laminitis v showing & bad judging advice

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Bigbenji

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Ok aimed at most, not all, showing judges.

Why o why with so much laminitis about this year are people still being placed down below others who have rippling fat pads?

Watching shows this year I've seen ponies that are very choppy (two lame to my eye) and fat being place top of the line without exception.

My main beef was hearing a judge tell people in a youngstock class that they needed to put more condition on. These were not skinny weak youngsters but looked like mr muscles of the g-g world compared to the, ahem, well rounded ones.

Now I've never liked showing but it worries me that someone may take the judges advice and over feed which we all know is a bad idea especially with a growing youngster.

Not a rant as much a big sigh of dissapointment :(

So to lighten the mood what has been the funniest/most stupid advice given to you by a judge?
 
To get more weight on my welsh D.....He is fit does dressage mainly, and when we foray into the world of showing - not often just for a change of scene - we are dumped down the bottom in mountain and moorland classes as he is not fat enough! The winners are those that wibble wobble and huff and puff around the ring. Interestingly enough, he does well in riding club horse/pony classes. When I first had him (he came from a showing yard) he was almost 600kg at just 14.1 - he won loads inhand with me (he was unbroken and I was taking him out to get to know him) now he is a lovely, slim 477kg, we don't get looked at, hmmmm.

My sharer also got harassed by a mad old biddy who is into showing telling her that the boy is "emaciated" and should be fat because he is a welsh cob!!

Until we get rid of or try to educate these silly judges the problem will continue, sadly many leisure horses in this country are overweight, people now think that this is normal and a fit horse is looked upon as "thin"

I feel there should be a vet in the ring at some shows to kick out the real fatties, bet that wouldn't go down well!!
 
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I stopped showing my Sec A in hand after I was told I needed to put at least 50kg on her :eek: by a judge at county level. She needed a bit of muscle but not 50kg worth - she was kept at a nice, 'light' condition. By light I mean correct weight :p
 
I watched a few ridden classes at the Bath and West on Thursday, there were only a few that were carrying fat pads, several had large bellies especially in the ridden Arab class, one pony was obese but it went really well and took reserve champ as it out performed the others in its class.

The Riding Horses were super and both the Champion and reserve, owned by a HHO member were in fab condition looking very fit:)

The judges can influence to some degree but they cannot put a horse or pony down the line that goes well and is correct in every other way, in hand is slightly different as performance is not so important.
 
Oh yes I cannot believe how people can put up these over weight animals, they are not 'fat stock' especially youngsters, we are all asked NOT to put up these over weight animals, but still people continue doing it, I like to see more fitness and less fatness, but how many people think about fitness these days, I have been a panel judge for the last 26yrs, my thought are that everyone in the class has the same fair chance, no matter what they did last week or who happens to own/produce it, its what they do in the ring that counts, far too many face judges these days, and its not doing the showing world any good whatsoever is it :(
 
Thank you :O) I thought the same. Its frustrating when a fit healthy pony is marked down for not being fat! Grrrrrrr, she is perfect to me anyway xx
 
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