Title: "Problems worthy of attack prove their worth by fighting back
I think the FEI is similar but don't quote me on that. In reality the
AERA and AERC are quite different in their approach to endurance. While
many Australians might bristle at being compared to the FEI - in
reality they are in that they have a large number of rules and are
highly regulated, e.g. the whole logbook, penalty points system, etc.
The AERC is quite simple. You show up with old Dobbin to a ride. If you
are a member you enter and pay the fee. If you are not you enter, pay
the fee and an extra 15 bucks. You do the ride and about the only
regulations other than common sense is the horse has to meet a 60 pulse
within 30 minutes at each check and pass a vet exam to determine if he
is "fit to continue." They you have to wait a prescribed hold time to
go back out. Once you have finished the ride, meet the pulse parameter
and pass the post ride vet exam you are finished. You can ride your own
pace - you don't have to ride a prescribed speed based on how many
rides old Dobbin has had. One ride you can go fast, the next you can go
slow - it is your choice not the AERC's choice with the exception you
can't go too slow because the volunteers have to go home sometime ;-) .
There is not much to it. You and old Dobbin don't need to go through a
prescribed set of rides at prescribed speeds before you can go out and
ride like you want. You don't need to drag a logbook around which has
to be presented in good form along with a microchipped horse for ID
just to participate in a recreational activity.
It's not that the AERA system is bad or good - it is just a lot more
complicated and not really tailored to the recreational rider that does
a couple rides a year - which is a large number of the AERC members.
I've brought my horse up many a time and let him much grass while
talking to a pulse taker as I wasn't in any hurry. I'd say - he's
probably down where as the pulse taker would check him and say,
"almost" and we go back to talking. In a minute he'd check him again
and say "he's down" fill the time on my card and I go on the to the
vet. Nice relaxed atmosphere. That sure would not happen under AERE
rules.
Thank you very much, I prefer the AERC minimal set of rules.
Truman
Elizabeth Walker wrote:
Yeah - that has never made much sense to me, either. I can understand putting a limit on the number of tries, to avoid tying up the staff, but even that is marginal - most pulse takers can figure out that it is better to choose the first-time presenter than the one you have already checked 4 times, and is still up... And if there are enough pulse takers, why *not* just stick with the horse and wait?
I just don't see the merit of eliminating a horse from competition due to what is really and truly a technicality.
On Jan 20, 2010, at 10:22 AM, Diane Trefethen wrote:
--
"Problems
worthy of attack prove their worth by fighting back." -
Paul Erdos
