<% appTitle="Ridecamp Archives" %> Ridecamp: Re: [RC] [RC] [RC] Very young riders in AERC rides
Ridecamp@Endurance.Net
[Archives Index]   [Date Index]   [Thread Index]   [Author Index]   [Subject Index]
Current to Wed Jul 23 17:37:41 GMT 2003
  • Next by Date: Re: [RC] Very young riders in AERC rides or at any rides
    • - FASTGraphic
  • Prev by Date: Re: [RC] [RC] Very young riders in AERC rides
    • - FASTGraphic

    Re: [RC] [RC] [RC] Very young riders in AERC rides - Nancy Mitts

    Okay, I'm still in the mood to play devils advocate.
    What kind of age are we talking about?
    Based on the standard of whether a kid is being "forced" to enter unwillingly, we can't allow any minors. Or, at what age is it okay for a parent to force their child to participate? Can't legislate stupidity.

    If it's based on the likelyhood of accidental injury---we better put in a maximum age. We all know we don't heal nearly as well at 50 as at 5. So we're down to deciding at what age the child has the ability to understand and accept risk. From a legal standpoint isn't that 18?

    Equating it to putting a minimum age on horses is a dangerous path of logic. The horse can NEVER understand and accept the risk. The horse is only protected under veterinary medical guidelines. Under age 4-5 the average horse has been deemed at risk for developmental damage.
    I think that's the only way to determine human age minumum's without rationalizing our sport into oblivion.
    We depend on the use of public lands to hold our events. By stressing the horrible dangers to children we are telling people this is a sport too dangerous to allow on public lands. What about the safety of children of pleasure riders as the endurance rides proceed on the same trails? They are in even greater danger as they and their horses have not been trained for it.
    Proceed with caution.

    Nancy Mitts






    _________________________________________________________________
    Protect your PC - get McAfee.com VirusScan Online http://clinic.mcafee.com/clinic/ibuy/campaign.asp?cid=3963


    =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
Ridecamp is a service of Endurance Net, http://www.endurance.net.
Information, Policy, Disclaimer: http://www.endurance.net/Ridecamp
Subscribe/Unsubscribe http://www.endurance.net/ridecamp/logon.asp

    If you are an AERC member - PLEASE VOTE in the upcoming By-Laws Election!!!! (it takes 2/3rds to tango!!)

    =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=