Showing - How far would you go to win?

peanutpussycat

Well-Known Member
Joined
26 June 2006
Messages
51
Visit site
What are you prepared to do to win. I recently heard that a very successful rider had their beautiful show horse on the walker all night until his shoes were so worn down, he needed new ones in the morning!! They also withold water for 3 days too! Also another said that they give £100 worth of drugs to the horse before each class. Is it really worth it for a prize of around £60 and a piece of ribbon. Have they gone mad!! Your comment please...... I compete my boy without even too much 'legal' calmer put in his feed for fear of dope tests and his health. He always goes great. Proper training thats what I say really works.
 

peanutpussycat

Well-Known Member
Joined
26 June 2006
Messages
51
Visit site
oh, dont get me started on measuring. They now are bleeding the horses to make them lethargic. Remember this is for a rosette and a prize of less than £100 normally. Also, the horses are not even sold for mega bucks. Top show horse for about £30K. Pocket money compared to eventer or dressage of sj. WHyyyyyy!!!!!!!! There is also talk of people feeding a certain supplement for airways by the tubful to build up muscle and therefore that builds the heart muscle and giving them heart attack. How barbaric are people? I have to get this off my chest. Sorry
 

peanutpussycat

Well-Known Member
Joined
26 June 2006
Messages
51
Visit site
Ear to the ground I suppose. It amazes me cos everyone knows it goes on and no-one does anything about it. These people abuse these horses in this way and they still win. Where has their sanity gone? Been winding me up all week. Pheeww
 

FRESHMAN

Well-Known Member
Joined
20 May 2002
Messages
1,127
Location
West Yorkshire/Lancs border
www.northcotestud.com
FGS This is pure gossip. Most people on this forum agree that horse people are always bitching, so I really do think that unless you know that any of this is FACT. It really should not be banded about. I would not condone any such behaviour, but lets be homest & use a bit of common sense. To go as far as " a horse needed shoes replacing in the morning" strikes me as complete nonsense. Who has a horse walker that is not installed on a soft surface! Y'know most people want to see horse sports get better coverage & be acceptable to Joe Public & this sort of gossip doesnt help anyone. Least of all horses in sport
mad.gif
 

PapaFrita

Well-Known Member
Joined
25 August 2005
Messages
25,914
Location
Argggggentina at the moment
pilar-larcade.com
Sounds awful and I certainly would NOT go to those extremes, but have to agree with Freshman, that it also sounds like gossip...
£100 of drugs?... I can name a drug instantly that will give you a well behaved horse in seconds for a couple of quid... Unless of course you're suggesting that these are expensive because they're untraceable? I hope this isn't in addition to walking them all night and witholding water because even Antifaz doesn't need THAT much calming!!
I dunno, all sounds rather far-fetched to me, but I don't know a thing about showing. I would really like to hear FMM's opinion. I'm sure she'll let us know what's what.
 

pocket

Well-Known Member
Joined
21 August 2005
Messages
883
Location
KENT
Visit site
Its so sad that all some people want is to win. I have recently started to compete my horse as a show hunter and was told to trim his ear hairs! They are there for a reason and that does not effect his ability to hunt/jump or perform in the ring, so, he stays hairy and if they dont like it tuff!

I'm just glad to go out and arrive safely, perform as best we can, have a good day and arrive home safely......

Even with ear hair, we're getting placed
laugh.gif
Before showing my big boy, I used to show my Welsh D at county level. Some of the stories I have heard about the way cobs are kept before shows would make your hair curl, ie horses locked up in stables in the dark for days (stallions) then brought straight out to a show, eyes bulging.

The horse world can be a pretty cruel place, at least there are some of us that appreciate our animals and do not just see them as an asset or potential source of income or sold off if they do not perform.
 

SSM

Well-Known Member
Joined
16 November 2005
Messages
6,790
Location
Stonkerland
Visit site
If only my girl had energy in the ring!!! She goes down a peg and just looks after me, very steady (too steady) - at least she will give a judge a good calm ride! I did hear someone say that it's getting harder to find ride judges as some of the horses can be down right dangerous. I know I am not at the level you are talking about but I do want to win but would never make my horse suffer.
 

burtie

Well-Known Member
Joined
4 October 2003
Messages
4,335
Location
New Forest
Visit site
Whilst I'm fully prepared to accept some people would go to ridiculous lengths to secure a win these people are the minority and they get found out eventually.
This is just rumour and hearsay unless you can prove it in wich case report them to the relevant authorities.

The stories I was told about the professional I had my mare showjumping with for a while were so completely ridiculous and completely untrue. It is very annoying and I suspect very hurtful to these people. Luckily I always told people how wrong they were and to stop spreading runours and lies unless they had proof.
 

Jo C

Well-Known Member
Joined
19 July 2001
Messages
3,960
Location
Essex
Visit site
I'm sorry but what a load of rubbish! These sorts of 'rumours' make me so mad cos nobody has ever actually seen it 1st hand, do you not think that show horses are regularly dope tested?!
Sorry but you have really annoyed me this morning with that post.
 

peanutpussycat

Well-Known Member
Joined
26 June 2006
Messages
51
Visit site
Freshman - I understand what you are saying, and no its not helpful but I have spoken about something I feel strongly about. I have a Dartmoor that I show. If i report these owners, then do you really think that my pony will be placed well in the future? I think not. Also, I have just spoken out and look at the abuse I have now got. these are horrible strories and very sad, but how do you do something about it if you are still competing. one judge went against controversy last year and got sugar in her diesel tank and paint stripper over her lorry.
 

Jo C

Well-Known Member
Joined
19 July 2001
Messages
3,960
Location
Essex
Visit site
Nobody is giving you abuse, people are just asking to see the evidence, as all we have heard so far is hearsay.
 

peanutpussycat

Well-Known Member
Joined
26 June 2006
Messages
51
Visit site
trouble is if I tell you how i get the info, some people will know who I am and I still compete. I just want to know how many people will stand up and go against this behaviour and is it really worth it. Don't get me wrong, I love showing and not every time is unfair or every horse drugged. But why do they do it and how do they get away with it. The drug testing costs such alot of money to do and associations simply don't have the funds to do it. I want fair play and kind people who look after their ponies.
 

PapaFrita

Well-Known Member
Joined
25 August 2005
Messages
25,914
Location
Argggggentina at the moment
pilar-larcade.com
[ QUOTE ]
I have just spoken out and look at the abuse I have now got.

[/ QUOTE ]

Huh?? Where? Nobody has abused you! Some of us question the facts (perhaps because your info is so unpleasant!) but I haven't read any abuse. Unless you're getting PMs?
 

Sooty

Well-Known Member
Joined
19 April 2004
Messages
22,480
Location
Brussels sprout country
Visit site
I have actually seen show horses kept in a dark stable (both doors done up all the time), but other than that I have not seen any other abuse. However, I don't like the way some show owners rug their horses all year regardless of the heat to prevent coats bleaching, or the way some owners overfeed their horses to get them to 'show' condition. But...as long as these horses are placed, these practices will continue.
 

FMM

Well-Known Member
Joined
26 April 2005
Messages
5,835
Location
Marlow
www.absolutelymad.co.uk
Umm. I can only speak about our yard which over the past 3 years has had Supreme Horse at HOYS, Champion Hunter at RIHS, Champion Cob at HOYS and 1st Small Hack RIHS. NONE of our horses go through any of these barbaric methods you have described - yes - some of them do get a lot of work before a competition but we don't even have access to a horse walker, we don't pump them full of drugs, we offered all our horses water after their classes yesterday and they were all more interested in eating grass (so I assume that they had not been deprived of liquid). We do give some supplements (mainly MSM to my elderly cob and that mare stuff to one of the mares). We have used calmers in the past (legal herbal ones) but they don't seem to make a lot of difference.

Out of the 4 horses which went to RIHS yesterday, 3 of them live out because they prefer it. I am sorry but I think that you are making sweeping generalisations without any fact to back up your story. I would love to know to whom you are referring. You can PM me if you like!
 

FMM

Well-Known Member
Joined
26 April 2005
Messages
5,835
Location
Marlow
www.absolutelymad.co.uk
Oh - forgot to say that our LW cob (Sonny Jim) who has been champion at several shows this year is now retired. He can't always cope with the noise around the ring and has lost the championship at the Hickstead Derby meeting earlier this year and had to leave the ring yesterday whilst standing in 3rd place. If showing people were so awful, don't you think that we would have drugged him, worn his shoes to the minimum (actually he doesn't wear shoes but you know what I mean!) and deprived him of water (except he lives out ...) in order to make sure he won his classes?

No - he was RETIRED!!! (only from showing though - he has a smashing jump and works in a beautiful outline in his snaffle, so he may try a bit of combined training to see if he enjoys it. If he doesn't then he can go with the retired boys into the field for some fun!)
 

peanutpussycat

Well-Known Member
Joined
26 June 2006
Messages
51
Visit site
FMM I am so pleased that you have done so well without the need to 'cheat'. It is fantastic. We need more people in showing like you. This isn't idle chit chat and I really can't reveal who has said or who I am referring too as it is really 'naughty' that I have spoken out like this. You surely understand that if you diss influential people on the show circuit, you pay the consequences. Keep beating these people please. Maybe they will stop it then.
 

FRESHMAN

Well-Known Member
Joined
20 May 2002
Messages
1,127
Location
West Yorkshire/Lancs border
www.northcotestud.com
PPC I think we all feel strongly about such things. However, so far I read. "I was told". "I have heard". "Keeping ear to ground". That is not firm evidence. Remember lots of people in the horse world want to stand & gossip about what others do. Its full of bitchy people. Whatever level you compete at you can not be afraid to report wrong doings. I have done it on several occasions & in writing, which leaves me no where to hide. Surely though, it should not be repeated unless you have actually seen & investigated for yourself.
 

Weezy

Well-Known Member
Joined
6 November 2003
Messages
39,874
Location
The Sodden Cotswolds
Visit site
Totally agree with Freshman - if you have issues then make your voice be heard - there is no excuse not to!

And I have seen FMM's sisters yard where a LOT of VERY successful show horses come out of - cannot fault it one iota and I know that Carol would never NEED to cheat as her regime and care supercedes any need to do so

Thing is some horses may tolerate such extreme behaviour in the short term, but it will never deliver a career
 

Jo C

Well-Known Member
Joined
19 July 2001
Messages
3,960
Location
Essex
Visit site
[ QUOTE ]
Thing is some horses may tolerate such extreme behaviour in the short term, but it will never deliver a career

[/ QUOTE ]

I completely agree Weezy - if horses were constantly treated in the ways described they wouldn't keep winning!
And well done FMM for all your successes - keep it up!!!
smile.gif
 
Top