CrazyZebra
Member
In H&H yesterday there was a reader's letter about the horse which won the SFAS Riding club show horse at HOYS only to be disqualified when the horse reared after the crowd cheered as she was given her rosette. I also understand that the pony in the First Ridden which was to be placed 1st or 2nd reared up when the crowd cheered and threw its young rider off. I was so upset to hear about these two competitors as they must be devastated.
I understand that this is just the way showing is - it is a competition to find the best horse (and rider) after all, and this includes temperament. I also know that a lot of very young horses and ponies cope admirably under all sorts of difficult conditions, as is to be expected at the highest level of any field (show jumping, dressage etc).
However, it did make me think of my horse, who is an absolute saint in every regard (grandparents and six year old cousins can trot about on him off the lead rein, whilst he still has the energy to compete very successfully when asked to!) but who hates clapping and loud crowd noises. He wouldn't ever rear, but he certainly leaps about sideways and looks very unhappy. We wonder if perhaps he has sensitive ears? Nevertheless he has always dealt with clapping etc, even in a PUK evening performance which I don't think he liked one bit. As well as his dressage, he is a frequent winner of handy horse competitions and could not care less about spooky flappy objects so I do believe him to be a perfect riding club show horse. Unfortunately ending up in the HOYS arena is very unlikely for us, but if we did, I know he would have a lot of trouble with the noise.
Therefore, how could somebody practically get their horse used to the extreme atmosphere of somewhere like HOYS or Olympia, when there is nothing else like it? Or is it often a case of some horses (still with a lot of preparation) won't mind it and other horses will? (As with most individual horsey differences)
I understand that this is just the way showing is - it is a competition to find the best horse (and rider) after all, and this includes temperament. I also know that a lot of very young horses and ponies cope admirably under all sorts of difficult conditions, as is to be expected at the highest level of any field (show jumping, dressage etc).
However, it did make me think of my horse, who is an absolute saint in every regard (grandparents and six year old cousins can trot about on him off the lead rein, whilst he still has the energy to compete very successfully when asked to!) but who hates clapping and loud crowd noises. He wouldn't ever rear, but he certainly leaps about sideways and looks very unhappy. We wonder if perhaps he has sensitive ears? Nevertheless he has always dealt with clapping etc, even in a PUK evening performance which I don't think he liked one bit. As well as his dressage, he is a frequent winner of handy horse competitions and could not care less about spooky flappy objects so I do believe him to be a perfect riding club show horse. Unfortunately ending up in the HOYS arena is very unlikely for us, but if we did, I know he would have a lot of trouble with the noise.
Therefore, how could somebody practically get their horse used to the extreme atmosphere of somewhere like HOYS or Olympia, when there is nothing else like it? Or is it often a case of some horses (still with a lot of preparation) won't mind it and other horses will? (As with most individual horsey differences)
