Just as a matter of curiosity, how many, or what
percentage, of AERC riders are abusers? Are we making a huge deal out of a
minute percentage? Of course, there should be zero tolerance for abusers,
but is a whole new rule, which may not really solve any problems but cause some
of its own, really necessary? If a rider abuses his horse, i.e. pushes him
too hard to win, why is it not as simple as the vet DQing the rider and not
allowing a finish? If enough vets do this to the same abusive rider,
wouldn't you think eventually the rider would have a clue?
I know of one rider who over-rode his horse for the
sake of winning, and the ride manager, after two consecutive years of the same
rider doing the same thing at her ride, refused to allow this rider to enter her
ride...ever again.
I've always gotten sound training/conditioning
advice from Otis. He's wonderful about observing HOW my horses feel
before/during/after each ride, and then telling me how to slightly alter their
training/conditioning. So that they progressively improve in a safe
manner.
One thing EVERYONE will agree about Otis - is that he HATES
seeing horses pushed well-past their capabilities. And has no problem
lecturing that rider about it! He REALLY hates it - when he sees certain
riders CONTINUALLY pushing their horses too-hard ride-after-ride.
In my
very limited AERC experience - I've already seen certain riders doing this.
And being continually pulled for metabolic/lameness.
If riders can't
have common sense - then rules NEED to be put in place. After all - doesn't
the horse's health come FIRST in the AERC?????
