HHO, "popularity" through all talk and no trousers/those that shout the loudest?!

kerilli said:
Oh gawd, if that's a reference to what i linked to, i didn't mean it to be taken like that. Prob a sign of my insecurity - "oh crikey, 'some are not as they seem'... do they mean meeeee... no, really, I did do something useful once upon a time, honest injun." ;) ;)
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not aimed at you at all :)

In fact, your post is exactly what I am complaining about but in the opposite way- why should you have to prove your worthiness to contribute to the forum?

I just find all of this sort of thing very cliquey and a bit off-putting tbh and makes me wonder why I bother posting when people may be thinking 'what does she know, she's only competed at x level anyway.'
 
Interesting post Kat.

I am probably lucky in that I have my own 'resident' instructor in D_K, I like his style of teaching. I like his style of riding (if I didnt I certainly wouldn't be living with him;)) I like to read alot of the threads and discuss things with him, we know our horses and know what works for them, but no one will ever know all there is to know about riding, so there is always an opportunity to learn.

We have used a few ideas, especially jumping exercises, and I have found certain things useful to help out my kids, different ways of explaining things for example.

There are people on here that perhaps I 'gravitate' towards to, in their posts they seem have the same basic ideas as us. These are the people I would gladly let ride our horses (in fact I would like to see them ride them as I am sure they would do a damn better job than me:D), on the other hand there are some posters that I wouldn't let in a mile of our yard, let alone horses;)

I do not often have the confidence to give advice very often, but 'test' myself against posts and smile if I have been thinking the same as other. I sometimes nag D_K to post when advice is asked for, but a he teaches everyday I think he finds it a bit of a bus mans holiday.
 
but if we have any sense, we weigh the common sense of what's said, whether it ties in with what everyone else says, etc etc. I certainly don't go running off to check BE results on every poster... no idea what 99% of people's real names are anyway (and that includes the ones I'm friends with on fb, I don't know who's who!)
it shouldn't be cliquey. ugh. hope not.
 
Well whenever I ask for advice, I use whatever makes sense to me and the horse. I don't really judge people on their competition record because I know many excellent horsemen and women who don't compete but who I would ask for help any day. Not everyone competes and just because somebody choose not to, it doesn't make any advice they give invalid. I stopped competing 5 years ago but it doesn't stop me from giving advice on a topic I know something about. You certainly won't catch me dishing out advice on something I know nothing about!

I haven't read the entire post so please don't think that that's what I think you're all getting at.
 
kerilli said:
I certainly don't go running off to check BE results on every poster... no idea what 99% of people's real names are anyway (and that includes the ones I'm friends with on fb, I don't know who's who!)
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Likewise! I have such an awful memory i forget whos who, as most of the time forum names dont have anything to do with real names!
 
I'm not so bothered by people's comp statistics, I'd rather see photos or preferably videos of them in action if they're adamant about their abilities... in fact I'm often more impressed by some more modest poster's lower level pics on here than some of the more regular ones claiming to ride at higher levels. The people that seem to succeed are the ones who are quietly confident and getting on with it.

For a start I RARELY do competition reports on here as I don't feel the need to tell everyone about it unless I'm really bored :p If anyone really cares we've won our last two comps on over 71% (and got some seconds on 68%) To me that does not give any information on what kind of rider I am though or whether people should listen to my advice, maybe I was just lucky on the day with the least spooky horse, who knows.

I am really passionate about thorough basics, position and correct training and those are the main areas I would provide opinions on, mainly for the horse's sake!
 
I usually just assume it all goes to information, that people take what's offered and filter it through their own experiences/instructor/feelngs about their personal situation. NO ONE can really give you detailed, personal advice on the internet because they can't see the situation and/or can't sit on the horse in question. Mostly what horses teach you is that never know everything and you don't know what you don't know! ;)

The competition aspect is a bit tricky because people who have worked professionally with horses tend to be divided into people who show and people who stay home. I know someone (and know of others) who schools horses and works as a ground man for people who have won Olympic medals and you wouldn't know his name but he's a fantastic horsemen. Other people gravitate to young horses or retraining or other "behind the scenes" aspects of the business. Quite frankly, they often pay better and cost less personally to do, plus they appeal to people whose main interest is horses and riding, not so much competing. By the same token, some VERY competitive riders chew through horses at an alarming rate or have some preferred methods that only work within a very narrow focus. You're never getting the full story on the internet!

Personally, I'm very interested in the intellectual side of riding and training to go with the more practical aspects. Obviously I love horses and riding, but I also like THINKING (and talking . . . you all think I go on when I write . . . :D ;) ) about horses, figuring out the things I don't know, and trying to see if there's a way to do things better. I like finding out new exercises and new approaches, not because I think it will magically solve any and all problems, but because it's been my experience people develop the systems they do for a reason and one day I might find myself in a situation where their advice is just the ticket. Never hurts to put it in the tool box. :)
 
fadedv said:
I always like JanetGeorge's posts - don't think she's been mentioned yet.
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That's kind of you - I only venture in here occasionally (too busy trying to sort out the 'natural' horsemen in NL! :D)

It is HARD to give advice on situations without seeing the problem - and knowing the person you are advising. If you pitch it too simple, you are accused of being patronising - and if you assume a level of knowledge/experience, chances are your advice will fly by their ears! :rolleyes:

Some of the advice given on these forums is useless at best - and dangerous at worst. Thankfully there are usually a few sensible people who come along and say so - and hopefully the OP can sort the wheat from the chaff (maybe!)
 
Interesting thread! I rarely ask for any advice to do with schooling on here, unless I'm bored and curious to hear what people might have to say, simply because there are people I give good money to for that purpose. I know from personal experience how difficult it can be do judge a situation correctly even if you see a combination in the flesh just once, so it seems even more problematic to assess someone from an internet description or short, wobbly video. I like those threads where people list different exercises they have used in certain situations, or where a particular type of issue is discussed in more general terms, but if I find something odd, I'll tend to ask my instructor about it at my next lesson.

I do hang out here more than in NL, because it seems saner in here much of the time. And the posts don't go round in circles so much. Even though I'm part of a Sinister Barefoot Cult, I try not to be an apostle about it! :D

I'll post on "advice" posts only if I've experienced something that appears to be very similar to the problem encountered by the poster: sometimes, even knowing you're not alone with a problem can be helpful!

I like posting little updates on the Spooky Pony's progress on occasion: often, rather silly things happen to us at our outings, and when things do go well, I do like to share with other horsey people. Getting DC round a cross-pole course is something I'm sure most 5-yo lead-rein kids can boast of, but when it's on a little horse that your notorious-for-being-fearless-to-the-point-of-insanity instructor tells you is not ever going to be safe for you to jump, then you feel pretty good about it, and want to share! :D

As for why the Spooky Pony himself occasionally posts, well, I think he just wants to complain about me, really... :p
 
I think this place is a bit like life - some advice you take some you smile sweetly and ignore! I tend to ask about specific things like equipment as I am not up-to-date with the new modern stuff!

I rarely give advice on here except about specific items or perhaps I may make a recommendation. I tend to do this privately as I'm not sure how much friends would want to be recommended publicly. I do sometimes want to post when people ask about conformation as this is something I know a little about, but I know I am hyper critical and people perhaps would be offended. I enjoy reading others competition reports but would never be brave enough to post my efforts. Although I have been itching to share things sometimes.

I think that like all things (relating to horses and other bits within life) as an adult (well rather and ancient one at that) it is beholden on me to be discerning, try new things when appropriate and sometimes to leave well alone.

I have to say I was amazed and very touched by the response to my post asking for help with equipment recently. So thank-you kind HHOers for the encouragement and help.
 
I've posted in here asking for advice on kit for the pointers - which to me is a relatively new discipline and received some great ideas from posters that I have reasonable reason to believe have knowledge of the subject - Gamebird, Kerrilli, BaggyBreeches and others off the top of my head. I think you just have to pick and choose and use some modicum of your own common/horse sense to work it out (but don't dare suggest that in NL :rolleyes: you'll get lynched).

I always think I'm in an odd spot - I jumped as a junior reasonably successfully, did some pony club eventing, but as a senior I only had novices because I preferred to produce my own and the cost of a "ready made" was beyond what we had available and then I stopped competing to go to uni.

When I moved back home, my brother was just finishing competing BS - he was finding that working away from home and competing meant that he couldn't be as successful at the level he was used too (as a junior he was on a level field with Ben Maher and Rob Whitaker - as a senior we didn't have the £250k a certain BS trainer told us would be the minimum we would have to spend for him to have a horse worthy to go on the YR team :eek: :rolleyes:) so he was starting to join dad in harness racing and since then that's been where I've had most contact - and the harness racing world can be very different to most of the other equestrian sports, some of the gadgets still make my eyes pop!
It's only in the last couple of years that we've had riders again, so I usually come in here mostly lurking to see what the more sensible side of HHO are doing with their horses and looking for ideas.
 
TarrSteps said:
Personally, I'm very interested in the intellectual side of riding and training to go with the more practical aspects. Obviously I love horses and riding, but I also like THINKING (and talking . . . you all think I go on when I write . . . :D ;) ) about horses, figuring out the things I don't know, and trying to see if there's a way to do things better. I like finding out new exercises and new approaches, not because I think it will magically solve any and all problems, but because it's been my experience people develop the systems they do for a reason and one day I might find myself in a situation where their advice is just the ticket. Never hurts to put it in the tool box. :)
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TarrSteps that is a brilliant way of putting it. I have actually been learning a lot this morning by chatting with the very knowledgable lady where I ride out for a pointing/prep yard. They take me seriously because I ask questions (probably too many!) and they enjoy hearing my thoughts. Thats the brilliant thing with horses there is no definitive answer, just lots of experiences!
 
Baggybreeches said:
:eek: TheGrumpyDwarf, maybe my advice should come with a disclaimer! I really know very little, and just have a little more of the error part of trial and error experience!
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Ahh but I have reason to believe that you've at least been on a racecourse - I was the mad woman on the picture stand at Cheltenham in March :p Whereas if I'd asked my question in NL... well a barge pole is about as close as I'd get to most of the advice I would have received :D
 
I take things on here with a pinch of salt. It's like anything in life, you have to apply a bit of common sense. It's quite obvious those who know what they are talking about, despite the level they have appeared to ride at, I have picked up some useful tips. My horse would not be wearing a drop noseband, he'd be wearing a flash if it wasn't for what I had picked up on here.
I try and use my common sense and pick advice that I think is sensible and will suit my horse but I do not take anything I read on here to heart :).
 
meardsall_millie said:
I also find the forum a constant source of amusement in that some users have been elevated to almost Demi-God status, often just by the sheer number of posts that they make and the perception of their apparent knowledge and experience - some are not all they would have you believe :rolleyes:.
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This, totally. However I don't find it amusing, I find it very very sad.
 
Baggybreeches said:
Thats the brilliant thing with horses there is no definitive answer, just lots of experiences!
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This is it, in a nutshell, and this is why EVERYONE'S experience is valid and pertinent (as long as they're not a liar, or delusional) - if they've been in a similar position with a horse, and x course of action worked FOR THEM AND THAT HORSE (for whatever reason, which is where the Thinking described by TarrSteps comes in), then it helps to know about it, because it might just be the ideal solution for, say, my horse, right now.
It's then my job to work out whether I trust what they say, whether I can do what they did, etc etc...
 
meardsall_millie said:
I also find the forum a constant source of amusement in that some users have been elevated to almost Demi-God status, often just by the sheer number of posts that they make and the perception of their apparent knowledge and experience - some are not all they would have you believe :rolleyes:.
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I agree.

Much prefer to read people's competition reports rather than advice or general showing off posts, that really seem to only exist fo people to heap more adoration upon the poster.
 
so glad you posted this Katb what an interesting thread as i have been at olympia( sooo awesome)!! i have missed a lot of this thread and having not read some of the replies i apologise in advance if im repeating stuff!!!

I am truely baffled by the 'amount of posts per user' giving them more clout (so to speak)! To me it means totally NOUT( how on earth do you know if WFP has just joined and has only posted twice totally,, mad to go on that theory imo!! I dont care if someone replying to my treads have ever been round badminton as im not at that level and i need advice of someone either at my level or that has experience of similar issues ect whether they have ever competed or not (its almost the same as when people start slating users for their spelling, grammer, its not an english class its a group of people with one massive thing in common, Horses, sharing experiences and opinions!!! sometime on here i do feel people can be harsh to others rather unreasonably imho)!!

I want advice when i ask for it and am open to ALL of it and sift through whats apropriate to me and my horse, ive been given advice from all kinds of people, from all walks of experience!! I would never never never ever have a problem with advice from someone who happy hacks, and had never set foot in a jumping ring/dressage evented or what ever,,,, i thank them for taking the time to read and reply!!!


It does seem some on this forum have a problem with people giving opinions when people havnt been round a ****/gp test/jumped puissance at 2m10!!!!!! how blooomin ridiculas!!!!(SP) It is what it is An open opinion based forum and i am quite happy for anyone from any background at any level on any horse/pony to give me advice!!


As for giving opinions, im human and if i have an opinion i will give it, if its asked for!! If someone posted "saddle recommendations!!! but only from people who have been round badminton or similar' then i would not reply!!! Maybe those who feel that people at lower levels should not be offering upper levels experiences or opinions then they should post a preference of whom they recieve replies from!!!

My god you shouldve seen Laura B test at olympia last night it was stunning, but i do think the test that pipped her was deserved!!<<<< thats my opinion and i can assure you i have never ridden at that level!!!!
 
I reckon there are a number of very knowledgeable people on here who post rarely and rarely offer their opinions on "advice" threads. There are others who post all the time. I tend to ask RL friends if I need an opinion on something horsey. The one time I asked about something on here I got some fairly wayward replies, so I pm'd someone who most of you think is some sort of oracle, thinking she would know the answer, and she couldn't even be bothered to reply to the pm :(
 
I rarely will ask for advice on the forum, although i will ask my forum ''friends'' for advice via PM or whatever method if i have a problem. I tend to find only the ''popular'' peoples posts get replies anyway.

Some of the things people post make me cringe and i wonder how on earth they can look after themselves let alone a horse, and some replies make me die inside.... - Partly through laughter and partly through the fact that i feel sorry for any horse that comes in contact with them.

I tend to not give out much advice any more as like Halfsteps said most of the time it goes unacknowledged unless from one of the ''popular'' people. I spend time and effort replying and find it rude when people don't acknowledge your response.

(Obviously a post like this i dont expect a response, am meaning more on advice posts etc.)

ETA - LMAO at FMC, i totally agree!! :D :D
 
I don't look at the Veterinary pages as they drive me mad. I have found myself posting on there a couple of times only to be drawn into a debate which shouldn't be debated so now I don't even look.

I have posted reports on my horse this year as I am chuffed at how well he is going and its nice to get some positive support from fellow HHO'ers.

My only thought, having read some comments on here is: if I reply to someone asking for suggested grid work for their horse - do I need to write my cv on the bottom of the thread?

I would also hope that if someone thought that my opinions/suggestions were wrong that they would email me a private message to let me know, rather than turn the thread into a slanging match.

Apart from that, I must admit I enjoy reading threads on here - mainly competition rider though! :)
 
This is a really interesting thread, kept me amused reading through the 8 pages of it last night.

I don't ride brilliantly, and have only had my own horse for 3 years, but I learnt all my stable management the old fashioned way 20 years ago, so I think I know my stuff to a certain extent. I also think that I know enough to dismiss any advice that sounds really outlandish, and to adapt advice to the way I do things.

I tend to find I have more in common with the people here in CR, and respect their opinions. Of course, there are those people whose posts I immediately seek out when it comes to advice (Baydale, Kerilli, Tarr Steps, Janet George and Princess Sparkle obviously know their stuff - as do loads more of you that I haven't named - and I do try and pay close attention to what they say). I like learning about different ways of doing things, but it doesn't mean that I will necessarily try them myself. I think, as in real life, it helps to have some people you look to advice, or to run things by to see what they think.

At the end of the day though, hopefully the majority of people on this forum have enough common sense to take things with a pinch of salt, and not to take as gospel everything written on the forum. I have posted threads asking for simple advice before (having spent years struggling to achieve some sort of outline, and wanting to know if there was an easier way than just sheer persistence!) and even if I didn't immediately get results, there are pieces of advice that I am still using today.

So, take things with a pinch of salt, evaluate what people tell you, and always join in on the silly threads where all talk and no trousers is positively encouraged! :)

Isabelle
 
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