Re: ride fees

[Susan Evans Garlinghouse <suendavid@worldnet.att.net>]

Now, THESE are cool fund-raising ideas, Barbara!  A few more to add to
the list <g>

$10 for pushing and shoving and flailing around to get your horse FIRST
onto a narrow trail, then promptly slowing to a walk and refusing to let
anyone pass.

$20 if the horse above also kicks as she passes.

$10 during night rides when the rider wears one of those Kleig-light
helmet-mounted lanterns that would light the Superbowl and keeps turning
her head around to blind everyone else, just to ask, "Is this light
bothering you?"

$5 for the rider that allows her horse to barge into another horse's
private feedpan without even asking first.

$50 if the above rider lets her horse stay there and gets snippy when
you politely request that she at least not let her horse stand on your
saddle, ice chest, child, etc...

$100 for running a horse into the ground during a first-time LD ride,
crowing that she "won" as the ride vet runs frantically for fluids and
Banamine, and then complaining bitterly about "politics" when she
doesn't get a completion.  (Sorry, this is a pet peeve).  

$10 for having a LQ rig in the midst of a sea of nylon tents in a
blizzard and not offering hospitality (or at least some hot coffee) to
your neighbors.

On the flip side, these are the potential discounts you can earn...

$2 rebate for saving any of the above described folks from a lynch mob,
if nothing else, to save the ride manager from all the extra paperwork
of explaining a justifiable homicide.

$50 rebate for stopping to give aid to an injured horse or rider.  In
addition, these people are promptly promoted to sainthood.

$5 rebate for not starting up your generator at 3 a.m. unless you're
planning on providing a hot breakfast for the entire camp at 5.

$10 for choosing not to bring both your randy young stallion *and* a
mare in estrus to the same ride and thinking they'll be quiet if you
just tie them on opposite sides of the trailer.

$10 rebate for teaching your children not to throw rocks, stay out of
other people's portable corrals and not ask other people for a pony ride
at vet check #3 at the regional championship ride.

$5 for taking a nice picture of someone else's horse during a ride and
sending the photo to them anonymously.

$5 for loaning tack to a close competitor else whose reins, bridle,
girth, etc just broke, so they can ride (and possibly even beat) you. 
This rebate increases to $50 at championship rides.  NOTE: To qualify
for this rebate, you must not have sabotaged the other riders tack in
the first place.

:-)

Susan G



BMcCrary27@aol.com wrote:
> 
> Angie, I going to list all of your fees that have applied to one or more of
> our rides over the years, then add them all and see what I could take in above
> and beyond the usual ride fee:
> 
> $10  Showing up at a ride with limited parking first, parking at a weird
> angle and then staking out 1/2 acre for your portable pen.
> 
> $5 Assuming management didn't mean *your* dog when they said "all pets
> must be on leash". (How about $10 when the rule is "dogs not permitted"?)
> 
> $10  Asking the ride manager to leave their management position and go
> get your completion award for you since you'd like to leave early. (This one
> is worth FAR more than $10 -- and it happens EVERY single ride!)
> 
> $10  Showing up with a Jr. with no prior arrangements for a sponsor.
> 
> $50  Leaving without paying the farrier or vet. (This one is not really a $50
> item; the vet simply asks us for the rider's address and he/she does the
> billing directly)
> 
> At $10 per item, that's another $50, and it's all clear profit. Ah, the woes
> of the ride manager (sigh) !!!
> 
> Barbara