To think that equestrian events are ridiculous

This is a more recent article if it helps…and an Olympian.
www.google.co.uk/amp/s/www.horseandhound.co.uk/news/three-year-abuse-ban-for-olympic-rider-filmed-jabbing-the-mouth-of-small-pony-743644/amp

“It's only horses that seem to bring out people's inner expert - feeding other people's horses when they see them in fields, getting critical about the way horses are kept and ridden. Are people like this about dogs?”

There’s a lot of people who went on a pony ride in 1992 and read a few copies of H&P so think that qualifies them to know what’s “right” and “wrong”. Solo turnout, spurs, competitive riding, all wrong because they have no idea about them. Throw in some class envy - “all horsey people are snobs/toffs” - and you have…this thread.

Are you under the impression that all the horse's friends and family are watching the event and are annoyed their mate didn't get mentioned by name?

And if any of these armchair experts actually engaged with the sport rather than criticising from afar, they’d know that practically the first thing riders do is praise their horses and talk about them. Look at Charlotte Dujardin’s FB page - pretty much every post is about her horses, not herself.

And horse racing and dressage are two very different sports. I do agree horse racing is cruel and leads to many ex race horses being needlessly bred then disregarded/killed when no longer of worth.

*No one

Are you saying now me today in the dressage world are using these techniques in an abusive way?

@Hopeisallineed

That's a US blog and 8 years old.

All my dcs have been through the Pony Club which is a brilliant way to learn how to look after a horse or pony and then competed with various organisations all who have very strict guidance on abuse.

I was volunteering at a British Eventing competition last month and one rider was suspected of using her whip too much. As she went past each fence the judges made a note of how many times she used it. She was pulled up after fence 8. As I've said repeatedly, affiliated equestrian bodies in the UK take abuse extremely seriously. But do keep trawling the internet for irrelevant out of date opinion pieces

God there is so much ignorance on this thread.

Dressage is HARD, it takes years of training, part of the skill is the rider making it look effortless, it's not. And no, they don't just get given a horse in Tokyo they train for years with their horses!

Loving the attempts to suggest that equestrian events aren't exclusive or just for rich people.

Princess Anne, Captain Mark Phillips and Zara Phillips have all competed in the Olympics in equestrian events. So clearly it's a pure meritocracy

scratchnall.com/blog/abuse-in-the-dressage-world-breaking-the-silence/

Showjumping on today for those who are interested!

I think this post is ridiculous.

You know that little rectangular contraptions with buttons? You point it at the tv and press the buttons. It magically makes the equestrian events go away if you do it right.

And do feel free to point out abuse whenever you see it.

How many emails or phone calls have you made to the affiliated bodies listed above reporting abuse?

How many times do people have to tell you about rolkur?!

And shock collars. Really?!

The horses are always mentioned by name. Wtf are these people on?!

Well blithely saying ‘ignore it’ is a pretty awful way to retaliate. It doesn’t take an idiot to realise that some of the techniques used in dressage such as rolkur, Spurs, shock collars and nose band tightening can cause all sorts of damage both psychological and physical to a horse. I’m an ex rider who has owned horses so I am not ignorant to what is going on in some aspects of these sports. Horse racing results in a huge amount of otherwise healthy animals being shot for our entertainment. I will not support it any more and I think more awareness needs to be brought to the public.

It's pretty clear that the people on this thread who complain about equestrian events haven't ever ridden a horse, never mind competed. Try interacting with a horse before telling the rest of us how awful it all is.

Are people like this about dogs?
Hell yes. Some people with uncontrolled dogs who charge about the playing fields think I'm very tedious for actually training mine. I get heavy implications that I should let them play. I do let them play. But just now they are at school.

And people who don't own dogs at all tell you how to exercise them.

Oh and the Horseracing Authority.

I would imagine that's the one you are really out to get because you watched a documentary about it once.

All contact info easily found online and they will take reports of actual abuse very seriously

@mbosnz
It's an agenda thing, innit?
Well, exactly. The same agenda that doesn't just want to oblige everyone to go vegan, but wants to stop us all riding horses and having dogs and cats. I did once go right down the PETA rabbit hole and my word, that was enlightening. One of the arguments was that because domestic dogs might suffer, they had to go extinct - you were permitted a rescue dog, but you must never, ever, under any circumstances, breed a dog or buy a puppy.

Now and then I spot an OP like Poor horses. This ridiculous dancing in dressage, who the hell thought of that? and I think, oh, I know where this might be going - this is either crashing ignorance and intolerance, or someone with that same old agenda who doesn't quite want to admit to it just yet. And lo:
Some people enjoy talking about things and even argue for changing things they think are wrong.

Excuse my cynicism, but I am rapidly turning into a right old bag, but it looks to me as if OP, all along, thought that horse riding was wrong, but thought approaching the argument from that angle wouldn't be so successful. People are already going after racing, but lets go after dressage and traduce it as 'ridiculous' and accuse the riders and trainers, all of them, of cruelty and heartlessness, and stick a crowbar into our old friend the class divide and crank that a bit.

It doesn't wash with me. I ride. I have ridden since I was six. I've been on far too many horses who start jibbing excitedly and bouncing around when they approach the spot where they normally get a canter and who, as soon as you sit down, put you leg on and ease the reins, go away like bloody trains. I've been on a horse in the manege, and felt him start to track up eagerly and get excited as it becomes clear to him that we're about do fun stuff like three loop serpentines.

Yeah, they hate it. Every second.

Wow. I assume that’s why there is still this level of cruelty in animal sports because the people who actually ‘pretend’ they love horses will turn a blind eye to anything that might remotely harm the reputation of the sport.

Keep it to yourself becuase unless you can actually see abuse then there's nothing you can do, and your views are offensive to those who actually work with and know about horses.

[quote Hopeisallineed]@Bryonyshcmyony just ignore it? Yes because that’s the way to deal with any kind of abuse. Wtf?![/quote]
So what actual abuse do you see happening, because there are plenty of official channels to report actual abuse. If its thst you don't like horses going to the Olympics there is absolutely nothing you can do about it other than educate yourself to put your mind at rest.