How can they be 'shocked'?

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WishfulThinker

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Hmm, from what I have generally picked up on shwing forums, its well known that there are horses and ponies measured short, just so that they can get into certain classes!

I have had my lad next to a show cob once, and the show one was higher - and my bo is 15.2hh, it was supposedly 15hh..........
 
What's new, it's not just showing but also in show jumping and working hunter pony classes. Any class where a limit of 14.2 is in force I've found horses that have to be anything up to 15.2 in them!!! It's been going on for years!
 
I think fat horses are the biggest concern in showing.. am I the only person who thinks it is awful to watch a big fat horse trying to maintain canter in a ring when covered in sweat.. neadless to say I no longer go to a show.

Years back I entered an anglo arab in a clss, she was only partially fit, And she walk trot cantered in the class and way the only horse not puffing. She came third even though she was the best behaved in the class.. The reason 'Shes too thin, Id like to see more weight on her!'

Lou x
 
I cant believe the extremes people will go to just to get a pony in the right height section.
I agree with you Lou, you were basically being encouraged to have an overweight pony, absolutely ridiculous.
 
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I think fat horses are the biggest concern in showing.. am I the only person who thinks it is awful to watch a big fat horse trying to maintain canter in a ring when covered in sweat.. neadless to say I no longer go to a show.'

Years back I entered an anglo arab in a clss, she was only partially fit, And she walk trot cantered in the class and way the only horse not puffing. She came third even though she was the best behaved in the class.. The reason 'Shes too thin, Id like to see more weight on her!

Lou x

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This is the same in labrador dog showing, I haven't been to many as I was put off watching dogs that were so fat they could barely make the trot around the ring without dropping dead of a heart attack....
 
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that turned into a bit of a rant.. Im sorry.

Lou x

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We all rant about that one.
It would be so easy to stop too-just one season of fir horses being placed over fat and everyone would come back with fit horses the next year,dont get the fad for fat horses at all
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As for the height thing,I doubt anyone is shocked at it,but the big cheifs can hardly say "yep,we knew,any muppet could have seen people were breaking the rules by getting a horse measured short so they could win in a class" could they?
 
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Haha, quite agree, I should think everyone is very unshocked to be honest!

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NH's comment about the most shocking thing to hit showing in 20yrs I spilt my coffee laughing. Good grief Nigel have you forgotten all the high profile names who have had horses measured out??? Surely not. Or maybe the quote of "in 20 yrs" allows to forget the ones in the 70's and early 80's??? Like the many seasoned 14.2hh show pony with a JMS of 14.1hh that remained unsold for a longggggg time at 9 yrs old(my parents looked at it even with an astronomical price and thought it on the generous side of 14.1hh)...failing to sell reappeared in small hacks two season laters with it's original owners, and a JMS in excess of 14.2hh.

Oh and while we are on the topic of showing please while in this moment of honesty (Mr Hollings) after last years HOYS when you said an "unknown" should not have won a "Of The Year" title - who the heck was it???
 
I was certainly not shocked. A few years ago we put our 12.3+ pony out on loan to some people who affiliated her. She was quite successful and the people who had her wanted to try to get her measure d as 12.2 so she could go in restricted classes. We said she was more than 12.2, answer was no problem, withhold water and cut her feet really short and she will go under the stick. She came back to us shortly afterwards
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You only have to look at some of the 14.2 BSJA ponies, if they are 14.2 our 15.1 could jump in pony classes !
And as for fat animals in the show ring, just come back from a show today, was concerned that Murph was overweight as I have struggled to give him the work he needs whilst daughter is away. He was actually about the same weight as many of the others jumping, and compared to some of the horses in the showing classes he was positively anorexic!
 
what amazes me is that they don't hold more checks at shows! In my class at the bath and west horses who we competed against the week before in the same class were measured out thanks to measuring in the measuring box being compulsory rather than relying on height certs!
 
Two years ago at a qualifying show I saw the biggest small hunter (ridden by a name) in the world walk off with the class and the Supreme.
A few years ago at the Royal Welsh another tall small took Reserve Champion with a name and was small hunter of the year at HOYS with same name. It never came out again.
Also in some showing column write ups how can certain horses be shown as Smalls, riding horses, and hacks as well as SHPS, WHPs and in some cases COBS!! all in one lifetime?
 
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