Competition/ Pony Club Rant.

[EllieBeast]

sorry for this guys, but i felt that i had to post about my dissapointment yesterday. i went to an indoor showjumping competition run by a local pony club branch, to do the Dengie winter qualifier and the 95cms open.
i have only taken my girl inside once in the past two years (have had her for 5) but she is usually completely fine. the warmup arena was on an outdoor surface and only 7 horses were allowed in at a time (very good idea IMO). anyway, a girl on a chestnut pony rode up beside me, about 6 strides away from the jump she was approaching, and less than a metre from me on my horse. She proceeded to beat the sh!t out of her horse with a schooling whip (not only did it leave marks, but you could hear the whip crack mid-air

) and my lass, being whip shy, just exploded. it took me a good minute to bring her to walk, as she just leapt and rodeo'd in panic. she was then completely distracted and jumpy for the whole time we were there.
I really was dissapointed with the complete lack of compassion for these horses and ponies, i must have seen at least 5 acts of what i would call downright cruelty whilst i was there.
Massive overuse of spurs and whips, and then the stroppy little brats who stormed out of the arena screaming at their parents, throwing the pony at them and then storming off. Honestly, all this was going on for all to see, yet nothing was said. I would have given the brat in the warmup a piece of my mind, but i was too busy trying to calm my mare down (who usually is extremely well mannered, she has never reacted in this way to anything before in all the time i have had her). I am almost ashamed to say that i am a pony club member, although most of those who i saw acting like ar$eholes were members of the same club.
i am sorry for the rant, but i was so dissapointed to witness such behaviour. Are there no rules against overuse of whips in SJ?
LW

 

[Thistle]

Our PC has very strict rules on abuse but they do rely on someone reporting the behaviour to the officials. Did you report what you saw?

 

[AmyMay]

Did you report these actions to the stewards?

 

[EllieBeast]

Someone i was with did, im sure. My branch are extremely tight on this too, but this kind of thing was actually going on inside the SJ arena, surely the scorers would have seen?

 

[EllieBeast]

i also mentioned to collecting ring steward, but she was a member of the same club,and obviously knew the girl. she just shrugged it off.

She was reported though.

 

[airedale]

my personal experience is that if the brat has parents that are on the committee or are donators or sponsors to that pony club then b****r all will be said against the brat's treatment of the horse. FACT.

but if it's something stupid - like a 7 yr old going to a Xmas rally with tinsel on the browband of her small pony - then 3 'witches' surround the child, bully her, harang her, so that she rides home in floods of tears, as the tinsel is deemed by the 'witches' (DC, Sec, and one instructor) to be 'dangerous'...

yet the same 3 witches will be seen ignoring kids jumpjumpjumpjumping over the practice jump (if they are kids of a committee member); being woefully overweight for a small pony and jabbing it in the mouth - and I mean 13 st. on a 13hh TB pony(sponsor's brat); or being far too small (age 8) on a near 16hh horse with no safety stirrups.

In the PC it is WHO you are, NOT what you do.

Sorry - end of my rant

but another PC locally that I was visiting instructor to 10 years ago wasn't at all like that.

 

[EllieBeast]

I agree, I really enjoy the rallies etc but it really is who you know. In a way i am really glad that my parents arent horsey, i have no pressure on me, and all i aim for is to have a good time, and for my horse to have the same. in the first class yesterday - straight after the 'incident', my mare was a wreck, falling to trot before every fence, and really not being herself. i am amazed that we only got 4 faults. i came out of the arena very dissapointed - not about the faults, as i couldent give a monkeys about that, but because my horse didnt enjoy it. she was much beter in the second round, but still not herself. she usually jumps for the sheer fun of it, but yesterday was awful.

 

[airedale]

yes - sometimes I wonder whether it is better if the brats lost ('cos they don't usually deserve to win - but then their ponies get the hammering)

or let the brats win so that the ponies get some love from the brats for a bit.

even worse thought - if this is what is seen at shows - then what the H**l are they doing to the poor animals at home ?!?!?!?!

 

[EllieBeast]

Exactly, and we wonder why they change the ponies so regularly!
Ah well, looks like im xc schooling next weekend - and not with the pony club! Should help bring my girly back to form!

 

[airedale]

saw a (sad) classic of that this summer

brat - overweight one on TB pony had taught pony to rear because she thought it was clever (and seemed to get her winner's place in 'best rider' competitions at pony club).

finally passed pony onto another kid from same stables (not sure if sold or loaned) - anyway kid under 12 takes pony into handy pony class and gets bucked off after pony first went up rearing. gets carted off to hospital on spinal board

turns out had fractured coxics (sp?) so lucky not worse. Then brat took pony into fancy dress class and the card of 'what's special about this entry' read "This pony is known to buck a lot"

sort of poetic - but shame it was replacement kid and not orignal brat that caused pony to be bad that got injured

it all seems to be about 'buying' success these days at PC and elsewhere - kid at PC has just turned up with 'made' SJ pony - and then found out that becuase it has so many BSJA points it is out of all the classes - hehehehehehehe

 

[EllieBeast]

Aw thats sad, but PMSL at the SJ pony! I almost feel sorry for these kids (i did say ALMOST!) they miss out on all the satisfaction of working and training towards an aim, and knowing that when you get there - it was all your own work.

 

[Magicmillbrook]

I am sorry your day was spoilt - My daughters PC would certainly have not allowed this. Even rude or bratty behaivour will result in a ticking off from the DC. Sadly I have seen it at other competitions, and it does seem to be more prevalent in very competitive or 'well heeled' families.

I have seen nice ponies ruined. Even worse these people tend to be the ones who can just afford to go and buy another winning machine to ruin.

 

[EllieBeast]

Its sad isnt it? i treat my mare with the upmost respect, not only because i couldent afford another, but because she means a lot to me - not to mention she is a living being and deserves respect.
I was disgusted!

 

[airedale]

exactly - and my sig says it all - just cannot find a jockey for a very good pony - but if it said "experienced event pony" my phone would be ringing off the hook - ggrrrrrrrr

and it's NOT going to goto the local PC !!

 

[EllieBeast]

its crazy isnt it? i have to loan my mare out next year due to uni (am on a gap year ATM), and i am swiftly losing faith about it, getting more and more panicky as we speak actually!

 

[Reashi]

Well, as long as you don't tar all pony clubbers with the same brush, we're not all like that!

 

[Skhosu]

I have no problem with kids buying ready made ponies.I have just bought a ready made horse last year.
They don't have the experience to bring it on a lot of the time, an experienced pony/horse is what they need!
As for beating up ponies, in my PC anyone beating up a horse that badly would have been reported and shouted at.
REcently one child was almost kicked out for bad behaviour.
Ours did used to be 'who you know' for getting on the team (one girl always got on despite being dangerous!)
however we now have a new committee and it has instantly been improved as people (not the DC I must add) who thought they were wonderful have left, without the rest of us being concerned!
I also think the '3 witches' point is bad, as it is a stereotype and I would see '3 witches' more as the mothers who insist on giving unwanted, and unnecessary advice!
Sorry...just annoys me when all PCers are labelled as bad apples, when most I know love their ponies deeply and work really hard (although must admit, was at dengie the other night, junior child came out, shouting at mother. Child took pony round box away from mother (who had obviously made sure she wouldn't hit it), stopped and walloped pony. I probably should have said something..but don't like to tell other peoples kids off. )

 

[EllieBeast]

Dont worry Reashi - I am also a member!

 

[EllieBeast]

TSH - Honestly i am not trying to tare everyone with the same brush. as i have repeatedly said, i am also a member, and my branch is fantastic. i know that it is the extreme minority who behave like this, but i was just expressing my dissapointment at the actions of these people, and the fact that i hung about for hours only for my horse to become traumatised by an inconsiderate brat.
Again re 'ready made' ponies (if such a thing even exists! i doubt there is any pony/horse out there without their own little flaws) - i have nothing against this either! all i was having a whinge about was the behaviour stated.
** I apologise to anyone who has read this post and been offended, that was not the purpose. i just needed to vent. again, apologies **

 

[Skhosu]

No probs! Not necessarily you!
I understand where your coming from, people riding in front of you into a jump repeatedly really winds me (and the horse!) up!

 

[EllieBeast]

I didnt mind them riding in front of me, i can deal with that. it was the continuous beating of their horse which sent mine into a frenzy which wound me up.

 

[morgan4eva]

I am sorry to say that "its not what you know but who you know" is a fact of life-not just the pony club and from what I hear this is still a big influence in the selection of international teams! As a mother of 2 young pony club members I am sometimes embarrased by the bad sportsmanship of my own children and do my best to make them understand that sulkiness, bad temper and tears are not the way to success in any sport, but alas they are only children and are still learning the rules of adulthood. It is not the"brats" who are at fault, but parents who do nothing to change this type of behaviour or remind their little ones that it is an animal with very limited understanding (and confused commands usually) that they are dealing with. It is undoubtedly true to say that the Pony Club has and still does play a vital role in developing future equestrian stars and giving children a fantastic equestrian grounding and loads of fun on the way. Please do not let the behaviour of a minority of children and their parents spoil this.

 

[susan_w]

I agree with you Morgan4eva. When my daughter was younger, I was appalled by the bratty behaviour that she showed at a couple of shows when things didn't quite go right. I nipped it in the bud there and then, and told her if she wants to carry on competing, then it doesn't matter how bad a round she had done, how stupid she felt, how annoyed she was, how many faults there were, she came out smiling. And she always does now, but she's nearly 17, and I think with age and experience that ability comes.

As a SJ judge, I see the type of behaviour that you are talking about far too often. When I see it, I will always call the child up to the judges box for a "chat". You'd be amazed at how many of the children give me lip, and are abusive. Shocked once by a 12 year old telling me that I was talking sh1t and that her pony had needed a good beating! She hasn't been back to us since!