Junior riders and use of whips

ponymum

ponymum

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Hi everyone, I'm a HHO virgin, so please be gentle with me! Just had to have a rant about some of the things I saw yesterday at a junior BSJA show. This was a big show with all of the top 128 and 138 ponies there and I could not believe the treatment of some of the ponies. In the BSJA rules it states that no horse or pony should be hit more than three times in a round of jumping, yet one girl hit her pony more than NINE times when he stopped at a jump (then booted him with her spurs!) and yet nothing was said! Luckily not all the riders treated their ponies in this way and some of the riders were absolute poppets, but this kind of behaviour should be nipped in the bud. What made it incredible was that the BSJA stipendiary stewards (so the big boys) were there and they seemed more concerned that people were jumping higher than they shpuld in the practice ring. Surely the welfare of the ponies and even the image of the sport should take priority? My daughter's comment was "if that's what it takes to be the next Ellen Whitaker, I'd rather have the respect of my pony"
 
Have only ever been to one Junior affilliated show and didn't see any whip abuse, but have seen plenty at smaller shows, and do think it is something that needs reporting if you see it happen. What did amaze me at the BSJA show was how big the 14.2 ponies were! I know there is a bit of leeway with 148 cm but most of them looked like small horses to me, think there must definitely be a knack to measuring
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PS Welcome to the forum.
 
I did ask at the show office if they were enforcing the misuse of whip rule but the reply was that the judges were leaving it to the stewards to "deal with" and "something was being said". This was one of the top 128 riders in the country - she should know better

Agree with the measuring of ponies tho - don't even start me on that!!Lol
 
I was at the Pony Club championships years ago and saw a girl come out of the ring after being eliminated, and she proceeded to boot her pony in the ribs and yank on the reins every few strides as she rode away. I reported her to the stewards who were busy talking, expected to be told to mind my own business, but in fact they were brilliant, wanted to know which rider, did I get her number, and one strode off very determindly after her, which was impressive.

Have also seen some horrid stuff at junior bsja, just thinking of affillating daughter and pony, then I hear that and think again...
 
I don't think much will be done about this rider because of who she is. I think that she should have been eliminated and forfeited her prize money or suspended from competing like they do with jockeys. It gives totally the wrong impression of the sport and not how you would expect children to behave. If my daughter did that I'd be mortified.
 
ive seen the same behaviour at junior bsja shows also, funnily enough i very rarely see it at local level although im sure it happens. i was fence judging at a pc hunter trial once and a kid was beating 7 bells out of her pony as it wouldnt go near the fence never mind jump it! as that particular fence judge was inexperienced i wrote on my notes bit, excessive use of whip at previous fence. looked at the results later and she had been eliminated for the whip use as had another girl who was eliminated for misuse of whip and bad language..these kids were all under 13 yrs old!!
my kids know if i ever saw them treat a horse in that way id pull them off it and do exactly the same to them and couldnt care less who saw me do it either!
 
Yes, me too, although my daughter wouldn't even think of doing it. Heard of one kid who was beating horse on xc course, fence judge asked her to leave the course, she refused and rode on! So fence judge radioed ahead and the next judge planted herself firmly in front of fence and refused to budge! Power to the parent.
 
I find it really depressing reading things like this. When I was growing up it was my dream to have a pony of my own but my parents just couldn't afford it and that was that. These kids should be really grateful they are able to own their own pony and not take them for granted and mistreat them. If I had owned my own pony when I was a little girl I would have been so happy and grateful. There was no way I would have treated it like this. Sorry if this sounds a bit sentimental, but I think a little more kindness and consideration in this world would go a long way.
 
Something should certainly have been said in all these cases. Especially with BSJA, I know the 3 time smack rule is definately in force at the adult BSJA I go to. So cant imagine why it isnt at junior. Its obviously the parents who have taught them to be so awful, kids dont automatically do such a thing Id hope. The use of spurs really does shock me though! You're rarely allowed them in PC so why the hell should kids be allowed them in BSJA?! Especially since most of the ponies are very hyped up anyway.

I have once seen a kid totally lose the plot with her horse when I was XC fence judging. It had chucked her off for the 2nd time (so she was e'd anyway) and she began to lay into him from the ground. We yelled at the kid to back off, took the pony off her and she was sent off to walk home on her own! I think she was suitably embarrased. I really hope she got a rollicking from her parents though.
 
Unfortunately my first brush with BSJA was watching a big local show about 10 years ago now. In one class a kid was jumping a pony - cant have been much more than 13hh - and it refused so he gathered the reins into one hand and wallopped the pony, whop of course bolted towards the jump, cleared it and set off again and clearly deliberated about refusing the next one so kid again whacked it but continued to whack it and by the time it had cleared the fence it was still being whacked and was in such a state that it was peeing in canter!!!! I was always under the impression that horses shouldnt do that!
People were gob smacked, and quite a few left the ring side in what I can only hope was disgust.

I being a quiet 15yr old was too scared to approach the stewards to com-plain - not did I have £10 which my friend was told she would need if she wished to lodge a complaint.

I always felt soo sorry for that poor we chestnut pony - unfortunately it was not a local rider so we could not exact revenge (as some of us often did)
 
Oh that is so horrible. Poor, poor little pony. Didn't anyone stop the kid. Don't they have judges who are watching who could have eliminated him or something and who make sure ponies aren't being abused?
 
welcome to HHO !

you should have complained either to the stweards / organisers there or contact through BSJA website.

if people complain they will do something about it i'm sure - or atleast to try be seen doing as such.

It states in the rules therefore is a rule break.

I'm quite lucky ive never seen much of that carry on at the local shows, if i did i would complain. couldnt sit back and watch that its disgusting. and WHY OH WHY are the parents letting them behave like that. shocking. if ny niece ever tried that (not that she would even think to let alone dare) she'd get dragged off pony and out the ring, and pony would be sold.
 
Well, my daughter is having a talk next weekend by the BSJA stewards about rules at the junior academy so rest assured questions will be asked and names will be named. As I said, I did say something at the show office but not sure if anything was done. Maybe the stewards at this lecture will be able to give some answers, I'll keep you posted.
A lot of you have had the same thoughts as me - where were the parents in all this, is this how they expect her to behave to win the class and if this is how she is at shows, what does she do at home??
 
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