You know, for all the hoopla the AERC makes about wanting
photos for the cover of EN of showing only helmeted riders with horses, I was
surprised by the Feb 2006 cover photo.
I know enough about the Whelan family to know that they are
wonderful horse folks and the following is not directed as anything "personal",
but more a matter of safety, of observation.
The picture a quite loving moment between a horse and an
eleven year old girl. Upon looking at the photo, if the horse were spooked
by anything behind it (enough to make it leap forward a stride or two), what
might happen?
Might the lead, through which
Josie has her whole arm, tighten? It appears to be a wet, flat lead rope
which just might.
Would her 15 y.o. gelding knock
her down, react to the weight of her being dragged by truly
bolting?
I ask these questions because (apparently) the AERC doesn't
see anything wrong with showing (what appears to be) an innocent moment of a
girl and her horse which, upon closer examination, portends something bad
happening should the stars line up just right.
I know that the horse's _expression_ doesn't show any threat
around him, just a horse assessing what's going on around him.
The rider is 11 years old, has almost 500 competitive miles
and suffered no ill effects from the moment.
