Show Jumping - Behind closed doors?

I have worked on SJ yard abroad and did not see any of this at all. It was a family run business and a rather lovely set up really.
There were the odd eyebrow raising tack choices at some of the shows held there but no more than your average PC show.
The new manager also has a liking for using draw reins without reins as well :confused:. Don't want to get ino that debate it just seems to me to have not improved the youngsters way of going at all that proper work schooling would not have done much better

At a few shows I have noticed the odd pro disapear to the lorry park when a horse is really playing up and deal with it in a way I would think of as a bit OTT but others may call firm.
 
Good grief what a lot of horrible things that are done to these poor horses. Anyone using methods like this should be ashamed of themselves and shouldn't be riding IMO! I mean for goodness sake all in the name of winning. What about putting the animal first?!?! :(
 
I've seen most of what the OP mentioned, although I don't think it's fair to pick on SJ, there's a fair bit that goes on behind closed doors in all disciplines ime.

I'm not keen on the pinch boots, however weighted (within reason) I can't see a problem with. Rapping is a huge no no in my books, not fair on the horse. Using extra heavy poles, metal ones (hollow so they go CLANG when the horse hits them) and even jamming the poles so they don't fall are things that I would happily use/do with the right horse in the right situation.
 
I haven't read the whole post but its not just show jumping it occurs in. Not that I agree with any of it but whatever! It's always going to happen
 
I notice that most of this is "I heard" "I have been told" not one person has said "I witnessed"

Rapping was very common many years ago when the poles were heavier and jump cups deeper. Many horses would clout a fence and think nothing of it.

Anything that involves an unfair discipline will not make a horse willing to try.

I do know that many years ago I had a potentially very good mare - she had a heck of a jump to her but she played with the fences, especially walls. `she would kick a top brick off a wall just for fun, rarely ever touched any other fence.
I tried all I knew but it never stopped her - she knew exactly how to get that brick out using her back foot.

In the end I was told to bring her to a course of walls. She jumped the first and scuttled away from it like she had been bitten. What they did was to string a fine wire two inches above the top of the wall, it snapped when she touched it but as she didn't like touching anything she jumped the rest with inches to spare.

A form of rapping but it taught her to stop playing games. She was not hurt in anyway and after she qualified for the Foxhunter Championship I sold her and she went on to do very well.
 
Some of the things that go on in the horsey world are disgusting.

It's gotten to the point where at many international shows when the horse comes out of the arena a front and back boot are taken off and checked so as not be be overly weighted or be spiked etc inside

On a side note... we used to have hollow plastic poles on the yard, they made a really funny noise if they dropped :p My old boy *now retired* never used to knock poles, the one day he did it was with the plastics, he went mental at the noise :rolleyes: Que horse overjumping the plastic poles forever more. No nasty methods needed :D
 
Money can buy you an expensive horse, expensive trainers, yard, fabulous bamboo facilities and a spice rack...

Sadly it will not buy you a sense of humour or good taste :D
 
i think the worst thing people use is draw reins to be honest. Many people misuse them as a crutch. They are supposed to be used to help a horse keep its balance and frame but many inexperienced riders using them end up pulling horse's head behind the vertical to the point where there is no impulsion. i've seen way too many horses with stiff necks from overuse of draw reins. I personally think if you ride well you don't need aids to keep your horse balanced and in a frame. This all comes from leg position, soft hands, and half halting. Keep in mind, this is just my own opinion.
 
Well Natinthehat... It's not just your opinion, if you used the search facility here you may find that you are in good company.
 
i worked for a sj a long time ago, he hardly ever jumped his horses in between big shows-they loved jumping, were beautifully schooled and happy and all home bred. Yes, they were worked sometimes in draw reins - but these were not used as a crutch and certainly were not a razor in a monkey's hands as comments on here would indicate when used by some riders. There are some genuine sj people out there!
 
Foxhunter49 said:
I do know that many years ago I had a potentially very good mare - she had a heck of a jump to her but she played with the fences, especially walls. `she would kick a top brick off a wall just for fun, rarely ever touched any other fence.
I tried all I knew but it never stopped her - she knew exactly how to get that brick out using her back foot.
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For fun? Couldn't it simply be that she had learned she could get away with not putting as much effort into jumping walls because catching a brick with her foot wouldn't hurt as much as a pole?
 
fburton said:
For fun? Couldn't it simply be that she had learned she could get away with not putting as much effort into jumping walls because catching a brick with her foot wouldn't hurt as much as a pole?
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This is the point from which rapping and some SJ trainers justification for it begins. Many horses once having some experience under their belt have the judgement to know just how high to jump and not hit the pole too hard i.e tap happy. When they do this to a light plank on flat cups and it comes down or as in this example a brick. Neither of these bothers them particularly so they don't pick their feet up. This will mean a professional having paid their entry fees often picks up 4-8 faults. Some will decide the horse is not naturally careful enough and sell on to an amateur who just wants to learn to jump on something honest and is not trying to make a living from jumping. Others will decide they will "careful up" the horse using a range of methods.
 
I appreciate the explanation, cyberhorse. What you say is entirely logical.

What I was questioning was the interpretation put on the horse's behaviour which seemed anthropomorphic to me. The way the mare's behaviour was described was as if she was deliberately knocking out bricks for her own amusement and/or to wind up the owner.
 
fburton said:
I appreciate the explanation, cyberhorse. What you say is entirely logical.

What I was questioning was the interpretation put on the horse's behaviour which seemed anthropomorphic to me. The way the mare's behaviour was described was as if she was deliberately knocking out bricks for her own amusement and/or to wind up the owner.
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I was backing up your point really, and what you said is exactly the reasoning many very experienced SJ have on the point. Not that I believe they don't do some things just to annoy you, stealing hair clips and throwing them, pulling hoods on my jackets and tipping my barrow over - always only after I have been doing "tedious" flat work with him. If we have been jumping I get groomed and fed! I don't think he is a person but he knows which buttons to press...
 
Rollkur is leveled at the dressage riders and also discussions regarding how some have tongues that are halfway purple, plus alleged methods to produce piaffe. Dressage riders I feel have probably had more flak recently.
 
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