Dont they know its rude to stare!!

Morrigan_Lady

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www.teamterrellshowjumping.co.uk
This may turn into abit of a rant, so apologies now!!

I took my mare to a comp yesterday and when I was standing in the warm up there was a mother and daughter standing there staring at my horse! Now my mare does have very large melonomas in her throat which are abit unsightly and take abit of getting used to. But for someone to sit and blatently stare for ages at them really peed me off! How rude, you wouldnt sit and stare at a disabled person would you!! Yea, have a look, but dont make it so obvious!! So I stared back at them and made a point of turning my horse round!
Actually, thinking about it, when I was warming up ealier a different lady kept taking photos of us, odd ay!!
Question - If some one random started taking photos of you and your horse, would you say something to them??
 
erm I would probably have smiled, said hello and had a convo about my horse, explaining what the lumps were and educating them a bit in the process.

Never worried about people taking pics, there are usually loads of people who like taking pics just for taking pics.
 
Normally people stare at us because they like my horse or because they have never seen a friesian before. Completly different reasons to yours but just as off-putting sometimes. I'm not the best rider in the world and he's not the calmest horse so having ppl look when I'm having an awkward moment can be a little embarrassing. Dont know about the photos though, sounds a bit odd, not sure I would like that.
 
Never worried about people taking pics, there are usually loads of people who like taking pics just for taking pics.

-> Unfortunatly I've known many people have their horse photographed at shows and they have ended up on horsemart or worse weeks later (when though they are still in ownership of the horse)! Should always be wary in my opinion - sad I know!

I'm not sure what I would have done to be honest but it does seem a little rude just to stand and stare!
 
Unfortunatly I've known many people have their horse photographed at shows and they have ended up on horsemart or worse weeks later (when though they are still in ownership of the horse)! Should always be wary in my opinion - sad I know!


Yikes, I never thought of that!! Ill question it if happens again.
 
I love to take pics at shows purely 'cause I'm trying to get to know my camera better! Got some crackers from Lincs Horse Trials - but I won't be advertising on Horsemart dw ;):rolleyes:

I'd have asked them what they were looking at (politely) and if they tried to brush it off, then leave them and their ignorance to it.
They may have just wanted to know what your mares bumps were - but agreed, they could have just politely asked!
K x
 
I do talk to people about them when they look sometimes, as they are abit more polite about it!
It just upset me abit yesterday (spose thats partly the pregnancy hormones) coz my mare is a stunning big warm blood and just gets attention for the wrong reasons some times!

Just practise for me being an over protective Mum I guess!!!
 
PEople are paranoid, and often not too educated. If she has lumps in her throat, they may have been concerned about what the problem was and if it was contagious. For example, one of the signs of strangles is often simply described as 'lumps in the jaw/throat area'. If they haven't known accurate information it may have been genuine concern.

My old pony used to have a perfectly innocent hay cough. Vet said it was ok for me to still compete at not too streneous activities, like lower level dressage and showing. Whenever she coughed in the warm up ring people would always stare at me and often move away. I understood why and just had to ignore it.

So, possibly they've misread your mares lumps as a threatening symptom.

Could you maybe also be feeling more self-concious because of her problem, thus be more aware than usual of people looking at you?

I'm afraid everyone will always get stared at when you go out in public. That's part and parcel of going to shows!
 
Unfortunatly I've known many people have their horse photographed at shows and they have ended up on horsemart or worse weeks later (when though they are still in ownership of the horse)! Should always be wary in my opinion - sad I know!


Yikes, I never thought of that!! Ill question it if happens again.

but that happens with random pics lifted off the internet anyway, the scam works the other way round, ie they are trying to scam buyers... how can they sell your horse?
 
I get this all the time because of Ron's markings. They're caused by Vitiligo, but so many people ask if its ringworm, or strangles (:eek:) or if its contagious, or if its sore for him.

do they think I'd be so irresponsible to take a horse to a party with something contagious? Do they really think he'd be rideable with strangles (which it doesn't even resemble!)) If he was malnourished, or lame then I could understand if they stared or reported me, but the chances are they wouldn't!
 
well i have to say i think Ron is gorgeous, he looks very distinguished doesn't he. :D People can be soooooo insensitive, but i love a horse with some quirks, makes them that much more special. sm x
 
jen do you mind explaining it to them though? especially as its something many wouldn't have seen.

maybe my brain just see's things differently but I just think if you are at a comp you/your horse are likely to be looked at, and that the best way of recognising what some things are is seeing them in the flesh so to speak.

I just don't get what is so stressy about it :confused:
 
not at all, i usually find that if you can catch their attention and saying somthing like "are you wondering about his markings (her lumps and bumps)?" they'll usually admit to being curious or to being concerned about it being infections or whatever.

Once I've explained about it, and i have the advantage of Michael Jackson as a reference point for vitiligo, they're usually ok, and will watch out for us during the day.
 
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