Is there snobbery in the equine industry?

[not_with_it]

Maybe I didnt really make myself clear. No you havent had everything handed on a plate, from what you have said you work hard to have what you do have. Yes you have a nice horse and you do all the work yourself.
Some people have horses bought for them by their rich parents, lucky them, they have the attitude of 'if my expensive horse doesnt win then daddy will buy me a new one that will'. They think money will buy them rosettes and dont realise that hard work is needed. They talk the talk but cant walk the walk. For instance, I know a girl who's parents bought her 2 v. expensive horses to try and get on the teams. She had lessons with a fantastic instructor who wasnt a well known name in the horse world. Because she wasnt winning everything she entered she sold the horses and bought some more and went to train with a big name in the dressage world. She has been through a fair amount of horses because she believed that she should have been winning and didnt realise the work involved.
They are just some of the people I have come across, I am by no means saying everyone is like that.

I really do admire people like yourself who work hard to have what you want.

 

[burtondog]

My yard is large with a wide variety owners and horses but I mostly hang out with the people I have the most in common with. These tend to be people with full time careers and horses on full livery - some have warmbloods some have cobs so I don't think the type of horse is a factor.

I used to do affliated dressage on a 15'2 hh Connemara but now I have 16'2" Warmblood so 'technically' I now look down smaller horses. Does that mean I'm a snob these days ?

Burtondog

 

[FREESTYLER]

nat1003, sorry we obviously had cross wires!!

I know what you mean and there are plenty of people, young and old who buy a horse "ready made" but unless they continue to have instruction or are a good rider the horse obviously does not perform as it use to and unfortunately they sell it on believing it to be no good, then onto the next, and the next etc....these kind of people are more "spoilt bratts!" and have no business in the horse world! They do not understand horses, they need mechanical ones! Unfortunately horses cannot be push button! At the Nationals I found the dressage people "who were somebody" were very chatty and kind in the stable area, but the people "who thought they were somebody" were yes, up their own bottom!! Can I say that??!! Opps!!

I tend to steer clear of these people, I learn nothing from them, and I have no space in my life for people like this! There were a variety of horses at the Nationals and people from all walks, some were kind, talked, chatted some I smiled at just looked away...I didnt see them for the horses they rode but for the people they were.. I met up with some very influentual dressage riders who were very cool about my red hair and piercings but dismissed them totally, other people obviously thought I was a "hooligan" not a rider!! Ha!! Steer clear and take no notice of negative people and stay with the positive people I say who never Judge you for what you are or what you ride!

 

[MurphysMinder]

Thanks for your thoughts Twinkletoes. This was a few years ago, my daughter is now in her first year at vet uni. Eventually got a horse, he is Irish bred but a bit of a Heinz 57 but we love him anyway.We still have the pony and she has represented the same branch of PC with 2 more riders, and the younger sister of one has just started riding her so she could be back there again! They have a new DC at pony club and it seems to have changed for the better. They now do mounted games which my daughter is most put out about as she was desperate to do pince philip (pony is ideal for them) and branch was only interested in ode and tetrathlon then. As another poster said,being a working mum doesn't help. Instructor could never understand that I only had so many days off a year.

 

[Sparklet]

[ QUOTE ]
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

[/ QUOTE ]
NNOOO - you will put me in the class with all those fabulous native types who also do incredibly well.

I'll take on a WB anyday with my lovely loose 7/8 TB.

Snobbery for me is in the mind of those lacking self esteem. I compete in BD but one of the most enjoyable aspects is meeting other supposedly elite, aloof riders and finding that they are human just like the rest of us...it has been purely down to my own perception.

Its just a question of opening a conversation and the person with the huge fancy horsebox is just as nice as the one with the ancient boneshaker - we are all in it together.

 

[Daphnelia]

[ QUOTE ]
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.

[/ QUOTE ]

Gosh its opinions like this that have made me absolutley loath livery yards! What business is it of yours what other people do with their animals? And what right have you to be snobby about it?

 

[soph21]

i live in cornwall so there isnt many people around with expensive horses! LOL! when i was really young i would always write father xmas a letter and beg him for a pony even if i could have 1 for a day! (how sad!), just before i turned 15 my friends friend had a 4yr old sec A forsale who i met a few weeks previous and fell in love with. she sold him to me for £60! i bought him with birthday money and paid for his keep and food with my dinner money and i worked at a private livery yard which paid me £10 a weekend! nearly 6 years later i still own him and adore him, and ive got my cob X tb now who i adore. ive met many people who might have had more money than me and have got big posh lorries etc who down on people like me but they cant look after there animals any better than i can! moneys not everything (i keep trying to tell myself that!!)