Endurance.Net Ridecamp Archives

That's cool and a good thing to do, however, that's not the tailgaters 
that cause the problem. The problem comes from those that show up and 
when the ride starts have no other option but use the horse in front of 
them to slow their horse down. They can pull shoes off the horse in 
front of them. They can step on the bulbs of the heels of the horse in 
front of them - hence causing an injury. They can step on the tendons of 
the horse in front of them - causing worse injury. They can step on the 
leg of the horse in front of them - causing possibility a life ending 
injury. Not a pretty picture and they won't do that to my horse.

If a person is having a problem, I'll be glad to help them. I'll even 
let them use my horses butt to stop them unless they insist on running 
up and crashing into it. My horse is alpha enough and aggressive enough 
that they normally won't do that and all works well. However, when a 
horse has a glaze over its eyes and is way in over its head mentally on 
an endurance ride - that's a different story. I've seen too many of them.

At some point when they endanger other horses and riders -  they are the 
problem. While I'm one of the more helpful and more sympathetic people 
around - they endanger me or my horse they will probably not like what 
happens. While my horse is pretty "wild" at a ride he is totally 
controllable and will listen to everything I tell him and we do have a 
big bag of tricks ;-) .

So if someone shows up to a ride with an uncontrollable horse don't pull 
in behind the big red butt of a bay and expect to use it as a battering 
ram to stop you. If you are a new rider, etc., with a problem talk to me 
and I'll help you. I, however, will not risk injury to my horse more 
myself because someone can't control their horse.

Truman


RHONDA LEVINSON wrote:

> Having ridden a runaway, I have some sympathy for newby tailgaters.  
> With my horse, I tried really hard not to tailgate and generally would 
> just pass people.  I really only ran (or currently run) into trouble 
> in situations where I cannot pass and the horse is really up.
>
> So, I generally try to be sympathic to tailgaters, UNLESS they make a 
> habit of it.  I have used my horse as an emergency brake for quite a 
> number of people.  On at least four CTR rides, my horse has been the 
> brake, guidance system and cruise control for new horses.  I even held 
> one horse's head in my lap while it jigged on the diagonal next to me 
> while the junior riding him got her composure and tried to get him 
> under control.
>
> However, there is one person who rides many of the same competitions I 
> do who tailgates habitually.  She has had her horse for quite a while 
> and has been competing longer than I have, but still tailgates and 
> doesn't seem to see much wrong with it.  There was actually an 
> occassion when I thought I needed to tighten my fanny pack because it 
> was bumping me, then I realized that I wasn't wearing my fanny pack.  
> It was the other horse's nose!  Another time, we were in nice a canter 
> and the other horse just went nuts.  He actually was banging into my 
> horse.  Getting away from this person is impossible and letting them 
> pass doesn't work because they slow to a walk once they get a fair 
> distance ahead and the horse walks SLOWLY so invariably we catch up.  
> It drives me nuts.
>
> So, habitual tailgaters get no sympathy from me.  But, sometimes 
> newbies need help from those of us who have been there and have horses 
> steady enough to lend assistance.
>
> Rhonda
>
>
>
> =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
>
> 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!!
>
> =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=


--

"A mathematician is a device for turning coffee into theorems."

- Paul Erdos (1913-1996)




=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

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!!

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=