Surely this isnt right??????

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steph21

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Hi Guys, please tell me im not being over sensitive about this???

Some of you may no that I took abbey to a local show on saturday just gone, and we entered in the small ridden hunter class, in the group show she started to jog and play up a bit and was lifting her bum but NOT to the point where she was bucking by far! She was just really excited when we were asked to trot on and the canter, in the group situation as this usually means hunting to her!

Anyhoo...

When we got pulled in and did our own shows she was a little angel and did a really nice show, it then came to the part where the judge rides, and he got his assistant to tell me that

"he did not wish to ride my horse as he didnt want to wind her up any more"????

whats that about she really wasnt that bad! shes 15.2 and he was about 6ft!

I new that we wernt going to get placed in front of a few of them as they were obviously pro's but it did anoy me, how can you judge a horse if you dont ride it??

Am I being silly or should he of at least got on her?

I then later found out that he was a dressage rider judging a hunter class??
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Steph x
 
If she was acting up a bit perhaps the judge thought it was best not to ride her just incase she decided to act up whilst he was on board - judges need to think about their own safety as well
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I then later found out that he was a dressage rider judging a hunter class??
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He probably has some experience in the showing sphere, and you said it was a local show so the organisers don't need to get a "proper" showing judge
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I can sort of see his point I'm afraid - he doesn't know your horse and if she looked a bit worked up (even if she wasn't actually doing anything) it is fair enough to think about his own safety.

There have been a number of instances of ride judges getting ditched and hurt.

Difficult to take from your point of view, but if he had already made up his mind that he wasn't going to place your horse then I can understand his decision.
 
Manners are vital in the show ring. If I were the ride judge then I wouldnt get on anything that I thought may potentially injure me!
 
Im affraid I have to agree with the judge.
I had an ex race horse (hack) who could be difficult in the walk/trot/canter but would be an angel in his individual show.
Not long into starting out the judge had requested NOT to ride my horse, because he could see he was green and learning the trade. TBH its not their job to school the horse.
One particular judge had watched us all season and pulled me in first a few times, but when my horse acted up badly in a walk/trot/canter she said she wouldnt ride my horse and that i wouldnt be placed, but she knew my horse and knew how good he could be, but it wasnt his day that day...
I didnt get annoyed or upset, just one of those things.

To me, your horse just needs to go out and do more shows to get use to it.

Ive seen horses and been on the receiving end once... in the line up, at shows as high as Windsor if the horse acts up in the line up receiving the prize they will be put to the bottom of the line up
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sad, but a horse has to behave.
 
Two very experienced ride judges have received serious injuries from falls in the ring. Theyare doing this as volunteers for minimal epensenses and if injured , can suffer real losses.
Many horses react when a ride judge who is different shape, size and way of riding gets on board.
 
Everyone has made very valid points and, quite frankly, I don't think there is any point to a judge riding a horse at that point. If it hasn't gone well it isn't going to be in the running so what's to be gained, particularly if it looks like it might make the horse more tense or even become a safety issue.

Judges have nothing to prove - that's why the horses are there, though.
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A showing class is to show how easy and nice your horse is to ride, and how true to type it is. It is definitely not a bravest judge competition. Why on earth should an unpaid judge put his life in danger. An experienced ride judge had a very nasty fall at the weekend, another a few years ago in Dublin rode a "dodgy" horse, was dumped, and is only able to walk with the aid of a brace. Can no longer ride. You are probably lucky that you were allowed to stay in the ring. At some shows you would have been asked to leave.

Some of our top ride judges are better known as dressage riders. Can't understand why you brought that up?

And if it were a local show, then I doubt that there were pros at the top of the line. Just better prepared perhaps. In a "proper" small hunter class you would not do an individual show.
 
To be honet, Im surprised the judge rode any of them at local level. At our local show there is only a ride judge if its a qualifier, and even then the last couple of times there hasnt been, all H&S Im afraid!
Imagine how terrible you would of felt if something had gone wrong! It doent take much, even when a horse i having a good day!
 
Completely agree with FMM, I've seen judges have awfull falls. Its such a risky business, conformation judges arnt even meant to touch the horses now incase they kick out and I completely agree with them. The thing you have to remember is that you know your horse, to you the horse was being a little fresh, to the judge he might of looked like he was brewing something bigger! So you need to take that into consideration!
 
thanks for all your comments guys, I do see your point now, and like you said I new that she was just being silly but I supose from the judges point of view, it could have been dangerous for him to get on, lets hope she is more settled this weekend! x
 
I'm afraid it is right. Judges mostly give up there time for nothing more than lunch and their diesel money - often judging all day. Why should they take a risk on a horse that is clearly unsettled? I have seen a couple of ride judges take crashing falls over the years and I don't think they should have to take the risk - sorry.
 
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Manners are vital in the show ring.

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This is absolutely key. Having been an avid working hunter person for many years, this is rule #1!

You have to remember that (most of the time), the judge has never seen your horse before, doesn't know it so has no idea whether it will be 'an angel' or not when they get on! If s/he has seen it playing up, they are perfectly well within their rights to not get on if they think they may be injured.

These people are volunteers and quite frankly one of the reasons that shows go ahead. If they are injured and consequently can't work, that's a little unfair isn't it?!

Don't take it personally, I think you just need to take your horse to a few more shows to get her used to it. Good luck!
 
Last year on Bear's 2nd time out under saddle, at our local show, the judge got on him! I warned her he was just 4 and it was his 2nd outing under saddle, but she got on him. Admittedly he wasn't being naughty, just a bit alert and strong!
She put us 2nd out of 4 so I was chuffed to pieces!

Maybe its a female thing LOL
 
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