Re: Re: Re: CRI

["Maryanne Stroud Gabbani" <gabbani@starnet.com.eg>]

I'll put my foot in it here with a situation where endurance and the
concepts governing it are being introduced into an area with no vested
interests for the most part. Some riders here understand the part about
their vested interest in keeping a sound horse, but at risk of sounding
seriously cynical and equally seriously realistic, we have a lot who do not.
Most of our breeders are non-riders who will be paying people to ride their
horses. These people have a vested interest in keeping their jobs, hopefully
by keeping horses alive while they win, and there are plenty who figure
horses to be a relatively cheap disposable commodity. Anyone who has had the
pleasure? of riding at the pyramids knows these. I understand that there
will be a series of rides in the Cairo area starting with 20 km in mid
March, then 40 km in mid April, and 90 km in mid May. These are supposed to
be sponsored by some of our friends in the Gulf, who - I hope - are bringing
in some of the most tight-assed, authoritarian vets on the face of the
planet, because this is what it's going to take to get the message across to
our run-em-into-the-ground crowd. When we first began talking endurance
here, there were plenty who's main question was "How much can you win, and
would it cover the cost of replacing the horse?"  I'm happy to see that
Tom's been hired by some of the Gulf folk as they have in the past been some
of the worst offenders. There are some of the more ethical (sort of)
pyramids stables that refused to rent to them (meaning the Gulf visitors) in
the past because they got tired of hauling away dead horses. Sorry, Tom. I
agree with the philosophy in your statement about criteria 100%, but when it
comes to practicality there are going to be times when I favour anything
that will sanction a 2x4 along a stupid rider's head.

Maryanne Stroud Gabbani
Cairo, Egypt
gabbani@starnet.com.eg




> > Can't agree more. So far, I'm far more impressed with the riders I've
> > encountered on Ridecamp than I am with the "professionals" who want to
> govern
> > the actions of the riders. It's a sport, and "stuff happens" in a sport,
> but
> > when the stuff  happens, it is the rider who has the vested interest in
> the
> > animal, not the vet.
>                                   ****
> Unfortunately, Tom, there are more than a few riders out there who do not
> have the vested interest in the animal when it gets in the way of a "win".
> There are many more who have the vested interest but not the knowledge and
> rely on the vets to help them through the learning curve. The "morality
> police" whom you denegrate are certainly not there for the money or the
> power or fame.....there's none of that available in the pot. They are
there
> because they love the sport and the horses and I for one will trust their
> judgement for though they may err occassionally, I would rather err on the
> side of protecting my horse any day of the week