Ugh, horse show rant.

[SpringChickens]

I agree completely. I don't think I would buy a started horse again (only bought one my entire life, and that was my first), because it is so rewarding to train my own.

I have a mare now who I competed reined cow horse and reining with, who I started as a two-year-old. It feels amazingly good to hear what a nice horse she is, knowing that I helped her get there.

I think what everyone forgets is that no one does as well at a competition as they do at home (at least I don't). So I strive to have all my ducks in a row at home so I can screw up a little at the show, and still be ok.

 

[SpringChickens]

Everyone learns more if they do the training anyway. I taught a halter breaking class for a few years at a state university, and one quarter I had a student who was a very successful show jumper. She would show, and win consistently at high levels, therefore she knew everything.

That girl drove me up the wall!!! I couldn't get her to stand still or to leave her horse alone. She'd be standing around, talking to her friend, and twirling the lead rope. Not asking the horse to do anything, just fiddling with the lead. UGGGH! She didn't realize that you can't get a sensitive horse if you're constantly giving signals that don't mean anything!! She also, suprisingly, had very poor timing with her horse, which most of you will probably understand is essential to good training.

 

[PintoPasoFino]

I am a certified horse trainer, by profession, and some of the things encountered at horse shows is sad and discouraging. I used to compete myself at "A" circuit hunter/jumper, and now usually I take my clients to the local short circuit or else schooling shows. The shows I am finding out lately, even these small ones, are getting just as political as the "A" 's.

There are so many "training" practices associated with every breed and discipline. In fact, as part of my certification, I had to do research on the abuse that goes on at shows. I try to set a good example for my clients by not participating in any of these practices, and it's hard when we don't place over a horse whose horse is drugged, or ridden to the ground by the trainer, or poked with spurs into a harsh bit with heavy hands. What is that showing the kids, our future horse trainers?

How about the horses that are started too early and pushed too hard then wind up with lameness issues and are pasture pets at age 8? Horses that are green and have to guess at what the rider wants, then punished for a wrong answer? Kids see how the horses are beaten until they give up, is that what they are learning, that horses are disposable and can be bullied into submission? Where is the partnership, the satisfaction of hours of practice come to fuitition?

These days I see all too much the expensive horses that the parents buy, pay the trainer to ride, then the kid just hops on for a couple classes at a show. I guess if that what works for some people, so be it, but I believe victory comes not from what color ribbon you get, but from knowing you put the very best effort in not only at the show, but at home. Blood, sweat, and tears.

I am tired of seeing all the training shortcuts. Too many gadgits to force a horse into an un-natural frame. I heard this at a clinic once and always remembed it "The more severe bit in a horse's mouth, the less knowledge in the rider's head".

This is one trainer who believes in showing students what to do, and not doing it for them. It may be easier just to do it for them, but then what are the kids learning?

 

[greathorse]

They day we get "real horsemen/women to judge our shows and make decisions based on horsepersonship as opposed to the fad of the time is the day horse shows will change.

I travel all over the country doing color at horse shows. I quit showing long ago and have seen it all.

I dont think it will ever change

 

[Chickerdoodle13]

I couldn't have said it better myself Paso!

I'm not an expert trainer by any means, nor do I claim to be an expert in any area of horses...but I do have the yearning to gain knowledge and I also believe I have some common sense. Some things I see done at shows just baffle my mind.

I have a friend who won't ride his horses at all because he doesn't have a trainer to work with him. That also just blows my mind. His horses haven't been ridden in eight years because he hasn't had a trainer. I understand that it is good to have someone to help you along and give you pointers, but shouldn't you be able to work with your horse on your own too? He used to bring home the blue ribbons from every show he went to, but now his horse who had some super potential is just a very expensive lawn ornament. Every time he comes over, he is amazed that I work with my horses alone (as in without a trainer). I often ask other horse friends for advice, and we will eventually be bringing in a trainer for our young mare, but my dad and I attend horse expos, training seminars, read books, and watch training videos. We have been able to accomplish quite a bit with one of our more dominant horses in a just a short time by ourselves. It may not be the same as having a trained professional standing at your side, but we are learning more by doing it ourselves than having someone do it for us. We have seen results, so we must be doing something right! I think when it comes to horses, it doesn't matter who you are or how much you know (ok, ok, so it does matter a little...) but the most important things are knowing your horse and having good instincts.

 

[MaggieRae]

Hence why I no longer show anymore.

I'm perfectly content occasionally competing in an under the hat western show with my friends.

My horses are fat and sassy. While I'm firm with them, they rarely get smacked *only when they bite or kick, which doesn't happen often.* They're both really good boys and... Oh I better stop now before I go off on how cute and good they are.

I'm sure you horse lovers can understand.

Anyway, tis always best to be patient with a horse. Getting frustrated only gets you knocked on your butt with the horse running off to the pasture.

 

[Chickerdoodle13]

One trainer I saw at horse world expo told a story this past year. He told us that he used to go out with his dad and help him train the young horses to be ridden. One day he got frustrated with the horse and began showing the frustration while training by tugging on the mouth and shouting at the horse. His father saw this and immmediately ordered him off the horse and took away his riding privileges for a week. After the week was over, his dad told him that if he ever got frustrated like that again, he would never be allowed to train the horses again. He told him that the is absolutely no room for frustration in the horse business and so he best be finding something new to do if that's the way he would act! I keep this story in my mind every time I ride now

There was once a quote I read and I thought it was very true. It was: "The only two emotions that should ever accompany you to the saddle are humor and patience. There's no room for anything else."

 

[Cetawin]

I must say with all honesty, having ridden from the time I could stand, I place the blame for a horse's shortcomings and performance on the rider 95% of the time. I have seen some absolute idiots on horseback and I have seen riders who were too inexperienced on horses that were too much horse for them...the results are always the same....poor performance, frustration of the rider and usually ill treatment or abandonment of the horse...who truly does not understand.

I do not believe in yanking, hitting, whipping, yelling and screaming at ANY animal...it takes patience, consistency and reward/praise. You cannot ask a horse for something you have not taught them to give.

I had a quarter horse that no one else could sit and not because she was a bad horse but because she and I were a team, we understood each other. She knew what I wanted from her when I asked for it and she gave it her all. I always trained her in new disciplines with a gentle hand because she needed nothing more than affirmation she was pleasing and doing as asked. She ran barrels, cut, let me rope off her, let me shoot guns and a bow off her back, did level 1 dressage and raced on the track flawlessly. And...only one jockey could sit her because of an idiot in silks. The only other person to ride her made a dreadful mistake, after being warned not to put a whip to her and to let her run her race, he put a whip on her and he paid for it. She fought the bit at the 3/4 pole, skidded to a halt, threw the jockey and stomped on him a couple of times. Did I feel sorry for him? Nope Was I angry at her? Nope Was I silently chuckling at his stupidity after being told not to put a whip to her? Absolutely.

A happy horse is a horse with good training, a job to do and a rider who loves it. Love does not have a whip or anger in hand. Period.

 

[Fudgie]

I was reading what you said about the harsher the bit the less knowledge, well I must have a boat load of knowledge. ALL of my horses were trained WITHOUT a bit! I used a hackmore for the first time on my mare that I got 30 years ago. Yep she died this year at the ripe old age of 30! She was my first registered horse. I tried a bit because that is what everyone told me to use, then I went to a trade show thing at our feed store and I was introduced to the hackmore. I tried this on my mare and WOW did she work well with it. It is gentle on them and basically if they don't stop, they cannot breathe! A little pressure and they yield then you let up and life goes on.

The whole thing with horses is TRUST TRUST TRUST. If they don't trust you, you won't trust them and you will never get past that.

 

[PintoPasoFino]

I ran across a similar thing this week-end too, Chickerdoodle. I met a family with a couple backyard pet horses. The horses are older and not broke. I was exhibiting one of my horses at a Rare Breed Livestock Expo and they were amazed at how calm my horse was. Apparently theirs are a bit "crazy". One of them had a habit of "nibbling" on people, but it was okay because he wasn't biting, just nibbling. Isn't that how it starts?

That's fine if people want big backyard pets, I am the first to agree that satisfying horse ownership is not all about the riding. I love to see my horses outside sunbathing, or rolling, or enjoying themselves out on grass. I get just as much pleasure grooming my horses as I do in riding them. There are many ways to enjoy horses without ever riding them. What worries me is that in today's economy, horses are a luxury item and in a difficult financial time, often the first thing to go. I frequent auctions and now am seeing even the registered, broke horses go for next to nothing, if they even sell at all. What becomes of the pasture pets? Or horses with training issues? They get shuffled around from place to place, and can end up in the next trailer to Mexico, or Canada.

75% of the horses at the last auction I went to a couple weeks ago were underweight, as in you could count every rib. There were two yearlings, one paint, one QH, registered. They couldn't even GIVE them away. There was a gorgeous 13 year old registered paint mare, well broke, show experience. They couldn't get $100 for her. Hardly any horses sold. There was one 19 year old kid broke QH that went for $70. I can just see these horses that aren't the "in" color for horse shows, don't perform as well as wanted, or have training issues that no one wants to invest time/money to correct end up at these auctions.

The other thing that made me shake my head at the last show was people entering the wrong classes on purpose. There was a rider at a schooling show which I know for a fact was Adult Beginner end of year Champion High Point Rider riding her horse in the rider novice classes. This is an adult doing this, riding in classes competing with children. Is it wrong of me to admit some degree of satisfaction that she didn't win the class? And gee, I sure hope she felt proud of herself placing over the 11 year olds!