Is there snobbery in the equine industry?

Capondeville, I love my warmblood... end of! If people want to class me as a snob so be it I suppose! Never Judge the book by the cover eh??!!!
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Whilst undoubtedly there is some snobbery in the equine world, I do suspect that some people do perceive snobbery that isn't actually there! I think lack of self esteem or confidence in some people can lead them to believe that, say, warmblood owners are looking down on them, or the other mums in the Pony Club are bad mouthing them!

My daughter is in a Pony Club branch that other people apparently perceive to be 'posh' - however, we have not had any problems with snobbery there, despite having a very ancient horsebox and a cheap, non-superstar pony. I have only encountered one mother there who has been disparaging about other children's ponies - but she is such a pr*t anyway I doubt anyone takes her seriously
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the same thing happened to me too MurphysMinder...dont be put off though..are there others in the area she could join..? I ask this cause I know I would of done really well if I had stayed at PC and I am sure your daughter could too...dont be put off by it...I still ride and own the same ponies I rode at PC and they are brill...
You should feel proud you have a superstar pony..horses can be much more difficult as I have found out...also less height so makes it easy to vault...has she thought about prince philip..?
 
I think there is also snobbery between the different disciplines of equestrianism - ie people who only hunt think their horses are the real hard workers and scoff at happy hackers/endurance riders, likewise people who think dressage is boring and not as good as their jumping, etc.
 
Only a couple of weekends ago I passed a couple of riders and said hello to them. They chose to ignore me completely which I found to be rather rude.
 
Freestyler, I am really not classing all warmblood owners as the same, my best friend has 2, please don't take offence to my over generalisation.
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I am sure there are things that are said about Connemara owners I wouldn't agree with
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Its funny - the people who are at the top of their game (and have the most to be "snobby" about) are usually the most friendly; the people who feel the need to lord it over others usually do so because their riding doesn't speak for itself - they try to make people think they are better than they are by being snobby.

I get looked down on by some people (even though I have a warmblood) - because I am short and not very pretty and tend to end up covered in horse slobber and sweat after one test!
 
Personally, I can't think of anything more bitchy than the horse world, with livery yards being the worst examples of horse envy/snobbery.

If I had a £ for every time I'd heard about someone being bitched about at a livery yard, I would be wealthy beyond my wildest dreams.

You get the usual 'my horse is better than yours', or if your horse is actually better than theirs, you get the 'she'll never be able to handle a horse like that', rather than admit to being jealous. Then you have those who look down on others because they have a cob / the wrong saddle / the wrong bit, the list is endless...
 
I am ultra fussy about horses. They have to look great and do a job and have as good confirmation as possible. It does not matter if it is a cob or shetland pony. It does not matter if they are cheap or expensive. I do get very frustrated with my RC as I have come back to riding after a long break and find the levels of proffesionalism and competancy are not the same as when I was riding back in 1999. I am also an appalling snob about tack and bling. I loathe it. I hate seeing 13hh ponys being ridden in gags for no reason. I hate seeing over weight ponys. I hate seeing people ride badly.
 
Snobbery in the equine industry?
Who cares?
I do what I want to do, and anyone who disagrees can go to Hell!
And as for caring what kind of horse you have - I have a hairy footed beast, a WB and a TB so what does that make me???
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I agree lec, I took my dads baby to a local show and was like OMG!! It really is unbelievable how many people can't ride at all and it's quite evident in the way there horses go. I wouldn't be rude to these people but I do think "oh god what a set of muppets" which i guess is quite rude and snobby but I can't help what I think! I doesn't bother me what type of horse people ride but if they are really scruffy when at a show/hunting that bothers me a bit - it's not that hard to wear reasonably correct gear. I also don't like it when the rider is too fat for the horse. So yea i'm probably a horsey snob!

some of you might say everyone has to start somewhere but most of them aren't even beginners - they just don't learn!
 
I too have a warmblood (but she is little so doesnt count
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) and no way am I saying they are all like that.

They are the 'in thing' at the moment so they are everywhere and people seem to think the bigger the better. Some of the people I come across wouldnt be seen dead on anything else.
Dressage is a very 'clique' sport, unfortunatly if your face doesnt fit (or you dont have the right sort of horse) then you get looked down on.
 
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some of you might say everyone has to start somewhere but most of them aren't even beginners - they just don't learn!

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perhaps it's because of the attitude towards them - that no one actually helps them or offers sound advice other than nasty critism - I am not digging at you particulary just raising a point...

For me personally at my yard there is a good mix of horses - and the people are reasonably competive - I own a id/tb and am not competative there is a snobbery at our yard in terms of where you have been with your horse and what you have won rather than the type of horse you have - i do find you are ignored if you DON'T have a cob/native type

I think the main problem comes in that when things are going well with your horse it's nice to tell people about it as you feel proud and happy - one lesson i've learned is that people aren't usually trying to make you feel inadequate they are just happy cos things are going right for them - which is their right and more than often i'm happy for them

but we are only human and it's ok to get jealous of people - i do all the time -

in the horse world confidence counts for so much in terms of riding that i think alot of people seem snobby when in fact they are just being confident with their horse - something i'm jealous that i can't do
 
I had dressage lessons with a very successfull dressage rider on a few horses, all Irish of varying chunkyness so no fancy warm bloods and she was always really nice and not snobby towards my non-dressage horses and non-dressage way of riding at all. But then she was getting my £30 at the end of the lesson!
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There are many of us with "posh" warmbloods or whatever you care to call them BUT do not categorize PLEASE..!!!! I talk to EVERYONE at BD events .. I also have a huge HGV horsebox, but it is not mine, I borrow it!! I may go home frustrated or sulk for a while but that is because i am annoyed with myself and my riding... not my horse or whether I have won or not!!! I think you will find that sometimes it is rather the opposite at shows, and people with less expensive horse get on "their high horses" when they win over the "warmbloods"!!!! I have brought many breeds of horses before, but as I am getting on a bit now I thought I would treat myself to a Warmblood, I love em... dont make me a snob though chuck! Maybe we should also look at Reverse snobbery!!!!!


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I too have a warmblood, so what. I work hard to keep my horse and everything I have. I bought her because she was cheap and I didnt have much money.

By no means did I say ALL warmblood owners were like this but a lot I have come across are, especially the younger ones who have rich parents.

And as for the people who 'get on their high horses when they have beaten a warmblood' I am guilty of this, but for me I am proud of my horse and the work we have done. I think its great that someone with not so much money and a cheap horse can beat someone who has everything handed to them on a plate.
It just goes to show that money isnt everything.
 
with some people that might be the case, but not always - I'll give you an example.

My mums friend used to ride for my mum and then got her own horse and we took her to shows, lessons etc. she really does have the worst possition imaginable in an old man hunting style type way with her stirups so long she can barely reach them (this is for jumping) - when we told her it would help to shorten them she said "no no, I've read that if I keep them long like this it will improve my seat". now it's ok trying to help people but when they don't listen and think they know it all it does get a bit fustrating!
 
Quote" And as for the people who 'get on their high horses when they have beaten a warmblood' I am guilty of this, but for me I am proud of my horse and the work we have done. I think its great that someone with not so much money and a cheap horse can beat someone who has everything handed to them on a plate.
It just goes to show that money isnt everything. "

If someone has an expensive horse, they do not necessarily have it handed to them on a plate though, that is what I am trying to say!
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I work hard, up at 5am, full day Office work, cleaning job, DIY livery travel 60 mile round trip a day look after my hubby, cat etc!!!!
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I saved hard for my boy and yes he was not cheap, but I wanted the best!
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Is that snobbery then?
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Money does help though, without it I would not be able to go to shows and have lessons and improve riding and hence improve my boys way of going, hopefully making his life longer!
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I applaud riders who have bought horses for next to nothing and made something of them, I think everyone would like to do that.and at some point have tried.. but in reality and no distrespect intended, in the competition world they are few and far between. When I have been beaten by a "non" warmblood I too think good for them, their horse was obviously more balance/presented/expressive than mine today.. not "how dare that win over me on my expensive warmblood!!!
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I guess there will always be snobbery and elitism in horse riding, but then I've seen it in some other sports as well. I love horses but have little time for a lot of the people around them.

I suppose it's mostly a middle and upper-class sport due to the cost involved, which could explain things. You don't tend to see many snob football players or teams, because they come from a mainly working-class background.
 
I do not see it as a middle class/upper class sport. I see it as "you spend all your money on your horses and nothing on yourself because you love the sport and work hard to pay for it.
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No snoby football players, ha!! The wifes are though surely!! Or they think they are!
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Te He!
 
There's a distinct element of snobbery with regards to riding school clients. Seems to be that if you only ride at a RS, you won't be any good, can only just rise to the trot, you've only ridden "dead to the leg" cobs and that you've had no practical experience

And there's the stereotypical image of a RS which has a dusty indoor arena, 10 horses nose to tail and the instructor not taking the slightest bit of notice. Yes there are still some bad RS around but there are also some fantatic ones!

And yes, I'm speaking from experience
 
I have to say that often people who come up through Riding Schools are better riders than those who have had their own horse. As you are always getting lessons and there are always people around you to teach you. If you look at the people on University Riding Teams you often see Riding School people on the teams as they have been used to riding any horse they are given. Often getting on the team before people who have done BE, BD and BSJA.
 
I've also found having private 1-2-1 lessons on a variety of horses, has been a lot more beneficial than group lessons, where the instructor probably only spends 5 total minutes on you... a private lesson is a chance to have total concentration on your flaws!
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And riding different horses is a bonus. You don't just get used to the ways of one animal.
 
ditto entirely - my lessons consist of riding anything from 14hh ponies to 17hh comp horses. Certainly teaches you how to adapt quickly
 
I sometimes feel that in dressage at any level there should be two classes, one for the warmbloods and one for everyone else cos it is difficult to match the flashy movements of the WBs even though in all other respects most GGs can put up a good performance
 
Not all group lessons are bad you know
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I have a mixture of private and group lessons depending on how busy they are and how poor I am feeling and actually enjoy both. With the group lessons I have it is not a case of 'trot round to the back of the ride' though it helps that there are never more than 3 to a group and usually only 2. Of course there are times when the instructor is not focused on you but it's a good opportunity to think for yourself and work things out for yourself. It also teaches you to work in a school with other horses who may not be doing the same thing as you.
 
ditto sunflower - nothing helps you learn more than riding in a group when 2 out of the 4 don't know school rules. Certainly learn how to keep your wits about you
 
Well that really depends on what you mean by "better riders". I don't agree with you at all though - I think it is most likely a given that anyone who has their own horse will learn far more in a month of owning it than they will in a year's lessons once a week at a riding school. But that's my opinion and based on what I've seen over the decades....obviously not across the board though.

Snobbery is all over, in all worlds....I pity pathetic snobs
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