Re: [RC] 20 MT and Little Big Man - Barbara McCrary
It's such a delight to me to hear Colton's
story. I remember when his dad was a kid and his grandmother sponsored him
in our endurance rides. I remember when Colton's mom used to ride our
rides. To read about their son doing endurance now is just such a
thrill.
I agree with everyone who has said you
should not coddle children. I know of one, a neighbor, who was coddled,
never given nor required to have any responsibility that I know of. He is
now 60 years old, single, and still lives at home with his mother. On the
other side of this coin were my grandfather and my father, both very responsible
at a very young age. My grandfather left home at 13 and apprenticed to a
blacksmith. My father was well acquainted with his uncle's business by the
time he was 13 or so and at 18 was capable of running the business
himself. Kids need responsibility and enough freedom to do what they want
to do, within reason, of course.
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?
