Shocked at treatment of pony at local show today...

Hoof_Prints

Hoof_Prints

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Saw the most awful thing today at a local show, lovely show and committee- shame about this certain family who attend :( There was a young-ish girl on a pony, honest type that jumps round clear and seems to always do well- but has been getting more and more nervous and sharp every time I've seen it (won't take a genius to work out why!)

I was standing with my friend on our horses, when we heard this shouting and saw the pony reluctant to go from it's friend, it wasn't being naughty, just moving away slowly and trying to get back- as a lot of horses do ! my youngster did it earlier , reassured him and he walked on fine. So their response was "hit it over the head with the whip" Which she already had done, so pony went backwards and got really upset... she then kept yanking it and pulling back while whipping, then the pony reared up and flipped over- girl came off and stormed off to the car.

Delightful father of the child then grabbed the pony and really lamped it in the nose, full force punch, and he was a strong built bloke.

We told the committee and they had words, said it wasn't the first time either . Clearly had little effect as my friend overheard the bloke say "we'll take it back to our yard and teach it a lesson" (pony is apparently stabled at a different yard to their own)

sigh :( just a bit upset about the whole thing ! worst bit is, they are also dealers..
 
Disgusting behaviour and all too common sadly. Not acceptable from the child and absolutely inexcusable from the adult. Little chance of the child changing her behaviour with parents like that either!
 
Can you not report this to someone? Not sure who but such a public display of violence and cruelty to a pony needs dealing with! If I were the show committee I'd be banning them from attending again. So sad :(
 
Oh that poor pony has probably had a right beating by now and probably tied up in a stable with nothing to eat. Why do some people behave in such cruel ways?? It's just a pony show, is it worth beating the pony??

Small minds with no heart.
 
Jo1987 said:
Disgusting behaviour and all too common sadly. Not acceptable from the child and absolutely inexcusable from the adult. Little chance of the child changing her behaviour with parents like that either!
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agree that it's not acceptable from the child however if thats what her parents are telling her to do and she's only young (OP doesn't give age so guessing there) then she won't be to know that it's wrong.

I used to do some show jumping judging and ended up having to call a young (11ish) girl to the box for a word about how much whip she was using on her pony. Kid was distraught even tho I was as gentle as possible with her (I knew the kid and she's a nice kid in general). I later learnt that her mom and coach were standing at the side telling her to smack the pony, it was just being naughty etc (later turned out it's back was well out - who knew the pony that never refused and suddenly started refusing would be in pain, not being naughty)
 
I would have also banned them, but sadly the committee then seemed to "make up" for the telling off, and started praising the girls over the tannoy and awarded the girl who did it a special rosette for something.. I really like the people who run the show, every one of them is lovely and supportive, by far the best local show especially for kids and young horses- but I think they should have been much harsher with the people who did this. Dread to think what happened to the pony, if they did that in public, what on earth do they do at home. Seeing this really did upset me and I can't get it out of my head now. I've seen those typical "show brats" yank ponies around and boot the air out of them in a tantrum, but this was just another level. I don't know who I could tell, I doubt there is anything I can do about it now! just needed to get it out my system a little

ETA- girl was about 13 ish I think
 
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I feel for you, must have been awful for you to watch. ..

Our much loved elderly LR pony is very very earshy (headshy with strangers), and the poor chap more thsn likely experienced something like this as a young pony :(

Fiona
 
We were at a fairly high level show yesterday, and during the large hunter class one woman (mid 30's if not older) was beating her horse around its head because her curb rein was too tight and poor horse was evading the contact. She got asked to leave the ring, and once she allowed the horse it's head, it was fine.
It's one thing when it's a little kid having a temper tantrum, but grown adults abusing their horses due to their own poor riding? Shocking.
 
I believe the only thing you can do is whip out your mobile phone and take a video.

Either it is clear abuse, in which case I would report it to the Police for cruelly treating/ beating an animal, or it is not so bad in which case I might show it to the show committee, or leave it.
 
People don't seem to think they have feelings, just machines or creatures that are always trying to do wrong. I guess these ignorant morons just misinterpret it as misbehavior when the horses are confused or not physically capable / compromised. Even so, punching in the nose and scaring them is just further hammering in the problem or making more problems! Should have thought to take a video, didn't have my phone on me unfortunately - will bear this in mind for the next show in a fortnight. My own horse is terrified of crops, lunging whips he is OK with, but take a short crop near him and his eyes roll back and he goes in to blind panic (i wonder if that is anything to do with the long whip-like scars on his body?... ) It was very bad but I don't think the authorities care much unless the animal is without food and water, from what I've experienced myself.
 
Poor pony. That's absolutely awful. I'd have been upset too... It's also the helplessness you feel in those situations as an outsider... There's just nothing you can do and it feels horrible.

I imagine the organisers felt sorry for the little girl and decided to be nice to her. After all, it's not her fault she has such disgusting parents. I am very shocked at it all though - I know people do these things in private but to have the nerve to do this in public... Do they have no sense that it's wrong?! They should feel ashamed!
 
Barnacle said:
I imagine the organisers felt sorry for the little girl and decided to be nice to her. After all, it's not her fault she has such disgusting parents.
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Part of me wondered if the organisers might have hoped that a special prize for the girl might have saved the pony from another beating. For that day at least...

13 is, IMO, old enough to understand that this behaviour is wrong, and old enough to suffer the consequences - ie a serious telling off, elimination from competition, and a talk with someone from WHW or similar. I'm certain my companion mare has received a beating at some point. Reading this thread all I can see is her sweet little face, and the way she reacts to certain movements, and it makes me so sad.
 
Barnacle said:
Poor pony. That's absolutely awful. I'd have been upset too... It's also the helplessness you feel in those situations as an outsider... There's just nothing you can do and it feels horrible.

!
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What I don't understand is why people stand around telling each other how dreadful it all is without doing/saying something about it to the perpetrators.
 
Personally I'd report it to the RSPCA and get a video next time if possible, then report it again and provide the footage and a witness statement. I'd get them prosecuted for that.
 
Pearlsasinger said:
What I don't understand is why people stand around telling each other how dreadful it all without doing/saying something about it to the perpetrators.
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I told the committee to take action, I wasn't about to stroll up to a big bloke in an angry rage and tell him my thoughts! I think it would have gone pretty badly and he wouldn't have taken much notice, plus he was surrounded by his family and I would have been quite outnumbered. I didn't want to go over with my own pony and scare him as he is a youngster and his outings are going to be pleasant experiences.

I would like to think the girl is innocent and just acting on her parent's commands, but they were not around when she pulled the pony backwards and hit it around the head with the whip :/ they were her own actions.
 
It is amazing - the amount of people that think good horsemanship is about hitting, bullying and frightening the poor creatures - they teach this to their children and the whole horrible cycle just repeats itself. Perhaps, in the circumstances that the OP describes, if a group of right thinking people stuck together and approached the 'animal abusers' in question, in a calm and rational way try to make suggestions that there is an alternative way to handle and train animals.............or might they get a whole load of abuse themselves?
 
Does he think beating crap out of the pony will ensure it makes a connection between being reluctant to leave his friend and the beating? Idiot bloke. I know someone who did the same, pony got the young girl rider off, bloke sent the kid off and beat the living hell out of the pony. Had I seen him, I would have called the police.
 
If one person approaches them in a calm, assertive manner and firmly tells them to give up what ever it is they are doing, it usually works - as I can assure you. Of course there would be plenty of people around, I'm not talking about going down a dark alley to remonstrate with them.

TBF, I do understand why OP didn't want to take her young pony into a possible confrontation but my experience is that these people are usually so flabbergasted that someone has taken them to task that they do stop whatever the anti-social behaviour that they are exhibiting is.

I have to say that I can think of at least 6 members of my RC who would have intervened in this kind of situation - and the family would be banned from RC comps.
 
I've seen the exact same thing at a local show with the accompanying "Isn't it terrible? Why dosn't someone DO something?" SSPCA did go along and give the owner a talking to but as the SSPCA inspector is an idiot I doubt that did much good! There is no cure for ignrance other than education and fools are difficult to educate. Punishing people for being stupid is counter productive.

The problem is a lack of the basic understanding of animal behaviour and we are all guilty, though hopefully to a lesser degree! I was discussing training with a "professional" the other day who was convinced that the "reward" (a carrot) should be given to the horse after it had successfully completed a lesson. She could not accept that she would have made better progress by feeding small pieces of carrot AS the required action was being performed, not minutes after. I wonder how many experienced horse owners really understand simple concepts like pressure-and-release...or for that matter cause-and-effect? Perhaps a calm and rational explanation would do more to help these idiots (and their horses) than alienating them?
 
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If the commitiee know who it is I would be tempted to put the welfare on to them. That is totally unacceptable and they need banned from shows and talked to from authorities! If I knew them I would blooming name and shame too!
 
Also just something I saw at a league, one jump was scary and a lot of the horses had never seen one before (just a water tray but young horses) a lot had bother with it. One refused it three times and was eventually whipped over it (refused it again in the speed round)

Another refused but rider stopped, let them sniff at it, gave them a pat and it popped over it no issues in following rounds.
 
I stopped going to local shows after I witness the Pony Club display team sawing their ponies months with three ring gags with the reins on the lowest ring. Felt so uncomfortable at the sight I walked away; just couldn't watch.
 
it's a tricky situation, I felt I intervened more effectively by getting someone with a bit more authority than me to tell them (authority regarding the show) and my presence would have just been laughable to them. If it was a different person doing it, it would have been different and I would have gone over myself, it's hard to explain without you knowing them but they are a bit rough and tricky to deal with. They keep to themselves and don't talk to anyone, very unfriendly and uncooperative. I don't think it's a lack of understanding most of time, it's just pure anger at the animal (not necessarily a horse). I doesn't take much intelligence to know when an animal is scared and acting out of fear! Violent people just like to attack anything that is annoying them or not going their way... I also forgot to mention that after he punched the poor thing in the nose, he yanked it's reins so hard they snapped off the bit.

The committee called him over to the entry box to have words but I didn't hear what they said, I'm going to keep a very close eye on them next time we go.
 
I remember going for a lesson at a large local venue. I had a youngster & used to get there early to get him used to hanging around at events. This time there was Pony BS on. Young girl (10/11?) Came back on pony, mum had face like thunder, cursing the pony - clearly had not been a good round & mum was saying it must be the pony's fault as she had done much better on another in a different class. Girl got off pony & mum led it on to lorry directly in front of me & proceeded to thrash it. I just called out loudly "what an appalling example you are giving to your daughter. Did you take the pony onto the lorry because you thought no one would see you beating it". SHE didn't react to me at all but an awful lot of people suddenly appeared to have a good nose I bet a good proportion of them knew her. That lorry was packed & they were off before you could say jump off. I did make a note of the reg & let the organisers know.
 
Unfortunately this sort of behaviour puts horse riders in to disrepute.
The solution is to have all the families animals taken away from them and re-homed with a ban on them ever keeping animals again, their children put in to care and the parents sterilised to prevent them having any more off-spring.
 
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A slight pony but not bay not roan. Scary how common this is, and the saddest part is the ponies must be very well natured to put up with it and not injure the person beating them! I know my horse would probably absolutely lose it and thrash out if I ever hit him.

What a great idea Owlie185 ! They should pass that as a law soon ;) I'll gladly take on some of the poor ponies that jump their hearts out and get battered for an unlucky rail.

I remember at a big local venue there was a woman on a 14hh chestnut pony, she was before me in the 1.05 so the jumps were pretty big, she galloped full pelt at a wide oxer and the pony just couldn't make it as she ran him in to the ground, he tried to jump and landed in the middle, rider smacked in to the wing. Then everyone's eardrums were blown as she screamed "YOU F ******** STUPID PONY! IF YOU'VE HURT MY BABY I'LL F ****** KILL YOU"

Turns out the rider was pregnant,

pony dragged out the ring, absolutely beaten to within an inch of it's life when it got to the lorry park, I could hear the whip cracks and the rider screaming from the other side of the ring where I had started jumping ,but thankfully a few people went to give her a piece of their mind and pony was shoved in the trailer. The mind boggles... at what point does some thick idiot think this helps solve any issues??? Should be a name and shame or photo/ video and shame webpage somewhere :/
 
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