Arab Showing, what a disgraceful display

[AdorableAlice]

I spent today at the Three Counties Show Ground where two shows were going on. The National Arab Show and a NPS show. Classes were in adjacent rings in front of the stabling.

Just why are Arab exhibitors allowed to chase horses with plastic bags on the end of lunge whips, why are people rattling bottles of stones at the horses, screaming and ranting, banging the railings and acting like idiots. As for the handlers, what a load of twits they were. Horseman ? no, more like horse torturers, yanking and snatching at mouths, dragging horses sideways and flicking horses in the face to get the ridiculous stance.

It was two different worlds, the NPS rings were a genteel affair, the other side of the railings was a chimpanzee tea party.

 

[Ladyinred]

I fail to understand why the AHS doesn't act on this. It has been happening for years now and there are some truly awful videos if you choose to search them out.

 

[NZJenny]

Couldn't agree more. Have owned Arabians for years, but haven't been to a show for 15 years or more.

 

[Archangel]

The National Show is at the end of July - it must have been a regional group show. But I agree I cannot bear to see them being yanked about. There are plenty of fab arabs out doing things but the showing is ridiculous and there is so much knee action now. Ugh.

 

[Meowy Catkin]

It's utterly horrible and is why I don't take mine to in-hand shows (bar a quiet class at my local non-breed specific show).

Time and time again I read articles in the welfare section of The Arabian Magazine talking about this issue, but nothing seems to be progressing. The chap from Bluebell Arabians who showed my gelding's sire did a long piece about kind training, handling and his concerns about the way things are. Sadly he also stated that after he spoke out about his concerns in an earlier article and how he wanted to show horses with their welfare in mind, he had fewer clients! He couldn't understand why people took their horses away or wouldn't send horses there, just because he said that he would be kind in his methods. It's just shocking.

I know that there are some 'classic' arab showing classes out there, but they are few and far between.

 

[Barnacle]

Have to join the chorus here - I hate that side of the Arab world. Disgraceful behaviour.

 

[Rollin]

I have not attended any AHS shows or viewed classes.

My only experience has been with Shagya Arab approvals which were very calm and nice. This clip is of the 2014 EU Shagya Champion filmed at Babolna the Hungarian National Stud and foundation stud for the Shagya. WE bought two mares from them and the horses are wonderfully treated.

The stallion is very closely related to a Shagya stallion well known to followers on the Breeding Forum.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=70VVLp-XYmQ

There is a 7 min video of the whole championship showing how stress free it was for the horses.

By the way I always have a whip available with a plastic bag on the end. It is very useful as a giddy-up, however, my 9 week old CB filly takes no notice of it whatsoever!!. If I don't want to go in my stable I am NOT going to go in my stable!

 

[Velvet82]

Agree!!! I've not long looked into Arabian showing and was so shocked by what I saw. It seems even worse in America? It really saddens me. I would love to go and watch a pure Arab show but have been completely put off by the footage I've seen.

 

[WelshD]

The flimsy halters on some of the Arabs and scant clothing of some of the handlers are an accident waiting to happen too

Mind you some of the Welsh breed showing is as chaotic

 

[zaminda]

A few years ago some older members of the showing fraternity complained about something which they saw in the lorry park. Nothing happened, but they received a lot of grief from people connected to the person concerned. Most of the shows don't seem to have much to do with the AHS from what I can tell. If they did, the welfare issue would surely be cause for concern from the charities commission .

 

[Enfys]

... and that is why, even though I had show quality horses, I never showed my arabs at anything more than local level.

I hate the Arabian show scene, there are good handlers, they can't all be condemned, but on the whole it is not enjoyable to watch and the horses mostly look, at the very least worried, at worst, absolutely terrified

On the flip side of the coin I have been to Open Days at world class show/breeding yards (Bychan and Halsdon to name just two of many) and the handling has always been tactful and the horses show better for it.

 

[Wizzkid]

I know nothing about showing but went along to support a friend of a friend with her baby Arab. I was so shocked but apparently that's very normal.... Not for me!

 

[OwnedbyJoe]

And then they wonder why people think Arabs are stupid...

 

[asmp]

Couple Of years ago I took our youngster to a very low key local showing in hand show to get him some ring experience. Took our older criollo along for company and thought might as well put him in the foreign breeds in hand class for something to do - I totally forgot about Arabs! The class was full of them and they were all being wound up by their handlers outside the ring. It was a real eye opener (and reminded me why I hate showing - it's exciting as watching paint dry!)

 

[The Fuzzy Furry]

This wasn't 'normal' in the late 70's and through the 80's when I was producing for a lovely owner, among the other breeds we had in.
Things were exactly the same as per any other in-hand classes - apart from the Welsh C's & D's in hand at their own shows (and still the same now).

 

[Hetsmum]

That is true TFF. I remember showing my arab in the late 80's early 90's and there was none of that. I imagine it came from America - most of the bad things seem to..........

 

[The Fuzzy Furry]

Hetsmum, we'd have been thrown out the ring then!
I do remember one Arab that came over from Holland for a HOYS qualifier (and qualified) but when in the Lloyds Bank finals the handler was roundly told off by stewards and given a final (only) warning, that was prob in around 84. The rest of us were dumbfounded in the collecting ring as to how a handler could act like that!

 

[be positive]

I spent today at the Three Counties Show Ground where two shows were going on. The National Arab Show and a NPS show. Classes were in adjacent rings in front of the stabling.

Just why are Arab exhibitors allowed to chase horses with plastic bags on the end of lunge whips, why are people rattling bottles of stones at the horses, screaming and ranting, banging the railings and acting like idiots. As for the handlers, what a load of twits they were. Horseman ? no, more like horse torturers, yanking and snatching at mouths, dragging horses sideways and flicking horses in the face to get the ridiculous stance.

It was two different worlds, the NPS rings were a genteel affair, the other side of the railings was a chimpanzee tea party.

It is total contradiction to their so called rules for showing, links below but in summary "outside assistance" " exhibits are not to be excessively stirred up."
No devices, gadgets or loud noises shall be used to excite horses.
Whips must not exceed 48 inches and must not have attachments fastened to them.

All these and more get broken including the overuse of makeup, most will have an excessive amount of oil and makeup on something that may mean elimination but again totally ignored by exhibitors and judges.

The AHS have been criticised for years over this, the rules are clear, they are not upheld probably due to pressure from international exhibitors who have developed this awful trend.
Links to rules and also the AHS guidelines to showing, they mention "the horse should walk with a relaxed open stride" "stand still so the judge can view from all sides, if it cannot stand still the judge cannot judge him"

http://www.threecounties.co.uk/library/files/AHS 2014 Rules For Showing.pdf

http://www.ahsshowsandevents.com/Forms to download/Guidelines to showing booklet.pdf

 

[Deltaflyer]

I only used to do local showing with my registered PBA (15/16 arab the rest welsh D) so it was all very sane and polite, that was a long time ago LOL. Mind you, have you ever seen Section D stallions being shown professionally !!!!! Just as bad.

On a side note, what's with the almost hackney knee action of the grey Shagya stallion ? Is that the norm for arabs these days ?

 

[Rollin]

I only used to do local showing with my registered PBA (15/16 arab the rest welsh D) so it was all very sane and polite, that was a long time ago LOL. Mind you, have you ever seen Section D stallions being shown professionally !!!!! Just as bad.

On a side note, what's with the almost hackney knee action of the grey Shagya stallion ? Is that the norm for arabs these days ?

I don't know what is normal for Arabs, I only own Shagya Arabs and certainly mine can Piaffe when turned out or brought in with no encouragement from me. My own stallion will naturely move like that if he spots a mare but doesn't trot like that when we hack out.

 

[skint1]

I've always felt that it's a testament to the wonderful temperament of the Arabian horse that more handlers don't get flattened in the showing process. Not that I agree with it at all because I don't.

 

[Annagain]

I think it's because arabs (wrongly, in my opinion)have a reputation for being highly strung so people think they need to live up to that and deliberately wind them up. The same happens with Sec D stallions to a certain extent (although they generally need less winding up!).

From what I've seen (mainly of Sec Ds as that's most of the showing I've seen) however, it's always the well behaved ones who win The best ones ooze presence and the "look at me" attitude without being nutters. Shame a lot of handlers don't notice this.

 

[paddy555]

That is true TFF. I remember showing my arab in the late 80's early 90's and there was none of that. I imagine it came from America - most of the bad things seem to..........

I cannot comment on the showing as I hate to see arabs mucked around but in 1985 I bought my arab colt from one of the top UK studs. The lady got all the horses to move around their pens using plastic bags. We did get to see them moving. It wasn't so much fun however after we had purchased our colt, taken him home and then went into his stable to top up his bed with shavings which were in a plastic bag.

 

[Deltaflyer]

I don't know what is normal for Arabs, I only own Shagya Arabs and certainly mine can Piaffe when turned out or brought in with no encouragement from me. My own stallion will naturely move like that if he spots a mare but doesn't trot like that when we hack out.

Maybe it is a stallion thing. Mine was a mare and had what I always think of as the typical arab action, very straight knee action so they look like they're floating when they trot. That being said, that stallion is stunning. Just a shame the handlers feel they have to traumatise the horses to show them off when arabs show off quite nicely when left to their own devices

 

[Rollin]

Deltaflyer I can assure you that no horses are traumatised at Babolna. They have a hostel, so we spent a weekend there. Saw all the stallions and young horses, we rode, we were taken on a carriage ride.

The same was true when we went to the stallion grading in Burgendy, nice polite handling. Because our stallion spent last year in endurance and now is SJ, we don't want him 'hotted' up.

Think we will video our plastic bag for the forum!! (smiley face)

 

[Deltaflyer]

Deltaflyer I can assure you that no horses are traumatised at Babolna. They have a hostel, so we spent a weekend there. Saw all the stallions and young horses, we rode, we were taken on a carriage ride.

The same was true when we went to the stallion grading in Burgendy, nice polite handling. Because our stallion spent last year in endurance and now is SJ, we don't want him 'hotted' up.

Think we will video our plastic bag for the forum!! (smiley face)

Sorry, I should have qualified that by saying 'some' handlers. I didn't mean any offence to you personally.

I've seen the same at shows with Welsh D stallion showing classes where some handlers wind the horses up so much they are virtually a danger to others both in and out of the ring but of course I realise there are good and bad in all disciplines.

 

[Tiddlypom]

If the AHS cannot or will not crack down on such poor horsemanship, which organisation would be best placed to come in and read the riot act so they are forced to reform (in this country, at least)? The BHS, maybe?

 

[OWLIE185]

Any demonstration of bad behaviour or cruelty within the equestrian circle needs to be sorted out as it only creates a bad image for us all.
I would suggest that the attention of the BHS and WHW needs to be drawn to this so that they can investigate further and get it sorted out.

 

[YorksG]

The organisors of the actual show should be doing something IMO, it's on their ground, in their time and they make the money from it, so should take some respnibility for it, after all it will be their inurance if it all goes wrong and a spectator gets injured.

 

[cbmcts]

The flimsy halters on some of the Arabs and scant clothing of some of the handlers are an accident waiting to happen too

Mind you some of the Welsh breed showing is as chaotic

I got daggers at Towerlands at one of the Arab shows there (at least 10 years ago!) when I stood with my jaw dropped at the behaviour both inside and outside the ring. Especially when I commented that 'they say Welsh Cob showing is common but at least their horses stay upright and are sound' Some of the professional handlers were pulling yearlings over in the ring and they were still being placed. The winner in the gelding class had very distinct heave lines. You couldn't stand and watch a class outside the ring because owners were charging around waving bags and rattling tins...wtf????

I also went to the International one year because a friend was showing her gelding. 8:30 in the morning and music is BLARING, people are chasing the horses into the ring and hammering the indoor arena boards. Horses dripping with sweat, being shanked viciously for no apparent reason, let bounce quite literally off the walls.

I want to see an Arabs lovely floating trot, not a head in the air bunny hop going sideways not forwards. Those cutsey fabric bridles have chains under the chin and my god, are they used.

I'm glad to say that my friends veteran Crabbet gelding shown by his owner, him in a nice plain leather snaffle bridle and her in white shirt, tie and trousers without any grandstanding or need for her supporters to bang, shout or wave Tesco bags ( Classy or what?) still got his silver medal