This message is from: "Cliff Dukes" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
I can't bite my lip on this any longer and I hope I'm not the only one
who feels this way. God bless the People and the horses who are involved in
therapeutic riding programs. It takes a person with a huge heart to run such
an operation and the few horses which are gifted at doing such work deserve
as much credit and prestige as a Gran Prix show jumper. I understand the
physical and psychological benefits of horses and horsemanship on anyone's
life BUT- I've seen a few of these operations in person and on TV and I
always have to grit my teeth at some of the things I see. I'm sure not all
operations are the same and maybe a few set a bad example as to what they
allow but I'm starting to believe there should be some kind of standard as
far as how capable "physical or mental" a person has to be to be on a horse
or to be eligable to be in these programs. I've seen what I consider to be
some incredibly cruel and disrespectful treatment of some horses in some of
these programs and everyone seems oblivious to it just for the fact that "Oh
these people are doing such a wonderful thing for these poor people with
whatever disability". What about the poor horse who HAS TO put up with the
constant pummeling day in and day out? The mixed signals the jabs, pokes,
and pulls. Then theres "vaulting"? A horse is not a jungle gym! The way I
see it If a person is competant and capable at doing something than they
should do it but these days everyone seems convinced that it's unfair if we
don't allow or enable a person who is disabled from the neck down to try to
do an iron man triathalon.
Just speaking for myself I feel incredibly blessed to be able to own and
ride a horse. I consider any rider even good ones an imposition to a horse
and I'm very thankfull for their foregiving nature in alllowing us ride and
do all of the other crazy things we do with them. When I become to old and
inflexible or mentally or physically unable to fullfill my end of the
horse-rider relationship I'll have enough love and respect for them to
appreciate them from the ground. I just pray I never come back to this world
as a horse.
