Gosh Sandy, thanks for the infusion of
common sense! I both cringed at the thought of those toddler's left alone in
camp or the worse alternative, all on the trail on a SACTIONED RIDE with
Mom!!! Yes, you have small children, you, as a responsible adult just
don't get to do everything YOU want anymore.
Sorry folks, this whole thing IS getting
nuts....get some perspective, or better yet, go hang out at a preschool for a
day and then tell me it's okay to take sub-school age toddlers on SACTIONED
endurance. And yes, it's been done more than once.
Based on the very small number of endurance
rides I attended 10-15 I am guessing (both LD and 50's), EVEN at those I saw
kids that should not have been unsupervised in camp or out on a trail, where
focused, intense adults on very fit and strong horses are actually
competing.
Someone said height should not be an
issue...pay tell me how a 3 or 4 year old toddler has any possible ability to
control a horse on their own in a dangerous situation......with proportionally
large head and very short legs that cannot possible conform to horses
sides....balance is certainly compromised.....short attention span added in for
very young children. What if the parent (sponsor) gets hurt? Then
the child is on their own......
Again, I strongly state that a minimum age
rule to prevent the abuse of extremely young children is going to mainly affect
very few, since most parents have more common sense than that....but may protect
the very few babies who are taken on these rides.
YIKES! I cannot imagine a ride manager having to get into the business of
child care provision. There were many times over the years we simply could not
go to a ride - or some other ELECTIVE activity because we had young children.
Why don't some adult people who HAVE small children get the fact that havign
children is firts of all a CHOICE and secondly, can often times mean that one
must sacrifice their own "wants" and indeed at times, needs, in order to do
right by their children? I am reminded of my friend who has a new employee who
for whatever insane reason insists on bringing her new PUPPY to the OFFICE!!
Pets, children, all choices - and they do not belong in certain venues - not
running loose at ride camps and CERTAINLY not in the workplace. Wow -if I was
a ride manager (Lord help me!) child care would be the LAST thing I would feel
obligated to dealing with. Heck, I don't want families hanging around when I
give lessons to small children!