I am, unfortunately, ridiculously compliant, by nature (which is why I HATE bad rules, I feel compelled to comply even with bad ones). I dislike being in the position of "break the rule or don't enter a ride." I have not yet decided which of those two options I will chose, but I know myself well enough to know that I will lean heavily towards "don't enter a ride."
The reason I don't like ambiguous or poorly written rules and the AERC is one such example - is such rules are subject to abuse. Of course some BOD member is going to tell that your feeding your horse oats or barley (I think barley is higher) or an apple or a carrot or the apple sauce or baby carrots you put you electrolytes in, etc. was an oversight and not the intent of the rule. However, it is there and if it is there it can be used. If it is a rule it should be enforced and enforced across the board.
I can see it now some folks that have it in for Kat Swigart see her feeding her horse oats at an endurance ride gives them the golden opportunity. All file sworn affidavits not only did she do it at that ride but at every endurance ride they saw her in flagrant disregard and violation of the AERC drug rule. In reality Kat would be in violation of the AERC drug rule and should be sanction. BTW this is a big reason I am against the stool pigeon enforcement mentality of the AERC - but that's another story.
If the rule is there it can be enforced and it the case above such enforcement would be IMO harassment. Clearly there was too little research that went into this rule and there was too much a hold over from the old rule - which was really bad. This rule is a perfect example of something designed by committee - they were after a horse but ended up with a camel.
Truman
-- “I maintain there is much more wonder in science than in
pseudoscience
“I maintain there is much more wonder in science
than in
pseudoscience. And in addition, to whatever measure this term has any
meaning,
science has the additional virtue, and it is not an inconsiderable one,
of
being true.” Carl Sagan
