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[RC] For the health of the horse..please consider... - Susan Young

A poll was taken a few years ago asking riders their opinion re: publishing reasons for pulls in EN.  It's been reported that some 80% said they wanted the reasons for pulls listed in EN.
 
Did it ever occur to anyone that opinions can CHANGE over the years based on experience? 
 
It is my opinion, based on what I've actually seen at rides, that some riders will push a horse to complete rather than get a M in that horse's record.  Not ALL riders will do so; most would pull and get the M.  However, it only takes a few rotten riders to spoil it for everyone.
 
If only publishing DNF in EN and on line would save those horses ridden by riders with bigger egos than they know what to do with, wouldn't it be worth it?  I don't give a tinker's dam what is beside my horses' names; my ONLY concern is having a healthy horse!  If I had to pull and saw a DNF beside my name in EN, that would mean very little to me.  No one has EVER asked me why I didn't finish or why was Charlie lame or what happened out there.  My friends already know those answers and probably helped me out at the time.  So, I don't really care what is published in EN.  From listening to other riders, it seems many feel about the same way.
 
How are we edifying the sport by publishing reasons?  I contend that reasons for pulls need only be listed in the records and not listed publically.  If a person was considering buying a horse, the owner could make the AERC record available to the buyer or the seller could just contact AERC for that information. 
 
All horses are SUPPOSED to be vetted before any completition or RO is given.  This doesn't always happen.  So, Joe Blow leaves without getting his horse checked and receives a DQ on his ride record.  That's great because he didn't want the M he SHOULD have gotten!  You can't give that M automatically because you may not know if the horse is metabolically unstable or not.  DQ is the correct pull code.  See how the rules can be worked?
 
Now that we have a few years experience with publishing pull codes, we need to RE-EVALUATE publishing the codes vs publishing DNF.


Susan Young Casey, Princess of Pink; secretary, RRRSA
Semper Obliquo (Always aside)

Glenndale Grace Farm, Ft Gibson, Oklahoma U.S.A.

"Ride on! Rough-shod if need be, smooth-shod if that will do, but ride on! Ride on over all obstacles, and win the race!" - Charles Dickens (1812-1870)

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