Re: NOT FLUFF/mileage

["cookie hickstein" <cookieh@trib.com>]

Yes there are some parents that push their cchildren to ride, but I do
think it is a very small number and that you can't put rules into effect
that will cause other juniors that want to ride not aboe to do so because
of new rules.  Juniors are limited now lets not add more rules to the
junior riders!  My oldest son would tain with me because he liked to ride
his horse, so at age 8 he wanted to ride the virginia city 100 with me.  I
told him if he trained and rode he could do it.  So he was already to go he
thought, on the day of the ride I knew he would never do all 100 miles he
did the first loop anI knew he shouldn't go on so I had the vet tell him
his horse couldn't go on.  To this day he doesn't know I did that parents
must take responsibiltiy for their children and let them ride what they can
do and no more.  Remember that a junior rider must have an adult within 1
minute at all times, so they are supervised during the ride.  I would of
let my youngest son ride any ride on his own by the age of 12 if it were
allowed, he knew his horse and what he was doing.  My children were lucky
in the fact our horses aren't boarded, they are at our home and they had to
care for the animals on a daily basis to keep them.  They learn alot more
about the sport and the animal in this manner.  And yes they do know how
dangerous a horse can be if taught this from their parents as early as
possible!!

Please do not add more rules to the Juniors, they have enough at this time.
 Plus if you've never sponsored a junior rider you should ,they are alot of
fun to ride with and usually have alot more energy than you do and want to
ride faster and have more fun on the trail.  
Cookie Hickstein
----------
> From: Sullys Maze <Sully@Forsythe.Stanford.EDU>
> To: ridecamp@endurance.net
> Subject: Re: NOT FLUFF/mileage
> Date: Saturday, March 14, 1998 10:36 PM
> 
> REPLY TO 03/13/98 22:27 FROM ridecamp@endurance.net: Re: NOT
FLUFF/mileage
> 
> 
> I find that juniors I ride with do the 50 and then after they have
finished
> vetting in are out riding around for fun.  Have you ever seen Laney
Porter
> after a ride.  She sometimes brings an extra horse to ride around after
the
> ride.  I'm usually dying by that time and taking extra pain pills.  You
would
> be surprised what even 5 years olds can do.....Maryben
> 
> -------
> On the other hand........it's pretty awful to see children dragged
> on endurance rides becuase their parents don't have babysitters, or
> are trying to accomplish some sort of family mileage.
> 
> To me, taking a 5 year old on a 100 mile ride could constitute child
> abuse!  How many 5 year olds can concentrate on anything more than
> 20 minutes at a time, and how many take naps?  Also, to expect a
> child that young to have any concept of how dangerous a horse can be
> is absurd.
> 
> Although I allow that there are some exceptional children that
> desire nothing more than to spend the entire day on a horse, I do
> feel sorry for those that are pushed to do an often grueling and
> exhausting sport when they have no interest or aptitute.
> 
> I have heard some juniors express that they are pushed by their
> parents.......
> 
> My daughter did a 25 when she was 8 years old.  Her friend did her
> first 50 mile ride when she was 9 (I was darn impressed).  Even
> though these girls grew up loving horses, and with, I hope,  gently
> supportive parents, there is no way they would have enjoyed doing a
> 50 mile ride when they were 5 or 6 years old!
> 
> Just as there are rules to protect young horses from competition, I
> wish there were some age limits on junior riders to protect them
> from obsessive parents.
> 
> Karen
> 
> To:  ridecamp@endurance.net