Re: Ms. Smith's Post

["Mary K. Krauss" <kraussberner@worldnet.att.net>]

So now the curious wish to know; is dropping the misbehaviour Heidi
referred to??  If so, I'm a little ticked--a stallion's dropping is a FAR
cry from a stallion's misbehaving.... Stallion's drop lots more than
geldings, even hanging around (no pun intended) alone in the pasture.  Some
people mistakenly think it's prelude to rank behavior....

By the by, details DO matter--I think your case very interesting and
compelling as I sit around contemplating joining this group.  I've attended
3 rides now and have mixed feelings.  I saw 2 clearly ouchy horses ok'd by
vets to go on after 25 miles.  One of them belonged to someone I know who's
nice but not exactly gifted with good judgement--she really depends on a
knowledgeable vet telling her firmly to look out for her horse's welfare. 
Her horse could barely walk for a week after going on to complete 50
miles.... I stay up nights after seeing results such as these....
----------
> From: Patricia Henslee <henslee@triax.com>
> To: ridecamp@endurance.net
> Subject: Ms. Smith's Post
> Date: Thursday, September 17, 1998 7:05 AM
> 
> I was hoping this would not deteriorate down to specifics, but since it
> has I will take time to answer.  Heidi brought up the kicking
> incident--I was not present at the time of the supposed incident.  I
> still am finding it difficult to believe that a horse can kick three
> times and the two people holding him not be aware of it.  I know they
> weren't completely in outer space, and surely there must have been a
> commotion of some type.  I have no answer for that. Neither ride vet was
> aware of a kicking incident.  Why did he kick?  I had just pulled him as
> he had a "hot" nail, was lame and hurting, so maybe he was protecting
> himself and his territory.  The rider, who knew he was a stallion,
> passed  behind him.
> 
> The only time Heidi has had contact with my horse was when she vetted
> two rides he was on.  There were no incidents on either ride; on the
> last one, the person I was riding with was not aware he was a stallion
> and later commented on how well-behaved he was.  As to his
> misbehaving--he had dropped. It was the end of the ride, we were off by
> ourselves and there were no other people nor horses around.  He'd had a
> hard ride and was relaxing--I really didn't care at the time if he
> dropped, but guess I could have beat him for "flashing."  Actually,
> noone had ever told me it was a no, no.  As far as that goes, noone ever
> bother to say anything.  It was two years before I even knew which
> person was the ride manager at one of the rides.    That's how concerned
> she was.
> 
> As Heidi stated, she has known these ride managers for years, they are
> all old friends and riding buddies.  In the past three years we have
> ridden thousands of miles with no incidents.  My horse is not a habitual
> kicker, biter, etc. I firmly believe the liability issue was a cover for
> other things.  When one of the involved ride managers faxes a copy of
> the letter to the ride manager of another region to try to get  you
> barred from a ride they know you're headed to, in my book that comes
> down to the heading of "personal."
> 
> However, it's over and done and it's time we moved on to other things.
> So let's let it drop, okay, because nothing we say is going to change
> anything.
> 
> Patricia