Use of whips at showgrounds

[scrumpygus]

I watched an unaff sj comp a few days ago and I just wondered if anyone else got really annoyed watching sj and seeing the excessive use of whips and has anyone ever stood up and complained? I do get annoyed when you see some riders make a mistake then the horse/pony gets a beating for their mistake - i really feel like saying something and yet i dont - if someone whipped a dog the way i see riders whip their horses there would be uproar - does anyone else wonder why it is accepted - shouldnt show grounds have stricter rules on the use of whips?

 

[RomanyMayday]

we saw a horrible incident last week, when the woman started beating the horse as soon as she got in the ring when it clearly didn't do anything wrong! So mum and her friend went and complained to the owner. Im sure theres a BSJA rule about the use of whip?

 

[Baggybreeches]

Whenever I am judging, I do make it very clear to people that misuse of the whip could result in them being ask to leave the showground, not just the class.
There is a rule about misuse of the whip and anything other than 'fair and appropriate' use is banned!

 

[Ottinmeg]

i complained about a kid at a hunter trial i was fence judging at ( well i wrote excessive use of whip at previous fence on my sheet ) looked at the scores later and she had been eliminated for it!

 

[rotters13]

The Pony Club have a rather weird rule that you will be eliminated if you use the stick before the first fence....

 

[Rhiann0n]

Use of the whip after the last fence is always abuse under BE rules.

 

[Thistle]

PC rules don't allow the whip to be turned upside down and I think I've seen a rule somewhere about 3 smacks

 

[MandyMoo]

under BSJA rules i think you cant use your whip more than 3 times around a course, and obviously if you are ''beating it to death'' they will probably eliminate you and give you a warning of ''abuse of horse'' and make it official...

xx

 

[dizzyf]

it's 3 smacks per jump i think.
i also hate seeing/hearing peole screaming at their horse the whole way round the course!!
as a whole, SJers are the worst riders, some people just yank and pull their horses round the course!

 

[SpottedCat]

[ QUOTE ]
it's 3 smacks per jump i think.
i also hate seeing/hearing peole screaming at their horse the whole way round the course!!
as a whole, SJers are the worst riders, some people just yank and pull their horses round the course!

[/ QUOTE ]

Ha, hope you didn't see me at my last two events last year then. I had to growl at the horse the whole way round - he did not want to jump because of ulcers, but I was under vets orders to keep competing him - it was the only way I could get him round the blooming SJing! The XC was fine....

 

[jumptoit]

There is a very complex BE rule about it - It's an entire annex!:

[ QUOTE ]
EXCESSIVE USE OF WHIP, SPURS & BIT
i. WHIP
The use of a whip must be:
a. for a good reason - The whip must only be used either as an aid to encourage
the horse forward or as a reprimand. Thus it must never be used to vent a rider’s
temper
- any use for such a reason is automatically excessive and therefore a breach of
BE Rules.
b. at an appropriate time - As an aid, the appropriate time is when the horse is
reluctant to go forward under normal aids of seat and legs. As a reprimand, the
only appropriate time is immediately a horse has been disobedient, e.g. napping,
refusing (but not after elimination, which is always excessive). The whip should
not be used after a horse has jumped the last fence on a course.
c. in the right place - As an aid to go forward, the whip may be used down the
shoulder or behind the leg. It must never be used ‘over arm’, e.g. a whip in the
right hand being used to the left flank. The use of a whip on a horse’s head, neck
etc. is always excessive use.
d. with appropriate severity - As a reprimand only, a horse may be hit hard.
However, it should never be hit more than three times for any one incident; and
if the horse is injured by the whip, e.g. the skin is broken or there is a weal, its
use is excessive.
ii. SPURS
Spurs must not be used to reprimand a horse. Such use is always “excessive”, as is
any use that results in a horse being injured by a spur.
iii. BIT
The bit must never be used to reprimand a horse. Any such use is excessive.
iv. PENALTIES
a. A Caution will be issued only in very minor cases,
b. Unless there are special mitigating circumstances, disqualification of the horse
from the event will be the normal penalty for excessive use of whip, spurs or bit,
together with a fine of up to £150. If the horse has already been eliminated, the
rider may also be disqualified from riding any other horses at the event and will
be fined up to £150.
c. In addition, according to the severity of the case and the experience of the rider,
the offence may be referred to the Disciplinary Committee, which will consider
suspension of the rider.
d. If a rider has already been thus cautioned once in the previous twelve months,
he will be disciplined for any subsequent offence.
Annex 7 - EXCESSIVE USE OF WHIP, SPURS & BIT
92

[/ QUOTE ]

I think PC run under pretty much these rules or are as far as I know are meant to for eventing at least.

 

[Golden_Match_II]

I'm always concerned about getting in trouble for using my whip too much on Andy, because he just so lazy. I hate seeing people beat their pony to a pulp, yet Andy is so slow.

I dont ever wanna be a hyposcrite, but sometimes people generally need to use a whip. I hiss, and kick as well, otherwise he stops. He's so awkward... ¬.¬

 

[jumptoit]

I know what you mean ideally my mare would get a good tap before I started my round as she just falls asleep but under PC rules I can't use the whip before crossing the start or first fence (depending if they have a start - sometimes they don't bother) so I don't risk doing it.

 

[Rambo]

[ QUOTE ]
it's 3 smacks per jump i think.
i also hate seeing/hearing peole screaming at their horse the whole way round the course!!
as a whole, SJers are the worst riders, some people just yank and pull their horses round the course!

[/ QUOTE ]

I think you need to get your facts straight and not cast such general aspertians as saying "SJers are the worst riders"

For your information, the rule under BSJA is that you are not allowed to smack the horse more than 3 times in the entire round, and you are not allowed to raise the whip above the shoulder AT ALL.

I don't condone horse cruelty in anyway whatsoever, but i have been involved with horses for around 35 years now...and i know that sometimes a couple of sharp smacks are needed to remind a horse that it is not the boss, but the rider is

I'd rather see a horse smacked a couple of times for the right reason when it's done something wrong than see it constantly abused by jabbing in the mouth, tapping down the shoulder, and nagging with spurs...when it's the rider who is usually at fault.

 

[Gamebird]

The worst one I saw last week was a teenage girl who was probably 2 stone too heavy for her pony. It had a Dutch gag on the bottom ring (why????? I honestly think she'd have been OK in a headcollar), she thwacked it down the shoulder on every stride and kicked it hard with her spurs on every stride. She bounced up and down on its back without the merest trace of balance.. Unfortunately the pony was a Christian and lolloped round regardless and she won the class - so clearly she doesn't need and help, advice or lessons as she's better than everyone else already

 

[viewfromahill]

Actually in BSJA it is 3 times if you take your hand off the reins, you can therefore smack down the shoulder for example as much as is needed without penalty, but I would agree that sometimes and I know not always, but sometimes there is a damn good reason behind giving an animal a jolly good reminder!

 

[dizzyf]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]


I think you need to get your facts straight and not cast such general aspertians as saying "SJers are the worst riders"

[ QUOTE ]
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Rambo- Obviously not all! But if you watch the lower levels (esp teenage girls then you do see lots of them screaming and tugging at their horses, making too tight turns etc. Our local area championship competitiotns have started to issue flatwork prizes for the winners, as the organisors felt the same.

As for my facts; My sis had to be pulled up by a jump judge at a local SJ show, and was told "3 smacks before each fence".

And I'm def not saying I never giive my boy a good smack (lets face it, it sounds worse than it feels for them) as he can be really lazy! But if you have to shout the whoke way round a course, are they enjoying their jumping?

 

[Sol]

'c. in the right place - As an aid to go forward, the whip may be used down the
shoulder or behind the leg. It must never be used ‘over arm’, e.g. a whip in the
right hand being used to the left flank. The use of a whip on a horse’s head, neck
etc. is always excessive use.'

Hmm....
Was fence judging at Arley the other week, one guy came into the fence we were at, whacked his horse down the right shoulder several times (all horses that ran out that day ran left - the right of the fence was pretty blocked up, left side was clear so, you'd think using common sense most would run left anyway?) Horse refused. Rider then proceeded to whack his horse repeatedly, whip in right hand, across the back of his horse, while holding a tight contact so it couldn't bolt. The horse then jumped the fence on the second attempt.
I have several photos of the rider using the whip even... though at the time, the person I was with did not write anything down about it. I wish I'd made a point... or reported him. I was outraged, people who ride like that should be banned from riding horses.

Also found people overusing whips in the warm up a lot. I mean striking their horse so it can be heard across the arena. My last horse was very spooky at this noise and hated the sound of another horse being hit and would tense up and react quite violently at times (we suspect she'd been hit more than once before we bought her) and at that stage I'd sometimes have to leave the warm up arena or at least stay away from that horse/rider. The annoying part was a lot of the time, those horses didn't need that kind of treatment

 

[Erehwemos]

My mum has run a lot of shows in the past, and always used to employ a very strict policy regarding use of the whip. There was one girl I remember well who had a cracker of a pony, used to win everything in sight - but at one show he stumbled slightly in the ring and missed his take off going into a fence. She turned him on a tight rein and started to beat the living daylights out of him! Mum was actually at the ringside as I was competing too, so she radioed the commentators to ring the bell, then stormed in and gave the girl a rocket. Not liking what she was being told, the girl then started to swear at Mum so Mum asked her to leave the showground! At least she made an example of her - she deserved it

That poor pony