Re: [RC] 20 MT and Little Big Man - Tiffany D'Virgilio
I was there to see Colton start on his wonderful horse. I saw him ride that horse at all gaits, looking more comfortable than many adults. I took my son who is 5 horse camping for 4 days last month, and he was never in danger, instead he had the time of his life.?
Watching Colton and his dad ride together was fantastic. I have had my own pony since I was 2. I was doing gymkhana and showing by the time I was 4. It is the parent's responsibility to decide if their child is able to ride in a AERC ride. Should Colton (who is a horseman, no matter what his size) have been playing video games in front of the TV??
My whole family rode, we'd show, do parades and go on trail rides at night out into the desert. My cousin and I would take our ponies out all day, and nobody died. In fact, those times were among the most magical times of my life. I told Matt that morning that I thought he was an amazing dad to be out there with his son. I still do, and I think I'm a darn good parent myself and both my kids have been on a horse since they could walk. Kids starting in the back of the pack on a tried and true horse are in no more danger than a child on a trail ride with their parent. We should not have to wrap our kids in bubble wrap to protect them. Kids ski, ride bikes, horses, snorkel, ride in cars, on airplanes, etc. You can't keep them in the womb until they are 18. I was the head of Nuclear Radiology at Children's LA and if a kid can get cancer and die, then they darn well can ride a horse and have fun. He was in control of that horse all day.?
Ride on Colton, ride on. Hopefully my son can do a ride with you someday at my side.?
Tiffany
On Feb 19, 2006, at 10:30 PM, Joe Long wrote:
At first I wasn't going to respond to this on the list, but I changed my mind.
The two reasons the Junior Committee and the Board of Directors have given for
not having a minimum age for riders at AERC rides are 1) it's not a problem
because it almost never happens anyway, and 2) it's the parents right to make
that decision.
Well, we see again that it does happen, pretty much every year.
And we don't say "it's the horse owner's right to decide when his horse is old
enough."? Why are we less concerned about protecting children than we are about
protecting our horses?
Is it going to take a tragic accident, with a small child severely injured or
worse, before the AERC faces up to its responsibilities?
