Pet hates at shows?

People who are late coming in the ring. The schedule has been out for months the start time has NOT changed - we have been walking round and round for 20 minutes waiting for you - get your last a**e out of bed earlier! if we can be on time so can you.
 
From observation not experience I hate to see biased judging might be me but watching is a great learning curve and you can if you go often enough predict the class result by the entries before they even enter the ring. Local showing is a game not a true reflection of the quality of ponies forward and yes it is more often than not a fair result at the end of the day. Listened at the side of the ring one day every horse of quality and deserved its win happened to be a chestnut. Word soon went round that the judge loved chestnuts and wouldnt place anything else. I know the judge from the past and know she hates chestnuts but she placed the horses correctly in spite of her bias against them. Another season watched hundreds of welsh section A classes then toddled along to the county show. the judge was a "welsh can only be grey" so every grey pony was placed and not a single alternative colour. The hundreds of classes I had followed nearly every pony appeared at the show, the solid colours were often champion reserve champions and winners at those shows with the greys behind them, there were some pretty ropey greys above them under that judge.
Dressage one local judge appears to knock of 10% if the horse isnt a tb or warmblood so it doesnt matter how well the cobs and ponies do they can never get even close to a place. This is again an observation as I dont ride anymore. So not a complaining competitor I used to compete at all levelst so not totally unknowledgable
 
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So I'm guessing that those of you who are peed off by seeing horses left tied to the truck unattended have an entourage of helpers - I have spent most of my life competing on my own. No mumsy or a groom to help.

Mine tie up to the truck and generally stay put. Those who were good at sneaking off got a bum rope so couldn't pull back.

Over the years I've seen a good few rip the rope out of the hand of the person looking after them and then prance off.

Managed 40+ years of shows with no problems
 
rachk89 said:
See now thats why I am a bit iffy about putting my horse forward for ridden shows like that. He is a lovely horse to ride, for women. But when you put a man on him its 50/50 on whether he will try and throw the poor bloke off. To be fair on him, he has only ever tried to throw one guy off and he did get better with him and the other man who rode him he just stamped his hooves at me a bit for allowing it to happen.
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That is exactly my point. If a competitor cannot school and produce a horse for the relevant class, don't enter it and expect the judges to judge it.

The horse I mentioned was down right rude, why should I ask my ride judge to risk injury by getting on it. She was not there to school it for the owner. So many owners think they are doing the judges a favour by allowing their horses to be ridden. The reality in many cases are horses that are stiff, one sided, rude and give a ride that a camel could better.

I have no doubt that Mr John Chugg wishes he had not got on the naughty hunter at Dublin, and the owner of that particular horse has had to live with the consequences as does Mr Chugg. For any of you planning on showing ridden horses please produce them to be safe and mannerly. Personally I can see the day coming when ride judges will be abandoned.
 
I'm quietly laughing at everyone saying they hate seeing unattended horses at shows... only because it is the norm in France, and also, to tie up to things much less sturdy than a lorry or trailer, e.g. a string tied round a tree or even a string tied between two trees, with a whole posse of ponies tied to the string like a laundry line.

It would be rare that a horse or pony is left on a lorry/trailer, mainly if it is bucketing down. I've known one of the local riding schools turn up in their 10 horse lorry at 7am, disgorge all of its contents, and not reload until 7pm at the end of the day. Surrounding the lorry will be all of the parents cars with the equipment of the riders - taking up all of the lorry space shock/horror!

There are a few bug bears of competing in France too, but mostly everything seems to run smoothly.
 
So many little things that bug me, but I have to say the biggest bug bear of mine is people standing about in collecting rings when they are not warming up/next in.
It's not a problem if you have a massive space to warm up in, but when you don't and you're trying to jump, it really isn't helpful when someone is sat there (usually near the practice fences) on their horse chatting to their mates (also on their horses) and half the extended family are stood IN the ring with them too. Funnily enough it's much worse at unaff/local level, and I have never once seen a steward do anything about it.
Perhaps 2016 will be the year I grow a pair, and actually say something instead of moaning about it under my breath...
 
WOW I don't know where to start on this one!
As a competitor; trainers standing in the warm up, people on horses standing still on the track, schooling whips poking sideways, people being vicious to their horses when they think nobody is looking!
As a judge; people coming in scruffy esp no hairnets, people not showing their numbers then circling the furthest point away from us, sitting trot the whole of a test when the rider is totally incapable, older horses in tests way above their ability and seeing them struggle through it, fiddling the head in at the final halt.
 
I went SJ yesterday and the general behavior of competitors made my blood boil.

Rude people monopolising the warm up jump whilst being given a lesson in the warm up, and shouting at anyone who dared pipe up that everyone has to ride not just one person

People riding side by side in a very packed small warm up

People riding in front of fences that are being jumped

A horrible young girl, who bought her horse into the 65cm class - the horse went badly, so she entered into the 75cm class, where is also went badly. So she continued to rag it around the warm up, beating the life out of it before entering it into the 85 cm class. There were on average about 40 - 50 people in each class so you can imagine how much of a long day it was. Where were the parents?! If I had treated my pony like that when I was her age, I would have been swiftly pulled off and had a smack round the back of the legs!

Grrr!
 
Just a few pet hates:

I occasionally xc collecting ring steward at ODEs and get really wound up when minor names demand to be bumped up the board as they have so many horses to ride and must be back for their dressage in an hour.
Had a full on discussion with a couple of professionals at Smith's Lawn last year. No, I didn't know who they were, and Yes, I understood they were going to Achen. But there were people who had been waiting over an hour too and had been in the collecting ring the whole time, and had not vanished off.

Riders who don't say please and thank you to stewards and other officials, most of whom are volunteers.

Badly behaved or poorly behaved Shires/Clydesdales beating better behaved well turned out continental heavy horses.

Badly driven horses winning showing classes. Or horses that won't back the carriage when asked, especially in trade classes. Whole point of a trade horse was to stand still on command until told to move off again and to back the delivery vehicle too.
Incorrect turnouts in the concours classes.

I could go on...
 
hate it when you're warming up and (it's usually little kids) come whizzing up behind you when your horse clearly has a red ribbon. not only its it unsafe, I also think it's rude to gallop full pelt close to a horse regardless of whether they have a ribbon in their tail or not
 
Two words . . . . . pot hunters. I have a massive issue with people competing in classes lower than their capabilities just to go home with a string of red frillies. Have people no conscience / sportsmanship ?
 
Notimetoride said:
Two words . . . . . pot hunters. I have a massive issue with people competing in classes lower than their capabilities just to go home with a string of red frillies. Have people no conscience / sportsmanship ?
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We had to ban posting photos in the "beginners" section on one forum I'm on due to the fact that many people vastly underestimate their skill level. Even if they are clearly better than beginners; clearly not at the starting point and might even get good comments or win things.
Many are not so much "pot-hunters" but more afraid to advance up a level; or don't consider themselves experienced/confident enough to compete at a higher level.

So with no push they stay lower down. Same in a lot of competing events. IT also works for them because they do well more than they do badly and thus enjoy it; whilst if they advance higher they often flip right over to being the near bottom in the top group instead of near top in the lower group.
 
17 hand horses competing over 35cm fences is another bug bear of mine. Now I am sounding like a grump but cannot fathom what pleasure people get from taking the prizes from the under 8 year olds. It is daft they can step oveer the fences I know sometimes its young horses or scared riders but once winning the 35cm class should be enough move on for goodness sake. Same as winning the Intro classes at dressage once you have won or been placed move on a stage
 
Overread said:
We had to ban posting photos in the "beginners" section on one forum I'm on due to the fact that many people vastly underestimate their skill level. Even if they are clearly better than beginners; clearly not at the starting point and might even get good comments or win things.
Many are not so much "pot-hunters" but more afraid to advance up a level; or don't consider themselves experienced/confident enough to compete at a higher level.

So with no push they stay lower down. Same in a lot of competing events. IT also works for them because they do well more than they do badly and thus enjoy it; whilst if they advance higher they often flip right over to being the near bottom in the top group instead of near top in the lower group.
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TBH i do agree with you on this, mostly, but i have seen with my own eyes, someone who has been to all the big championships, coming home with armfuls of saches (spelling?), then enter a very low key comp and oddly enough win by a huge margin (and then brag about it). There are pot hunters out there who know they are going to win. I cant see how that can be satisfying myself.
 
Overread said:
We had to ban posting photos in the "beginners" section on one forum I'm on due to the fact that many people vastly underestimate their skill level. Even if they are clearly better than beginners; clearly not at the starting point and might even get good comments or win things.
Many are not so much "pot-hunters" but more afraid to advance up a level; or don't consider themselves experienced/confident enough to compete at a higher level.

So with no push they stay lower down. Same in a lot of competing events. IT also works for them because they do well more than they do badly and thus enjoy it; whilst if they advance higher they often flip right over to being the near bottom in the top group instead of near top in the lower group.
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A lady at our yard would always complain that horses in her intro dressage class shouldn't be there, they are too good, the horses are bread to do well etc etc.
Well now she has fulfilled the criteria to move from restricted to open she's saying she doesn't see why the rule should apply to her.
I was rather blunt and pointed out that she would have been the first to complain if people were staying in restricted when they should be open.
 
Kids galloping their ponies through crowds and in walkways. I nearly collided with a boy careering his pony in circles around a trailer once when there was a perfectly quiet warm up elsewhere, no apology he just galloped off. Same thing at another show, two girls racing side by side through a crowded area for no real reason.
 
Everything here. But especially people around the gate. I mostly show alone and last show I had was with my stallion for the first time. The gate was totally blocked with people on horses watching the class, people spectating and the gate was the only place to stand (indoor arena) and the rest of the class participants which was 90% children. I had to warm up and just keep running back and fourth and asking everyone what was going on.
 
People pushing in. I get to the class and put my number down I work out how many before me and roughly how long that will be and time it accordingly. I hate getting on, checking the board to see I have been bumped down. I had this once where I got bumped from mid way down the first line to mid way down the second! I was not impressed at all.
People loitering around a busy warm up ring sat on their horses watching the class. Get off, put it back on the lorry or whatever and go and watch from the right place. Not take up room in the warm up.
People who insist on coming out of their round, getting just past the gate or in the tunnel/waiting area and stop. Drives me bonkers. If you are waiting to go next fair enough but if not get out of the d@mn way! Don’t just stop to discuss your round with your groupies, go walk your puffing horse off, then have a chat, don’t come out the ring and look at me like I’ve got 3 heads when I ask you to move so I can wait to go in or because the person who knows their horse won’t stand quietly to go in, has been waiting in the warm up, now needs to come in but can’t until you get out of the way as there is not enough room.
People who come out of the ring at a fast trot trying to look like they are pulling up their uncontrollable horse in an effort to back it look like it’s the reason for their bad round/riding. You know the sort, stand up in their stirrups, leaning back, arms straight, weirdly twisted head and shoulders but not actually trying to pull up. Or the ones who look like they think they are more important than anyone else and have got there nose so high in the sky I'm surprised their nostrils haven’t frozen. I find it bad manners and dangerous coming out at more than a walk, just no need for it.
 
windand rain said:
17 hand horses competing over 35cm fences is another bug bear of mine. Now I am sounding like a grump but cannot fathom what pleasure people get from taking the prizes from the under 8 year olds. It is daft they can step oveer the fences I know sometimes its young horses or scared riders but once winning the 35cm class should be enough move on for goodness sake. Same as winning the Intro classes at dressage once you have won or been placed move on a stage
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I would have to disagree here. I'm a terribly nervous rider, its a work in progress, but im not at the stage of jumping anything and my first "show" is goign to be a pole on the ground type thing. If i progress to 35cm i would be very happy and my horse is 17hh and an ex hunter, so yeah he can do it wit ease, i however can not. Many 8 year olds jump better than their ponies can.
 
People leaving rubbish on the ground, either take it with you or put in in the bin, not difficult really.
Another thing I don't like is people who enter class after class on horses/ponies that are clearly unfit.
I don't like see kids on ponies that are way too small for them, not just a bit big.
 
Toby_Zaphod said:
Also at a busy show when lorries are not parked close to each other just because someone wants to tie their horse up alongside their lorry. Then they walk off leaving the horse unsupervised & are feeding a hay net outside the lorry which is contrary to the rules of the show.
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Thankfully we dont have this "rule" up my way as I like to have my horse tied up outside - my pet hate is seeing horses standing stock still on lorries all day long bored to death and not being able to move bar a few inches either side, then dragged out for 30 mins the entire day. At least my horses have fresh air, can see whats going on and can move about to a degree. I do leave them tied up (IF they are sensible) but only while I'm wondering about nearby, if I go off to walk XC then I generally put the horse in or see if a friend is near to keep an eye.

My irritation is seeing young kids wearing spurs, with a massive gag in the ponies mouth, martingale etc. and very few of them can ride well enough. Oh and rude kids / parents, drives me nuts (as I merrily go off to my young sons very first event this weekend...!!).
 
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*people who use their horses as arm chairs
*people who charge around the show ground or lorry area with no regard for anyone else's safety
*judges who are clueless with regards to the breed or type they are judging (IE placing plaited show ponies in M&M!) or only place those they they know
*judges who give no feed back atall or give totally contradictory feed back
*people who whip their horses repeatedly and the judges/stewards/organisers that refuse to ask them to stop or leave for whatever reason
 
Competitors who don't bother to let anyone know they're not going cross-country so that all the fence judges are still sitting waiting at nearly 7pm...
 
windand rain said:
17 hand horses competing over 35cm fences is another bug bear of mine. Now I am sounding like a grump but cannot fathom what pleasure people get from taking the prizes from the under 8 year olds. It is daft they can step oveer the fences I know sometimes its young horses or scared riders but once winning the 35cm class should be enough move on for goodness sake. Same as winning the Intro classes at dressage once you have won or been placed move on a stage
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I can kind of see your point but I know I would be guilty of doing this in the future. My horse still doesn't understand that he can go round a course calmly and I would prefer to do small jumps until he learns to behave. Going over bigger jumps at a gallop in a small arena isn't fun it's scary. To me at least.

Same reason why his first time doing cross country will be with tiny jumps. But that's also because he has a habit of dropping his legs and I don't want him breaking his legs.
 
AdorableAlice said:
That is exactly my point. If a competitor cannot school and produce a horse for the relevant class, don't enter it and expect the judges to judge it.

The horse I mentioned was down right rude, why should I ask my ride judge to risk injury by getting on it. She was not there to school it for the owner. So many owners think they are doing the judges a favour by allowing their horses to be ridden. The reality in many cases are horses that are stiff, one sided, rude and give a ride that a camel could better.

I have no doubt that Mr John Chugg wishes he had not got on the naughty hunter at Dublin, and the owner of that particular horse has had to live with the consequences as does Mr Chugg. For any of you planning on showing ridden horses please produce them to be safe and mannerly. Personally I can see the day coming when ride judges will be abandoned.
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Exactly. After harleys behaviour tonight he won't be going to any show for anything until i know he can behave around other horses in a respectable manner. He tried to buck me off tonight because he was napping to other horses in the arena and he didn't want to work. After that he tried bolting and leaping into the air. To be fair on him he hasn't been around any horse in the same arena/field as him in 3 months at least so I am surprised he didn't try killing me haha.

But it's the same principle. I won't let him get away with it and he isn't being trusted with another rider til he can behave.

I ain't sure he would even be liked i am not familiar with showing but i think they prefer comfortable horses they can ride all day don't they? Harleys movement has given people stitches before and that's just trot. He makes your stomach muscles work hard haha.
 
conniegirl said:
Please don't ever put your horse forwards for a ride judge until it is safe to be ridden by one!
Ride judges have lives, families and careers too and riding horses that owners know might throw them is a good way for a judge to get badly hurt
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Oh don't worry I won't be. I have been told he could do showing but until he stops being a brat it's not happening. He is a big powerful horse and very dominant with it. He isn't safe when he has his tantrums but he is only 7 and had about a year of work now, 6 months with me so he will get better.
 
horsemadmum1 said:
People who leave dogs in their cars unless properly adapted to do so
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Or on the other side, people who either let their dogs run ragged or have them yapping at the heels of horses they don't know!
I remember last year at a local show several frantic announcements had to be put out for an owner to control their loose dog who was terrorising the showing ring. If it isn't controllable, keep it on a lead or leave it at home!
 
I did qualify my statement about big horses that jumping little jumps it is acceptable if horse or rider is afraid or a baby its not acceptable for the same large horses to win week in week out over tiny jumps or any horse regardless of size or shape at Intro dressage once you have won at least try to move on
 
My pet peeves -

People riding up my horses backside - He doesn't kick so I don't put a ribbon in his tail but he is horse shy and muppets zooming around behind him and galloping past him even though I give warm up jumps a really wide berth and keep out of the way of everyone else, really irritates me. He hates XC warm up for this very reason, so his warm up now is getting lunged for 5-10 mins, I then hop on, walk him around a bit then trot him over to the start box. His warm up jump is the first jump on course... It's not worth having him freak out in warm up.

Riders not giving way on XC despite being asked to by the rider about to over take them asking them repeatedly.

Ribbon hunters -Official riders and horses using loop holes (not competing official for over 12 months) entering encouragement shows and cleaning up the ribbons.

People who leave dogs in cars
 
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