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Yes, that is a nightmare scenario. It is also one that would get our sport banned from every public trail, in Missouri at least.  If our sport is too dangerous for a young participant with a sponsor, then it is too darned dangerous to be allowed on trails open to the public.  We already hear that a lot up here.  "You'll run over the hikers, fishermen, etc."  The majority of adult riders would have a problem with that runaway scenario, not just kids.  They are just as likely to run over non-entered pedestrains, other children riding, etc.  If it really happens a lot, we need to be addressing the problem of fractious/dangerous horses and out of control adult riders rather than just banning young participants.  It is the danger to the unentered public that will cause the uproar, not the age of person we allow to ride.

Nancy Mitts

>From: Truman Prevatt tprevatt@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
>The nightmare scenario - a very young rider along with a sponsor who
>has a "energetic" horse. They go out what they think is last but are
>not. They have behind them a couple riders that go out last because

>they have no control of their horse - it happens all the time. The

>last riders are pretty much riding runaways as they blow by out of

>control at a race track gallop on a wide open dirt road the young

>jr. and sponsor. The sponsor has all he/she can handle to stay in

>the saddle as the young jr's horse joins the stampede since even if

>he/she is the worlds best rider (for his/her age) he/she doesn't

>have the upper body strength (even if he/she had the presence of

>mind) to snatch up a runaway horse. Hell this happened to me this

>past weekend and it was all I could do to keep my horse under

>control.

>

>While the "runaway" from the back of the pack doesn't happen at all

>rides it happens enough to be a serious threat to riders without

>experience and yes strength to handle a very strong 1000 pound beast

>that is being driven by herd instinct.

>

>Let this type of thing happen with a serious injury or even death to

>a very young rider and the AERC will see just what teeth the law has

>and the indignation of the population as a whole - and rightly so.

>

>Truman

>

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