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Re: [RC] Abuse - Truman PrevattThe problem is it is NOT just an LD issue - don't try that dodge. The issue is bigger than this one incident. All the incidents I have seen that would fall under horse abuse were in 50's. Most were riders that had ridden before - some quite a few miles. When a rider tries to chase down the leader with a 10 minute lead whose horse is fresh and his is beat to hell at the third check (and the vets told him to slow down) but good enough to get through in a Jan day in Florida at 85 degrees and humidity when his horse has not been clipped and is wooley - is a conscience decision on the part of the rider to put his ego ahead of the welfare of his horse. The rider had plenty of experience - and he is known to ride on the edge. I think the HWC has even talked with this particular rider. When six of us have to hold the horse up as the vet puts in the IV's shortly after the horse crosses the finish line and went down is indicative of an over ridden horse. When the treatment vet tells you that the horse was lucky to make it at 2 AM when you and he are sitting around the fire monitoring the horse - while the rider is asleep in his trailer one has to wonder.Bottom line IMO the HWC is has been a failure in meeting it's mission which is were we will have to agree to disagree. The only remedy I see is to abolish the HWC and set up some other mechanism to deal with potential abuse issue. It is clear to me that the actions of the HWC are not having any impact on preventing these types of issues. Truman Bruce Weary DC wrote: I truly understand everyone's tortured feelings over the what this horse endured. And there is a certain amount of catharsis in expressing that we'd really like to see such-and-such happen to so-and-so, and that AERC is too soft, not doing it's job, not punishing enough, etc.,. I believe our degree of indignation is proportionate to our level of caring. But the solutions to these types of situations are complicated, and multifaceted. The AERC certainly doesn't "condone" abuse, as some have suggested here. And our decisions aren't driven by trying to avoid lawsuits, although they are a reality in our sport. We should be very careful about trying to "mind read" the thoughts of others, and ascribe motives where we have no first hand knowledge. The answer doesn't lie in the potential level of punishment awaiting an abuser, whether witting or unwitting. The problem, as I see it, lies in the fact that our sport is constantly attracting new riders, many of whom are completely inexperienced and run the risk of overriding a horse.The LD is the entry level experience for many newcomers, and despite the original intent of the LD, it has "morphed" into a racing venue that poses dangers to horses ridden by even experienced riders, and especially those newcomers afflicted by a mixture of ignorance and bravado. They aren't restricted from "going for the gold" until they have some savvy that makes them a safer rider. That is the state of affairs, and until we change that, there will be a few that squeak through, and a horse may be unwittingly abused or die. We can never overestimate the potential risks of true ignorance. We have to all take responsibility for this, and I don't think the answer lies solely in punishment after the fact that is severe enough to make us all feel good, and that we have somehow struck a blow for animal protection. We really haven't, as the abuse has already occurred. While sanctions, cencures, and punishment have their place, and I am all for the appropriate use of them, the argument that they will deter the next completely clueless rookie from doing the same thing again is weak. By definition, a rookie may have little no knowledge of the sport, it's inherent dangers, or what has happened before he showed up. "If we don't know our history, we are doomed to repeat it." An ounce of prevention is always worth the pound of "cure." We added nearly 1,000 new riders to our membership this year, and we are all challenged by how to keep the horses safe in the face of such an ongoing influx of new people. They need our help, guidance and experience. We need constructive ideas of how to safely indoctrinate these new riders so that they understand the rigors and risks of this sport *before* they override their horse. -- “It doesn't matter how beautiful your theory is, it doesn't matter how smart you are. If it doesn't agree with experiment, it's wrong” Richard Feynman, Nobel Laureate in Physics =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Ridecamp is a service of Endurance Net, http://www.endurance.net. Information, Policy, Disclaimer: http://www.endurance.net/Ridecamp Subscribe/Unsubscribe http://www.endurance.net/ridecamp/logon.asp Ride Long and Ride Safe!! =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
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