Ugh, horse show rant.

[farmerlor]

If you use pain and fear to punish you probably used it to train. You can't expect a horse (or any animal or person) to learn from fear or pain.

 

[bigkford]

I have horses heck I have all kinds of animals. I was raised to never ask your animal to do something you could not train or have them trained to do, no beatings no slamming no hitting just keep repeating till done right. If something happened that needed to be taken care of right away use the proper technic. I have broke and trained horses and never raised a hand to them just repeat and repeat. My daughter is showing now and going into pre vet and horse training in college. She sees some of this going on there. The hitting and tugging. Also but you have to have a trust bond with the animal too, or there will be obstacles everywhere. What happened to the good old days?

 

[abluechipstock]

if you only knew all the cruel things a lot(not all) of show people do to horses you'd croke, i'm going to get slammed for this but look at the tennessee walking horse industry

 

[FrizzleFreak]

I really wanted to show in 4-H. But, I watched some shows. I went home disgusted. I rarely show now. Yeah, you get frustrated BUT BE SMARTER THAN THE HORSE! Jeez, you don't need to yank on its mouth like it's your lifeline.

 

[bigkford]

Quote:
Sorry but no I used to work with a woman who raised tenn. walkers ya it looks good in a show but I seen first hand what they do when they are born and I think its wrong. Quit working for her. I see so much up here for a just to in thing I quit showing. My daughter was smart and kept at it even though she never placed at 95% of the shows she went too but her persistence payed off. She has horse farms calling her to show their horses and work for them. She is working at 2 horse farms now and they are willing to pay her college fees if she stay local and still help them out. They give her lessons on her 4year old we trained and she already has 2 years under belt just her jr. & sr. year in school with college. She graduates in June. I can say I am very proud of her. You don't see too many 18 year olds with heads on straight. Not bragging but around here not to many focused kids.

 

[FrizzleFreak]

Oh yeah, then there's soring, and the whole Standardbred tail thing.....sigh.

 

[bigkford]

Quote:
Sorry here is another one getting away from showing because of what you see. Experience here is pay the judge no matter what you do wrong you place. I'm sorry but I would not let my daughter guit because of happenings and what the judge said. There are different places and private places to show where you don't get that. Do not give up. Sorry did not see where your from. I live in Ohio and we found alot of places that things are done far and equal. They even take the time to show ou things. You are majorly on the right track be smarter than the horse and repeat if necessary.

 

[Cara]

The only 4H show i've been to was a disgrace, and I didn't even see the horse show. There were rabbits crammed into cages where there literally was not enough room for them all; four or five fully grown California rabbits in a 1' square cage, in New Mexico in July??!! The floor space was much too small and they had to pile on top of each other. None of the animals had water in their pens or cages. It disgusted me that adults are teaching/allowing kids to treat animals that way.

I understand different people have different standards of welfare. I was always taught that if your animal didn't have access to water, you'd better have a good reason for it. Cramming animals into cages that they can't even fit in?! Surely someone must have the common sense to realise that is not right.

 

[bigkford]

I wonder if common sense is even in play anymore. Some of the most common sense things are not even considered anymore. Makes you wonder how people with these animals survive themselves. Hope they don't have kids. Makes you wonder.

 

[Cara]

I wish 4H would implement some basic welfare rules. For example, if the judges find your animal is without water, you're disqualified. If you're seen beating your horse, you score 0. 4H should be all about teaching responsibility and ethics, not doing whatever it takes to win.