Snobbery within the horse world

[Queenbee87]

one of the other competators asked if they could let her know when she was leaving the warm up area as her horse had never seen anything like that before and it was freeking her horse out

Doesn't say much for the schooling of the other horse then

 

[gabbypinkjessica]

I love this post!
I really want to be someone on a hairy cob who proves that they can do dressage too, but sadly, after we turn up at some fancy affiliated comp in my gypsy box, with my gypsy horse, and all my gear that fell off the back of a lorry, usually I fall to pieces and we are lucky if we get over 50%.
This doubly upsets me as she works advanced medium at home....
And don't get me wrong, I'd buy a 'posh' horse in an instant, ideally a nice black or bay (much less scrubbing of poop off white bits!). One day.....
Til then I will continue to embarrass my coblet!

 

[indiat]

Happens a lot, daughter competed her loan pony in a showing class, would never do well because the pony wasn't 'pretty' enough, but she wanted to do it, and really executed herself well, pony was foot perfect. A child of sim ilar age was whinging she didn't want to do it whine whine whine and was shoved into the ring with firm orders/threats barked by parent, poor kid sobbed her eyes out flustered her way round cantered on wrong leg, pony was ill mannered in the line barging and spinning, yet she still got a 3rd (out of about 20), because pony looked pretty perfect (and I think was known to the judge from the way judge spoke to her), and was immaculately turned out in what looked like a brand new saddle and bridle...poor child was still sobbing as she rode out.

Our yard hires little ponies out for half hour walks for children. There is a couple who come up every week and cattle prod their crying, terrified daughter onto a pony, where she sobs with fear the whole time. They also enrol her into lead rein classes etc, child reacts the same way. Now they are talking about buying her a pony! They don't ride themselves, but they seem to think their daughter "should" be doing it. I just don't get it - no one can be having any fun.

Sorry, I'm hijacking this post a bit!

 

[Lanky Loll]

Hmm well I've witnessed and been the brunt of quite a few of the examples you've all given (I used to showjump, was in a picky pony club etc), but have to say that some of the worst snobbery we've experienced has been since we started harness racing.
NOT from the people we're competing against, although there is plenty of Welsh vs English rivalry, but from MOST other horsey folks
This is a sport where if you have any problems with a horse/harness/cart people help one another out - we've even been loaned the wheels out of a strangers cart before after one of ours got damaged. However, because the most people think harness racing is road racing and travellers or flapping (essentially unaffilliated under slightly more relaxed rules) they immediately look down on it.
They don't realise that:
- We compete under strict rules run by our version of Wetherbys the BHRC
- That the horses are called standardbreds but are actually TBs that have been line bred (over a long period of time) to bring out the trait which means they the fifth gait - pace
- That they pace naturally, you see them pacing in the field as foals, and no their legs aren't tied together to make them do it
- Yes our harness is webbing / rubber - it's washed off EVERY DAY, it's practical
There's loads more but I think I've started to make my point.
Can you tell this bugs me???
What really makes me chuckle though is that 5 minutes later they usually ask if they can come and have a go

 

[emm0r]

I am a groom and when at SJ competitions i always make sure the horses are as shiney as shiney can be and spotless clean tack because i take pride in making the horses i care for look their best so when you see the person on their horse with dirty tack dirty boots and stains all over it you just think WOW you really made an effort... If you go out for dinner you dont go out with a dirty face and scruffy hair that you havent bothered to wash or brush so why would you take your horse out in public like that ?! ..... Some people percieve that by saying ew look at the state of that your being snobby but its not snobby at all you would just generally expect people to make a bit of an effort when turning their horse out in public !!

 

[dozzie]

I havent really experienced it tbh. But have experienced inverted snobbery! I always liked to beat the flashy ones that cost lots of money!

Then i bought a flashy one which cost lots of money...well for me it was a lot of money..and what has it done...bugger all!

 

[racingdemon]

brilliant thread.... you'll like this.... when my granny was a child, she wasn't allowed to join the pony club, as her father felt it was full of awful common children on bog ponies!

i love snobbery, i'm dreadful, i only like thoroughbreds, have to trim sniff of feather/fur/fluff off incase my horses look vaguely like bog ponies, and heaven forbid my breeches don't match my saddle cloth/bandages etc etc

but i am nice....and have my tongue firmly in my cheek, i may just look a bit snooty (and on a bad day, i look like a tramp on a bog pony!)


when its just innocent fun, it's good fun, when small children are terrified by evil cow bag parents, its not so good....can't wait for my children to start PC, (being so common & having bog ponies!)

 

[nemo_]

Quite like this post
Being in Pony club means have experienced quite a lot of this. Have recently come across one particular parent, who has, not a groom but, 'a little man'. First met her at a ODE where she left her child and pony with the 'little man' whilst she sat in her shiny equitrek living area having a rather loud conversation with another parent about her her new oakley supreme being a week late having 'special features' installed. Same woman rang my dad the other day to volunteer her 'little man' for fence builidng which my dad is in charge of! Turns out she also has an on site instructor for her daughter's two ponies at the summer house! I kid you not

 

[Fii]

The only part of the horse world that i hav'nt experienced snobbery, is the heavy horse showing.
If you go to a show as a spectater, and walk around the heavy horse lines, you can go and talk to any of the people, and they are very happy to tell you all about their horses, and there is'nt an ounce of snobbery between them. If they can help you they will, lovely people.

 

[natalia]

PMSL here! I always find it quite entertaining as my mounts are normally quite scrappy looking, they range from just pulled out the horse sales yesterday to pulled off the irish boat a week ago normally. But they all perform. They all jump, and yes, some of them are unconventional looking but they have semi nice tack so aren't the worst you would ever see. No one locally says anything now, in fact, I think our yard is a bit of a local joke we "take the show out of show jumping" and have a damn good laugh doing it. I can't stand these all the gear no idea types who are everywhere, from local level to affil. The majority of them would be better trading their posh tack in and having some lessons. I've just got myself what I would call a "posh" horse, and she gets lots of admiring looks, but she's got a real attitude and likes to do things her own way. I must admit after years of having some real bog trotters its quite nice to have something pretty and flashy looking that also performs. Still get reg. beaten by my friends coloured cob though! I think its very hard as at a lot of yards esp. competition yards there is a lot of pressure for people to "look the part" and spend oddles of money on expensive tack and gear, however, it's only when you realise those without the posh stuff normally do better as they've spent all spare cash on training.

 

[YorksG]

If people want to talk about posh horses, I think sisters horse is the poshest I know, if she was a person she would wear a pale blue twinset and pearls. she is the Margo Ledbetter of the equestrian world (she is rather beautiful, but currently a rather nasty shade of mud over regal grey!)

 

[spookypony]

For the most part, I've found people around here to be very friendly and welcoming, no matter what the horsey context, but there has been the odd remark that is extra-insulting and snobby, purely by virtue of probably not having been meant in a derogatory fashion at all:

Pony's previous owner had paid rather...above market value for him; upon learning this, a girl comments: "wow, you could get half of my horse for that price!" (horse belonging to girl in question rears and generally causes trouble)

In a dressage warmup, when I'm trying to convince nervous reluctant pony that going forward, in a straight line, is desirable: "Do you take lessons?" (er, yes, twice a week, thank you for asking! At least I was a bit vindicated by the judge commenting that he'd improved by leaps and bounds, even if we still didn't get anywhere near being placed...)

 

[stencilface]

a frend owns a a tradional cob most places she goes to people realize who it is and a poilite they know the horse is actuaaly really good but the other week she went somewere new and one of the other competators asked if they could let her know when she was leaving the warm up area as her horse had never seen anything like that before and it was freeking her horse out

Needless to say hairy cob won both classes

I have to say, I unloaded my friends TB at a BD comp to be met by a very lovely black and white cob with all the feathers and mane at the bottom. My friends pony almost turned himself inside out!!

He did have a bit of a cow phobia, and I can only think he was confused. That said, I would never have asked the question your friend was asked, if my horse has an issue with another one - thats my problem, not theirs

 

[BayJosie]

I am a groom and when at SJ competitions i always make sure the horses are as shiney as shiney can be and spotless clean tack because i take pride in making the horses i care for look their best so when you see the person on their horse with dirty tack dirty boots and stains all over it you just think WOW you really made an effort... If you go out for dinner you dont go out with a dirty face and scruffy hair that you havent bothered to wash or brush so why would you take your horse out in public like that ?! ..... Some people percieve that by saying ew look at the state of that your being snobby but its not snobby at all you would just generally expect people to make a bit of an effort when turning their horse out in public !!

Yes. I completely agree with this actually.

When i go to a competeition (albiet rarely and very low level) I always make SUCH an effort to clean my tack, do my hair nice, wear a bit of makeup. I would always plait my horse for a showing or dressage class (Personally I think it's respectful to do so if you have the type of horse that 'can be' plated) but even if I didn't I'd brush my horses mane with an inch of it's life so that we look presentable.
In short, I want to look neat, tidy and respectful to the judge. doesn't make me a snob just becuase I'm on a bay that's been groomed!

 

[Shysmum]

Ha - snobbery! If you want to experience snobbery, try telling people you don't compete at all. You hack. Then watch them look down their noses as if you are a lower life form entirely.
Never mind that I've many, many years experience of many types of horse. Never mind that I broke my own youngster and she is coming on very nicely indeed. Never mind that I keep an elderly retiree in good nick enjoying her old age. Never mind that my other horse arrived as a narky, insecure, suspicious loner and is now a friendly, affectionate (albeit slightly quirky) useful riding horse. Don't compete? Clearly I'm rubbish!

Could not have put this better myself !!! Good God, "HAPPY HACKER ??? "
And yes, I broke my boy in myself (didn't have to send him away), so I guess I am with you entirely .

But the thing is, whenever I encounter snobbery, I can laugh at it, cos deep inside, I know what we have achieved together, and no-one can take away that feeling. AND we are very,very happy on our hacks, tho we may try jumping next year

The cow thing is brilliant too - we can ride into a field of cows, and they all think it's their mum, and come running over for kisses and stuff, while I sit above it all watching. Oooooo how common are we, lol ! sm x

 

[brucea]

My experience has been that the longer the name of the horse, the more grandiose the parentage - the more likely it is to be a complete total screwball and be as fragile as glass!!

The owners are often screwballs too!

Give me a cob of anonymous parentage any day!

 

[Shysmum]

Doesn't some of the snobbery come from the parents of kids at shows, about the ponies and turnout and stuff ? Even at very low key shows, you can feel it in the atmosphere - it's so sad, and so much pressure is put on the children. The last fun show I went to, organised for "the best of the rest" I was gutted that in fact it was all the usual set up of - well you know. BUT we won the hairiest legs comp, tho we were never sure if it was him or me who earned the rosette

 

[skint1]

Our horse is rather snobby, and I kid you not. She seems to forge much closer bonds with other TBs than she does with any other kind of horse. She is also inordinately fond of ponies, but other non-TB horses leave her cold.

For my daughter and I, we're doing the best we can but I am sure we get looked down on for various reasons. As there isn't much I can do about it, I would rather not know!

What does hurt me is when we're at our local shows my daughter attracts negative comments because she still rides her pony (she is 5ft7,weighs about 8 stone- he is 13.1) Yes she does look tall on him, but he's got no problem carrying her.

 

[FinnishLapphund]

I was very pleased when I finally found an almost bombproof hack for my daughter, after she had a horrendous accident trying out a horse for someone she become a very nervous hacker. Fany (the horse we bought) is an Ardennes (Trait Ardennais) Elizabeth was so gutted and I was furious when, over the moon with her new horse we went to the RC and someone said "shouldn't it be pulling logs?" What a way to pee on someone's parade!

I have also had it on here in the breeding section, Fany has the most fantastic nature, good conformation and is a very well bred Ardennes. However I was told, in the thread and by PM that she was not fit to be bred from!

It is also strange how people suddenly want to talk to us when Elizabeth rides/shows our KWPN Gelderlander gelding. What is the difference? They are both horses, both good for what they were purchased for.

Snobbery is a pernicious and spiteful way for some people to make others feel inferior and themselves superior.

Off topic, sorry, I've posted about this before, that in Sweden we don't just use our heavy breeds in forestry and in front of ploughs. The Swedish Ardenner was for long recognised as a separate sub-group of the Ardennes, since its ancestry is entirely from the Ardennes horses of Belgium and France, but it is now considered an own breed, anyhow, in case you want to show your daughter what Swedish Ardennes can do :

Palle doing pirouettes

The beginning of an Ardenner race
The finish, but the last horse has decided that it doesn't need to hurry anymore...



Then we have the North Swedish Horse breed, that has been separated into a light draught horse breed and a Coldblood trotter breed. Harness racing is as big in Sweden, as Horse racing (with Thoroughbreds) is in the UK and 3 times, has Järvsöfaks received the title Horse of the Year in Sweden (2003, 2004 och 2005) and he is a North Swedish Trotter/Coldblood trotter!

(Most common in Swedish Harness racing is Standardbreds, but we don't have any pacers in Sweden, all our harness races are for trotters, usually with a sulky, but sometimes under saddle in monté.)

Järvsöfaks started 234 times - 201 victories, 16 second places and 4 third places, the overwhelming majority of those competitions was at elite level, he holds the record for Coldblood trotters of 42 consecutive victories and he holds the record as the fastest Coldblood trotter etc.
He is, as far as I know, the only horse that has been invited and subsequently participated, in the Swedish Mounted Royal Guards parade!

His breeder, trainer and half owner, Jan-Olov Persson, did his military service as military police in Sweden's Royal Guard Cavalry Battalion and that, in combination with Järvsöfaks huge popularity, as well as Järvsöfaks proven ability to handle (and enjoy) being the centre of attention of large crowds of people, made the whole idea come up.

So, as one of 56 horses in the Swedish Mounted Royal Guards, Järvsöfaks has once, in August 2007, paraded up on the streets of Stockholm to the Swedish Royal Palace.

Photo Lars Jakobsson

He is also the first animal to have his hoofprints immortalized in concrete, at the amusement park Liseberg in Gothenburg, the largest and one of the most visited amusement parks in Scandinavia, it will be displayed, next to the handprints of for example, Michael Jackson and Luciano Pavarotti.

Photo from travbolaget

Can you tell that I'm a big Järvsöfaks fan?

And to get back to topic, what is probably the most usual snobbery in Swedish stables, is that people who rides Standardbreds will not get far, because "everybody" knows that such horses, can't really do any dressage or jumping blah blah...
Talking out of envy and/or low self-confidence, is what I think.

 

[picolenicole]

OH yes I have a groom for my wait for it..

on full turn out cobs!!!

My groom responds to mum

I have one just like this, but he answers to OH, Goose (don't ask) or please you know I love you!!

 

[Hovis_and_SidsMum]

Ha for sheer snobbery humour value try taking the Destroyer anywhere!
SJ-ing even the commentators have sniggered, dressage we have been known to empty warm up rings!! I have had to tell people feathers and a moustache are not catching....

I took him to a nearby XC course a few times and there were suggestions from fellow riders that one of the local long horned cattle had got loose onto the course...

I think my favourite video of him is when my husband is jumping him and he's flying around the jump off like a feathered machine and you hear a very snobby voice from behind the camera somewhere saying "well I wasn't expecting THAT!"

 

[stencilface]

I am a groom and when at SJ competitions i always make sure the horses are as shiney as shiney can be and spotless clean tack because i take pride in making the horses i care for look their best so when you see the person on their horse with dirty tack dirty boots and stains all over it you just think WOW you really made an effort... If you go out for dinner you dont go out with a dirty face and scruffy hair that you havent bothered to wash or brush so why would you take your horse out in public like that ?! ..... Some people percieve that by saying ew look at the state of that your being snobby but its not snobby at all you would just generally expect people to make a bit of an effort when turning their horse out in public !!

Thats great that your horses are all shiney, as are my friends as she too is a groom. But for the common or garden amateur who also has a job which doesn't involve horses, cleaning tack may be quite low on their list of priorities. Yes, I like having clean tack. But I would never think, ooh I really want to showjump tomorrow, but I can't go because my tack isn't spotless. Worse things have happened

I don't like poor looking horses, but then you canhave an ungroomed horse who looks shiney, thats all in the day to day long term care imho. I'd rather see a shiney horse and filthy tack, than shiney tack and dull looking horse. Obviously both is better, but sometimes life gets in the way of exciting things like tack cleaning

 

[Kenzo]

Off topic, sorry, I've posted about this before, that in Sweden we don't just use our heavy breeds in forestry and in front of ploughs. The Swedish Ardenner was for long recognised as a separate sub-group of the Ardennes, since its ancestry is entirely from the Ardennes horses of Belgium and France, but it is now considered an own breed, anyhow, in case you want to show your daughter what Swedish Ardennes can do :

Palle doing pirouettes

The beginning of an Ardenner race
The finish, but the last horse has decided that it doesn't need to hurry anymore...



Then we have the North Swedish Horse breed, that has been separated into a light draught horse breed and a Coldblood trotter breed. Harness racing is as big in Sweden, as Horse racing (with Thoroughbreds) is in the UK and 3 times, has Järvsöfaks received the title Horse of the Year in Sweden (2003, 2004 och 2005) and he is a North Swedish Trotter/Coldblood trotter!

(Most common in Swedish Harness racing is Standardbreds, but we don't have any pacers in Sweden, all our harness races are for trotters, usually with a sulky, but sometimes under saddle in monté.)

Järvsöfaks started 234 times - 201 victories, 16 second places and 4 third places, the overwhelming majority of those competitions was at elite level, he holds the record for Coldblood trotters of 42 consecutive victories and he holds the record as the fastest Coldblood trotter etc.
He is, as far as I know, the only horse that has been invited and subsequently participated, in the Swedish Mounted Royal Guards parade!

His breeder, trainer and half owner, Jan-Olov Persson, did his military service as military police in Sweden's Royal Guard Cavalry Battalion and that, in combination with Järvsöfaks huge popularity, as well as Järvsöfaks proven ability to handle (and enjoy) being the centre of attention of large crowds of people, made the whole idea come up.

So, as one of 56 horses in the Swedish Mounted Royal Guards, Järvsöfaks has once, in August 2007, paraded up on the streets of Stockholm to the Swedish Royal Palace.

Photo Lars Jakobsson

He is also the first animal to have his hoofprints immortalized in concrete, at the amusement park Liseberg in Gothenburg, the largest and one of the most visited amusement parks in Scandinavia, it will be displayed, next to the handprints of for example, Michael Jackson and Luciano Pavarotti.

Photo from travbolaget

Can you tell that I'm a big Järvsöfaks fan?

And to get back to topic, what is probably the most usual snobbery in Swedish stables, is that people who rides Standardbreds will not get far, because "everybody" knows that such horses, can't really do any dressage or jumping blah blah...
Talking out of envy and/or low self-confidence, is what I think.

What a great reply, ok strayed slightly off topic but a really interesting insight to the breed, the racing looks great down to earth fun too.

 

[marmalade76]

Am loving this post. As a cob owner and happy hacker, tell me all about snobbery. However, the funniest thing we had happen to us is was at a very posh dressage competition centre, not very far from Cheltenham ....... Anyway, eventer daughter and I rock up in our trusty Ifor Williams to be told to 'park with the trailers, we dont mix trailers and lorries'. It was full of dressage darlings on whopping big 'posh' warmbloods, prancing around. She mounted in the car park and we were told you couldnt walk horses on there, you could only ride in certain parts of the warm up. OK, we have a very smart skewbald wb/tb cross, but she is an eventer darling, and said daughter did turn up in an HS1 hat and a tweed jacket, which in a crowd of dark blue pikeur and pateys stood out like a sore thumb, and she had scowls and put downs, till she won her first class....... Laugh, I couldnt stop. We wont be going back there, but for sheer entertainment value it was priceless.

If that's where I'm thinking of, just reading the list of lorry park rules has put me off going there!

 

[BayJosie]

Thats great that your horses are all shiney, as are my friends as she too is a groom. But for the common or garden amateur who also has a job which doesn't involve horses, cleaning tack may be quite low on their list of priorities. Yes, I like having clean tack. But I would never think, ooh I really want to showjump tomorrow, but I can't go because my tack isn't spotless. Worse things have happened

I don't like poor looking horses, but then you canhave an ungroomed horse who looks shiney, thats all in the day to day long term care imho. I'd rather see a shiney horse and filthy tack, than shiney tack and dull looking horse. Obviously both is better, but sometimes life gets in the way of exciting things like tack cleaning

whilst I see what you're saying. I work full time in an office and only see my horse at weekends so don't have time to groom all the time and certainly dont have time to make my tack spotless everytime i ride but i still wouldn't dream of going to a compeition without having cleaned my tack/brused my horse. It's just respectful to the judge to make an effort imo.

 

[happyhack]

was at Patchetts on sunday and a little girl came out of a class on her pony crying her eyes out asking "Mummy, why didnt we win" her Mum said "Because your riding was rubbish and this pony is useless".



I was gobsmacked, I wanted to grab the child and hug her, vile vile woman.

 

[spookypony]

I think my favourite video of him is when my husband is jumping him and he's flying around the jump off like a feathered machine and you hear a very snobby voice from behind the camera somewhere saying "well I wasn't expecting THAT!"

Ooooh I want to see that video! Can you post it, pretty please??

 

[Trakehner]

I had a group of my students who were tired of the Dressage Queens making nasty comments about their horses and tack. At the next decent-sized show we took my Shire mare (18.2 hands and a big girl). They braided her feather, lovely mane rolls and her tail was lovely. I wore my shadbelly, topper and the fancy boots and entered in training level.

This mare could do amazing things for short spurts when the planets were alligned, she was perfectly warmed up and I'd been practicing with her for 2 weeks solid...she'd even do single tempi's for a bit with a lot of leg (lots and lots of leg).

We flying changed our way into the ring, stopped and saluted. The judge gave me the finger "come hither" command (we were friends and she knew what I was going to do, I gave her a warning). We trotted up and she asked, "Can I ride her when you're done pissing off the ladies?" "Of course" I said. We did all sorts of things, even a piaffe for 4 steps or so (we were both very tired by then). I stopped and saluted, my girls screamed and clapped and the judge got on my mare. That older lady could ride and got her doing some single tempis and a nice canter. She said she felt like a girl again. I got back on my mare, and when I walked out I commented to the DQ nasty women, "I did things on my draft horse you'll never be able to do on anything YOU might own".

Nasty, but my girls loved it.

 

[Horsehead]

I'm always impressed by people riding Draft horses!! I did my first ever competition on a clydesdale x TB (more clydesdale than TB by a long chalk) He was difficult for ME but that's just because i'm useless, but all the girls that go to that college couldn't talk more highly of him and his jumping ability. I came last out of my 4 because there wasn't that much room to manouvre him but he would've gone over on the dodgy angles because he was so honest!

I want a suffolk Punch one day!!!

In the snobbery debate, I'm doing an Equine degree, luckily most at my college are down to earth, but I moved from a different one which was purely an Equine college and the bitchyness was through the roof. A girl i knew was riding a dressage test on a horse that she'd never ridden, barely ever seen, and the comment 'OMG look at her, EVERYBODY knows Duke leans to the left' implying she had no idea what she was doing, I turned and said, actually she doesn't do equitation and doesn't know the horse. Shut her up, was so unnecessary. and saying that also that aforementioned competition was at a college where the students at that college, and one of the other colleges were all so so nice, but the team that came and ended up winning were so nasty and competitive and it was supposed to be for fun :-\ not cool!

I think i'm on a bit of a tangent but hey ho

xxxx

 

[FanyDuChamp]

Off topic, sorry, I've posted about this before, that in Sweden we don't just use our heavy breeds in forestry and in front of ploughs. The Swedish Ardenner was for long recognised as a separate sub-group of the Ardennes, since its ancestry is entirely from the Ardennes horses of Belgium and France, but it is now considered an own breed, anyhow, in case you want to show your daughter what Swedish Ardennes can do :

Palle doing pirouettes

The beginning of an Ardenner race
The finish, but the last horse has decided that it doesn't need to hurry anymore...



Then we have the North Swedish Horse breed, that has been separated into a light draught horse breed and a Coldblood trotter breed. Harness racing is as big in Sweden, as Horse racing (with Thoroughbreds) is in the UK and 3 times, has Järvsöfaks received the title Horse of the Year in Sweden (2003, 2004 och 2005) and he is a North Swedish Trotter/Coldblood trotter!

(Most common in Swedish Harness racing is Standardbreds, but we don't have any pacers in Sweden, all our harness races are for trotters, usually with a sulky, but sometimes under saddle in monté.)

Järvsöfaks started 234 times - 201 victories, 16 second places and 4 third places, the overwhelming majority of those competitions was at elite level, he holds the record for Coldblood trotters of 42 consecutive victories and he holds the record as the fastest Coldblood trotter etc.
He is, as far as I know, the only horse that has been invited and subsequently participated, in the Swedish Mounted Royal Guards parade!

His breeder, trainer and half owner, Jan-Olov Persson, did his military service as military police in Sweden's Royal Guard Cavalry Battalion and that, in combination with Järvsöfaks huge popularity, as well as Järvsöfaks proven ability to handle (and enjoy) being the centre of attention of large crowds of people, made the whole idea come up.

So, as one of 56 horses in the Swedish Mounted Royal Guards, Järvsöfaks has once, in August 2007, paraded up on the streets of Stockholm to the Swedish Royal Palace.

Photo Lars Jakobsson

He is also the first animal to have his hoofprints immortalized in concrete, at the amusement park Liseberg in Gothenburg, the largest and one of the most visited amusement parks in Scandinavia, it will be displayed, next to the handprints of for example, Michael Jackson and Luciano Pavarotti.

Photo from travbolaget

Can you tell that I'm a big Järvsöfaks fan?

Thank you for taking the time to post that. Elizabeth is soooo pleased and is going to email it round her snobby friends!

Snobbery is a very shortsighted and narrow way to view horses, still it is a laugh to see what people have written!