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Re: [RC] kids and horses - Joe Long

On Mon, 20 Feb 2006 22:44:59 -0600, "Mary Ann Spencer"
<maryann.spencer@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

Life can be dangerous.  Doubt there are many stats these days about horse 
related injuries.  Last century most deaths were from accidents or pneumonia 
and only a few people lived past the age of 50.   

BUT there are LOTS of injuries with ALL the popular 'ball' games.   Many have 
those home trampolines.  Cars also kill and maim MANY people.   We still drive 
and ride in cars.  Most learn and play lots of ball games.  Life can be risky. 
A good plan is to REDUCE the risk as much as possible.  Whether it be horses, 
dogs, balls and bats or rolling wheels, there will be some risk.  We all take 
a chance just walking around our neighborhoods.  

Very true.

I wish people would keep in perspective what we're really talking about here.
No one, NO ONE, is trying to keep youngsters from riding endurance rides.  We
are talking about having a reasonable MINIMUM age to provide some degree of
assurance that very young, VERY SMALL children won't be subjected to the hazards
of a ride, that they are unable to handle (no matter how precocious or "mature
for their age" they are).

Serious emergencies can happen at any time on a horse, no matter how skilled the
rider or how well-trained and "settled" the horse.  The risk of this is much
greater on endurance rides than in riding in an arena or a ride in a park, or
even around the ranch.

And no one has made any case, not a bit, that any child will be harmed in any
way by having to wait and grow a year or two before starting endurance.  It
isn't the kids fighting a minimum age rule, it's parents.

-- 

Joe Long
jlong@xxxxxxxx
http://www.rnbw.com

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Replies
[RC] kids and horses, Dot Wiggins
Re: [RC] kids and horses, Barbara McCrary
Re: [RC] kids and horses, Truman Prevatt
Re: [RC] kids and horses, Mary Ann Spencer