Dogs in camp

[Wendy Milner <wendy@wendy.cnd.hp.com>]

I have a dog. I love dogs. I used to take my dog on my back road
training rides.  But I do not like dogs at base camp.

*IF* everyone would keep their dogs confined to their own camping
spot, and the dog kept quiet, and the dog didn't lunge at the horses
that walked by. Then it would be alright for people to have their
dogs in camp. Unfortunately, there have always been a few people
at the camps I've been to who seem to think that the dogs should be
allowed to wander where ever they want, get into what ever they
want, and interact with the horses how ever they want.  As a result,
even the good owners get blamed. Thus, I do not think that dogs,
even the good ones with good owners, should be allowed at camp.

I also think the same holds true for children.  At a ride last
year, a child who should have known better, was riding her bike
along the road where all the horses had to walk.  She would ride
the bike behind the horses, along side the horses, and even
into the area where the vets were trying to check pulse rates on
horses.  Once she interfered with a horse being trotted out during
the vet check.  I told her once to keep her bike away from the
area, but she ignored me.  I asked one of the ride volunteers to
get her out of there, but that didn't seem to do much good either.

This was almost as bad as the family that came to a ride, parked
next to my horses, and then proceeded to take their dirt bikes off
the back of the truck.  

Now I know that absolutely no one on ridecamp would even consider
having undisciplined dogs, children, or anything else.  But I really 
wish some people out there would get a clue.

*rant off*
--
Wendy

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  Wendy Milner                     HPDesk:   wendy_milner@hp4000
  Hewlett-Packard Company          e-mail:   wendy@fc.hp.com
  Mail Stop A2-5UB3                Telnet:   229-2182 (898-2182 as of Nov 1.)
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