Disgusting behaviour at a Fun Ride.

[Julie Ole Girl]

As a member of my local hunt I volunteered to Steward for the day at a Fun Ride. All of riders were very polite, but one young woman was shameful in the treatment of her mare. The jumps are not easy as they are on a Hunting Estate and she was effing and blinding at her poor horse as it was refusing so she was beating the hell out of it. Also one of her party completely ruined the barrier in front of a hedge and never bothered to tell us. They rode past us without any acknowledgement as if it was their right, not realising the work that goes into one of these events at a very cheap price. Grrrr.

 

[Equine_Dream]

I assume they will have needed to register to attend? Perhaps worth mentioning it to the organisers. I'm sure the entitled little madams wouldn't be welcomed back for the next one. Manners and respect cost nothing

 

[EllenJay]

If you saw her beating the horse and you were a steward you should have told her to leave the course, and radioed it in to the announcer

 

[AmyMay]

If you saw her beating the her and you were a steward you should have told her to leave the course, and radioed it in to the announcer

Presumably this is what you did OP? And also made sure the organisers had her number so that her name could be noted for future reference.

 

[Tiddlypom]

As a steward you should call her out at the time to stop beating the horse, and then report such behaviour to the organisers.

 

[Parrotperson]

as above. the point of having stewards is to intervene where necessary. did you?

 

[Griffin]

To me, beating her horse is much worse than trashing a barrier. I have been a steward and if you have a radio, you report incidents like that immediately. If you don't have a radio, you can still report it whenever you get back to the officials' tent.

It's a fun ride, so you would have been well within your remit to stop them and give them a strongly worded reminder that it is supposed to be fun for both horse and rider (and still report them).

 

[Julie Ole Girl]

I reported her to our Hunt Secretary who happened to pass right after the group. But nobody knew who she was and she avoided passing us (despite us shouting at her to behave), all I was able to do was give a description. She was with someone who reprimanded her as well.

 

[AmyMay]

So she wasn’t wearing a number?

 

[Julie Ole Girl]

So she wasn’t wearing a number?

No just wrist bands, they come from far and wide......

 

[Merry neddy man]

Ask about re photos and videos to find details to prevent her coming again, see if there is any Facebook footage.

 

[EllenJay]

No just wrist bands, they come from far and wide......

Ask the photographer - they will have details (although I don't know of any fun ride that don't use a number vest)

 

[SOS]

Definitely none of the hunt fun rides around us use bibs/numbers. You just sign in with the start steward on arrival and set off at your time.... that’s why an incident like this is best dealt with at the time.

 

[Mule]

I hate seeing people overuse a crop. The ironic thing is that it's completely counterproductive to training the animal. It's like out hunting when you see someone repeatedly hitting with the crop to get a horse over a drain. They obviously aren't refusing to jump it out of some sense of maliciousness. Go around the thing if possible and teach the horse on the lunge fgs. Or just don't take it out without proper preparation.

 

[Quigleyandme]

I witnessed something similar whilst just another rider on a hunt ride. This woman was approaching a rather stiff hunt jump far too slowly. The horse refused and the woman fell off. I caught her horse and she came marching over all red faced and furious saying she was going to give him such a hiding. I let go of her horse and cantered off and her horse followed. I caught him again when we had gone a goodly distance and delivered him to the stewards at the next check point. I think the rider was over faced and backing off the fence but her friends were watching so she presented the horse even though he couldn’t clear it with so little impulsion going in.