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Original poster

To think that equestrian events are ridiculous

936 replies

BFrazzled · 02/08/2021 23:05

In the Olympics.

Poor horses. This ridiculous dancing in dressage, who the hell thought of that?

There was one winner of the dressage contest who supposedly also won in the nineties. No mention of the horse, guess it was with a different one then Hmm

OP posts:
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Original poster
BFrazzled · 04/08/2021 13:47

@mbosnz

Also, from my time in the horsey community, and reading horsey magazines, we're not noted for being backwards in coming forwards if we think someone is ill treating their horses. This ties into the stereotype of us being a bloody bitchy lot.

God help the child that overused the whip, or jabbed at their pony's mouth at our pony club. We cared far more about the horse or pony's welfare than we ever did about the rider.

I invite you to stop for a second and think of what you wrote.

"...the child who overused the whip..."

Why does it seem ok to you that a child has a whip at all? Why is it ok to let the child hit the horse who is kept there essentially just for purposes of recreation? What are you teaching the child? Do you also let your child hit your dog to train it?

Just 20 or so years ago it was seen as completely ok to use prong collars on dogs to teach them walking to heel. A bit longer into the past and it was considered ok to hit your dog. But both these things are now considered animal abuse...

OP posts:
Bryonyshcmyony · 04/08/2021 13:42

Rishi Persad has been great. I have to say it's been lovely having a person of colour commentating on equestrian events.

CaveMum · 04/08/2021 13:40

@powershowerforanhour

I haven't watched showjumping for ages but switched on for the jumpoff. Ben Maher's horse was brilliant! Well, they all were but he was so fast and careful it was fab. Who was the fanboy commentator?
If it was the BBC you were watching on then probably Nick Luck, who usually works in racing. Rishi Persad is the “man on the ground” in Tokyo, he’s also predominantly a racing man - lovely bloke too.
Bryonyshcmyony · 04/08/2021 13:31

Explosive W is one of the best showjumpers in the world. Beautiful horse.

powershowerforanhour · 04/08/2021 13:28

I haven't watched showjumping for ages but switched on for the jumpoff. Ben Maher's horse was brilliant! Well, they all were but he was so fast and careful it was fab. Who was the fanboy commentator?

mbosnz · 04/08/2021 13:11

Also, from my time in the horsey community, and reading horsey magazines, we're not noted for being backwards in coming forwards if we think someone is ill treating their horses. This ties into the stereotype of us being a bloody bitchy lot.

God help the child that overused the whip, or jabbed at their pony's mouth at our pony club. We cared far more about the horse or pony's welfare than we ever did about the rider.

AtticusHoysAnus · 04/08/2021 13:09

Poor horses lol.

Probably the most cared for earthlings there.

Bryonyshcmyony · 04/08/2021 13:07

[quote Hopeisallineed]@Bryonyshcmyony I’ve spent the last 30 years working for an animal charity so you have absolutely no idea what I have done or haven’t done. What arrogance. You are painting yourself in an extremely bad light by your posts and sadly you are exactly the type of arrogant horse owner who refuses to believe anything could be wrong in your ‘sacred’ dressage sport and will do anything to protect it, even ignore potential abuse and bad practices. It’s not arrogance to want to discuss these topics, it’s arrogance to try and sweep it all under the carpet and pretend everything is okay.[/quote]
I have given you lots of advice as to what to do if you see abuse within equine sport. You don't really want to do anything about it because you haven't seen any. You have made it quite clear you don't like horse owners particularly those that know a lot about their sport and equine welfare. I've come across a lot of keyboard warriors like you who feel that horse sport and horse owners are fair game. None of them ever actually DO anything to help. It suits their agenda to just chuck bottles from the back.

imamearcat · 04/08/2021 13:04

Well I thought that was pretty amazing! Go Ben and Explosion! Note how they were talking about the horse loads saying he was the best show jumper in the world!

gwenneh · 04/08/2021 13:03

[quote Hopeisallineed]@Bryonyshcmyony I’ve spent the last 30 years working for an animal charity so you have absolutely no idea what I have done or haven’t done. What arrogance. You are painting yourself in an extremely bad light by your posts and sadly you are exactly the type of arrogant horse owner who refuses to believe anything could be wrong in your ‘sacred’ dressage sport and will do anything to protect it, even ignore potential abuse and bad practices. It’s not arrogance to want to discuss these topics, it’s arrogance to try and sweep it all under the carpet and pretend everything is okay.[/quote]
Again, so what are you actually doing about it? Apart from accusing people of abuse on internet forums, that is?

You think there's abuse going on and you're doing nothing?

Hopeisallineed · 04/08/2021 13:02

@Bryonyshcmyony I’ve spent the last 30 years working for an animal charity so you have absolutely no idea what I have done or haven’t done. What arrogance. You are painting yourself in an extremely bad light by your posts and sadly you are exactly the type of arrogant horse owner who refuses to believe anything could be wrong in your ‘sacred’ dressage sport and will do anything to protect it, even ignore potential abuse and bad practices. It’s not arrogance to want to discuss these topics, it’s arrogance to try and sweep it all under the carpet and pretend everything is okay.

mbosnz · 04/08/2021 12:59

I think perhaps it could be taken to mean, 'tis better to remain silent and be thought a fool, then to open one's mouth and remove all possible doubt'.

Bryonyshcmyony · 04/08/2021 12:57

@Hopeisallineed

It may be semantics but ‘keep it to yourself’ is the same as ‘turn a blind eye’ ???
No, it meant stop ranting about historic abuse and being offensive to the horse owners on this thread when you've done the best part of fuck all to do anything about it in real life.
Bryonyshcmyony · 04/08/2021 12:56

By discussing it we are more likely to make those who are actually involved with horses to think about it critically

The arrogance! I think everything you've said is ignorant goady shite, so no, it won't be affecting how I think about things.

Hopeisallineed · 04/08/2021 12:54

It may be semantics but ‘keep it to yourself’ is the same as ‘turn a blind eye’ ???

Hopeisallineed · 04/08/2021 12:53

‘what if you think equestrian sport is cruel, unnecessary and abusive to the animals involved?

Then keep it to yourself and remind yourself that the vast majority of horses in this country are looked after extremely well, even if they are competing.’

IonaLeg · 04/08/2021 12:51

By discussing it we are more likely to make those who are actually involved with horses to think about it critically

I think it’s very unlikely that the factually inaccurate ramblings of a self-professed amateur who doesn’t know anything about horses are going to make anyone who is actually involved with horses and knows what they’re talking about ‘think critically’ for the first time.

gwenneh · 04/08/2021 12:50

They travel in more luxury than us humans on Ryanair

I didn't have to pay extra for his checked baggage, either. AND he got priority boarding.

Bryonyshcmyony · 04/08/2021 12:50

as it seems from this thread not all of them agree to the general society definition of animal abuse

ODFOD

liveforsummer · 04/08/2021 12:50

Put it this way a stressed horse wouldn't win any medals and the horses winning travelled some of the furthest distances of all the competitors

whistlers · 04/08/2021 12:47

@VeryLongBeeeep

You may already know this, but horses can sleep standing up so travelling doesn't stop them from sleeping, or eating/drinking (they travel with their own food/hay that they're familiar with, and the team vet(s) travel with them too).
They travel in more luxury than us humans on Ryanair 🤣
Original poster
BFrazzled · 04/08/2021 12:45

@Bryonyshcmyony

Nobody said turn a blind eye to abuse!

If you aren't actually going to even try to report abuse when you see it then there is nothing you can do about it is there, apart from sit on the Internet moaning about how complicit people are if they compete their horses.

And the cat comments are valid. You own a cat, it's your pet, you have control over it, despite knowing some cats are treated badly.

Why not listen to the horse owners on the thread who know more than you do?

Well the problem is that people most likely to see abuse are horsey people and as it seems from this thread not all of them agree to the general society definition of animal abuse. By discussing it we are more likely to make those who are actually involved with horses to think about it critically.
OP posts:
Bryonyshcmyony · 04/08/2021 12:34

Also they travel in a lorry for hours to events in the UK and Europe. If they don't travel well they wouldn't make it to that level.

VeryLongBeeeep · 04/08/2021 12:29

You may already know this, but horses can sleep standing up so travelling doesn't stop them from sleeping, or eating/drinking (they travel with their own food/hay that they're familiar with, and the team vet(s) travel with them too).

Bryonyshcmyony · 04/08/2021 12:14

Nobody said turn a blind eye to abuse!

If you aren't actually going to even try to report abuse when you see it then there is nothing you can do about it is there, apart from sit on the Internet moaning about how complicit people are if they compete their horses.

And the cat comments are valid. You own a cat, it's your pet, you have control over it, despite knowing some cats are treated badly.

Why not listen to the horse owners on the thread who know more than you do?