In a message dated 2/23/2005 2:45:15 PM Eastern Standard Time, rides2far@xxxxxxxx writes:
Whoa! Where did *those* numbers come from???? In the 100 or so rides I've attended, I have witnessed *one* death. Assuming there were an average of 100 horses per ride...shouldn't I have witnessed 100? To put that in perspective, in my pre-endurance life I had also witnessed one horse death on a pleasure ride so for me, the score is even...though considering I had only trail ridden with fewer than 100 or so different horses in my life and have endurance ridden with many times that, the *real* ratio would be higher in pleasure riding. (for me)
Since I started the Leatherwood Ride 7 years ago, we've had at most three horses that required fluids (which I really don't know what they consider invasive treatment) and we averaged about 100 riders per ride. Leatherwood has also been called one of the toughest rides on the East coast. And like Angie, I have seen horse die here from pleasure riding.
