Leadline Eventing

[Ltc4h]

Yes, Thats right
There has been an unrecognized horse trial who has offered this division-Leadline
What's your take?

[rabicon]

:confused: No there hasn't been that I know of. But how would you do that with dressage,xcountry,and sj?? Do you mean a leadline dressage test? Or like a local hunter/pleasure shows where they just walk the kids around in the ring?

[pony grandma]

Is there an age limit :winkgrin: ?

[Eventer55]

I saw it in a magazine somewhere and I thought how great to start off kids. they have lead line in the show ring so why not for eventing. . .:)

[carrie_girl]

I've never seen this at an event, but at the end of our PC camp when I was a kid we always had a horse trials. The D1s would always be on leadlines for XC (over sticks on the ground basicly), but did a walk-trot dressage test and SJ over a course of poles. It was fun, and trust me, even w/a ground person some of those ponies would still stop XC! It was lots of fun though and a way for the little kids to still be a part of the action w/o being unsafe.

[Blugal]

Hmmm, my parents always call the levels below 2'6" prenatal. :lol:

[Ajierene]

At Olde Hope they have a 'green horn' division, which is smaller than elementary. It is not pure leadline, but the dressage test is run in an actual ring (with 4' rails around it and everything, no dressage ring chains). The stadium jumping is kind of open, but still inside the old horse pasture, so a runaway pony can't go to far. The cross country is essentially in the same area and a 'ground person' (parent, older sibling or 'trainer') runs next to the tot. Cross Country is listed as 'leadline.'

It is very cute and charming.

There was no photographer this last show, due to weather, but here are some pictures of the greenhorn division Oktoberfest last fall:

http://www.silverpixelsproofs.com/ohf-10508/green/index.htm

[Wee Dee Trrr]

At our Pony Club "D" rally... which is an "event" but just for the D's... the D1s do their own W/T dressage test and stadium (over poles on the ground) then they get a leadline XC course (more poles on the ground). They seem to like it. It is a good way to introduce eventing to the little kids without the audience/parents gasping. :)

Of course this was a few years ago...

[vbunny]

I think it's a great way to encourage new blood and to let the entire family enjoy horses/ponies. Let it be just a fun thing so if parents want to do this kind of thing with their kids they don't have to go to the hunter ring to do it.

[denny]

Can`t you picture Bruce being led around the ring by Buck in another 20 years or so?

"Come on,Dad, hang onto the pommel, we`re gonna trot a few steps."

[HurricaneHolly]

My daughter who was 7.5 at the time, did the greenhorn division at Olde Hope last year and had a blast. I messed her up in her dressage test- I told her to turn "right" and she yelled," I can't! The fence is there!" She ended up having a decent test. She cantered most of the xc course and loved it! When she finished she said, " That's it?" She had a nice little show jumping round even though her pony was being a bugger about turning. It was a great experience!!

[AppJumpr08]

Can`t you picture Bruce being led around the ring by Buck in another 20 years or so?

"Come on,Dad, hang onto the pommel, we`re gonna trot a few steps."

*SNORK*

:lol::lol::lol::lol::lol:

[Ltc4h]

No, not the less than beginner and bigger than ground poles
The You can't ride and don't have control if cut loose, Leadline.
An Intro A Dressage test
12-18" x-rails and verticles
Telephone poles and small logs

Unfortunately when you ask a pony to jump from a walk or standstill, so the handler can negotiate the jump first, they tend to go straight up and over.
Which is what happened @ this Event, catapulting the rider forward and smacking her face into the poll giving her a bloody nose/lip.

I wrote a not so nice letter to the organizer, she responded back with one of the same, explaining that if younger siblings are going to be there anyway why not let them compete without having to worry with having control of the pony. And that the normal rules would not apply as they were special circumstances.

I truly understand making unrecognized easy and fun, but everything else horse has been dummied down.
I feel there is no place for that in Eventing.
Yes, Old school and traditional I know.

[joiedevie99]

I have no problem with leadline at events- we always did it with the D-1s in pony club. However, I would never let them jump on the lead line. Our leadline kids always did ground poles, and most walked them. If you wanted to jump at a rally or schooling event, you had to pass your D-2, at which point you could do the cross-rail division.

[Lisa Cook]

Sorry - I agree with the organizer on this one. It's a fun, safe way to introduce kids to eventing. If it had been offered when my son was younger, I would have been there in a heart beat!

When my son was a leadliner, we had to venture over to h/j land, since that was our only leadline option...it sure would have been nice to jog around a field for a change, instead of trudging around yet another h/j ring.

It can be scary for kids (and parents) to go off on their own...give them some encouragement. Why not?

Here's an article from years ago from my son's first attempt at a walk/trot dressage test. Thank goodness for the kindness and patience of the judge and show workers that day, or he might of never set foot in a dressage ring again.

http://dressage.com/profiles/c/andy.htm

[retreadeventer]

I too recommend and have actually judged the Greenhorn at Olde Hope, and I think the difference is, Jane, the organizer, is FABULOUS at making little jumps seem big but the ponies don't do the pop up in the air thing over them. They are very small, and usually not even 12 inches high. Think tiny flower box or less.
I think that properly set up this division can be fun. Occasionally a pony isn't going to behave. Kids need to be prepared for that - parents too.

[kdow]

Unfortunately when you ask a pony to jump from a walk or standstill, so the handler can negotiate the jump first, they tend to go straight up and over.
Which is what happened @ this Event, catapulting the rider forward and smacking her face into the poll giving her a bloody nose/lip.

Am I just being paranoid? Asking a horse or pony to do anything that involves an actual JUMPING effort while being lead or walked/run next to seems like asking for a serious injury when the pony/horse misjudges the landing a little and lands ON the person. ETA: I'm counting even "popping" over a jump as jumping, here - where the horse has to gather, rock back, and make some kind of specific effort to go up-over instead of forward-over.

If someone has to be THAT close so that the pony doesn't get out of control, then I'd seriously question if the rider was really ready to be doing more than the aforementioned ground poles. (I could see it being different if the pony team had a handler that went around the course with them, but stood safely to the side of the jump while the jump itself was being negotiated.)

[Evalee Hunter]

. . . . Yes, Old school and traditional I know.

In this area, I think "Old school and traditional" IS parents running alongside a tiny child on a small pony. Reportedly Lana Dupont Wright (first woman in the Olympic 3 day) introduced her daughter (Beale Wright Morris) to eventing by running along with her at her early events. Bill & Anne Rawle ran alongside Emily Rawle (and maybe Ellie, too). In this area there is a long, long tradition of children being introduced to eventing in this manner. It is NOT something new.

Am I just being paranoid? Asking a horse or pony to do anything that involves an actual JUMPING effort while being lead or walked/run next to seems like asking for a serious injury when the pony/horse misjudges the landing a little and lands ON the person. . . .

I thought leading a horse over a jump on foot is actually part of the hunter equitation test (or may be part of it if the judge wishes)? Supposedly there is a "correct" was to do this, although I confess I don't know what the correct way is.

[LR1976]

Can`t you picture Bruce being led around the ring by Buck in another 20 years or so?

"Come on,Dad, hang onto the pommel, we`re gonna trot a few steps."

Awwwww :winkgrin:

[Fly_High]

In this area, I think "Old school and traditional" IS parents running alongside a tiny child on a small pony. Reportedly Lana Dupont Wright (first woman in the Olympic 3 day) introduced her daughter (Beale Wright Morris) to eventing by running along with her at her early events. Bill & Anne Rawle ran alongside Emily Rawle (and maybe Ellie, too). In this area there is a long, long tradition of children being introduced to eventing in this manner. It is NOT something new.



I thought leading a horse over a jump on foot is actually part of the hunter equitation test (or may be part of it if the judge wishes)? Supposedly there is a "correct" was to do this, although I confess I don't know what the correct way is.

In the old school Handy Hunter classes they sometimes ask competitors to lead a horse over a jump.

[jpalisades]

Can`t you picture Bruce being led around the ring by Buck in another 20 years or so?

"Come on,Dad, hang onto the pommel, we`re gonna trot a few steps."

:lol::lol::lol: Denny, you made my morning! Well, after I cleaned the coffee off of my screen and I was able to stop laughing so hard:winkgrin:

[mkevent]

My only take on it is that I hope I am never enlisted as the leadline handler. I trip all the time(long toe low heel syndrome?) and I can just envision myself tripping over the log, flailing my freakishly long appendages as I'm airborne, spooking the pony in the process and generally making the entire episode something worthy of America's Funniest Videos!(but only if no one gets hurt!)

[sophie]

When I was volunteering at a unrecognized event I saw the "running along the green-as-grass beginner" thing, it was hilarious! It was in the lowest of the low divisions, a tiny kid on a very sedate, bombproof little horse, and 2 women running next to-behind them (no lead line tho), shouting words of praise and encouragement. I don't know how those 2 (middle aged!) women managed to run the whole course like that. I sure couldn't have! One of them passed me, laughed, and said "I hope the medic will be at the finish line" ROFL.

[lcw579]

I wish someone had been running next to me a few decades ago during a pony club outing (not over little poles) when I was a D as I got lost and was begging the fence judge to tell me which path to take in the woods! :lol: That taught me not to talk my way through the course walk at a very young age. :winkgrin:

[Saskatoonian]

Sounds like a big joke to me, but if it'll keep organizers happy and running events, I'm all for it. Don't think I won't be laughing at it though.

[goobs]

Sophie - THAT made me laugh! How funny!!!! Sounds like it will be a lot of fun for everyone and another way to generate much needed income for these unrecognized events that we so need.

[zagafi]

Sounds like a big joke to me, but if it'll keep organizers happy and running events, I'm all for it. Don't think I won't be laughing at it though.

Because laughing at small children being introduced to a sport is so classy after all! :rolleyes:

[mosmom]

My son also did this at Olde Hope. The plan was for him to do all 3 phases on a leadline but right before we entered the Dressage ring he wanted it off. I still went in with him but he was pretty much on his own. USEA even did an online article about him.

http://useventing.com/blog/?p=268

[awm]

Good one, Denny!

Maybe you better pick your anchor now!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ;-)

[yellowbritches]

Oh, I think it is a fun, cute idea. A nice way to introduce kids to the sport, but keeping it safe and as stress free (for the adults!) as possible.

And, keep in mind folks, people have been ponying tiny little tots on tiny ponies in the HUNT FIELD for probably as long as fox hunting has been in existence. If I were a parent, I think I'd prefer leading my kid's pony around some little sticks on the ground the ponying the cheeky thing (because, it IS a pony, it is going to be cheeky) in the hunt field. :yes:

[Gry2Yng]

In this area, I think "Old school and traditional" IS parents running alongside a tiny child on a small pony. Reportedly Lana Dupont Wright (first woman in the Olympic 3 day) introduced her daughter (Beale Wright Morris) to eventing by running along with her at her early events. Bill & Anne Rawle ran alongside Emily Rawle (and maybe Ellie, too). In this area there is a long, long tradition of children being introduced to eventing in this manner. It is NOT something new.



I thought leading a horse over a jump on foot is actually part of the hunter equitation test (or may be part of it if the judge wishes)? Supposedly there is a "correct" was to do this, although I confess I don't know what the correct way is.

Applause, applause!

It is funny to think that times have change so much that what REALLY *IS* old school is now a novel idea that some look down their noses upon.

[Jeannette, formerly ponygyrl]

I didn't get to stand and watch, but some years ago I was at a show in Ireland - and it was a decent sized, "rated" (National?) show - and in one ring they had leadline jumping - the jumps were bigger than crossrails! Handlers had to be athletic to clear them! :)

I got the impression it was a great intro to showing and jumping on size appropriate mounts, freed from having to cope with the wileyness of small native ponies. :) The kids were really jumping, and I'm pretty sure they were in charge of kicking - they just didn't have to keep the ponies from grazing in between jumps...

[crittertwitter]

Can`t you picture Bruce being led around the ring by Buck in another 20 years or so?

"Come on,Dad, hang onto the pommel, we`re gonna trot a few steps."

Our prophetic Denny, who do you 'see' leading you around? ;)

[Shrunk "N" Da Wash]

It seems like a waste of parents money just to debut their kids ability to do I'm not sure what?... I think kids and better yet parents should be patient and show when they are capable of actually showing. I have seen more kids scared then I care to count from showing to young (out of control pony, nerves, pressure, ect)

But I guess it is harming me in no way. And if people think it's a good idea that is fine let the show organizers make some extra $$

[jumper19]

I taught a four year old (She's five now) last year, and one of the things we went to was an adorable "Mini-event." The whole thing was lead line, and the kid's had a blast.The dressage test was also a costume contest..this was around Halloween. They had a real cross country course, and a real (groundpole) stadium course set up. The little girl felt so accomplished! Of course I was dying at the end of it. Those little ponies don't look so fast from a standstill, but my goodness can those little legs move when you're trying to keep up during the three phases. I think I burned off at least a few trips to Mickey D's. She ended up winning the whole thing, and she can't wait to go back.

[Kementari]

Well, I agree that they shouldn't be JUMPS, but so long as they are the sort of thing that the pony/horse CAN trot over (and so can the handler :lol:), I don't see what the big deal is.

If the handlers are making the ponies stop so they can negotiate the jump first, that's a HANDLER issue. I led my best friend's daughter over her first (12" or so) xc "jumps" on my packer, but by very definition of the word "packer," I didn't actually have to JUMP with him: I went around the edge and he went over. It worked fine. (Ever seen - amusing as it is - minis competing in jumping? Same theory. ;))

I think leadline eventing sounds cute, and unlikely to be the Downfall Of Eventing As We Know It, so long as the courses are appropriate and the entrants use common sense. :yes:

[kdow]

In the old school Handy Hunter classes they sometimes ask competitors to lead a horse over a jump.

Is there a SAFE way to do it?

I just look at the photos and think "if that handler tripped on landing or going over the jump, that could turn into a pretty nasty accident very quickly."

Someone else mentioned doing the same sort of thing, but the handler going around the side of the jump, and that makes a lot more sense to me - there's encouragement and someone to keep the pony behaving, but the handler isn't actually in or near the path of the jumping pony.

Plus in an event which is geared towards being a fun introduction to the sport, I'd probably personally lean towards being a little more cautious just because while a good experience is going to be encouraging, a BAD experience could be really awful for a kid of that age. I mean, how's a kid going to feel if in their very first event, mom got trampled by his pony and ended up in the hospital?

[yellowbritches]

Have some of you seriously never led a horse or pony over a little jump, or a log on the trail or something??? It really isn't all that hard or life threatening. We have a pasture that we get through via the ring. I can't tell you how many times I've walked or jogged through the ring with a horse in tow, and popped over something little in the way. Hell, leading a baby horse over a tarp on the ground is how we introduce them to ditches. I've led them over ditches and things in hand (in fact, one of my webshots albums is me schooling a nervous young horse in hand over all sorts of things). The worst thing that's ever happened to me is I sprained my ankle when I landed wrong on the other side of a ditch. Occasionally I've been bumped by a shoulder.

Honestly, if we're talking about itty bitty logs and rails on the ground, if an adult can't negotiate them on foot while leading a pony, I'd be worried what the adult is like on the back of a horse negotiating things.

[Lisa Cook]

What makes this wringing of hands over the safety of leading a pony over a jump all the more kind of humorous is that in the most recent issue of Eventing magazine, there is an ad for Pony Club, which I think everyone would agree has a reputation of being rather safety conscious. And in that pony club ad is a picture....of a person on foot going over a jump, towing along via leadline an adorable little pony and rider. :)

[Blugal]

I wasn't going to reply until the Pony Club got brought into it... I teach lots of Pony Club and sometimes the Ds (that's D1 in the US) have someone leading them. But the most they ever do is poles on the ground.

As an instructor I'm uncomfortable with parents (even knowledgeable ones) leading the ponies over more than that, for all the reasons mentioned here, but mostly because I feel that the child needs to be in control of the pony, and have adequate control of his/her hands and seat, before he/she should be jumping.

Basically, I guess if the pony isn't saintly enough to be trusted with the child off-lead, then it might not be saintly enough when landing from the jump and trotting or cantering off, which the parent can't keep up with, and the child hanging off the side, clutching the reins, and crying or screaming, and the pony going sideways away from the leadrein... you get the picture. It's bad enough when this happens because the pony started trotting too fast on the flat.

I've only taught one group of leadline over fences and over logs on XC - it was not a success in my opinion. I was uncomfortable with my role in that, the kids were over-horsed and as it progressed I felt it was an accident waiting to happen. (The parents were gung-ho... 2 of the kids were boys so they were gung-ho even though they were probably the most likely to fall off.)

Sure there are some exceptions. They can go right ahead. Just not in my lesson, thank you. Besides, sometimes seeing the older kids doing things they can't is a good incentive to work on their riding so that they can be independent enough to join in.

[Ltc4h]

Not a happy ending, busted her face up pretty good and ground impact knocked the wind out of her.
Scary, but not a serious injury.
Paint pony on x-country different horse/rider
http://www.photoreflect.com/pr3/orderpage.aspx?pi=0EBK009J2E0037&po=37

[eponacowgirl]

I didn't lead her over the whole course, but I jogged beside her. When her horse refused this fence, I led him over it by the standing martingale (put there for that express purpose- all martingales and grass reins were allowed at this schooling show.)

Refusing:
http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=33249890&l=fb1564ee0f&id=51801315
Clearing:
http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=33249891&l=338ef7e0fa&id=51801315

Other fences on course (handler allowed)
http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=33249889&l=ab5fdb7404&id=51801315
http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=33249888&l=d811cd2a24&id=51801315
Stadium:
http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=33249886&l=c0a555179b&id=51801315
http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=33249885&l=779117e7db&id=51801315


I think its a lovely introduction to eventing for a kid on a horse who will never jump 2'6" or even 2' due to an old stifle injury. Therefore, she needs to decide if she wants to give up her horse before she can go BN.

BTW, if you're wondering where the 12" coops come from?
http://cmsimg.tennessean.com/apps/pbcsi.dll/bilde?NewTbl=1&Site=DN&Date=20090315&Category=NEWS01&ArtNo=315004&Ref=PH&Item=1&Maxw=542&Maxh=352&q=60

[Tamara in TN]

Yes, Thats right
There has been an unrecognized horse trial who has offered this division-Leadline
What's your take?

is that not like the UK cradle stakes ?? I think it is a wonderful idea....

best

[Ajierene]

Not a happy ending, busted her face up pretty good and ground impact knocked the wind out of her.
Scary, but not a serious injury.
Paint pony on x-country different horse/rider
http://www.photoreflect.com/pr3/orderpage.aspx?pi=0EBK009J2E0037&po=37

Actually, if you start at photo 24 and work your way through the sequence, you will notice that this girl is not doing two-point at all. She is sitting back in the saddle, reins loose, getting behind the motion and hence when the horse does something, she gets out of balance and ended up cracking her head on the pony's head. That is not the fault of the show grounds, but the fault of the trainer not making sure the rider is properly prepared for the task at hand.

I went back and reviewed the link to Olde Hope that I had listed. There was one instance of a rider not being in two point over a decent jump. There was a rider near the beginning going over essentially a trotting pole, where the rider was not in two point. There are several instances of a pony jumping 'big' where the rider was forward in the saddle and with the movement of the horse, hence the lack of accidents.

Could the incident described by the previous poster happen at Olde Hope? Of course. Would it be the fault of Olde Hope? Of course not. Bad riding is not being prepared for the task at hand'-which the rider was not, and the trainer was did not make sure that the rider was prepared to ride that pony in that environment.

[Tamara in TN]

[QUOTE=eponacowgirl;4097510]I didn't lead her over the whole course, but I jogged beside her.


http://www.pony-horseadvertiser.co.uk/page15.html


nice pic from our friends across the pond....

best

[enjoytheride]

We get that you hate it.

[evans36]

In the schooling event recently at my barn, I worked the start box. During the pre-tadpole divisions they might as well have been leadline for a lot of kids. Seemed like there were several that were over-mounted and had ponies bolt in the warmup then their trainers basically led them around CC to get a "good training experience." I remember thinking at the time that perhaps we should offer a bigkid diaper in the registration packet because these kids really looked SCARED enough to need it.

I think if a kid isn't really ready to go out, then they need to not go out yet. Every now and again things happen and horses don't behave ideally, but I don't think it should be the norm. And if it is the norm, the rider on the pony should be able to correct and handle the pony. At that level the ponies don't even have to jump. If the child can't control the pony then they should not be at a show, especially not with a trainer who has several students and can't hang around with that kid the whole time.

It's one thing to go with an outrider for confidence and advice, but it's another to get led around because you can't handle your horse. I think it gives the impression to these kids that it's actually OK to ride horses you can't handle, and that's dangerous. The worst part about it I think was that most of these kids were scared, and so were their horses. Green+green=bad experience usually, for at least one party involved.

[enjoytheride]

I don't think it gives that impression at all to the child. As far as the kid knows they're having a freaking fantastic time pretending to be a big girl along with their older sister or mom. I think it allows a small child to have fun and have someone right with them giving them encouragement, telling them to 2 point, to look ahead, etc.

There is a 4yo girl who rides my 16.3 hand retired horse. She can be lead at the walk right now and she is learning to "jump" we walk over groundpoles in hand while I lead the horse and she told her grandmother she was "galloping fences" and that she didn't want a pony because they were for babies. She's having safe fun.

I think an uncontrollable mount is bad at any level and especially bad with small children because it can ruin their confidence for the future. I think a homely but saintly pony that can't be beaten into anything faster then a slow trot is the very best thing for this stage. Something that naps all day long, musters enough energy to pop over a crossrail, steers himself down the lines, finds his own distance, and comes back to the trot on his own is perfect.

I think it's up to the parent/trainer to chose a suitable mostly dead mount and a course the horse can easily hop over from a walk. If these horses were all jumping in leadline then either the horses were unsuitable which is the fault of the person who picked them or the course was too high.

[Tamara in TN]

[QUOTE=enjoytheride;4097660]I don't think it gives that impression at all to the child. As far as the kid knows they're having a freaking fantastic time pretending to be a big girl along with their older sister or mom. I think it allows a small child to have fun and have someone right with them giving them encouragement, telling them to 2 point, to look ahead, etc.


exactly...by that logic we'd never ever have a lead line class of any kind...

best

[evans36]

I completely agree that a next-to-comatose pony is the best thing for these kids. And I can see that a "fun" leadline class that just lets the kids basically trail ride with obstacles could be a good time for them. I just think that if the child HAS to be led in order to be safe, they probably shouldn't be in the hectic environment of a show in the first place because it's more tough to control safety there. And I Do Not agree with allowing trainers to walk with children because the children can't control their pony, for whatever reasons. On a horse/pony that isn't going anywhere but stop if you let go, then I think that can be ok... but it really made me nervous as a show volunteer watching those kids in the warmup ring while their trainer wasn't around to walk them around.

[Romany]

Not a happy ending, busted her face up pretty good and ground impact knocked the wind out of her.
Scary, but not a serious injury.
Paint pony on x-country different horse/rider
http://www.photoreflect.com/pr3/orderpage.aspx?pi=0EBK009J2E0037&po=37

Looks from those pics as if someone had looped a stirrup leather around the pony's neck, but unfortunately the little jockey doesn't have her hands on it...if she did, chances are she'd have been kept forward by the momentum over the jump, and might not have been flung out of the saddle quite so painfully.


My first HT was on a leading rein - aged about 6, 40-odd years ago. Apparently I spent a large proportion of the xc yelling at my mother to hurry up. :rolleyes:

I had to memorise our dressage test, too!

[retreadeventer]

Hmmm.
I can only speak with my experience locally.
We have many entrants in the greenhorn from the Hunter/jumper world.
Their trainers love the additional activity provided by the eventing - the dressage, the stadium, AND the cross country all give their leadliners/short stirrup kids WAY more to do up there than the hunter shows where they just do the flat classes and maybe jump a couple cross rails.
The kids are ecstatic about competing and are usually thrilled to get any prize afterward and I might ad read and digest their dressage tests too.
A few have converted to eventing and have grown up, gotten horses, and competed at the same venue in the upper levels offered there.
If the intention is to offer a fun, introductory level, encouraging children to enjoy eventing - then it's been a true success for the sport and completely acceptable.

[Carolinadreamin']

...but mostly because I feel that the child needs to be in control of the pony, and have adequate control of his/her hands and seat, before he/she should be jumping.

Agree. I understand that people want the little ones to feel included and/or do something different outside the arena. But, I don't care how young they are, the basics must be there. They may be riding a saintly old retired schoolmaster, a calm quiet pony or a good old steady-eddy. But, they are still on an animal that is large, powerful and in the oddest of times unpredictable. I think a certain amount of healthy fear and respect should be there.

[Small Name Trainer aka SNIT!]

:D I have to respond....because my daughter had a friend on her side and me in front for the entire xcountry course,and I lead,carried her in stadium, and trotted and walked her dressage test with her.....I was in boots,breeches and helmet because I was competing in another division. She had on a body protector and the only injury she sustained was her rump was bruised from the pony stepping out from under her in the parking lot! She complained that body protectors didn't work but that a few pillows appropriatly placed might. She begged to do this at age 3, she had been riding since age 14 months and her pony was a 9.2 hand shetland mare that had 4 wheel drive over fences.I made her wait a year to join me..Ram Tap had the Masters division each fall and it was FUN. Costumes were allowed, double riders, bareback, facing backwards....the parents and organizers and husbands and all the people who don't normally compete came out and had FUN. They normally do all the work so all the rest can compete and be gods for a day....This was their time to shine. Life is dangerous....there is only one exit and we all have to go the same direction....while I do not advocate stupidity on horse or pony back I do advocate FUN ...or else why do we all pay the bills on this addiction to horses? BTW, my daugher finished x country and said" That was the best course and the worst course I have ever ridden. I think I will wait to show again when I am big enough to ride by myself! " and she did...she is about to turn 20, and competing at Prelim. Every times she steps out of the start box I know her pony is right there with her,,,the biggest grins of joy ever seen in childhood on both their faces. I will never forget looking up to see Ed Lawrence running backwards over the finish line snapping pictures of her coming over that final fence that day....Sometimes people forget that eventing can be joyfull, and a partnership that is untouchable for those that remember the way to get to the finish line is not a journey that is ever accomplished on your own, but a team effort from the entire company one keeps. Sometimes leading another rider over a pole on the ground is opening the door to a lifetime of FUN and joy. Sometimes its an excuse to picture Bruce drooling during the sitting trot work and Buck forgetting which way they were supposed to track at "C" .....thanks Denny, thats a show I want to ride in!!!!!!

[Noctis]

Oh that there was one of those in the area! I'd have Sadie doing it in a few years and Will a year or two after that! Sadie will be starting leadline at hunter shows mid summer, and I'd love to do a little mini event with her someday! I think its a wonderful idea. I wish we did a lot more stuff like this, like they do in Europe.