ribbons in horses tails?? does anyone still do this or know what they mean??

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wildcard

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so as title really, ive been out both days this weekend competing with my youngster saturday at a local dressage and sunday at a showing competition.. now both days a put a green ribbon in my mare as shes only 4 and wanted to give people a bit of notice she may/may not be a little jolly and so to be carefull.

Yet both days people asked me what it was for and does she kick.. im very puzzled by this do people not use ribbons like this anymore.. Sunday was especially bad as was quite a large show with what i thought seem to be some good knowledgeable horsey people around yet no one took on blind bit of notice of this..

i had adults charging past me on horses people walking past with screeming kids and balloons, even had a horse run up our bum practically in the arena. luckily my mare dosent kick and just did a little lurch forward asif to say mum someones getting me from behind..

I understand at these shows their is going to be lots going on and children flying around on ponies i can excuse them as probably didnt realise, but adults.. seriously i was shocked at the lach of consideration, or is it just simply they dont know what it means...

not a rant about show people as had a lovely day and mare behaved immaculately just curious to know if people actually use ribbons anymore as was surprised how many people just didnt know what it was for...

any thoughts please share im baffled
 
I know a red ribbon in the tail indicates that the horse kicks, but I don't think I have seen anyone use a different colour ribbon.
 
I would say that anybody who's ignored a "green" ribbon in a horse's tail is either plain stoopid, inconsiderate, or both TBH. But then nothing surprises me.

Surely its obvious that the colour-code "green for Green" applies?????

I've seen horses at shows and out hunting with green ribbons in their tails - so don't think people can claim ignorance.
 
Our stallion wears a White BSJA ribbon every time he is out jumping along with discs on his bridle we often get asked what and why. My old horse used to wear red as he would very occasionally kick. I would always put red or green if I thought needed but I wonder these days if in doing so some might say I was admitting liability?
 
Red = Horse Kicks
Green = Young Horse
White = Stallion

Or it did a few years back and that's what it will always mean to me. I too wish that people would check up and know these things.

One problem with a red ribbon legally though. My sister always had one on her mare, all through her compeition life. She kicked another horse once because she still got too close. At the time this other woman said it it was fine it was all her fault, then a few days later (not sure if it was her insuance company) she had a letter saying that she knows her horse kicks hence the red ribbon so shouldn't have been in the vacinity of others (bit difficult when you need to warm up) and that it would have been better if she didn't know she kicked and then it would have been an accident :confused:
 
i thought i was cracking up and just putting pretty ribbons in my horses tail for no reason lol i always thought colours were, red,green n white.. a lot of people at this show were county standard aswell amazing how people dont know the little things.. either that or just ignore which may well have been the case :(
 
I always put the relevant ribbons in tails if needed - & more importantly, taught the daughter who does compete what they all mean!!!

Saying that, most people ignore them & still get up the ponies backside even with her red ribbon in. They soon shift though when her ears go flat back & she starts squealing!!!
 
I've only ever really seen red ribbons used, though have come across a few whites and do know the meaning of the different colours. I think that because red is the most commonly used one, people are more aware of it whereas they don't understand what the other colours are for - saying this, it does seem pretty obvious that any ribbon in the tail is there for a reason and if someone doesn't know what it means then they should be aware of it and stay back.
 
I used to put a green ribbon on my horse for first hunt/show etc; fortunately I've never needed a red one!

I'm amazed that people aren't aware of the meaning of ribbons.
 
wildcard I'm just about to take my novice horse out to his 2nd dressage comp at a bigger venue and I'm going to stick a red ribbon in his tail, he doesn't kick but he does get het up if people get too close and I am convinced 99% of people don't have a clue what a green ribbon means, so if they think he kicks and as a result steer clear then it amounts to the same result.

Hopefully after a bit more experience we can then ditch tail ribbons all together (at the first comp didn't need one as it was so low key and quiet)
 
i did think about red ribbon, chloe_ghe but the show i went to was full of fairly local people and i didnt want to put a red ribbon in then have people say to me later in year when shes more experienced and hopefully dosent need any ribbons, you should be wearing red ribbons as yours kicks... sounds silly but we all know the horse world can be like this and dont want to be liable for something... eeek so much confusion.. good luck with you outing though :)
 
I was preparing someones horse for a competition for them the other day - trimming, plaiting, make up the full works!! Owner requests whether we can put a ribbon in horses tail as she noticed a few people wearing them out competiting and thought they looked pretty :eek: *face-palm*.

I was lucky enough to grow up through the pony club and learnt such things there. I know not everyone has the benefit of having a horsey childhood - but I look at my mum who didn't have a horsey childhood and got her first horse in her 30s/40s and she went to a night school to study for her BHS stable management stages before buying her first horse. (Not that I'm an advocate for BHS stages - but a good basis of horse ownership rather than going in blind).

My above comment isn't so much to do with the ribbon thing as I'm sure it could quite easily pass well educated horsey-folk as it is quite an old fashioned hunting thing is it not? (bar stallion ribbons) - as in something that is passed down more through that? But I would like to think someone that had noticed it out competing would possibly question why rather than thinking it was decoration - or is that just because I know what they signify?!

Re. do I use them - never had a kicker but would use a red one if need be. Re green or young horse I'd use one out hunting, but probably wouldn't competing usually - would go to a quieter show to begin with, and if horse played up/others were behaving inappopriately I would politely speak to others and excuse my horse or just make them aware its a young horse vocally - just because I'm sure people would take a blind bit of notice to my ribbon haha. Although if they were a bit naughty I probably would next time!! And obviously the speaking to people tactic only works if there are a finite number of competitors!
 
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My friend, who has competed at 4 star, likes to hunt with a purple ribbon sometimes... she says it means "expensive"!!!
 
Just as an addition, for whatever reason, endurance rules stipulate blue tail ribbons in addition to bridle badges for a stallion rather than white. I've made Marcus an arrangement with one white ribbon and one blue one sewn onto a stretchy band to go round his dock so that I'm covered wherever I am :D. (He has different bridles for endurance and other stuff, apparently dressage bling does not yet include forest green zilco :p, so the different badges just stay on).

Mind you, he spends more time with mares parked under his nose so their riders can read his badges than I would have believed possible :rolleyes:. I work on the basis that if he wasn't well socialised and trained maybe they wouldn't need to ask!
 
I don't think most people do tbh. My little girl is constantly putting pink & purple ribbons in plaits in her ponies mane & tail for hacks & fun rides just cos she likes her to 'look pretty'. One of her friends (horsey) Mums bought red ribbon for their pony to match the numnah for a fun ride & had no idea what it meant. Apparently just thought as my little girls ribbons match pony & daughters kit they'd do the same. Ribbons usually known hunting more than at comps or shows though.
 
Dales ponies are traditionaly shown with ribbons in their tails too. Usually red, white and blue.

I've been around a long time (because I'm old!) and do a lot of judging , I've always known it as red is a kicker, green is a young or inexperienced horse and white is a stallion.
 
I do understand the ribbons and which colour means what. Only been at local shows normally and occasionally you do see the red ribbon in a tail, have seen a few green ones also. When i've been out and about i tend to just avoid any horse with a ribbon in its tail, I can't be blamed for anything then ;)

When me and new horsey are ready to be going out and about I will probably use a green ribbon as he can get a little excitable :rolleyes: (he is only 5!)
 
Yes, for both competing and hunting.

Used green and white for Mackenzie (he's riggy, so wanted folk with mares to keep even more of a distance) although it's not been easy in a warm up area so really it's my responsibilty to keep him away. Have used a green for the mare as she tends to panic sometimes if horses get too close to her until she's settles in. I don't think children really know what they are there for and what each colour means, I think show organisers should bob it in the Rules/Health & Safety section at of their schedules to remind people, it will also help parents to remeber to remind their childern of what it means.
 
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