To think that equestrian events are ridiculous

[BFrazzled]

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

@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 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?

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!

[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.

Poor horses lol.

Probably the most cared for earthlings there.

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 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?

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

@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.

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

@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...

@Bfrazzled
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?

Because horses are BIG and children are small, and sometimes the horses need to be reminded of their manners for safety.

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.

It was the BBC. Nick Luck was one of the commentators and being all professionally cool and collected as usual as he told us the time to beat for gold and the other one (also male, not Rishi) was all "Explosion is the best!! I love him!!". It was quite funny and sweet.

[quote Notadramallama]@Bfrazzled
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?

Because horses are BIG and children are small, and sometimes the horses need to be reminded of their manners for safety.[/quote]
Sorry, but are you serious?

Some dogs are also big. The solution is not to let the child train a big dog it endangers the dog.

...if it endangers the child, of course.

It was the BBC. Nick Luck was one of the commentators and being all professionally cool and collected as usual as he told us the time to beat for gold and the other one (also male, not Rishi) was all "Explosion is the best!! I love him!!". It was quite funny and sweet.

That would have been former international showjumper Andy Austin.

Well, I carry a whip to flick horse flies of my horse, to push brambles out of the way, to help pull gates shut and because it's bright orange it emphasises my hand signals to riders.

The whip is an aid. It is used to back up the leg aids, which children's ponies often become desensitised to, because as we've established throughout the thread it takes years of training and skill and lots and lots of lessons to be able to become precise enough as a rider to ask a horse to move to the lightest aid. Horses and ponies are trained to move by the application of a leg aid, but some ponies aren't stupid and quickly learn over the years that a 6 stone wringing wet child can't actually make it do anything it doesn't want to, and they switch off to the child's sometimes feeble or uncoordinated leg aids. A quick tap behind the saddle with a whip gets the pony listening and under control again, and is far less irritating for the pony than repeated ineffectual flappy legs on its side.

Whip aids are an interesting topic for the non-equestrian. Is this something you genuinely want to learn about, or are you making a sweeping generalisation that because the object is a whip then the rider must be using it for punishment, or in an abusive manner?

@BFrazzled

Sorry, but are you serious?

"Some dogs are also big. The solution is not to let the child train a big dog it endangers the dog."

Yes, even the smallest of ponies are so much stronger than humans. Yes, they are trained, but sometimes they decide to use their strength against us.

I wanted to hose my mare down the other day (for her benefit as it was a scorching hot day), she's only a pony and I am a full grown adult but she decided to leg it as she doesn't really like the hosepipe. There was no way I could stop her. I wrapped the rope around her nose and insisted that she behaved, for both of our safety.

another example, say my horse decided to kick out at a human behind her, or even a horse - would she get a smack? Of course, because that behaviour is incredibly dangerous and not acceptable.

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?

Why are you still posting? You are just embarrassing yourself tbh.

I ride with a whip and Spurs. My horse is 700kg of solid muscle with an incredibly intelligent brain. I don’t beat him. I don’t spur him until he bleeds. My whip and Spurs are used to back up my other side, my leg, my weight, voice etc. At times, yes he gets a jab in the ribs if it’s needs. He is a massive animal and needs to behave and do what I say for mine, his and other peoples safety.

@Bryonyshcmyony
Your comments on this thread (including mentioning the lovely person of color) are something else.
I wish you had an idea what impression you make. You are clearly from an older generation so I’ll leave at that.

A quick tap behind the saddle with a whip gets the pony listening and under control again, and is far less irritating for the pony than repeated ineffectual flappy legs on its side.

Yes, this.

DD rarely carries a whip, but she was grateful see had hers with her last night when out on a hack her pony took offence at a large rose bush and was twatting about refusing to go past it.

A quick tap - and I mean a tap, DD very rarely uses a whip and is a very gentle rider - got her pony listening to her, pony decided the rose bush wasn’t going to eat her and they were on their way again. They were on the road back to our yard, there’s no room for messing about and 10 minutes of negotiation.

She’s been walking past that same rose bush most days for the 2 years we’ve been at our yard without any issues. Last night she needed reminding of that fact.