Amen Sheila! If everyone would ride with this mantra, there would be SO FEW wrecks, issues, and screaming mimis at rides. A friend of mine here in our valley told me just two days ago that he heard a couple of riders at our ride, passing his house, screaming obscenities at each other!!!! If this is representative of the change in attitude and behavior at our rides, then clearly we have issues to address. I like to think that this is the exception - but make no mistake - dangerous habits, horrid manners, and the like will CONTINUE to get us booted from private AND public lands until nothing is left. Frankly, I just don't get it - this is NOT Life's Blood - it is a sport a game, a hobby, and in some cases, probably income.BE nice, be patient, don't run off and leave someone on a frantic horse because YOU galloped off while they were drinking; don't shut a gate when another rider is 25 feet away. It is not life itself. If you find your blood pressure - not your horse's - escalating because someone is ahead of you in the last 5 miles; if you get neurotic about whether you are UPHILL or DOWNHILL from the vet check; if you fret over whether or not the RM has provided YOUR brand of grain - seriously people, you need a reality check. Get back in touch with family, reality, holidays, etc - and perhaps a lot of these behavioral issues will take care of themselves. BTW, don't come lunge by me - I hate dust - as is demonstrated by my reluctance to go NEAR it in my home:).
San - who feels like a 3rd grade teacher again....
On Jan 30, 2009, at 9:13 AM, SHEILA A WALSH wrote:
This whole topic brings up the importance of all of us taking the time to be mindful of other riders. When my mare is so excited about the start of a ride, I ask riders walking by to stand still so I can get on; and I do the same. What is 30 seconds going to do to the finish time? Since I have done this with my new ride, she gets better and better at the start of each ride and we still top ten. I want to go out there and have a great day, not a wreck; and I don't want anyone else to have a wreck, either.
Same with watering during a ride, if you are joined by other riders, don't leave them without checking, first. I ask riders to give my horse a minute to drink or she won't if they leave her and vice versa.
