Is it going to take a tragic accident, with a small child severely injured or
worse, before the AERC faces up to its responsibilities?<<<
I have stayed out of this
discussion until today, because I was not sure how I felt about it. I have
thought long and hard regarding young riders. Having been a child (less
than 10) who rode off in the morning alone and didn't come back until dusk,
having had a small child who grew up chased cows on his old mare, and having
seen a few very competent kids on the trail lately, I have been
slowly forming an opinion of this issue.
First, IMHO, the
responsibility of young children is with their parents, not their
teachers, not the ride manager, not the other adults on the trail. If the
parent sees the child as able, and takes that responsibility, then it is not a
governmental issue. On the other hand, I would support the right of ride
managers to deny entry to a child they felt was not safe, just as they can deny
entry to any rider for the same reason. That RM has a conscience and
should have the ability to run their event according to that conscience.
It would be up to the parents to secure the go ahead to enter their child, and
they should understand why some RM are leery of the prospect and gauge their
competitions accordingly.
Children are a joy and a wonder, and we
should revel in their abilities and encourage their participation where it is
accepted. As for the child I saw being duct taped to the saddle in the 80s
in Wyoming....THAT, was not acceptable, but she is still riding, and appears not
to be physically scarred....so who am I to say?
