Is there less horse snobbery these days?

F

FionaM12

Well-Known Member
Joined
9 August 2011
Messages
7,357
Visit site
Back in the 1970s when I was a young horsey girl I remember often hearing horses being dismissed as being "common". My friend from my childhood, who I rode with, frequently used the term and it generally meant she had no further interest in the horse.

I knew other horsey people who spoke like that, she wasn't alone! I especially came across that attitude amongst the highly competitive riders at the smarter yards.

I also worked at a dog breeding/boarding kennels, where the owner referred to the pedigree inmates deferentially by their own name, followed by that of the owner. However cross breeds were always, "That mongrelly thing", said with a look of distaste and wave of the hand.

Anyway, I digress. In my youth, I quickly came to realise that many horse people had a dislike of, or completely disregarded, a large section of horses due to the animals' breeding, appearance or lack of schooling.

Now, returning to horsiness in my middle years, I find a change. Either I've sought the company of much kinder people or snobbery is much less the norm.

What can you tell me? Is the snobbery still out there or is the horse world a kinder place?
 
I'm always getting snobbish comments about Ned's looks and "weird standardbred legs"

I've mentioned it on here before, but someone at a show once said (after seeing me fall off...twice) "Pft, that thing is worth nothing. It can't jump, it can't trot. They should shoot it" And that's not the only comment!!
 
Annielusian said:
I'm always getting snobbish comments about Ned's looks and "weird standardbred legs"

I've mentioned it on here before, but someone at a show once said (after seeing me fall off...twice) "Pft, that thing is worth nothing. It can't jump, it can't trot. They should shoot it" And that's not the only comment!!
Click to expand...

That's exactly the sort of attitude I remember :( Actually, it always used to make me love the sort of horses they spoke like that about more. I think I've always sided with the underdog (or underhorse?)

I've looked at the stuff you've posted about Ned. I think he's lovely and I've commented before that you clearly have a loving bond with him.

Bet their legs aren't so hot either ;)
 
i think it depends what yard you are on.

Lovely young couple moved onto our yard recently with an adorable 13.2h young coloured cob gelding.
They said they much prefered our yard as at the previous yard her horse was often referred to as 'the cheap pony'.

It is much more acceptable to own a coloured cob now and they are often in demand but there will still be a section of the horsey world that hates anything coloured or hairy!!!
 
As they say, it's all in the eye of the beholder, some say my young foal is rubbish( I bought him not long ago) and at the moment he's no oil painting, but at 3 and onwards he's going to be a belter.:D:D:D:D
 
Paint Me Proud said:
i think it depends what yard you are on.

Lovely young couple moved onto our yard recently with an adorable 13.2h young coloured cob gelding.
They said they much prefered our yard as at the previous yard her horse was often referred to as 'the cheap pony'.

It is much more acceptable to own a coloured cob now and they are often in demand but there will still be a section of the horsey world that hates anything coloured or hairy!!!
Click to expand...

True, one of the big changes in horsedom while I've been gone (35 years of major horse allergy) is the attitude to coloured horses. People were very sneery about them then, and now they've become desirable! Maybe not with everyone though. ;)
 
Paint Me Proud said:
It is much more acceptable to own a coloured cob now and they are often in demand but there will still be a section of the horsey world that hates anything coloured or hairy!!!
Click to expand...

:mad: well they certainly would'nt like my horse then. She is both hairy, cobby and coloured!! :p:p
 
FionaM12 said:
That's exactly the sort of attitude I remember :( Actually, it always used to make me love the sort of horses they spoke like that about more. I think I've always sided with the underdog (or underhorse?)

I've looked at the stuff you've posted about Ned. I think he's lovely and I've commented before that you clearly have a loving bond with him.

Bet their legs aren't so hot either ;)
Click to expand...

Thank you!! And I always seem to love the under'horse' too :P Even with other species/things I seem to go for the worst treated/looking, I have no idea why!

I agree with Paint Me Proud, it does depend on the yard. At Ned's home, he is loved and people say I do a good job with him. But when the "outsiders" come to the shows...that's when I get the comments.
 
I own a lovely gypsy cob who is quite talented. People have judged her purely based on the fact she is a cob until they see her ridden and realise she has lovely paces, transitions and lateral work. I sometimes feel I have to prove myself more as a cob owner but along with other cob owners realise that they can be little gems. People are more accepting of cobs these days but there are still a few people who just simply don't think they are more useful other than as a happy hacker horse. I happily hack on mine and compete on her. Thankfully the people with negative opinions are fewer in numbers these days. Back in the early nineties there was a coloured cob in the riding school I attended and people used to dread riding her based on her looks. I loved her and was able to avoid the arguments people had over riding the other horses. The general opinion I found was that coloured horses were a bit of a joke. Nowadays riding schools seem to be full of them and there are many more at competitions. Every horse has a talent and it's up to the rider to find it.
 
Forgot to say I went through this with Kestrel(he died), my friend said he was a dogs dinner, at 15 months old, well the year before he died, I was offered £8000 for him and I still wouldn't part with him, as he was the sort you could send a child out on and my OH with complete confindence. He was a heavyweight cob 15.3hh and as handsome as they came.
 
I think there is still a lot of snobbery about, and there always will be.
But there is in all walks of life, there are always going to be people who look down on you for whatever reason, or because they think they are better than you.
 
Personally I've all the time in world for cheap ponies, rubbish foals, and weird standardbred hairies and very little for snobbish humans!
 
P.S Why is it that cob/coloured/hairy horse owners very rarely criticise other horse owners purchases but always seem to have their purchase choice questioned by 'normal' horse owners? I wouldn't dream of criticising someones choice of horse because they have got the horse that they want.
 
I think it does, but it does depend on where you are and what shows you go to. We are on a small farm with only 8 horses,are everyone is great. There are yards nearby where everyone is up their own backsides, they think that are something special, when really they are not any different to the rest of us, but they seem to think so. I hate all this my horse can jump higher, run faster, than your horse. Was once told that I did not have a proper horse as mine is a ID X TB, only TB were proper horses !! You do have to laugh really. So as in life really there are nice people and horrid horse people :)
 
Hello
Yes l think there still a little of snobbery real sorry to say and l mean it SORRY.
For some people if you don.t have the right stuff or your horse is a cob and plays up a lot .and you just like doing your own wee thing. plus your cob look he can,t move but then move when you don.t want him too.l know what l said at start of e-mail may get people mad at me by it so sorry again. Me my self l try and do the best l can like every one does but l try all so to make things last and repair my things for him.like every horse pearson {can not spell right word}

I am SORRY AGAIN if l up set any one

From purplelady
 
I think some of the snobbery comes from whether you compete or not... the competitive types can be extremely snobby about those who prefer to hack (of course, not all competitive types are like this!).

I think it's a great shame, but some people just don't feel good unless they're looking down their noses at someone else.
 
It definitely depends on the yard. At ours there are all sorts - from expensive 'posh' horses with professional competition owners to more 'economy' models with happy hacker owners (like me!) ;)

Everyone at the yard is really friendly and supportive of each other and each horse is loved and appreciated equally, even though their breeding and circumstances are different.
 
Spudlet said:
I think some of the snobbery comes from whether you compete or not... the competitive types can be extremely snobby about those who prefer to hack (of course, not all competitive types are like this!).

I think it's a great shame, but some people just don't feel good unless they're looking down their noses at someone else.
Click to expand...

It's not just at at shows though, it happens out hacking as well, especially if you happen to be an adult riding a pony, you get laughed at or looked down on with a superier (sp) look.
 
Last edited:
Theres nothing better than slapping folks like that in there place.
I had a friend whose horse was cheap to buy, not the prettiest with quite dodgy conformation and hellish sweetitch. She soon found out it could jump for fun and when she took her out, the sj top dogs in our area would groan as they knew this wee horse would jump anything you put in front of it at a rate of noughts if required and they never stood a chance against her.:D
Another mate bought a horse for £500 at a sale backed and worked it for 2 yrs, took him to a clinic with a top eventer and came back with an empty trailer and a cheque for £10,000.
Sometimes its not what you pay but what you do with the horse that counts
 
Fii said:
It's not just at at hows though, it happens out hacking as well, especially if you happen to be an adult riding a pony, you get laughed at or looked down on with a superier (sp) look.
Click to expand...

Yeah, but just see how superior they look if they drop something on the floor and can't get it back cos they can't get back on off the ground:D
 
Certainly things have changed, attitudes, fashion and most importantly the calibre of owner.

We have all heard the expression' A common head' a term used to describe a horse with non descript breeding. In the past only the 'rich and well to do' could afford a horse with 'breeding' any other equine was a common horse to be used by the lower classes for working purposes. Hence where the 'snobbery' came in.

Fashion and fashionable horses come and go - It wasn't that long ago that a 'coloured' was looked down upon as it was a 'gypsy' horse. Of course now a nicely marked coloured with good conformation takes a pretty penny. 'Common gypsy' horses are now marketed as 'Tradionals' or 'Vanners' and not a 'common ' word in sight and again a good coloured cob can cost quite a few ££££.

But most important I believe that horse ownership has opened up and now if you desire to own a horse, regardless of where you live, Country, Farm, town or city it is possible.
So there is a very much more cross section of people owning horses, which in turn brings a lot of different ideas, opinions, and thoughts.

No longer do horses have to work to earn their keep for themselves and the family, but are now 'Pets' who are offered a life of care, provided with all the basic needs and is loved just because ....

How refreshing is that ?
 
MrsHutt said:
It definitely depends on the yard. At ours there are all sorts - from expensive 'posh' horses with professional competition owners to more 'economy' models with happy hacker owners (like me!) ;)

Everyone at the yard is really friendly and supportive of each other and each horse is loved and appreciated equally, even though their breeding and circumstances are different.
Click to expand...

I've got to say, that's my experience ... I was seriously worried that at the yard I'm on, we'd be looked down on. I'm there with my daughters and their 11.2 scruffie and most of the liveries are what I'd call "proper" horses (no disrepect to our scruffie). There are some really quite serious competition horses.

But everyone is completely friendly and our scruffy often gets compliments - and the other liveries are just lovely to my girls.
 
abina said:
Certainly things have changed, attitudes, fashion and most importantly the calibre of owner.

We have all heard the expression' A common head' a term used to describe a horse with non descript breeding. In the past only the 'rich and well to do' could afford a horse with 'breeding' any other equine was a common horse to be used by the lower classes for working purposes. Hence where the 'snobbery' came in.

Fashion and fashionable horses come and go - It wasn't that long ago that a 'coloured' was looked down upon as it was a 'gypsy' horse. Of course now a nicely marked coloured with good conformation takes a pretty penny. 'Common gypsy' horses are now marketed as 'Tradionals' or 'Vanners' and not a 'common ' word in sight and again a good coloured cob can cost quite a few ££££.

But most important I believe that horse ownership has opened up and now if you desire to own a horse, regardless of where you live, Country, Farm, town or city it is possible.
So there is a very much more cross section of people owning horses, which in turn brings a lot of different ideas, opinions, and thoughts.

No longer do horses have to work to earn their keep for themselves and the family, but are now 'Pets' who are offered a life of care, provided with all the basic needs and is loved just because ....

How refreshing is that ?
Click to expand...

What a lovely post! :)
 
abina said:
But most important I believe that horse ownership has opened up and now if you desire to own a horse, regardless of where you live, Country, Farm, town or city it is possible.
So there is a very much more cross section of people owning horses, which in turn brings a lot of different ideas, opinions, and thoughts.

No longer do horses have to work to earn their keep for themselves and the family, but are now 'Pets' who are offered a life of care, provided with all the basic needs and is loved just because ....

How refreshing is that ?
Click to expand...

Or, if you're feeling cynical, Now that every Tom Dick or Harry can own a horse it brings with it a new set of snobbery and welfare problems ;)

Sorry. *Slaps own wrist*.

In the late 1990s I had a gorgeous (but I would say that) smart show cob, a friend with a hairy gypsy cob and another with a sleek thoroughbred. The TB owner thought she was above cobs, then spent half the horse's life nursing her back to soundness. The coloured cob never had a day's sickness, never offended anybody, never particularly impressed anybody, and did a bit of everything. The coloured cob owner thought the TB owner was silly for having a horse which so easily broke, the TB owner still didn't want anything to do with a common old cob, and I of course knew best and that show cobs were superior to both :D

Fast forward to 2011 and those types of thoughts and prejudices are still ripe and strong ;)
 
Last edited:
Not a fan of cobs. Not a fan of coloureds. Give me a sleek, thin, always loses his weight bay TB anyday! I spend all my time making sure he isn't injured, but he's mine, and though with a cob I might get to ride everyday, my TB is mine with or without his injuries!

But though there isn't anything wrong with a good cob, some not so much, half asleep all time, but seen a lot of beautiful ones I wouldn't mind owning.
 
sitch said:
Not a fan of cobs. Not a fan of coloureds. Give me a sleek, thin, always loses his weight bay TB anyday! I spend all my time making sure he isn't injured, but he's mine, and though with a cob I might get to ride everyday, my TB is mine with or without his injuries!

But though there isn't anything wrong with a good cob, some not so much, half asleep all time, but seen a lot of beautiful ones I wouldn't mind owning.
Click to expand...

Everyone has their own tastes. No issue with that! The unpleasantness is when people sneer and use derogatory terms to describe a horse.

I've always loved horses. Some people only "love" the pricey, competition standard ones. Is that loving horses or just boosting their own ego?

I'm not for one minute meaning there aren't millions of competition riders etc who genuinely love horses too!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top