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Posts: 73
| So last night I took my ASOF filly to a jackpot, and she has been really great, but tends to be a little hot, especially before a run. It is not a big deal to me, but some people are a little uncomfortable. Anyway, before my run, there was a girl in the alleyway, she was just standing by the fence, not even on a horse. She was maybe eleven or twelve, definitely old enough to know better. I told her that she might want to move, because my horse is hot. When she said that she is okay, I stressed that she really should move. When she continued to stay put, I just flat out told her to get out of the way, figuring that it is better to be rude than get someone hurt. She just planted her feet, and I just myself that there's nothing I can do and to go make my run. Well, I get into the alley and my mare starts rearing, and picking up her feet and I was just thinking oh god. This is a really narrow alley and there's no way there's room for all of us. We start to move past her and I almost think everything's okay, and then my filly swings her hip into the girl, and she's completely pinned against the fence. And the girl starts screaming which does not help anything, because Fling's already super revved up. Fortunately, she was off of her in just a second but, the girl got hauled away to the hospital, and it turns out she broke two ribs. Her mom was super sweet, saying that she shouldn't have been in the alley, that she should know better, and that it is not my fault. But her dad, and some others who were there, have been saying that I'm a "terrible rider" and that "I need to put that horse down".
Anyway, now the board is considering banning me, or just Fling, from their barrel races. I've been winning consistently and am in the running for a saddle. Should I keep showing up until they say no more, or just drop them? I really want to win, but not at the expense of my sanity.
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 Saint Stacey
  
| I think that when it is YOUR turn, that alleyway belongs to YOU and no one else. Hindsight is 20/20. You should have hollared to the announcer that you couldn't go because someone was refusing to leave the alley and it was a liability.
If they have signs posted about the equine liability like almost all states are supposed to have, I see no way they can kick you or the horse out. But you need to do whatever feels right to you. |
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 A Somebody to Everybody
Posts: 41354
Location: Under The Big Sky Of Texas | My question is why was this girl standing in the ally? Its not your fault she should not have been standing there in the first place, there sould be a rule about standing in the ally while horses are coming in or out.
Just keep going. |
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Married to a Louie Lover
Posts: 3303
| Do you have any witnesses that saw you repeatedly ask her to move? If so I would ask them to submit a written statement saying as much.
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 Hog Tie My Mojo
Posts: 4847
Location: Opelousas, LA | If you would not have had to sit there on your horse asking her to move you mare would have probably not been wound as tight. I'm sure you were also worried about the girls safety, horses can no doubt feel that worry and it is almost never a positive thing for them. |
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 Expert
Posts: 5293
| You should have a clean conscious !!! You did all you could and she refused to move. I bet next time when she is asked to move, she will, or may not put herself in that situation again. I teach High School and a LOT of parents/students have this " I can do no wrong attitude". I know, sounds cold but it is what it is. |
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 I'm Cooler Offline
Posts: 6387
Location: Pacific Northwest | At pretty much any race around here the producers and a majority of riders would be on your side. Here they announce repeatedly to keep the alley way clear and if there is a near miss usually the producer gets on the loud speaker and firmly says if it's not your turn get away from the alley. I would feel bad the kid got hurt but I would be livid that she didn't move when asked. |
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 Take a Picture
Posts: 12841
| Was this at a riding club or a church? These people are clueless. I am not trying to be ugly but man. I rode in a buckle series and rode my older horse who is a powerful horse. Running out, there were two women strolling across the end of the very short alley. One was very pregnant and the other was carrying an infant. I was screaming for them to get out of the way and was able to run behind them. My horse will stop but he does not set his butt down in the alley. I will stay at home before I go to a church barrel race. Just because it is a cowboy church does not mean that many of those who attend have ever been around a horse. The riding club is worse. |
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Regular
Posts: 73
| streakysox - 2016-06-25 10:48 PM
Was this at a riding club or a church? These people are clueless. I am not trying to be ugly but man. I rode in a buckle series and rode my older horse who is a powerful horse. Running out, there were two women strolling across the end of the very short alley. One was very pregnant and the other was carrying an infant. I was screaming for them to get out of the way and was able to run behind them. My horse will stop but he does not set his butt down in the alley. I will stay at home before I go to a church barrel race. Just because it is a cowboy church does not mean that many of those who attend have ever been around a horse. The riding club is worse.
I was pretty shocked because it was at a jackpot with extremely good riders. Good horsemanship, no yanking, that's why I love riding there. |
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Regular
Posts: 73
| Thanks to all of you guys for the advice. |
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Nut Case Expert
Posts: 9305
Location: Tulsa, Ok | The organization involved needs to take a good look at their safety policies. There is no where in the picture for them to allow unrelated individuals, much less children to be standing in, around or behind the alley. It is a sad thing when people are to stupid or negligent to safeguard their children, but it happens, so the event organizers need to step in.
Edited by SC Wrangler 2016-06-26 9:47 AM
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 1131
| If it was my kid, she would be giving you a personal apology for mouthing off and being in the way. The kid deserved what they got and should feel lucky it wasn't worse. You can't make her have common sense, you asked her to move, warned her the horse was hot and needed the whole alley, and she refused to move. That is ENTIRELY her fault. The association has NO standing to ban you or the horse. |
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 Shelter Dog Lover
Posts: 10277
| SC Wrangler - 2016-06-26 9:43 AM
The organization involved needs to take a good look at their safety policies. There is no where in the picture for them to allow unrelated individuals, much less children to be standing in, around or behind the alley. It is a sad thing when people are to stupid or negligent to safeguard their children, but it happens, so the event organizers need to step in.
Agree, every organization around here would have announced for her to move and stopped the race till she did. |
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 Cute Little Imp
Posts: 2747
Location: N Texas | rodeomom3 - 2016-06-26 8:47 PM
SC Wrangler - 2016-06-26 9:43 AM
The organization involved needs to take a good look at their safety policies. There is no where in the picture for them to allow unrelated individuals, much less children to be standing in, around or behind the alley. It is a sad thing when people are to stupid or negligent to safeguard their children, but it happens, so the event organizers need to step in.
Agree, every organization around here would have announced for her to move and stopped the race till she did.
Agreed.
Of course hindsight is 20/20 (as someone else mentioned), but I would have refused to run until she got out of the way. I would have even hollered at the announcer or someone in charge that the alley needed to be cleared.
I'm guessing she learned her lesson, but that's what happens when kids/teens are know-it-alls. I seriously wonder what the heck she was thinking and why she thought she needed to be in the alley??
Ban you and/or your horse?? Um no, that was not your fault.
Edited by Gunner11 2016-06-27 9:50 AM
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 Expert
Posts: 1304
| Wow..I hate to go on a rant but like the above poster, how do some people get this entitled, ridiculous attitude? This weekend I did a rodeo on a horse I don't know too well. The first barrel was terrible but I managed to save the rest of the run. Anyway, a child that is somehow affiliated with the barn he was being boarded at tried to tell me what to do, tried to tell me "the barrels are close to the panels and that horse doesn't like that so good luck", told me my breast collar was too tight, etc etc. Mind you this kid was like 8-10. I would've gotten a big smack on the mouth had I acted like that. I pretended not to hear her and would ride away. Sorry to go off on a rant, but I just don't get the attitudes some children have.. That organization is just plain stupid if they think that you are at fault!! I hope you get everything figured out! |
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Sideways Riding Expert
Posts: 11371
Location: ND--it snows, it floods, it snows, it floods | Is this just an excuse so someone else gets the saddle? |
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Expert
Posts: 1304
| Ohhh that's a good point! |
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Expert
Posts: 1314
Location: North Central Iowa Land of white frozen grass | I would tell them that if you or your horse gets banned because of this incident that you will see them in court as this was their fault for not running the show in a safe manner. And you did everything you could as a paid attendant to do what they charged you for being a participent in this event. It was their legal duty to run a safe event and they failed in their duties. |
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Regular
Posts: 73
| I also felt like I was very nice about it. I jumped off of my horse as soon as I could and went to help the girl. It happened during the youth barrel race, which is first, and I didn't run in the open or the youth jackpot like I was supposed to, out of respect for the girl and her family. |
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 Expert
Posts: 2128
| If you dont mind me asking, are you younger than 18?
If you told the girl to move several times and she didnt it was a hard lesson learned for her. I hate she got hurt but you have to have respect for these animals. You tried to warn her. Hopefully you can get someone that saw it to speak up about you telling her to move. Do not lay down and let them ban you without presenting your full side of the story. |
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