Ugh, horse show rant.

[Chickerdoodle13]

Fudgie,

A very similar thing happend to me once. I ended up getting a third place out of eight or so people because I calmly worked with my horse and knew when to stop so that I didn't over push my horse. That's exactly what the judge told me too.

A lot of kids in our county had professionally trained horses too...I just never saw the fun in showing a horse that you didn't have to do any training with yourself. Its like winning in a chicken show with a bird you bought from someone else the day before. What satisfaction can you get from that? Granted, I don't want my horse to be acting crazy and dangerously at a show, but to me the gratification comes from winning with a horse that I've worked with. That made placing (even lower places) all the better!

The best show I've ever been to is a monthly fun show in PA. I haven't been there in years, but I had so much fun. Nobody cared what you wore or how your horse looked. The whole show was all in good fun. People helped you and no one whacked on their horses. Countless people would enter barrels and some of the kids would just walk their horses around. No one ever got angry because they realized the show was just for fun!

 

[CountryMom]

Well, for someone who just got home tonight from a weekend horse show, I am more fed up with the stupid politics than the way the horses are treated. Honestly though the judge sees anything out of line in the warm up pens and the whistle is blown and the rider is asked to leave the show grounds. They don't tolerate it in the show pen either. Now we do see some warm up habits that include turning a horse around and a few hard stops before entering, but nothing like a beating or such. It isn't a bad thing to remind a horse that he must stop when needed and not get away with his head tracking a cow. Have seen that happen. As our trainer always said, you cannot fix it here and if you didn't do that before the show it is your fault.

My daughter did ride a stallion to warm up that did give her some issues. She simply spurred him until he stopped screaming and all the while backing him up. Pretty soon he was fine and busy loping. I honestly see stallions handled a lot more carefully and will see them being turned tight or backed a lot when they cannot behave. However, like the one my daughter warmed up, they are usually the ones trying to gain show experience and not the seasoned ones. I don't mind at all seeing that because if handled right in a matter of a month or two they are quiet and not so dangerous or a pain to handle and be around. Got to respect a well mannered stud.

I am sick of the youth mentality to knock the kid that has worked so hard for her rank on her own horse that doesn't live at the trainers. We are getting some high dollar very well trained horses thrown at us this year because my oldest is on top. It isn't getting her ability or her horse, but more her mind and just simply hard. Then there is the typical Association problems. I think I prefer our little jounts to the guinea pig shows! LOLOL

 

[Fudgie]

I would LOVE to see part of the winning of a horse show to be
"How did you train your horse"
"what pitfalls did you have to overcome to get your horse to where it is today"
"what would you do differently if you could"
"How do you clean your horses hooves"
"how many hours a day do you work your horses, better yet, how often do you work your horses"
"does your mom or dad train your horses?"
"how many weeks a year does your horse live at YOUR house"
etc etc.

Ask these kids questions that ONLY they would know IF THEY TRAIN their horses. I trained my own 6 horses on my own, getting tossed on my patootie several times, loosing my glasses in a big pasture (and finding them) from being tossed, running barrels over and over and over again all day long in the summer time. I lived on my horse from the time the sun came up till it was time to come in for the evening. I took apples and oranges for food and weighed nothing cause I was not munching on grindage sitting in front of the TV.

It should be a prerequisite to show your training schedule of how many hours per day you worked and a parent should SIGN it (of course you have those parents that will Lie for their kids) I agree though that 5th place ribbon was better than any ribbon I have ever earned on my horses. I learned and the WHOLE crowd learned something that evening.

 

[CountryMom]

Quote:
Not a bad idea for most horse sports. Just not something a kid can do entirely on their own for ours. My girls compete on cutting horses. They take a minimum of 2 years to train - by a professional - with cows and electric cow. Not that my daughter isn't aiming to become that herself. She has already started a pony on the flag or electric cow on her own here at home. She won't ever actually show this pony in cutting but she is learning how to train it.

It is the rich ones that never practice and just ride what Mom or Dad is paying for in the trainer's barn that gets me. However, in the long run, if you haven't learned how to ride then something will go wrong on some run. Only 2 and a half minutes with a lot of variables.

Our horses that are in competition now are in their 20's and going strong. Our trainer hasn't been on one horse in over a year to tune up....only taught my daughter how to keep him tuned. The other, we had to have him spend a week at the trainers since he had been out to pasture for over 4 years. It was just a refresher course really. Otherwise I don't plan on either of them living at the trainers. Now our third horse is 5 years old. It has been 3 and a half years in training mainly because the first trainer royally messed him up and he had to retrain a lot. He will be there until he is a seasoned show horse under the trainer showing him. My daughter will show some toward the end to transition him to be her new mount. I believe that is fair for the sport since the horse is very green.

 

[Fudgie]

Yep, I agree to that! On specialty horses, you HAVE to send them to a trainer to learn, however it is up to the KID to keep them tuned! I agree!

And I totally agree the rich ones that it is OBVIOUS that the kid has spent a total of an hour on the horse. That is just crud!

 

[CountryMom]

yup and those rich ones use the trainer's loper to warm up their horses. Not knocking the lopers since both my daughters are for our trainers, but for a kid competing that shouldn't be. My kids work on adult's horses or horses that only the trainer shows. I have never allowed them to warm up another youth's mount. And most of the show circuit knows why as I am generally very verbal about it. LOLOL

 

[Fudgie]

LOL on the verbal! I am so meek and mild about stuff like that NOT!!!! That is one thing about me, you KNOW where you stand with me no question about it! LOL

 

[Cara]

When I was a kid in England and used to do gymkhanas, they had an entertaining and worthwhile event; they switched riders and horses. It quickly separated the riders from the passengers.

 

[Fudgie]

OHHHH awesome idea! That would show you who knew their stuff!

 

[TMNTCkins]

I know what you mean my 9 yr old daughter is starting to do training level dressage shows. We have a great horse that is well trained but our trainer doesn't ride him, my daughter takes lessons 2x a week and rides at home. What would I be teaching her if the trainer rode and trained the horse and she just did the shows? Not they way I want to raise my daughter. I want her to work hard for what she get's. So I'm glad that I don't have the $$$$ to buy her the perfect horse.