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Re: [RC] [RC] [RC] Kids, ponies and distance riding... Get a grip people - Barbara McCrary

Joe, you and I have long disagreed on this issue.  I could answer every one
of your questions, but I don't think anyone else really wants to read them.
So let's just let it be.  I don't think there is an epidemic of very young
children riding endurance, so let's not make rules for one or two incidents.
Everything you mentioned as being controlled by the government or an
organization has other ramifications.  Each issue not only affects the
individual but also the rest of society (such as underage driving and
drinking.)  I don't see a 5-year old child riding an endurance ride as
endangering society.  The government has take away a lot of people's rights
already; let's not make it worse.  Do you recall my mentioning in a previous
post on this issue that my husband's grandfather walked from Iowa to
California in 1868, when he was 9 years old.  Maybe you consider THAT child
endangerment?  Kids are tougher than you think, and if they WANT to ride
endurance, let them try.  I don't see any parents out there FORCING their
kids to compete.

Barbara

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Joe Long" <jlong@xxxxxxxx>
To: <ridecamp@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Tuesday, December 14, 2004 11:51 PM
Subject: Re: [RC] [RC] [RC] Kids, ponies and distance riding... Get a grip
people


On Wed, 15 Dec 2004 00:39:53 EST, OTTOWY@xxxxxxx wrote:

...
If you are so worried about underage kids competing, then don't let yours
compete! The rest of us parents out there think we know our kids pretty
well and
know what they are capable of.

Alas, some parents are irresponsible.

So, we don't allow parents to decide when their child is old enough to
drive on
the public highways.

We don't let parents decide when their child is old enough to buy alcohol.

We don't allow parents to decide when their child is old enough to join
the
Army.

There are MANY more examples of minimum age requirements, both by
government and
by private organizations.  Society has long recognized the need for such
rules,
and that they are not an infringement on parental rights.

The bottom line is: it is none of the AERC's busines if parents put very
young
children on horses at home, take them riding hither and yon, at any age
... but
it is VERY MUCH the AERC's business when they bring very young children to
compete in an AERC sanctioned event.  The AERC has no obligation
whatsoever to
allow very young children to compete in AERC rides just because their
parents
may want them to.

If the children want to ride then give them
the opportunity when they are interested.  Want to squash a child's
enthusiasm
in one step, just tell them they aren't old enough.  They will never want
to do
it again.

Sure, that's why no kids want to drive a car at 16, because they were told
they
weren't old enough at 15.

When I was 11 years old I still remember conditioning everyday for
nothing!
You had to be 12 to ride the Big Horn 100. Don't put any child through
that!
Watching someone else ride my horse was torture!

For nothing?  Did you never ride an endurance ride after that?  Do you
really
believe children have to get everything they want, as soon as they want
it, or
they are being "tortured?"

Anyhow, as a mother of four and the person whose encouraged 100's of kids
to
"Get riding".  I think I have the child pretty well down.  Age shouldn't
be
the issue!

I encourage kids to ride --when they are old enough!  I've sponsored many
juniors and loved it.  Not all children are capable of riding at the same
age,
some mature faster (physically and mentally) than others.  But IMO, NO
five or
six year old is old enough to ride endurance rides safely (the fact that a
few
have gotten away with it -- so far -- doesn't change that).

Age IS the issue.  The AERC doesn't allow the rider to decide when his
horse is
old enough to compete, we have minimum age rules for horses in our rides.
Why
do we do less for children?  IMO it is to our shame that we won't extend
the
same protection for children that we do for our horses.

-- 

Joe Long
jlong@xxxxxxxx
http://www.rnbw.com




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Replies
Re: [RC] [RC] [RC] Kids, ponies and distance riding... Get a grip people, OTTOWY
Re: [RC] [RC] [RC] Kids, ponies and distance riding... Get a grip people, Joe Long