Rest Easy Cambridge

[Ponyplusaninch]

[QUOTE=supershorty628;8162485]
They are still there. You might have to click “see replies” for some of them.

I can’t believe anyone finds it appropriate to call a child heartless in this situation, but some have.[/QUOTE]

Behind a computer screen, it’s amazing what some people are willing to say… This whole thing is tragic. I hope for the horse’s sake it was instantaneous, and I’ll be curious about the necropsy.

As someone else said, this is such a rarity given how far footing and safety standards for the show ring have come.

[spade]

As someone who witnessed this horrific tragedy my sincere condolences go out to Emma.

There were many tears in the crowd. It was a real shock.

[HorseRookiefor1]

So, so, so sad… Poor Emma, for anyone to have to go through something so horrible is awful, but for a child, it breaks my heart… He was such a beauty, I hope all the fences are friendly where you are now, buddy and the treats are free flowing. RIP.

[PaintPony]

As someone who watched my horse bleed to death after an accident when I was 18, I really feel for this girl. I hope they are able to get her some counseling. It was hard for me to realize that it wasn’t my fault and that sometimes terrible things just happen for no reason.

Godspeed Cambridge.

[vxf111]

Weirdly I can see different comments on my computer as when I look on my iphone?!

[Brigid_Colvin]

The truth hurts.

[m_m1]

***I have deleted what I wrote, since Get a Life changed what he/she wrote. My statement referenced his/hers, and I don’t want there to be a record of what was said.

Although GAL’s post doesn’t say edited? Maybe there was one that was deleted?

[OnDeck]

get a life - this is in response to you, I don’t even want to quote you.

This is horrible. This is not what happened. The horse died, who knows how. Maybe a heart attack. He was gone quickly and there was nothing anyone could do. The young lady goes on to fulfill her commitment to other owners who have already spent thousands of dollars before dealing with her own emotions. I really doubt she was thinking about the ribbons, she was thinking about her commitments. Sure, she could have broken down earlier and scratched her other rides - who would that have helped exactly?

[Alter_nativ3]

Lots of things being reported are incorrect but all I will say about this is, as someone who was there, Emma was on the verge of a panic attack and crying uncontrollably. Nothing cold about it.

[kdow]

[QUOTE=Alter_nativ3;8162706]
Lots of things being reported are incorrect but all I will say about this is, as someone who was there, Emma was on the verge of a panic attack and crying uncontrollably. Nothing cold about it.[/QUOTE]

Even if she hadn’t been - some people deal with things by dealing with them later. You focus on the now-now-now and keep your mind busy until you either can’t keep going or you have a safe space to break down in. I HATE crying in front of other people, so I do this sort of thing. It doesn’t mean I don’t care, it just means my particular way of coping is not the same as someone else’s.

Grief in particular is an awful thing that can be experienced in a wide variety of ways - it is inappropriate to judge someone on the way they express their grief. (Unless it’s something REALLY problematic like going to beat up on a horse that is still alive, or the like. But just not crying when you think they should or not crying enough, or pulling it together to ride another horse? Well within the bounds of normal and not mentally disturbed variation.)

[Alter_nativ3]

No judgement here, but the rumor mill is vicious and unnecessary especially towards the kid that was visibly upset.

[Mardi]

[QUOTE=OnDeck;8162682]

The young lady goes on to fulfill her commitment to other owners who have already spent thousands of dollars before dealing with her own emotions. I really doubt she was thinking about the ribbons, she was thinking about her commitments. Sure, she could have broken down earlier and scratched her other rides - who would that have helped exactly?[/QUOTE]

But what owner would expect her, want her, or allow her, to “fulfill her commitment” to ride their horse after she had such a traumatic experience ?

[AffirmedHope]

[QUOTE=OnDeck;8162682]
get a life - this is in response to you, I don’t even want to quote you.

This is horrible. This is not what happened. The horse died, who knows how. Maybe a heart attack. He was gone quickly and there was nothing anyone could do. The young lady goes on to fulfill her commitment to other owners who have already spent thousands of dollars before dealing with her own emotions. I really doubt she was thinking about the ribbons, she was thinking about her commitments. Sure, she could have broken down earlier and scratched her other rides - who would that have helped exactly?[/QUOTE]

If you look at get a life’s posting history, they really have something against Emma. They had a meltdown over someone mentioning Emma and Tori in the same post. Very odd.

[OnDeck]

[QUOTE=Mardi;8162715]
But what owner would expect her, want her, or allow her, to “fulfill her commitment” to ride their horse after she had such a traumatic experience ?[/QUOTE]

Who knows if they expected or wanted her too. Allow her too? That’s ridiculous. She’s old enough to make her own decisions. The girls showing at these shows are tough. Riding at the top of the junior ranks makes you grow up fast in many ways. Not all, but many.

[Seraph]

Sometimes I really, really hate humans.

My sincere condolences to those involved.

Emma, if you are reading this, none of this is your fault. Okay? None of it. Remember all the good times you two had. Have faith in yourself and your abilities. Most importantly, keep your chin up high - you show more strength, class, and character than everyone trying to put you down.

[Angelico]

[QUOTE=supershorty628;8162485]
They are still there. You might have to click “see replies” for some of them.

I can’t believe anyone finds it appropriate to call a child heartless in this situation, but some have.[/QUOTE]

“Heartless”? People are so stupid.

I have one word to describe that young rider from what I’ve seen and heard of her, “classy”.

To go out and place second and score in the 80’s after such a horrible tragedy only hours earlier says a lot about Emma as a young horsewoman.

With experience you develop a bit of “callousness”, that is often perceived as coldness or lack of empathy by those less experienced… It sounds like Emma is a tough kid, I hope those internet wannabes don’t even enter her mind.

[Mardi]

[QUOTE=OnDeck;8162725]
Who knows if they expected or wanted her too. Allow her too? That’s ridiculous. She’s old enough to make her own decisions. The girls showing at these shows are tough. Riding at the top of the junior ranks makes you grow up fast in many ways. Not all, but many.[/QUOTE]

Yes, that’s what I wrote: “allow her to”. You say she’s tough and old enough to make her own decisions, while a previous poster said she was a child. Isn’t she a young teenager, 14 or 15 years old ? That’s not old enough to drive, drink or vote. Because everyone (the government included) knows kids that age CANNOT reliably make their own decisions.

There are times that as adults (owners, trainers, people responsible for the horse) we need to step in and say “Honey, I appreciate that you want to continue on to your next ride, but not this time. This is in your best interest and our horse’s.”

No one would fault any adult for stepping in and making that decision on her behalf.

My heart aches for her and I send my sincerest condolences.

[ElisLove]

[QUOTE=Mardi;8162750]
Yes, that’s what I wrote: “allow her to”. You say she’s tough and old enough to make her own decisions, while a previous poster said she was a child. Isn’t she a young teenager, 14 or 15 years old ? That’s not old enough to drive, drink or vote. Because everyone (the government included) knows kids that age CANNOT reliably make their own decisions.

There are times that as adults (owners, trainers, people responsible for the horse) we need to step in and say “Honey, I appreciate that you want to continue on to your next ride, but not this time. This is in your best interest and our horse’s.”

No one would fault any adult for stepping in and making that decision on her behalf.

My heart aches for her and I send my sincerest condolences.[/QUOTE]

Maybe riding was helping her to cope. She probably wanted to keep busy, to not just sit and think and think and think on it. That’s how my mind works. When I am unhappy or upset about something I will just spend all my energy reliving it over and over in my head unless I can occupy myself with something else. I still don’t forget it, but I can deal with it in smaller, less concentrated doses.

[kdow]

[QUOTE=ElisLove;8162760]
Maybe riding was helping her to cope. She probably wanted to keep busy, to not just sit and think and think and think on it. That’s how my mind works. When I am unhappy or upset about something I will just spend all my energy reliving it over and over in my head unless I can occupy myself with something else. I still don’t forget it, but I can deal with it in smaller, less concentrated doses.[/QUOTE]

I think we have to just hope that the adults around her had her best interests in mind and so did not leave her to make the decision to ride or not on her own. As a young teenager it is reasonable to have some say, but that is definitely a situation where a trusted adult (if not a parent) should take you aside and help talk you through your options a little and guide you.

(At her age and the level of responsibility she is used to with showing at a high level, it is hard to say ‘allow’ - although at the end of the day, if an adult thought she really was going to be unsafe then yes, they should have stepped in and said ‘no’ - but I don’t feel like it’s appropriate to leave it entirely up to her with no support or guidance, either. So I hope she had someone she trusted who could act as a sounding board if she wanted to talk about her options and how she felt about continuing to ride the other horses she had lined up, so that she could feel as confident and comfortable as possible with what she ended up doing - which happens to be continuing to ride, but she could have easily decided she didn’t feel riding was appropriate, and either way the adult should have been there to support her and help take care of practical matters associated with the decision.)

[Sunflower]

My condolences to the rider, her family, and the horse’s connections.

And I think that is all that is appropriate to say. It is ghoulish for people to try to say what the rider should or should not have done, to condemn her in anyway. You are not her parents, family, trainer, friends. In other words, MYOB goes a long way. Those connected to the accident are deserving of privacy, not internet rumours and speculation.