must wear a breast collar" and not to do so is some sort of a
crime, and makes you an idiot.  
>
>I've been over the Tevis trail completely twice now, on two different
horses - without a breastcollar.  I've never had a saddle slip.  
>
>You don't know me.  You don't know my horses.  You don't know how my saddle
fits their backs.  You don't know the type of terrain that I train in.  Why
should I let you or anybody else dictate what type of tack I should or
should not use?  What I have been using has been working fine so far, I've
had no accidents, no mishaps and no saddle slippage on the trail either in
competition or in training.  
>
>Karen
>in NV
>& Dream Weaver, 2880 miles
>& Rocky 1695 miles
>
>
>


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