Just for fun please !! Show ring pet hates

[orionstar]

Judges friends in an in hand class sporting no hat or gloves and a dressage whip and still coming first after being unable to get the horse to move, then the judge telling me my horses chestnuts were too long (she had a good right to blush as she told me this). Very bad sports is another one - if it dosent go right for you on the day do not scream "you stupid f**ing b**ch" at the horse in front of the line up of children, nor do you then whip the hell out of it, and yank it in the gob all the way up the horse walk for good measure, and just in case you're reading, everyone has now sussed that talking to you in the line up will only elicit a nasty uncalled for comment to make yourself feel better - which is why no one talks to you anymore! (I'm feeling very bitter and twisted tonight ).

 

[lauraandjack]

Being placed below people who have wildly incorrect turnout (if most people have made the effort to turn out correctly, why can't you........?) This year's specials include a set of spurs in an M and M class that would have made a cowboy wince, and coloured numnahs and girths.

Excessive make up on horses - Welshies in particular seem to be covered in this hideous black make up. Looks great when it's all over the white halter and the handler..........

Judges who judge ridden classes as if they are in-hand, just picking the horse they like the best and completely ignoring their performance under saddle. Very galling when your horse does a nice obedient show to be placed below horses that buck/won't go into canter/shuffle round the ring on the forehand.

Massive gaudy browbands on show ponies. Especially when teamed with massive gaudy hairbows. Less is more!

 

[Fools Motto]

Apart from the many things that have already been mentioned, I'd just add my major pet hate of -
Over height horses!
If leading rein ponies are to be 12.2hh and under, don't place a 13.2hh!
If small hunters are to be between 14.2hh and 15.2hh, don't place your 16+handers!

'ponies to be shown in a snaffle bridle' = don't show them in anything but! Pelhams, gags and martingales etc are a no-no.

Fashion police alert... if you choose to wear white trousers/jods, then please don't wear a black spotty thong... without meaning to look, you can't help but see it. Looks 10x worse when said 'lady' (mainly ladies!! lol) is a plus size.


And another... if at the end of the day your pony won't load... placing a line of carrots up the ramp is hardly going to work alongside a 'there-there' attitude. Please realise that your pony, if it had fingers, is pointing one right at you!!


sorry - thought of a final one!
In the event of rain, and slippy conditions, please don't try and rev the engine of your vehicle, and create a flying mud bath. If you hadn't noticed, you are going no-where with 'driving' like that!

 

[OFG]

Judges who place a young handler first who has obviously got a 'push button' pony over a child who has shown they are capable of pulling naughty pony's head up from the grass (multiple times ).

I'm not a bitter parent, honest

What is it with Child / Young handler classes anyway? How are they supposed to be judged? I would have thought a child showing the ability to really handle their pony (and lets face it, quite a lot of pony's love to eat and are not always like show pony machines) over another child who is just an extra on the end of a lead rein pointing said pony in the direction it should be going and jogging along side?

Or is it that I just have a bad mannered pony and should get and do more work with her

 

[welshie1982]

i have seen all of the below at the weekend. shame hunting doesnt happen through the summer!!!!
parents who stand at the ring and keep telling everyone by the side that there pony should win because it cost 6K. why are you doing local village shows week in week out.
parents who demand that there children leave the ring if they are not in the top three
parents who keep telling me that i should not allow my daughter to do 1st ridden as she is still elligible for l/r classes - yes but daughter is 6 and is bored on the l/r she would rather jump and have fun and a rosette isnt everything. daughter told teacher today in school she would rather come last but have a go at cantering than be on the l/r and win. i think alot of adults could learn from this.
parents who bark orders from outside the ring - go and get your self a horse and try it.
15 / 16yr olds expecting parents to plait and do 1/4 markings - stop chatting with your friends and do it yourself. no wonder same person keeps winning tack and turn out.
people telling everyone that poy is only so good because it came from them - no it isnt i have spent 18months trying to undo all the bad work that you did and now its paying off.
sorry this has turned in to a bit of a rant.

 

[Tnavas]

Why thank you ! I also found this !

I'm not sure how it will work out on my yearling though as standing still for long periods isn't top of his to do list lol

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_R67khuNdB8

Great vid but one of my pet hates - manes plaited on the wrong side!

No hairnets or tied with a scrunchy with the ribbon still on their helmet. (We were always made to cut off the bow or our show hats, hair had to be hairnetted tight and then secured as a tiny pony tail - this involved rolling up the hair as tight as possible.

Black gloves with navy jackets - should be brown, black makes navy look tired and faded.

Bling!! A discrete velvet browband looks lovely - some of these modern browbands have such big rosettes that you can't see the horses head behing them - also where is the judge to put the rosette you've just won?

Cut away coats on little people - they have tums that bulge out - most unflatering jackets.

At one show one young child was wearing a Navy jacket with red trim, around collar, pockets and a couple of inches up the sleeve. She had a red and white checked shirt with a striped collar and her tie was red with white spots. Pony had enough ribbon on its browband to make all the rosettes for the show and several thin ribbons in her hair. UGH!!!!!

Judges who don't know how a Native/Breed type should be presented. Judge last year awarded a 'Best Mane & Tail' to a Clydesdale with a full tail hanging down - they are supposed to be shown with tail braided up. Surely if you are asked to judge such a class you swot up on what is expected in the ring.

People cutting in, and riders who don't use the arena space prefering to run around the judge like indians on the warpath. Scarey too when you are the judge!

FAT ponies and horses - obese is as cruel as skinny!

 

[HappyHorses:)]

the 15 / 16yr olds expecting parents to plait and do 1/4 markings - stop chatting with your friends and do it yourself. QUOTE]

Ha this is my friends kid! she told me to tack her pony up the other day so she could ride. . . . I don't think she found my laughter all that funny

My biggest hate is people who ride like poop then smack, shout and blame their horses. No luv, you need some lessons and some anger management

 

[Ladylina83]

Fantastic posts guys keep um.coming

Oh and btw the person who can't stand jods in the inhand ring was me the op - it went down as pet hate number One lol although I will let you live xx

 

[frostyfingers]

I was watching the judging of Sec A's at a local agricultural show a couple of weeks ago, and having not seen it for years was appalled at the size and manners of some of the ponies. They were lumpy, the stallions looked like brood mares and not one of them managed a proper straight trot up as their heads were being held so tightly and towards the handler. At one point, the handler flapped the rope beside the pony just before the trot up, presumably to try and rev it up. Of course all the ones I picked were obviously not fat enough as they were way down the line.

I was familiar with the Coed Coch ponies, and when you look at pictures of them (and I'm sure lots of other lines at the time) you can see what a Sec A should look like, and it certainly isn't a lump of lard.

 

[FMM]

Judges who place a young handler first who has obviously got a 'push button' pony over a child who has shown they are capable of pulling naughty pony's head up from the grass (multiple times ).

I'm not a bitter parent, honest

What is it with Child / Young handler classes anyway? How are they supposed to be judged? I would have thought a child showing the ability to really handle their pony (and lets face it, quite a lot of pony's love to eat and are not always like show pony machines) over another child who is just an extra on the end of a lead rein pointing said pony in the direction it should be going and jogging along side?

Or is it that I just have a bad mannered pony and should get and do more work with her

Actually, I would say EVERY pony will make a grab for the grass. The skill of the (young) handler is knowing when the pony is about to do it and stop them. THey will soon give up if you can get your child to get the timing right.

The ponies that are experienced in hand with an adult are quite hard for children to show, as they are used to being handled by a much bigger person and can go pretty fast and can be difficult to stop sometimes.

Personally, if judging young handler, a pony that behaves AND is well shown will always win over a pony that is not doing as the handler has asked. It is a showing class after all - why should the child who can get their pony to behave be penalised!

 

[blond1]

My pet hate is lame horses being placed. At a local show earlier this year I noticed the judge ask a girl if her pony felt unlevel which it obviously was. Pony carried on for 3 more classes under the same judge and kept being placed. GRRR! - not fair on the pony.

Another one is competitors switching from ring to ring to gain maximum number of rosettes. If the schedule says 'competitors entering classes which may clash do so at their own risk' then don't let them switch from ring to ring as I think this is bad manners. Saw this at the Dorset show this year but the judges eliminated the competitor and pony from both classes. Hope my "Yes!" wasn't heard on any camcorders!

 

[Lea1985]

Heheh have loved looking at these.....It was my first inhand show ever on Sunday for me and 1 year old gelding!

I put a green ribbon in his tail and was gobsmacked when a group of ladies came rushing over to us and one of them started stroking his bum and coo-ing at him telling me what a lovely stallion I had! I corrected her saying he's been gelded, He hasn't she said!!!! Not with a neigh like that......Then one of the other ladies said to me I love his green ribbon it really suits him you picked the perfect colour for him. Then off they walked.....Oh deary me........................

 

[PolarSkye]

competitors switching from ring to ring to gain maximum number of rosettes. If the schedule says 'competitors entering classes which may clash do so at their own risk' then don't let them switch from ring to ring as I think this is bad manners. Saw this at the Dorset show this year but the judges eliminated the competitor and pony from both classes. Hope my "Yes!" wasn't heard on any camcorders!

I'm with you and you'd have heard my YESS right along with yours . It's rude (b/c they can keep people waiting), unfair on the horse/pony and unfair on the other competitors - commit to two or three classes (that you can manage w/in the time) and let other people have a chance.

P

 

[Ladylina83]

I'm with you and you'd have heard my YESS right along with yours . It's rude (b/c they can keep people waiting), unfair on the horse/pony and unfair on the other competitors - commit to two or three classes (that you can manage w/in the time) and let other people have a chance.

P

Also a little crafty - what if it is a massive class and you have stood there foot perfect for 40 mins yet they have been in and out twice hmm not very fair at all !!

 

[PolarSkye]

Being placed below people who have wildly incorrect turnout (if most people have made the effort to turn out correctly, why can't you........?)

The very first and only show my daughter (now 15, then 11) ever did was a local one and was a completely impromptu experience. She and I had gone to help two friends who were competing their horses and had brought along a very lovely Sec D cross mare as a companion on the lorry. When we weren't acting as grooms for the two young women, we groomed said mare and (w/ the young women's permission) Em tacked her up and rode her around the showground. As a thank you, the ladies entered Em and the mare (Nelly, who would become our share mare for a year) in the open cob class - they loaned her a shirt, stock and jocket (oh and hat), she was legged up and off she went. Bless her, Em cantered Nell round that showring with about 25 other horses (never having cantered her before) and had a wonderful time. The judge did pull them into the lineup and liked Nell even more once he had ridden her, but didn't place them . . . because of their turnout . . . and we completely understood. Afterwards we chatted to him (he was a friend of the two young women we were with) and he said it broke his heart not to place them . . . had they both been turned out correctly they'd have been at least 3rd . . . but he had to be fair to the other competitors. We totally agreed with him.

Here they are in the showring:

And afterwards . . .

P

 

[furball]

Oh dear my list would be rather long, main ones are:

Not trotting AT the judge in hand in your individual, i cant see it move love when your trotting down the long side of the arena insted of at me, i get fed up of running over to the side to look.

Starting to trot on the turn back to the judge insted of waiting until your horses is on a straight line.

Bum freezer jackets!!!!!!!!!!! UGH

Those long boots in hand insted of plain old jodphur boots. [trainers are fine with welsh/arabs ONLY]

In correct horses in the incorrect class ie plaited animals in show cob classes etc, incorrect turn out.

Dressage tack in the show ring

Bad ring craft, manners in the go round ie blocking other riders, buzzing etc

Bratty children!!!! Batty adults too come to think off it............

Latness, then blaming the judge/steward!!!!

Id go on but my list would be to long!!!!

 

[furball]

I must just add at wee local shows i dont exect correct expensive turn out etc, they can be the most fun to jugde also happy smiley kiddies having a lovely day on their beloved family pony!!!!

 

[TallyHo123]

Parents who come out with every reason under the sun as to why their child hasn't won and make a point of saying it very loudly!
I was always told by my mum I can't win everything and some days a better horse/rider will win.

Ill turned out people, rude people, snobby people, obease horses, people who throw a tantrum when they don't win.

Best one had to be at my yard. We had strangles a few years back so held a show at our yard just for the people on the yard as we were on lock down. It was a FUN show and some woman in her late 40's had a hissy fit and good old b*tch because the children who 'couldn't ride' came before her. She still doesn't speak to them and their parents!

 

[wilsha]

i hate it when people wearing gags, coloured numnahs, boots etc in showing classes, then they get placed!!
rude judges who refuse to tell you where you could improve!!
and well not showing ring but in a warm up ring for a sj class... my pony does not move off the leg so you do have to use the whip, some horrible woman trotted past me and told me to stop and i was upsetting my pony! im sorry but she has not ridden him! it really upset me as he is not an easy ride!!

 

[JFTDWS]

Also a little crafty - what if it is a massive class and you have stood there foot perfect for 40 mins yet they have been in and out twice hmm not very fair at all !!

I have done this. At some local shows you can be really unlucky if the classes run at wildly different speeds - on the sched none of mine should have, but sometimes they just do. I crept out of a big family pony class to do the gymkhana, won gymkhana champion and came back to 2nd in the family pony. I felt a bit of an interloper, but the judges of both were happy for me to do it, so...

 

[jrp204]

To go with the black jacket don't forget long rubber boots and a skull cap with silk.
Any sort of bling.
Bad manners.
Once watched a combination class, pony was in draw reins!
Pro's at local shows, we had a well known producer who would take her HOY's qualified cob to all the local shows inc. fun shows.
Bias shown by judges, because your not a bsps etc member (at non bsps show).
Enormous teenagers on miniscule m&m's.
Bad sportsmanship in the ring, inc buzzing, boxing in, overtaking in front of the judge etc.

Hmm, don't think showing is my thing.