This is not all the comments that you sent, the document that we built to contain all your comments takes over 30 minutes to download over the Internet - sorry its just too big. So, we tried to pick a representative sample of all the comments that were made. An attempt has been made to organize these comments into some general categories, but as you will see, most folks had several points to make.
Thanks Again, Hope to see you all at a CDE soon!
Marnie and Vel
| Sample Comments |
|---|
| * I have owned & shown horses all my life, now in my mid 60's I drifted to an easier life, and bought a "big" mini,(38"). I am driving her, joined the local Carriage Assoc and we are looking forward to learning, and having fun. I may never compete, but please don't rule me out. I realize you must put constraints on some overzealous competitors, and that is good, but keep us in......Thank you. PC |
| *At the Colo High Prairie event, we have had minis competing for 5+ years. Even at our altitude, we have never had a problem specifically with these competitors. I think any poorly
conditioned horse of any size and at any event, wherever, will have a problem. Good vet inspections and good horsemanship and horse care can prevent a lot of these problems. After all, that is why we have vet inspections during the marathon phase. ANYONE pushing their horses, regardless of size, beyond their conditioned ability should be disciplined in some appropriate manner. As far as 14 year olds being allowed the drive without an adult with them, I think there should be another age limit in there somewhere, may be, under 11 or12 years old must have an adult with them and 12 to 14 years old can go by themselves, especially after training level. I would hope parents would have more sense than to send an inexperienced child (under 11) by them selves on the marathon. (But then again...!.) Perhaps having spotters on each hazard and through out the course for the minis carrying kids; these spotter being the competitors' responsibility to procure. These are just some ideas. *Minis are a great asset to any CDE. They are fairly easy to manage, with the correct timing for dressage. They make a great training tool for the hazard judges, as they are usually through the hazards first, and go somewhat slower that the big guys. The hazard judges get a chance to see the routes traced out in front of them. Plus they are a great crowd pleaser. Everyone likes to see them as they are still somewhat of a novelty. |
| * I don't believe all ponies under 11.2 should be eliminated from marathons. I believe the individual pony should be considered. I do believe mini's are unable to compete at a CDE because of size, but some larger ponies around 11hh can compete competitively at CDE's. |
| * The small equine should not be discriminated against. It should be up to the exhibitor to determine what the limits of his/her pony is. The ADS could help by publishing general guidelines of weights that small equines can safely pull. Weight is not the only limiting factor. The temperature, humidity, footing, and the conditioning of the horse can make a tremendous difference in the loads a horse can safely pull. I am President of the Welsh Pony and Cob Society of America and at a recent Board of Directors meeting this issue was discussed. The Board was in unanimous agreement with the above statement. |
| * I feel that small ponies and minis should be allowed to compete. They are very strong and are hardy for this competition. |
| * If the marathon is eliminated for minis you will lose the minis. That is the most fun. If the minis are conditioned and trained they can pull more of their weight that full size horses. One or both of my minis have been able to keep up with full sized horses. Minis were bred to pull heavy loads. Standard pulse, respiration, and recovery rates should be determined. |
| * We first became interested in driving our minis after watching the minis at the High Prairie Colorado CDE in 1997. We joined the club, got some training and taught our 2 minis to drive, and are looking forward to the CDE this year. I was a hazard judge last year and the 3 minis that competed in the marathon had to consistently hold back to stay above the minimum time. These horses had no problems whatsoever with the course because their owners care about them and gave them sufficient training. I've seen more conditioning problems with the standard size horses. Let the minis compete! |
| * I would love to see mini's in
CDE's. They are remarkably tough for their size and it would give mini owners another outlet
other than breed shows to show off their animals. They don't really have much choice when it comes to showing because
most other all-round shows don't have classes for them, and here in the South, all-pony shows aren't popular. I think ALL animals competing in CDE should have pre-marathon vet checks. I think pulse, respiration & recovery rates should determine acceptable loading for ALL animals in competition...no competitor is going to deliberately overload his horse or pony...that would affect the outcome of his times in the marathon...everyone will go for the lightest load possible. However, I do think children should be accompanied by a navigator...and I think the age should be raised to 16 and under, not 14. |
| * I have been at CDEs where
miniatures competed. These small horses are amazing and to keep them out of our competitions is a mistake. They should however be treated like any other division with rules specific to that
division. I seriously doubt that a mini would ever compete above the preliminary level- very few have the conformation
to do the dressage - now mini owners, don't throw things at me! I do think that most owners know the limitations of
their animals and how to condition them - at least the ones here on the west coast do. Smaller dressage arenas; shorter courses and fewer hazards with less demanding marathon terrain; and shorter cones courses would be the way to go..owners may have to come up with a few additional volunteers for organizers to be able to provide this, but if they really want to compete, I think they will. |
| *In general, I think miniature horse rules should be structured to protect the animals in relationship to their tiny size. Their marathon participation should be downsized accordingly, but they should not be excluded entirely. |
| ** Please do not limit our miniature horses - the only limits they have are the one's in your minds and the amount of weight they can carry. |
| * I have bred show Shetlands for many years. They are strong, powerful animals, that can out do MANY of their taller companions. Most Shetland drivers DO NOT need a navigator, eliminate this and you would solve a lot of the problem. You are drawing the line (H.T.) at a place that will eliminate Shetlands but allow welsh, Hackney, POA who are only one inch taller. |
| Their own Division... |
| * As Event Organizers who have offered a mini division for the past 3 years our experience has been that they are more than capable of holding their own on the marathon course. They do ALL hazards the same as everyone else. We feel that limiting them to only 3 hazards is shortchanging them. Eliminating the additional hazards (in which they do only 3 gates) usually only saves them a few hundred yards over the entire course. We feel miniatures and small ponies should be given an appropriate pace for their size and that single minis should be exempt from carrying a navigator. Minis should do section E only. Small ponies could do E only or all three sections depending on the individual course. ADS needs to TRUST their licensed officials to protect the welfare of ALL animals. All the officials who we have had the privilege to work with were not AFRAID to eliminate a horse if necessary and did so at our event last year! (Note: It was a HORSE - not a pony or a mini) As to weight limits - impose them if you must but remember that it is possible to overload ANY animal. In regards to the junior driver questions above, there are many drivers younger than fourteen that are much more capable than lots of the adult drivers we know. Maybe juniors who want to drive a mini without a navigator could be required to demonstrate their ability and be "certified" as safe by a qualified official? Even when navigators are carried - how do you know if they know anything about horses or what to do in an emergency? We do not intend to ever offer an Event which excludes minis and small ponies from marathon. Hopefully the 11.2 rule will be rescinded and acceptable guidelines adopted so that we can continue to offer ADS Approved events in the future. |
| *
It is my personal opinion that none of this uproar over the minis in CDE
competitions would have occurred had they not placed well in Gladstone '98
Pony competitors complain that they don't have enough competition, but when
they get beaten by minis they immediately try to throw them out. I think it is ludicrous for the ADS to go about limiting or excluding an obvious 'entry level division' while maintaining the position of 'promoting the sport' Minis are an obvious choice of first timers, promote them!! if necessary, give them their own division in which they only do section E on the marathon & exclude navigator too if necessary. |
| * Is there a problem with the Mimi's having their own CDE's? That way the larger pony and horse drivers could volunteer to help them and they in return could help with the pony/horse CDE's. |
| * Mini's present problems for show organizers due to their much slower speeds. Even ring classes in pleasure shows can present problems, not to mention Pleasure Marathons. In CDE's they must be in their own division, especially because of the weight and navigator problems. I love having them in the Pleasure Shows, but they do require special consideration. Clarification on the navigator issue will help. |
| *I believe that minis can be competitive in combined driving in their own division. There should be weight maximums for each sub-division specified (single, pair, four's) and in addition, evaluation at vet checks. I believe that all animals should receive a preliminary baseline of P&R before competing and after Section B. I have noticed in particular that training level entrants tend to overstress their animals more often due to lack of conditioning than those at the higher levels. I had to struggle with the Junior driver under 14. I have seen many under 14 drivers in our area that are probably capable of doing a CDE without the benefit of an adult. My concern is that out on the marathon there would be no assistance if something went wrong. It is bad enough for this to happen with an adult. It would be very unfortunate if a child were to have an accident and no one was there. I would suggest that maybe the Junior age for the minis be lowered to 12 years or that the marathon course be monitored so that all parts of it would be under surveillance with assistance promptly available in the event of an emergency. Under these circumstances, I would be comfortable with most 12 year olds and up competing alone with a single. |
| * The speeds should be changed for the size of the mini horse or small pony. Vet checks on course should determine fitness of animals and ability to keep competing. These vet checks should eliminate unfit animals. Inform and educate the public on how strong minis and ponies are. Make the mini size to be 38" and under and the Super Small Pony size to be over 38"and up to and including 46". This will be in line with the AMHR sizes and Shetland Sizes. Thank you |
| ** Our group has determined that a 9kph is a fair average for mini's on the marathon course. We also would like you to consider waiving the requirement for a groom for the tandems, since the wheeler would bear the brunt of all the extra weight. Thanks for allowing us more input on this subject so dear to our miniature hearts!!! |
| * I think that minis could very well have their own division, but should not go in with the regular ponies. I feel that we should go back to having 2 divisions of ponies with different speeds and that the cut off point for the divisions should be 12 hands. It would be up to the organizers if they want to run a mini division at their show. |
| Terrain, and the Marathon Course |
| * I feel that the organizers and T.D.'s should have some say, because the terrain at each event is very different. I had problems with Q's 3 and 4 answering 4 canceled my answer on 3. I disagree with both. |
| *From our experiences here in Arizona, this is only part of the question. In order to offer a degree of challenge in a miniature CDE a we have found the following works well with miniatures: using a 20by40 meter dressage and cones field, tighten the gates and design of hazards, be sure to adjust hazards to have railings and other safety features lowered to the height of mini's. We have had no problems with 3k, 3 hazard marathons. |
| * I have competed with one of my minis at the Kitsap county fair and also at the State fair,so I had a good idea of what was involved getting a horse ready for competition. Last summer I competed at the Snoqualmie Valley combined driving event. I knew that there were some steep hills at the event that could cause some problems for my mini, so with some help form the event organizers we made some changes to make the marathon safe for the mini. Last spring I got another mini so I could drive a team. I hope to be able to continue driving minis at ADS events. |
| * My daughter drove one of our mini's at the event in Carnation last
August and did better than I did with our Fjord. The animal had a lower respiration rate after a 3Km marathon than any other animal
there (according to the vet at the event). Not all are this way, but I've got 16 and 13 yr. old who really enjoy the sport and want
to compete.
A concern is some of the hazards where the railings are at head height. If even tape were applied before anyone ran the course to deter a horse trying to run underneath, it would solve a safety issue and keep some good animals and people (kids too) into a great sport. |
| * I think the marathon portion could be changed some to make it as tough on the smaller equines as for the larger ones. We wanna Play Too!! |
| * I have tried marathon with a fit single Shetland. The current speed is too fast for a small pony. Perhaps someone should clock a few different Shetland/minis singles and pairs to see what is reasonable to expect. My little mare gave it a good go, but just can't make the speed requirements. Why I am switching to larger ponies, who can haul more. |
| * I have worked around and judged Miniatures for many years. They are very strong and have wonderful endurance. They were used in this country yrs. ago, in the coal mines, to bring the coal out, because of size and strength. These horses have changed in the past 5-10 years, improving each yr. They are also being trained, conditioned by more horsemen vs. in the past, they were not. |
| * I have worked with ponies all my life, right along side of horses. They are amazing beasts, they can outwork, outlast most any horse. (If conditioned correctly). In the book "Driving a Tandam" by Paul Deliveux, JA Allen, London, Doliveux has a very interesting theory of why ponies are more efficient than horses. I am a strong advocate of ponies. |
| Wheels |
| * The idea of evaluating animals (horses and ponies) with consideration to the entire weight hauled is great. All of our animals, regardless of their size, need to be protected from being
over faced. I also think the minis can be allowed to compete up to advanced standards as long as the marathon distances and times are adjusted accordingly. Maybe they could do section E of up to 5K with 3-5 total hazards, followed by a walk section. I'm seeing many new ideas in carriage design, especially in the area of pneumatic tires. Some manufactures are now offering two set of wheels with each vehicle sold - one standard and one heavy duty pneumatic. Living in a area with lots of heavy sand, I would like to have the option of using such a heavy duty pneumatic tire for my single horse to help him conserve energy. I think we should always consider the terrain when we choose the tires for our vehicles. |
| * I just bought a cart for my minis which has
interchangeable wheels, pneumatic and wood. In Florida lots of sand frequently makes for hard going with the wood wheels. I have used both bicycle and motorcycle wheels in 25 mile competitive distance driving without difficulty but wood or metal wheels are frequently very difficult - even for a well-conditioned horse. I would like to be able to switch to pneumatic for the marathon but use the wood for presentation, dressage and cones. Pre-marathon vet checks should be required for all equines. |
| * Sulky Wheels should be allowed at all levels of competition because it's easier on the small ponies/miniature horses. Sulky wheel s are made of stronger materials than bicycle wheels. |
| *I believe that minis and small ponies weight requirements should be within the animal capabability of carring not to restrict him from being able to compete or to do injury to the pony. The racing sulky wheels are made of stronger materials, the tires are thick, flats are not a problem. WE have these wheels to go through palmettoes, briers, and cactus, and sand spurs. |
| * I would hope that miniature horse owners would not abuse their
horse by asking them to do too much. What rules do you use to keep ponies from being overloaded? Personally I would not want
extra weight of a navigator. I did compete in a training event here in MA and it was educational as far as what my horse could
do. I would work to have him better conditioned for the marathon. It was not so much the distance (he regularly drove that distance - 3 miles) but the heat! I usually drive after work when it is cooler and the day of the event it was 85+. I think special consideration does need to be given to minis and their owners (many of whom are not experienced horse owners) about the physical stress a combined driving event puts on a horse. I am, however, VERY interested in opening up the type of competition combined driving offers to miniature horses. Thank you. PS I know ADS normally requires wooden wheels but I think wooden wheels make the work harder for minis because of the extra weight of the wheels and their tendency to sink in soft soil. I offer any assistance I can in making combined driving available for minis. |
| * I only have a wire spoke bicycle tired vehicle-but it was custom made and is very classy, but I cannot show ADS because of it. I am a member but can not participate |
| * Pneumatic and motorcycle wheels should be
permited, there are products available to aid in this area. They weigh less than wood wheels. ^Maximume weight specifications-owner ought to know what they can do. ^Pre-vet check, this is already done. Do for everybody! ^Singles required to take nav- 2 people may be too much weight. ^Juniors under 14- may be too much weight-minis are a lot easier to handle than large horses which lessons the risk to wreaks. Some carts are made w/a single seat. No room for two people. |
| Conditioning |
| * I think all horses should be checked for condition before and during the course. I participated in a 7.5 mile drive in which a draft horse pulling a cart with two people over 250 pounds each had to make and extra stop and rest in order to complete the course. My two minis each driving single could have completed the course twice. Wooden wheels add weight that the minis have to pull. Conditioning is a must for all horses!!!!!!!!!! If you want more information I will be happy to answer your questions or supply you with more information based on my knowledge and experience. |
| * The animal should be prepared for a marathon. This should apply to minis, ponies and horses. If the minis and ponies are required to pass certain tests then so should the regular size horses. In the last couple of years at the High Prairie CDE I have not seen a single mini have any problems, but there were several horses eliminated in the marathon because they were not fit and could not continue past one of the vet check points. |
| * I think that all horses should have pre marathon vet exams. Draft horses do not do well on the marathon portion because of their bulk. |
| * I think that if small ponies have lower times than large ponies, they will do fine. |
| * I think that the physical condition of the horse, along with pulse, rate and recovery, should be considered before the amount of weight that the horse is carrying. Minis, although they may be mostly the same size, can have very different body "types" |
| * I think that weight factor should be considered at all levels for ponies....there should be no added weight for ponies at any level....vets and TD's (or a committee) should have absolute authority to excuse any individual that is in distress during a CDE. Ponies (especially the Moorland Breeds) aren't mini's and can compete easily at the training level....as singles....they were developed as working breeds. As competitors move up the ladder, they then need to decide if multiples or bigger animals are going to be needed to move up. Training level should be open to all however it needs to be adapted for the various types of competitors. I would hate to see the ADS CDE become unable to be open to all those wishing to try the sport. Mini's and ponies are not the same and should not be lumped together with them....Thank you for the opportunity to participate in your search for a solution....good luck....and thank you for your time. |
| * If maximum weight specifications are enforced, then they should be enforced for all size animals. |
| * I have driven a 40" Shetland pony for hundreds of miles in total... also used to skid 8" x 12' logs with her. My daughter used to hunter pace her with me in a team. I never noticed any distress, and she is still being ridden at the age of 38. (the pony, my daughter is 26). I think organizers should be allowed to offer divisions for mini's and small ponies if the course is suitable (hazard construction, water depth, etc.) and times are adjusted to be appropriate for the size of the horse. |
| * I have driven a lot of different ponies over the years and never had any problems keeping up with my horse-driving friends. The minis are even tougher than ponies. People just need to use some common sense when deciding whether to compete over a certain distance. I believe than miniature horse ownership is on the rise because of space limitations. It would be a shame if ADS shut itself off from a growing segment of drivers. |
| * Max weight^...you will have to do this for all horses-Combo of weight^...you will have to do this for all horses-Pre-marathon vet check^ everyone does this now- |
| * Most of the miniatures I have had the pleasure to drive and one in particular could out distance most any horse I have ever known. They should however be watched carefully and their health protected above all else. Sometimes, some people will sacrifice anything, even the well being of the animal, for the win. That should not happen to any horse let alone a valiant miniature in competition! |
| * I went to my first show in May. I competed with pony's(14.2h) my 31" mini had a hard time keeping up with these so called Pony's Minis are used to carrying one person. There were 5 in the class we took 5th place. |
| * My Mini, Rock & Roll's(RR) Johnny B. Good, has placed 2nd of 11 and 2nd of 13 in training combined test, He's '98 Nat.Ch.Pinto Disciplined Rail Driving Pony, was looking forward to showing him prelim this year but the rules changed and now I don't know what I'm allowed to do. I'm showing the green arab pony and got 5th at Rowlett CPK '98 and Pine Hill '98. Can I show a mini combined prelim.? And show my pony in the full event? The pinto is very hardy when I get him conditioned and has easily made the pony time at the distance (if not in the mud or deep sand) Pulling me when I weighed 140 lbs. I do not like taking someone else's child as navigator, it's more fun w/ a navigator, but I'd like the chance to compete w/ the mini w/o the navigator. |
| *I believe that any "athlete" should be properly CONDITIONED before it is asked to compete. my small pony had the best vet checks at the end of the marathon in 2 of 3 CDE's last year. I weigh 130 lbs. and my groom 185 lbs. with an all oak cart!!! |
| * Navigators or grooms for single minis I feel are unfair to the animal and should not be required for adult competitors. |
| * Ponies are tough-minis are just as tough-after all- they were bred to haul heavy products from the mines-they can do it-with proper vet supervision. Don't take away the only usefull thing these little equines can do. |
| * Ponies can pull more weight than most people think. |
| * Rules should be similar to rules for full size horses and ponies but be adjusted where necessary to compensate for the size difference.An example would be in times allowed where the small pony/mini would need an adjustment to compensate for the size difference.I do not believe that any adjustment is needed for distance unless the distance is excessive. |
| * We enjoy driving our miniature gelding and have had him in one CDE, the Snoqualamie Valley CDE. The organizers of the event designed a special course for him, a 3 km course. The Vet checked him before and after the marathon and told us that afterwards our mini had the lowest respiration rate of the day. This mini, Cloudy, is a 4H project for my son and daughter. We don't have a lot of land so we chose the mini to give the kids a chance to train a horse. I think we were very lucky with Cloudy, he trained up quickly, won grand champions in 4H and is now on to CDEs. We realize he has limitations due to his size, so we found another mini, a 37 inch mare. We hope to drive the pair of them in CDEs. The pair should be able to handle a steeper terrain than the single. We chose the taller mini's because they have more leg and can simply cover more ground. Ours are of the mine or pit pony style, they are strong animals. I would like to see a formulae for figuring out the weight that they can pull. We have kept the cart weight low and we check the respiration rate of the horse to make sure we don't overwork him. I have one concern with minis, they are so short, that they can fit under many of the hazards. The horse could go under the fencing, but the driver wouldn't. Some hazards would need to be made miniature horse safe by adding an extra fence board or other barrier to keep the horse from going through the frame work of the hazard. |
| * We have competed minis against ponies and won. They need thier own division. There should be a section A for the minis to warm up too. And section E should have 4 hazards in it but not be more than 4k |
| ** Actually, I think that for small ponies, just the vet check should be used as it is currently. The only change I feel should be made is a division for small ponies (under 11.2, for instance) and seperate times sset. |
| ** AMHR, the oldest Reg for mins, recognised ht of 38" Tandam or singles navigator should be waived for weight reasons-Have been showing tandam a waiver from TD @shows last 2 years. 9kph is a good speed for minis for marathon. Note, 2 page letter enclosed |
| ** I think the most important change that needs to be made to insure the safety of the ponies is to make a slower, more reasonable speed requirement that is related to the size of the animal. Also shortening the course is a consideration. But if the speed is reasonable and the pony is conditioned, marathon should not be a problem, and this is especially true for pairs. |
| ** Pairs have a navigator, which puts them in the same situation as a single with no navigator. At the Oregon Horse CDE last weekend, the vet (many years endurance vet for the Yevis 100-mile competition) placed a pair of minis as "best conditioned" out of about 25 entries of all breeds, based on P & R's |
| *All horses/ponies should have a pre-marathon vet check as well as a check after Sec. B and at the end of the marathon. I am opposed to weight limitations because you open a can of worms with that. However, the animal's fitness to pull should be considered so pulse, respirations and recovery rates are important. I think motorcycle tires are ok, bicycle tires may be too weak. All vehicles should pass a safety check before start of marathon. I have seen some wooden carts not appearing safe. |
| *Although I have never seen a small pony or a mini in distress after a marathon, I think we should take extra care to guard against it for these tiny equines. |
| *Any horse or pony has to be properly conditioned to compete in a CDE, including the miniature. I drive a 31" mare who with proper conditioning could easily handle a CDE if it could be driven without a groom/navigator. Our club had a practice CDE a few years ago, they allowed me to drive Section E without a groom and the mini had the second best time of all (horses and ponies) and won the pony divsion hands down. I'm putting together a tandem of minis and think that a groom/navigator should not be required due to the fact of the vehicle weight to hold a second adult is too much for the wheeler to handle and they are just not out there unless one has one specially built. Thanks for reconsidering the mini and if the rules change you might see me enter a mini in a CDE. |
| *Bacically I feel that minis are very durable & the same rules that apply to horse should apply to minis 7 ponies. Weight pulled should be appropriate though. |
| *Each event should have a vet who is allowed his/her best
judgment as to weight and condition of horse vs. the distance and difficulty of the course, small horses don't need a groom for
safety so the groom should not be required. Minis are small enough for a teen to handle easily and 14 and over should be allowed to drive singles alone. A pair of minis could be difficult for a single person so I think all tandems should have a groom. Speed and distance need to be judged by the difficulty of the course and the condition of the horse. If a pair can trot with a single driver at a particular speed, tandems should be able to do about the same with two people. |
| *First, let me say thank you for your survey concerning miniature horses in the marathon. Don't be fooled by the small size of our horses. They are really quite tough and were bred to pull carts. My daughter and I routinely drive our horses 10 - 15 miles with our big horse driving club on both flat and mountain roads (we live in Colorado). Almost any horse, regardless of size, is capable of competing in combined driving. The key is training and CONDITIONING. Please give us a chance to prove it. Thank you. |
| *I am a large person driving a small animal. It is up to me to be sure my pony/horse is capable of what I ask of him and to condition him for the task (& we have been Best Conditioned). I would be ashamed of myself if anyone thought I was asking too much of my horse. I wish more competitors would be. I wouldn't want to have to disclose my weight separate from the entire turnout but for the benefit of my horse, I would be willing to disclose/weigh the entire turnout. I hope the whole Minis on Marathon is not compromising the Mini just to prove a point--we must always keep in mind Form to Function. In summation, I would not put my horse into a situation where he could be harmed. I don't believe that is the case with every competitor, unfortunately so I suppose someone should be watching out for the best interest of those competitors' animals. |
| *I am hoping that ponies under 11 hands but over miniature size will not be lost in the shuffle. I would like to see them with similar rules as minis. Trying to find a cart light enough to allow for carrying two people is difficult. |
| *I am just most concerned that the ponies be allowed to participate but safely and in proportion to their size. |
| *I believe that the majority of miniature horse owners are careful and considerate in regards to competing their animals and should be encouraged to participate in CDEs. |
| *I believe the whip should not outweigh the horse. Minis could have a shortened course, but adhere to all other rules. Therefor, pairs, and mulitples only be able to pull the weight. |
| *I competed in the CDE held at High Prairie Farms a few years ago and really enjoyed it. I looked forward to doing it the following year only to find out that they were no longer doing the "Training" division, which is the only division they would allow me in with the miniature. I am very interested the ADS developing standards for the Miniatures. If this were available to me I would join the ADS and compete on a regular basis. With regard to the questions in this survey, I would like to point out that a miniature can carry a load 6 X's their body weight with relative ease. I believe that weight standards could be set, but I worry about how these decisions will be made. It was my understanding at the CDE I participated in that the mini's had a faster recovery time than that of their bigger counterparts. Albeit, they only did the hazards portion of the CDE. I believe my little guy could have and would have been successful at the whole Marathon portion of the CDE. I hope since there seems to be a real interest from the miniature folks that something can be worked out. All three divisions at the CDE are challenging and fun and I would want to participate in all three when I go to a CDE. |
| *I don't like the singling out of the minis and 11.2 ponies. Probably all animals should have a pre-vet check before the marathon. One comment I would like to make is that I think that I feel very strongly in favor of getting rid of mandatory navigators |
| Negative Comments: |
| Note: there were 200+ respondents who felt that miniature horses and ponies should be included in CDEs. There were only 15 negative ones. On a proportional basis, we should only include one or two here but we thought it important to publish the points that were made so that we can try to avoid future problems. |
| *Although I feel the ADS went about the change the wrong way, I agree with their original ruling regarding the banning of small ponies and Minis'. Although it seems to be an emotional issue for some, there just isn't a practical reason why they should be competing in CDEs. It is too stressful on the animals. To make up special rules for minis is just creating more work for overworked event organizers, and using existing horse sized obstacles is ludicrous. What level of skill does it require to drive a mini through these obstacles ? Where is the challenge ? The biggest challenge in my view is getting the poor animals to the finish in a reasonable state of health, and if these people are so interested in competing, let them set up their own events wih everything scaled down to suit their animals. Also, why should they be allowed to compete without a navigator or groom, and not give the same priviledge to single ponies and horses ? They can't be unecessary for one division and not another ! |
| * As an organizer, I would not look forward to including them in our entry. I firmly believe that they need thier own shows due to terrain and hazards. Their cones and hazards need to be scaled down to their axle widths. |
| * As not only a competitor but also a CDE organizer, I feel the mini's should not compete in the marathon phase of a CDE. In my experience, most are unable to finish and are unduly stressed, particularly in the type of terrain in our area. Their inclusion can also cause scheduling conflicts. |
| * I am not favorable to having any Miniature horses in ADS and I am against all Miniature horses talking part of a marathon. Also against them being in the same pleasure show classes at pony shows. I don't want to have a stall near them at a show! |
| * I was really glad to see this survey in the WHIP. Although I admire the spunk of the miniature horses, I do not feel that combined driving is a proper forum for them. The difficulties that the marathon presents, I feel, is hazardous to their health. I also feel that it puts a burden on the organizing committee to be sure that the hazards are safe for them. As a member of the GEA competition committee, I know that we do not build our hazards with mini's in mind. I feel that mini's should not be allowed to compete in combined driving, however, since I am sure that that is not politically correct, they should, at the very least, have THEIR OWN DIVISION, and not be allowed to compete at the same level as small ponies. I also feel that it is UNSAFE for anyone to go out on the marathon alone. We advocate always driving with someone to help you in case of a problem. I don't feel that it would be a good idea to waive this safety precaution. |
| * Juniors under the age of 14 should not be allowed to compete in marathons..Period!! If a reasonable weight for the minitures is established and just because the majority of the people meeting these weight restrictions are young, possibly under 14 yrs old, there is no reason to give in to the pressure of some. Safety of horse, drivers and observers should always be first and foremost. |
| * Personally, I do not think miniatures should be competing in CDE's. From my observations, it is too much for them. they do not have the substance. (Inboth bone and stamina) and it is not fair to them. |
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1. I do not like seeing minis competing on marathons. It almost always looks like the mini is being over taxed.
I think they could have a combined test option at recognized events. 2. The pre-event vet check is a great idea. 3. I don't know if pairs having a longer go and with more obstacles is a good idea. I have watched CDEs where the most fatigued horses looked like the pairs. 4. I also do not like having the minis in the show ring with full sized horses. I think it is just an accident waiting to happen To be honest, I have almost run over one because the turnout was hanging out in my blind spot, below where my field of vision was. In fact, if my trusty steed, Belle, hadn't looked down and back at it, I would have run into it, side swiping it. 5. I think the ADS made a courageous stand for the welfare of small equines everywhere by limiting participation to equines physically designed to compete. |