Snobbery within the horse world

[only_me]

see, everyone assumes I'm posh because I simply HAVE a horse It dosent help that I speak properly, and not slang/deep balfast brouge like because ive been dragged up nicely oh, and I'd love them to come and see what I do in a day when at home - usually knee deep in ****, stinking of haylage, mud rolling and generally getting very sweaty and smelly


But as for posh horses i appear to fit the criteria - he is big (16.2), extremely shiney (hours and hours of no grooming), fit (We hack maybe 4/5 times a week!) and has veins that come up on his legs (usually when the hunting horn is blown too) and is very well bred (but, as a gelding, doesnt matter squat ). We dont have a tan bridle, we do black baby

Oh, and we also have a black bridle and brown saddle

I love it when people assume im on a posh horse. Because then they usually act snobbish towards me as they ride their "normal horse". But when we warm up they are sure a lot more friendlier

have to say, pc is defo the worst for snobbery, but for me its the inve

 

[Weezy]

Well I hate to think what people think of me - on my BIG warmblood, with my almost £3k saddle, £300 bridle, Pikeur comp clothing and an ability to f*** up any time things are going well

But I don't care see, once I was the girl that had crappy clothing and rode only horses belonging to other people...and what a lucky girl I was as it gave me far more ability than I would ever have got from having one pony to myself And I used to SJ a half Shire, half Hannovarian 18hh+ lump of cob, that people used to laugh at, or say was a man's ride, and oh boy I loved seeing them have to apologise to me after a round, but I didn't revel in it, I just liked proving a point.

I am a snob, but I am nice, like Racingdemon. I absolutely abhor seeing scruffy riders, dirty horses, loose hair with hats plonked on top or wellies/trainers/etc instead of proper riding boots (they don't have to be expensive, just made for the job!). I abhor people with the *f it I don't care* attitude when they turn up to hunt with less than perfectly turned out horses and hair nets - it is all in the planning...plan, plan, plan and if you don't have time to ensure you are clean and therefore respectful of the show/hunt hosts, then go for a hack instead!

 

[only_me]

I am a snob, but I am nice, like Racingdemon. I absolutely abhor seeing scruffy riders, dirty horses, loose hair with hats plonked on top or wellies/trainers/etc instead of proper riding boots (they don't have to be expensive, just made for the job!). I abhor people with the *f it I don't care* attitude when they turn up to hunt with less than perfectly turned out horses and hair nets - it is all in the planning...plan, plan, plan and if you don't have time to ensure you are clean and therefore respectful of the show/hunt hosts, then go for a hack instead!

totally agree!

As for horses being snobbey, my horse is best friends with 2 donkeys. I think he is reverting to mule status!

 

[prosefullstop]

Pleased to say I've encountered zero snobbery Stateside, but then again I'm only riding once a week at a riding school. But the barn's liveries--some of whom are teenagers on six-figure horses--always say hello and smile when we cross paths.

I ran into the local hunt, too, one week, and several people waved hello as I trundled along the dirt road in my filthy Toyota

 

[Weezy]

There is absolutely NOTHING wrong with a dirty vehicle

 

[dozzie]

I realise now why I havent experienced snobbery! It is because I have the best horse! Everyone is in awe of her...

 

[gabbypinkjessica]

In reply to the posts about harness racing, I think it's a damn shame, it's a great sport! Whereabouts do you race?
Interestingly, my grandfather (who is landed and titled and all the rest of it; so posh it hurts you know the type, a bit like the old posh drunk character from the Fast Sow) was a big pioneer of harness racing back in the day, and imported some New Zealand thoroughbreds and established a long line of marvellous trotters.
Back then, it was really really posh!
I don't know why it is so badly regarded now, I suppose people mix it up with road racing and stuff like that.
It's the best evening out I can think of (and yes, I do wear the pearls daaaaahling...)

 

[gabbypinkjessica]

Oops, I meant Fast Show!

 

[Lanky Loll]

In reply to the posts about harness racing, I think it's a damn shame, it's a great sport! Whereabouts do you race?
Interestingly, my grandfather (who is landed and titled and all the rest of it; so posh it hurts you know the type, a bit like the old posh drunk character from the Fast Sow) was a big pioneer of harness racing back in the day, and imported some New Zealand thoroughbreds and established a long line of marvellous trotters.
Back then, it was really really posh!
I don't know why it is so badly regarded now, I suppose people mix it up with road racing and stuff like that.
It's the best evening out I can think of (and yes, I do wear the pearls daaaaahling...)

I think the road racing has a lot to do with it unfortunately
We race mostly in South Wales/Herefordshire with occasional ventures up to Tregaron. We have yet to make the trek up to Tir Prince or York.

 

[CCLPony]

"Kick and up, Kick and up"

 

[Holly Hocks]

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.

I take it that as you only see your horse at weekends you have it on full livery - schooled and everything done for you. Maybe you'd feel differently if you had to get up at 5.30am 7 days per week to feed, muck out, water, rug, turn out and ride them yourself - and then going back at the other end of the day to do the rest. Somehow cleaning tack and sprucing the horse comes at the bottom of the list - sleeping comes higher on my list of priorities, not whether the tack as a bit of **** on it. And for what its worth, I don't do affiliated dressage because I can't afford it, but I do plenty of unaffiliated dressage with my unplaited TB - and win or am placed every time out. Decent judges can see past the plaits and tack. And as for showjumping - plaits and clean tack don't get a clear round - rider and horse ability do.

 

[hannahmurphy]

I know I was subject to a lot of snobbery when I was younger, but seeing as I was a 'townie' I was hard nosed to it & didn't notice these things ......

• The way I was spoken to out hunting - yes that is a red ribbon & I will swear if you purposely ride up her arse even though you can clearly see said ribbon. Got talked down to for having a kicker (she was 4 & very mare-ish for gawdsakes!) & then the swearing ha ha

• The mare was out of action for Pony Club Camp on year, so I took green as grass scruffy cob who the RDA had just taken on. The day before camp he had his first canter/gallop in the saddle, then we went to camp & got him a 2nd in the dressage, popped him round the XC & a little course -whilst the disabled riders from the RDA watched him. It was hard work but lovely. Not that any of the Pony Club rich kids or Pony Club mums thought so ....... I may as well have been something on the bottom of their shoe

• And the worst case of snobbery was from a family I worked for. The mother was a battle axe, two sons, one into showjumping, one into polo - I was the polo groom & apparently that meant the mother could treat me like utter crap, whilst the SJ groom could do no wrong Charming.

Too many stories .......
Think my amazing (free!) ISH makes up for all the rubbish over the years. He's one of those horses that everyone loves & carries himself well so even if you aren't asking much of him he makes you look good Don't get much snobbery coming my way now - Not that anyone would stand much of a chance now!

 

[Apercrumbie]

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!

I get this a LOT!! I used to compete at a reasonably high level (and regularly beat people who had ridiculously expensive horses and riding instructors to boot) and they all turned their noses up at my little mare who went around with her nose in the air. I was constantly made to feel that I wasn't good enough to compete with them. I stopped competing because I stopped enjoying it, and their attitudes had quite a lot to do with it.

Well the looks I get now from them are ten times worse. Everybody just assumes that because you no longer compete you can't ride and that your opinion is therefore worthless. People who used to ask me for advice now never do and often I think twice before posting advice on here because people's looks are starting to affect my faith in my own ability. (By the way, I would never give advice about something that I hadn't experienced or didn't know about)

When I refer to people with expensive horses, I don't mean to cause offence. If I had the money, then I'm sure I would have looked for more expensive horses and been taught by the "right" instructors. It's not their spending power or their gorgeous horses I have an issue with, it's the attitude and their cliques.

 

[Llewellyn]

I entered a compertition with a popular horse magazine which shall remain nameless (when I was 7)!!!!!
When I was young I didnt have my own pony to ride I rode other peoples trouble makers.
When I entered the compertition I said if I won the saddle it would be for my loan pony.
I got a rude letter back saying that to enter the compertition you had to own your own horse....

That is snobbery.

 

[miss_bird]

I am prob bottom of the pecking list, i breed ISH and so all rugs get used year after year til they are worn to death and then i buy second hand ones from ebay.
Acquaintances and friends will ring and say oh we have had someone leave the yard and they have left a couple of rugs behind and we thought of you.
I am so not proud and will happily accept them.
Also i no longer compete as i am always on young horses and people do tend to get short with you when taking a young horse to a low level show.
But then i get the other end of the scale, i have saved and brought all very good tack, which i look after well as i cant afford to replace it and when i ride out horse are clean along with tack and people then assume i have money and am a snob, big shiny horse and expensive tack, but no i am still that person that friends and associates give rugs to.
People perceptions are very strange.

 

[indiat]

We have a lady move onto our yard who means well but knows the price of everything and the value of nothing. My daughter's pony, who we all adore, was given to us for nothing. As a rather elderly and bad tempered exmoor with COPD and sweetitch, she didn't have much of a future. YO said if we could find a use for her, daughter could have her. The mare has turned out to be a brilliant PC pony but the sweetitch is hard work in the summer. This lady was watching me wash her one day and said, "You put an awful lot of work into that pony. Why do you bother when you could get something so much better?"

"Quite frankly, love, if you have to ask the question, you are never going to understand the answer," was my reply.

 

[Lolo]

I honestly think I have never experienced 'snobbery'. I know a lot of stupidly rich people (in our area there is one very wealthy PC branch!) who occasionally make you cringe by saying completely mad things about the value of stuff and who buy their children expensive ponies, but they're all just as willing to turn and chat to you about anything and everything. They lend stuff out willingly, always have something funny to say and don't mind that you rock up in your homemade lorry with your slightly mad horses.

The snobbiest people I know are the ones who are 'inverse' snobs, on their cobs who cost far more that the combined price of both mine and my sister's (smart looking, admittedly) bay TBs, including tack! We did a mini-major SJ relay once- my sister on her flying coblet who looked very smart in action and my on my equally nice looking bay TB. We won by miles and miles- over 10 seconds, because we are both speed demons and our changeover was immaculate. As we exited the ring after the lap of honour, we overheard one woman say "They only won because their mother's the secretary"...

And recently my sister was bitched about, because she rides a 'ready made horse'. Reg is a hurdler/ pointer who has been reschooled for a year now, almost entirely by my little sister. Now, he's a stunning big bay TB with matching tack and a lush jumping saddle, but 12 months ago he was a scrawny thing with cow hocks and pointy hips and a saddle older than he was!

 

[Enfys]

Where would we be with it? Always a cause of amusement.

Such a weird word when you look at it - s n o b

I am a frightful snob when it comes to immaculate turnout in public, hunting especially, I couldn't give a monkeys what your horse is though, a 5 pound market buy or if it cost you 5 figures or more, just as long as it is clean, plaited etc, and my biggest hang up, hair in a net and bulled boots.
OK so at home, I look as if I've just finished a days work on the garbage trucks (and nothing wrong with that, honest days work, for an honest days pay, I don't care what people do for a living, or whether they live in a castle or a double wide in a trailer park)

 

[hairycob]

A couple of weeks ago I was stewarding at a ODE/Hunter Trial. Son was warming up for the 90cm Hunter Trial on his very eye catching, very hairy, heavyweight cob. A lady was standing mext to me (not realising I was mum) & said "I love seeing that horse as people who don't know him don't realise how well he jumps & there is always someone making stupid comments before he goes. He did 1.0 m last week & it was so funny watching people's surprise". I confessed who I was & told her next time she can point out he failed vetting due to a severe cataract in one eye so we got him for a bargain price. We did have a good laugh as he went down to the start box & heard someone say "surely he's not taking that cart horse round this height" (came 5th).

 

[thinlizzy]

Excellent post, i have a relative who has a standardbred (trotter)she has won trotting races when younger, does sj, xcountry, etc now she looks stunning shes all clipped out and a lady admired her very posh ,competes etc was asking if she was a polish warmblood-------went on about her conformation , etc and when told 100% s/bred she was clueless so when was explained trotter she trotted off , it was such a shame really becaue shed watched her compete and was intrested in her she gets places regulary and has won at competitions

 

[3DE]

I get the one about 'why don't you compete - are you not good enough?'. Well if I wasn't good enough I wouldn't have 2 horses for breaking and one for completely restarting

 

[sakura]

I've had the usual "it's just a cart horse" comments and the opinion that if you're not jumping regularly 1m 10 or out competing that you're just no good...... but I did reback my horse myself....

I've had a lot of comments because Joey is shire x gypsy cob, his mother came from Appleby and he was used up on the moors, so a lot of people think he's good for nothing else, but I get the joy of knowing otherwise

none of this is at my yard strangely, they're all very very supportive there!

 

[Wildforestpony18]

I have seen parents hitting kids with whips if they didnt win the class!

 

[Lolo]

I have seen parents hitting kids with whips if they didnt win the class!

My favourite "parenting" moment has to be a little girls pony doing it's damndest to deposit her at the third fence, despite some rather determined riding. She was eliminated (she was about 9 at the time), and when she came out of the ring she gave her pony an enormous wallop on it's arse. Quick as a flash, her mum administered a similar slap on her leg, with the reproof "If you'd done that in the ring, you wouldn't want to do it now!"

 

[JessandCharlie]

Tickled me the other weekend when I was warming up Len for a BS competition and I was just walking around the collecting ring and somebody rode up next to me on her warmblood type. For those of you that don't know; Lenny is a freisian X with HUGE feet! He certainly stands out, but he can really jump (and he's fast ) Anyway, this woman glanced in my direction and took a double take, before looking at me, then back at Len.
The look on her face wasn't one of snobbery, but total confusion. It was like I was warming up my showjumping zebra, and I genuinely think she couldn't understand what on earth he was! It really made me chuckle.
I also heard a conversation that went like "He's nice" "NICE? He wasn't built for jumping" Hmm (double clear)
I do love the snobs. Out of Ireland by Boat - that's fab!

 

[LEC]

Having class and looking smart does not need to cost money. Also it does not matter about how you get to a show but what comes out of the trailer and if that horse looks super smart then great.
Small things like spending time learning to plait and turn out cost nothing yet instantly create a much better picture.
I am a massive horse snob but you do not need a massive budget to have a nice horse and look smart. Small things can make a huge difference but thanks to ebay they are within everyones reach.

 

[Minnies_Mum]

I think the beautiful thing about riding is that it is a great leveller- natural talent and hard work is more important than what money can buy you.

I've known some horrendous snobs- I can think of one who went on non-stop about her £10,000 horse that daddy bought for her.....but she couldn't handle it and ended up too scared to get on. I sympathise with this, because I suffer from terrible nerves too, but I make sensible decision about what I ride, based on my ability, not what it looks like.

"My" two boys (I saw "my" because one is mine and one is not) are chalk and cheese, and I love them both dearly. My TB is an ex-racer, beautiful, chestnut and shiny. He is also sharp and unpredictable and a large part of the reason that I battle with my confidence issues now. We did dressage (he's 23 now and has been retired for a couple of years due to soundness problems) and probably looked very nice all plaited up but the performance was never quite so pretty! But we battled on...!

"My" other boy is a 23 year oldf trekking pony, of unknown parentage but we're pretty sure he's a hackney X welsh sec D. He was bought from Salisbury market at 6 years old, for (most likely) not very much. I've ridden him for 12 years (on and off) and I trust him absolutely. I'd take him anywhere, at any pace and he makes me feel brave. He's not easy, he's extremely strong and can throw a bit of a paddy, but I think it's all fun when I'm on him. I've heard a lot of people describe him as anything from "funny looking" to "ugly" (he's in a trekking centre and some customers can be rude!). His hogged mane never grew back down again, even after 12 years, he's never been schooled properly so he's a funny shape and his knees are knobbly where he fell on the road once. But I don't care- he makes me feel like the rider I never thought I would be again, after my confidence was knocked, and if I could own him I would jump at the chance. I've borrowed him for sponsored rides and if anyone commented I didn't hear, I was too busy feeling on top of the world- I'd buy him tomorrow if I could.

I guess what I'm getting at, is that what a horse looks like or costs should be irrelevant- it's about the relationship. And the people who look down on someone's hairy cob or inexpensive tack, and exchange their horse for another expensive one the minute it stops winning for them, will probably never understand how it feels to have that bond.

 

[silverstar]

I had a crappy old box on loan for a while. It was common for people to actually point and laugh when we arrived at sponsored rides and competitions

My box is like that but I dont care. Its what comes out of it that matters and at least you have transport.

 

[Rouletterose]

Reading these posts I am absolutely gobsmacked at some of them, I have never ever come accross people who are nasty and snobby as some of the things said to some on here! makes me wonder if I am on a totally different planet, have been to masses of shows, clinics, etc over 40 years and never come accross comments like these. Most horsey people I know are lovely.

Makes me wonder if some of the snobbery is imagined in the minds of some?

 

[3DE]

Reading these posts I am absolutely gobsmacked at some of them, I have never ever come accross people who are nasty and snobby as some of the things said to some on here! makes me wonder if I am on a totally different planet, have been to masses of shows, clinics, etc over 40 years and never come accross comments like these. Most horsey people I know are lovely.

Makes me wonder if some of the snobbery is imagined in the minds of some?

Or maybe those that do it don't realise