Home Current News News Archive Shop/Advertise Ridecamp Classified Events Learn/AERC
Endurance.Net Home Ridecamp Archives
ridecamp@endurance.net
[Archives Index]   [Date Index]   [Thread Index]   [Author Index]   [Subject Index]

Re: [RC] the sport? - Truman Prevatt

We had the SERA convention last year at the GA horse fair - one of the largest events like it in the US. We gave an hour demonstration of endurance in their large covered arena (it was January) and it was well attended.

We had a lot of people come by the booth looking for information. Most were family groups - parents with kids - looking for something to do with their horses.

Now what do you thing the reaction would had been if we told them - oh yea we killed 6 horses in 2002 and looks like we're going to beat that in 2003? How interested do you think they would have been in endurance after that? 

Our sport doesn't have all that a great reputation to start with. Many other people in the horse world see us as a bunch of yahoos running the snot out of our horses. I've heard it more than once. I think we may have gone a long way to overcome that last year at the horse fair, but all that I suspect would be undone if the fatalities were known.

So we can pat ourselves on the back all we want, we can talk about all the progress on horse welfare - but horses still die at numbers higher than in the past. Doesn't matter if it's reporting, doesn't matter what the case it is fact - they are still dead. You can try to rationalize it all you want, you can talk about all the vet checks and "our horses see a vet more in a day than most in a year", etc.  but it is still fact that there are dead horses as a result of an endurance ride and it is a fact by which we will be judged by those folks outside the sport - many who think we push our horses too hard to start with.

Truman



Howard Bramhall wrote:
Yea, you're right, I didn't like the way I worded that either.  I was speaking of perception by those outside of the sport, but, it shouldn't have been worded that way.  So, what ideas, if any, do you like or, are you with Joe and those who think all of this is Bullshit?
 
I'm so glad you could find something to vent on.  Now, about the ideas. Anything you can accept at all there?
 
cya,
Howard (you won't get rid of me that easily)
----- Original Message -----
From: C. Eyler
Sent: Wednesday, October 22, 2003 2:59 PM
Subject: Re: [RC] the sport?

Come now, Howard, you don't really believe that endurance is "one of the worst places" for a horse to compete, do you?  If you do believe that, why in hell are you involved in this sport at all?
 
Your statement is probably an exaggeration for effect (after all, that's your style), but you might consider that many of us are more likely to seriously consider suggestions if they're not couched in overwrought, melodramatic emotionalism.
 
Cindy
 
----- Original Message -----
what you would do to make our sport the best, instead of one of the worst, places for a horse to compete
 

Replies
[RC] the sport?, terre
Re: [RC] the sport?, Howard Bramhall
Re: [RC] the sport?, C. Eyler
Re: [RC] the sport?, Howard Bramhall