In a message dated 1/29/2008 9:20:26 A.M. Mountain
Standard Time, bwalker2@xxxxxxx writes:
I agree that the first step should
be to contact Ride Management, then go to the regional director.
Also -- I checked the new rules -- this stuff has to be done in a
timely fashion, because there is a 30 day time limit on filing a
protest if all pertinent information is available at the time of the
ride. I saw longer times for certain circumstances, but
that is the primary cutoff time. That means that you can't just
contact Ride Management or the regional director, and let things go on
unresolved for a couple of months, then file a
protest.
Here's my question. What about taking the issue up with
the rider first? Obviously she didn't seem too concerned when shown the bite, so
then maybe applying a bit more direct pressure in the way of a warning similar
to the one issued such as: "Perhaps I was too close to your mare, and will in
the future take care to keep a greater distance. But I do think the mare's
behavior was extremely aggressive and somewhat inappropriate for a social
environment", or something to that effect. That way, it has been directly
brought to the woman's attention so there's no ambiguity about how everyone
feels.
Could Susan have brought another person with her since
her friend with the back injury had to leave early, that way both riders could
have made a personal documentation themselves that there was a problem, and they
took it up directly with the rider first and foremost? THAT SAID, would
they have been more correct in just leaving the situation at that, feeling they
addressed it as best they could, offering to take some responsibility for
themselves while asking the mare's owner to do the same without involving ride
officials? Or should they simply mention it to the RM, stating they didn't want
to create an issue, but did approach the mare's owner regarding the incident so
the RM was *aware* something had happened?
The reason I ask is that let's say at a later ride, the
mare bites someone else. If the RM perceives this mare to be a hazard *beyond*
the normal inherent risks associated with equine activities and wants to suspend
this rider and her mare via sanction lists, wouldn't they have more cause to do
so if they have some sort of formal documentation stating there has been a
problem in the past? That might be a bit harder to do if Susan and her friend
(Lee?) had simply kept the incident to themselves wouldn't it? I like to
offer people the benefit of the doubt, but in this day and age, I think it's
important to cover your own backside legally, too. So what would have been
the better thing to do?
