Lunged for 3 hour's!

[Winters100]

I've seen some of these practices at a yard I've visited a friend at, and its totally vile. Poor horse had his head tied down 'to create more topline' - have you ever heard of anything more despicable??

Ridiculous. Not only cruel, but I would imagine totally ineffective.

 

[AShetlandBitMeOnce]

Ridiculous. Not only cruel, but I would imagine totally ineffective.

I would think so, having your head tied on a short rope to your feet wouldn't build your back muscles.. it may fix them in place over time though which perhaps replicates the desired musculature.

Either way, vile - as is lunging for that length of time if it did happen.

 

[sport horse]

I have seen itmyself. - At a county show on a massively hot day and a 12.2 pony being lunged in several rugs, wool bandages etc etc. After a half hour I intervened to receive a load of .......... What a horrible world showing is. Same day my jumpers were worked in as little as possible and immediately after being in the ring, they were washed off and put in their lorry with fans on them. Normal horse care on a hot day.

 

[ponynutz]

Unfortunately, I wouldn't be surprised if it did happen...

 

[SEL]

Chances are it was just lunged a few times through the day and she just happened to see it both times, I know of people that will do this at a show its not uncommon.

That's what I assumed. I used to be the jockey for a small show pony in the warm up when I was a teenager. It was like a mini 12h warmblood and too much for the little girl who sat on it looking pretty in the show ring so I'd lunge then pop on and get the worst of the bounces out of it. That could be more than once a day if it had multiple classes or made a championship.

Probably put me off showing for life in hindsight!

 

[dorsetladette]

I very much doubt the pony was lunged continuously. I'd get dizzy lunging at canter for any length of time. Ponies are often lunged for a few minutes before multiple classes, especially if children are riding young ponies in a busy/excitable environment.

I'm going to just say. The showing world is a b**chy place. The hate people have for each other if they do better than one another is something else. I would not be surprised if the 'judge' and the 'lunging owner' had one of those kinds of relationships. I've seen competitors ruin each others businesses/livelihoods with the rumours started on showgrounds.

If your anything more than amateur the showing world is not a very nice place to be.

 

[PinkvSantaboots]

Totally normal in showing, along with feeding huge amounts of feed, cruel practices for measuring in, strapping heads down for hours on end, over-rugging and many more questionable practices. For thousands of show horses around the country, they are silently and behind closed doors living a life of abject misery.

It's not totally normal not everyone that does showing is like this.

 

[minesadouble]

Totally normal in showing, along with feeding huge amounts of feed, cruel practices for measuring in, strapping heads down for hours on end, over-rugging and many more questionable practices. For thousands of show horses around the country, they are silently and behind closed doors living a life of abject misery.

It certainly isn't 'normal for showing'. if it was why would the Judge even mention it?

There are some questionable practices for measuring but these certainly apply to all ponies who have to measure in to compete in their chosen discipline, be it dressage, SJ, Eventing or showing.

There are bad apples in every discipline, not just showing.

 

[minesadouble]

Duplicate

 

[minesadouble]

I very much doubt the pony was lunged continuously. I'd get dizzy lunging at canter for any length of time. Ponies are often lunged for a few minutes before multiple classes, especially if children are riding young ponies in a busy/excitable environment.

I'm going to just say. The showing world is a b**chy place. The hate people have for each other if they do better than one another is something else. I would not be surprised if the 'judge' and the 'lunging owner' had one of those kinds of relationships. I've seen competitors ruin each others businesses/livelihoods with the rumours started on showgrounds.

If your anything more than amateur the showing world is not a very nice place to be.

I would actually say the opposite. I think local showing is way more b**** than top level showing.

 

[PoppyAnderson]

It's not totally normal not everyone that does showing is like this.

I didn't say everyone does it but what I cited and more is commonplace.

 

[PoppyAnderson]

It certainly isn't 'normal for showing'. if it was why would the Judge even mention it?

There are some questionable practices for measuring but these certainly apply to all ponies who have to measure in to compete in their chosen discipline, be it dressage, SJ, Eventing or showing.

There are bad apples in every discipline, not just showing.

That's a fine case of whataboutery. Other disciplines are not being discussed here.....showing is and 1/2/3 hours of lunging is absolutely commonplace. Many ponies/horses get lunged at home for a couple of hours before getting on the lorry and then lunged again when they arrive at the show. Wild, unrideable kids ponies are worked into the ground so that the tot can just get on, go in to the ring and the pony looks like the perfect leadrein/first ridden.

 

[Shilasdair]

I'm unconvinced by the evidence for a number of reasons;
1. The judge didn't watch it for 3 hours.
2. It could well have been a similar looking pony - some studs pride themselves on producing clones of the stallion.

And if you do see someone lunging for 3 hours - report it.
Or if you are asked to ride a horse for hours inappropriately - say 'no'.

 

[minesadouble]

That's a fine case of whataboutery. Other disciplines are not being discussed here.....showing is and 1/2/3 hours of lunging is absolutely commonplace. Many ponies/horses get lunged at home for a couple of hours before getting on the lorry and then lunged again when they arrive at the show. Wild, unrideable kids ponies are worked into the ground so that the tot can just get on, go in to the ring and the pony looks like the perfect leadrein/first ridden.

I totally disagree with your lunging statement. We have shown for years and I have, quite literally, never seen anything lunged for that length of time.
My mum breeds top level LRs and FRs and temperament is a huge consideration when selecting breeding stock.

 

[dorsetladette]

I would actually say the opposite. I think local showing is way more b**** than top level showing.

I suppose local level doesn't have people businesses at stake, but I've not come across the nastiness I've seen at county level at local shows. Many be I'm just oblivious to it.

 

[PinkvSantaboots]

I didn't say everyone does it but what I cited and more is commonplace.

It's not common either I have never seen a horse lunged for hours at any show, and I have been to many local and top level, I've worked for show producers and shown my own horses.

 

[PoppyAnderson]

It's not common either I have never seen a horse lunged for hours at any show, and I have been to many local and top level, I've worked for show producers and shown my own horses.

I don't understand how you haven't seen it then. It's absolutely commonplace. Horses lunged at home in the early hours and then again at the show. Ponies ridden round the lorries for hours. I've seen it at every show and I've seen terrible practices at top producers yards.

 

[ponynutz]

I have been on a showing/working hunter yard and let me tell you these sorts of things are more commonplace than you'd think. Maybe not this exact example but the mindset that leads to it.

 

[MagicMelon]

How does she know it was lunged continutally? It might have gone back to lorry in between times then brought out again just when lady next saw it? I find it hard to believe a person could be bothered to stand there lunging for that length of time let alone the obvious cruelty to the horse - surely SOMEONE would have said something! She should be ashamed for not having done so, surely its part of her responsibility as a judge?