Re: [RC] [RC] Very young riders in AERC rides - Nancy Mitts
Kathy,
I think that the risk of injury at a ride is constant, independant of age.
It is the type and consequence of those injuries that are at issue, and may
indeed differ by age. (Is the mere act of sitting on a horse injuring the
child?) Are the injuries obtained prior to a certain age more likely to
cause long term injury to a child of a certain age, and what is that age.
What does case law say about injuries sustained by minors in organized
athletic competition? Those are the questions AERC needs to base any rule
on, not what a few parents would or wouldn't let their child do. So far all
that's been offered is what we lay-people "feel", and I'd to see that based
on something a little more concrete.
I repeat, if we continue to emphasize the horrible and constant catastophic
dangers awaiting (and caused by) endurance riders, we will not be able to
use public lands for our events. Or most private lands either, for that
matter. If we really are to trail riding what auto racing is to neighborhood
driving, we will be forced to develop private endurance courses. I'd rather
think we're the equivalent to road rally's, where the "race" is to navigate
from point to point on public roadways without creating a demolition derby.
Or have those been outlawed by now, too?
Also repeat, we need to base this decision on juvenile physiology, not
psychology or "what-if" scenarios.
Nancy Mitts
Probably the risk of injury decreases with age (to a certain average age
where the risk of injury starts to increase again).
Kathy
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