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Re: [RC] Abuse & What I Did - Don HustonHello Bruce,Some years ago at a desert ride I was letting my horse drink at a water stop after climbing a very steep hill on a hot afternoon. A woman came up fast on an excited horse and stopped for 30-40 seconds and the horse would not drink. The horse had that wild-eyed look of "something is wrong and I don't know what to do" and moving all about. The woman said she was having a terrible time and hated the horse and was going to just run him the next 5-6 miles to the vet check and quit at which point she turned to leave. I said just stand here with my horse and yours will drink in a few minutes. She said he was not thirsty or he would have taken a drink. I insisted that her horse was not looking right and to come back here and stand with me until the horse drinks or I would report her to RM for refusing to let your horse drink. She came back glaring and very mad at me. She parked her horse right next to me and said something about "smart ass" and "none of my business" etc. As we discussed these topics her horse started drinking and after several long slurps she spit out "there, I'm leaving" and I never saw her again. I still like to think that that long drink helped that horse to survive it's owner that day. The point here is that as members maybe we should be more aggressive in trying to help others when it's obvious that they are headed for trouble. Also since it was obvious that this cowboy at Mariposa was a newbie maybe some special warnings from the Vet and/or RM before and during the ride should become standard procedure for newbies suffering from "smart ass" and remind them that "yes, how you treat your horse is definitely our business". Something extra stern BEFORE they override their horse for those who refuse indoctrination. Don Huston At 06:43 AM 11/7/2007 Wednesday, Bruce Weary 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. Don Huston donhuston @ cox . net SanDiego, Calif =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= 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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