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Re: [RC] daycare at rides - Nancy SturmAmen to that, Tiffany! I'm the mother of nine - yes that's NINE. I didn't buy my first horse until our oldest daughter was a baby. She's 41 now, and I'm riding with her 14 year old son. Another adult daughter just bought a nice endurance prospect and has begun training with us. The kids have always come first, and I've still logged a gazillion show ring miles and managed my first two LD's last summer with the requisite conditioning miles. Of course my non-riding husband is a saint, but all four of the youngsters we have at home now (two adopted, two foster children) have cerebral palsy and use wheelchairs. We can't figure out how ridecamp would work for them, so the saint stays home and mom rides (and rides and rides). There's probably some deep-seated psychological reason why I need to ride FAR from home, but we have the best kids in the world. and I can tell you young moms, based on 41 years of mothering and riding, it can be done. Nancy Sturm Whose nest is still full [Original Message] From: Tiffany D'Virgilio <tiffshorse@xxxxxxxxxxx> To: <SandyDSA@xxxxxxx> Cc: <ridecamp@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> Date: 12/22/2004 1:54:07 PM Subject: Re: [RC] daycare at rides I had a mare legged up and ready to start in endurance 6 years ago. I also had a new baby. Two years later I followed that up with another blessing in my son. I had mare two ready to go when he was one. First mare had died of an enterolith rupturing her small intestine. I did my first ride in 2002, and have only done 6 rides since. This year I am aiming for more as the kids are almost 5 and 7. I did not want to go to rides and leave my kids. There is always another ride season. My kids are coming to WS with their dad this year, and I am hopeful I can start integrating my family and my riding. I would never have subjected my kids to the danger and hubbub of a RC. (The one time I did, I got helicoptered off the mountain and they had to come to the hospital to see mom sewed back up). Personally, I don't trust anyone with my kids other than family. Especially in a ride situation. I can think of not much that is more potentially dangerous to young kids than a RC. I think that is a heavy load and liability for anyone to take on strange kids at a RC, where there is SO much mischief to get into, let alone 100 horses and rigs, and dogs. Too much could go wrong. There will always be time to ride. Julie Suhr's book was an inspiration to me. You can raise your kids and balance riding, doing both safely and fairly to all involved. I don't think it is fair to take kids to a ride and cobble care together. Having children is about being unselfish and that means putting off your dream temporarily to some extent. I still do rides, I still condition, but only when I have my traveling hubby home or other family to fill in the cracks. I hope to have my daughter riding regularly soon, when she is ready. Until then I will happily give up a little freedom in order to keep my kids happy and safe. They come first-before anything or anyone else. Tiffany On Dec 22, 2004, at 1:35 PM, SandyDSA@xxxxxxx wrote:Childcare at a ride persents incredible problems and in the end, it is NOT - I repeat NOT - the job and likely not the desire of any RM to take on that parental burden. As a mom who has raised two daughters - and had to give up adventuers regularly because of their needs, I would consider it unfair to have an RM who has enough to handle now being saddled (no pun intended) with another and unrelated obligation, As a rider, I would want their focus on the ride and its many and various =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Ridecamp is a service of Endurance Net, http://www.endurance.net. Information, Policy, Disclaimer: http://www.endurance.net/Ridecamp Subscribe/Unsubscribe http://www.endurance.net/ridecamp/logon.asp Ride Long and Ride Safe!! =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
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