If coming in 2nd place and receiving BC is running your horse in the
ground than I guess we have different definitions.
What, you don't think that can happen? You think that is the whole story?
Well, Howie here's how I look at it.
I use to race (running) and I took a few (very few) firsts and could have
gotten BC if I was checked before the end of the day. In the meantime, I
drank, I danced, I partied til I dropped. The next day was a different story.
My ribs hurt, and my shins needed to be iced if I wanted to walk.If I did get
up, it was nothing short of a miracle.
The problem is, when we do the same thing to our horses, and we do, the
horses don't always recover, if ever. These are the horses that never
return to our sport. The owner does, usually with a different horse. Do
they learn anything? I don't know. Don't kid yourself, Howie. Placing and/or
getting BC is an honor but not necessarily the result of hard work,
dedication and true horsemanship skills. Repeating that strategy over and over
on the same horse is more impressive. Way more impressive.
In my opinion, not that it counts for anything, you most certainly can
run your horse into a heap of trouble even if you did get BC for the day. By
the way, that seems to be the consensus about most of the treatment and horse
deaths that have been discussed here on RC. It happens AFTER the ride, when
the horses go home.
It is the next day, the next month and the next year that tells the whole
truth. And hopefully, the horse will be around to verify those facts. Wouldn't
you agree? Your stories seem to indicate that you don't always practice what
you preach. I think that was Angie's point.
