Endurance.Net Ridecamp Archives

I'll agree with all of what you said (much better than I did).   RMs  
and vets should be protected against suits based on the normal  
hazards of riding, but riders need to retain the right to sue in  
cases of negligence.   I also agree that RMs really, really try to  
mark hazards and inform riders -- when getting ready to warm up my  
horse after checking in for a  local ride, I've been asked by if I  
could double-check out a part of the trail that they had a report  
on.  It wasn't that bad - just narrow, but he riders were informed at  
the ride meeting that the spot might need a bit of care.

As you say - it all comes down to common sense.


On Jan 17, 2008, at 11:44 AM, Truman Prevatt wrote:

> I must say in the SE ride managers go overboard to mark hazards.  
> They will even go out during the ride and mark one they didn't know  
> about if a rider brings it to their attention. They have spotters  
> at road crossings if there is any chance of traffic- especially  
> when at the beginning when the horses are bunched together and can  
> be pretty hyper.
>
> I think it all comes down to common sense. If there is a know  
> hazard that might not be detected by riders in time to prevent  
> injury from the hazard and the ride manager knows it - it should be  
> communicated to the riders and the best way is to mark it. Not to  
> do so might open the RM up to being determined to have been  
> negligent in which case at least in FL the equine limited liability  
> law is no longer in effect.
>
> There is a lot of difference between accidents that happen because  
> of the inherent risk of riding a horse and accidents that happen  
> because the rider is not informed about known hazards that might  
> not be readily visible until he/she is put at an unnecessary  
> unacceptable level of risk. Of course there a lot of words above  
> that have a range of meanings - but that's why we have lawyers ;-) .
>
> Truman

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

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!!

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=