Easycare gives back, would you?

I've read with some angst the negative comments on one of my favorite yahoo groups concerning Easycare's marketing, and their give back program for the AERC. The grumbling has included issues with Easycare testing their products at the prestigious Tevis ride which included free product, application, and entry fee for those willing to "risk" their ride by participating. It made perfect sense that Easycare wanted to apply these boots to insure the application was correct, hence the data otherwise would have been worthless to them from a research, development, and marketing viewpoint. I have yet to hear of one participating and completing competitor at that event complain about the support they received. Easycare will give back to the AERC close to $10,000 this year in a time of real economic downturn. Intelligent, product targeted marketing makes good sense. This company is literally putting their money where their mouth is, and if they are on the cutting edge of boot technology I say good for them, but even better for me! For the first time ever I am able to boot my horse for competition, and long training rides, while enjoying the benefits of barefooting the rest of the time. I'm not enslaved to a farrier. Application of the Glove is so incredibly easy that I can have a boot on or off in seconds and when properly fitted the boots stay on. There are other bootmakers out there, and I'm unlikely to buy their product because the easycare line of boots in 2010 is....well...EASY. I am open minded enough to test ride your boots if you are open minded enough to loan me four of them. But I better be able to get them on the hoof in about twenty seconds flat (assuming my horse is standing still). They also need to come off like one (open gaiter), two (fold down gaiter), and three (pull off boot).

I guess it bothers me that people attack a company that is at least doing something for the sport we all love. Feed producers could offer an incentive for endurance riders to feed their horses their products and give back a dime to AERC for each bag fed, using those proof of purchase labels on the packaging...if they researched and believed in their product. So could other hoof boot companies, makers of "endurance" saddles, endurance pads, electrolyte makers, and even the riders themselves. Corporate sponsorship makes good sense to me. I wonder how many $ we could add to our organization's bottom line if each time we completed a ride in some way we gave back? Say, a dollar for every ride ridden, no matter your choice of hoof protection? I'd do it. Would you?