Student Suspended for Riding Horse to School

One hundred years ago it would have been commonplace for children to arrive at school on horseback. My, how times have changed. A Massachusetts high school student received a two day suspension for riding his horse to school last week.

It was Spirit Week at Hamilton-Wenham Regional High School, located in a suburb of Boston. Each day of the week had a different theme to boost student morale. On Thursday it was a Renaissance-themed day and the students were to come to school dressed like knights and ladies of the court.

Hamilton is well known for its abundance of horses and has a multitude of equestrian estates. The community is home to many horse farms and the Myopia Hunt Club, offering Polo matches every Sunday afternoon. It’s commonplace to see horses sharing the road with cars.

So Dan DePaolis, a senior at Hamilton-Wenham High didn’t think it would be a big deal if he dressed up as a knight and rode his trusted steed, Pierre to school in the morning. He asked his parents who both thought it sounded like a clever idea. DePaolis asked a friend to dress up as his squire and Pierre by the reins to be safe. Then on Thursday morning with his parents accompanying him, DePaolis rode Pierre into the school parking lot.

They did not get very far before the Assistant Principal ran outside and suspended him on the spot. His squire also received a one day suspension. School administrators later backed up his decision saying that animals are not allowed on school grounds, and that a large horse could have potentially injured someone or damaged school property.

School officials had not been advised of the plan in advance and said that had they been notified they might have been able to include the stunt at a different time of day when the parking lot was not full of students, buses and cars. While they felt it was a creative idea they had to protect the interests of other students first and foremost.

If you’re heading out with your horse make sure your steed is well-groomed. Our Slip-Not Soft Grooming Kit has all the horse grooming supplies you need in one bucket. The Slip-Not Soft Grooming Kit contains several colour coordinated brushes along with a sweat scraper and hoof pick. These grooming supplies will have your horse looking worthy of carrying a knight - just not to school, please!

Posted 9th November 2010

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