What equestrian post annoy you most on social media ?

[scats]

The equestrian influencer thing really bugs me. I follow a few, but I’m not really sure why.

Then there’s the people with their own yards, multiple horses that they spend the day riding, top of the range wagon, staff, indoor and outdoor schools and lots of financial support from rich parents having the cheek to talk to the rest of us about positivity…
Sometimes I don’t feel very positive after a 6 day working week, trying to work 2 horses before I go to work, on a yard with hardly any lights currently working!

 

[smolmaus]

I follow a few eventers on youtube and sometimes the ads get grating but tbh I see far worse in my other YT subscriptions. A "nerdy gameshow" type one I enjoy has just gotten a sponsorship from a toiletry wipes brand of all things and getting an ad break about how to wipe your own *ss is far worse than "SILVERMOOR HAYLAGE CHANGED MY LIFE MY PONY NOW POOPS RAINBOWS AND DOES MY INVOICES" ?

 

[L&M]

Without doubt it is the pseudo charities with their begging bowls. I fully support any formally registered charity operating in accordance with charity law but get quite grumpy with pony collectors who have more animals than they can cope with and so expect everyone else to fund them. If you are begging because you have run out of hay, don't take on any more horses and rehome some of the ones that you have. And as for the dealers masquerading as rescues......grrrrr.

and if you suggest they pts the worst cases, you are the devil incarnate!!! We have one of these 'private' rescues near us and it would be fairer to put some of them down......but they insist on keeping them going, take on more, then can't understand why they can't feed them all.......

 

[Expo]

I particularly hate the ones where someone is trying off load all their tatty old numnahs, bandages, head collars, rugs etc, often for silly money, all dirty and well used. GAH!!!

 

[snowangel5]

i hope you feel better soon op

 

[greenbean10]

It takes a lot to annoy me as I tend tojust live and let live but the one thing that really grinds my gears is seeing a video or picture of someone jumping a big fence (say 1m20+) with the caption “I know it’s only small but….”.

The worst one I saw was a teenage girl jumping her horse around a course of about 1m10 with the caption “cavaletti practice today”. URGH ?

 

[lynz88]

horses that are overbent/dropped in the back when said horse (and other horses) are all ridden the same way by the same rider who is a "professional".

 

[Shilasdair]

That rug post, you know the one.

Posted by people with very fat, very hairy and very unworked natives in the warm south of England as proof that no horse ever (not even a clipped lean Tb in the Highlands) should wear a rug.

 

[Gloi]

I've been seeing foals for sale on Facebook that I know have just gone through the auction. Poor wee mites not yet six months old and already looking for their third home.

 

[cumbriamax]

Bad riding.

People complaining that they aren't winning or even getting placed in their showing/dressage competitions and slagging off judges no end. Then you see a video of them riding said horse and instantly know exactly why they aren't doing well.

Can no one keep their hands still any more?!? It's all swing them from side to side with their hands down by their knees to "get the horse on the bit". ?‍

The side to side sawing thing is becoming commonplace, I spectated at our breed show this summer and was disheartened when ponies went past with the riders hands anchored either side of the either sawing side to side. The ponies look uncomfortable in their mouths too.

On the subject of social media, when someone has bought a foal/ youngster and has clearly got bored waiting for it to mature/ novelty has worn off or they didn't realise that it might not all be easy. So sad when you see young horses being sold on and sold on. Must be sad for breeders to see their youngsters being repeatedly sold.

 

[Apizz2019]

My bugbear is seeing horses for sale that have issues, because the owners don't have time to manage, yet still wanting top money as they need to fund their next horse.

Sadly, any horse can have an issue at any time, be that behavioural, injury, or illness, and it seems there are so many out there who aren't prepared for this and think the answer is to discard and replace with a shiny new one.

It drives me nuts!

I'm on livery, we have an EMS pony, and his management is financially and emotionally draining. He'll be outgrown within the next 12 months but won't be going anywhere, apart from a loan from the yard. If no joy there, he'll be my 'big dog' for the rest of his life, or we'll find him another job.

I'd rather keep him until the end of his day's, than sell on and him not be managed the way we do.

It will have a huge financial impact but I believe it's the right thing to do.

Each to their own I guess.

 

[southerncomfort]

The thing that probably upsets me the most both on here and social media, are the posts where someone has bought a yearling from somewhere it's lived out 24/7 in a herd, taken it home and shut it in a stable and wonder why it's so stressed/panicky/upset.

It's not just the thought of what the poor thing is going through, but also the effect it will have long term. Basically a good horse ruined before it's life has barely begun.

Those threads have me lying awake at night feeling depressed!

 

[SatansLittleHelper]

The most annoying thing for me: people

 

[Xmas lucky]

Equestrian YouTuber especially a very famous one that constantly is trying to get kids to buy very expensive helmet and other expensive brands.

 

[ycbm]

The side to side sawing thing is becoming commonplace, I spectated at our breed show this summer and was disheartened when ponies went past with the riders hands anchored either side of the either sawing side to side. The ponies look uncomfortable in their mouths too.

Not long ago an instructor demonstrated to me how to wiggle my hands to get my horse to drop his head. I peculiarly found that I was physically unable to comply with their instruction ?
.

 

[only_me]

For me - ordinary people starting gofundme Pages to pay for their horses/dogs etc. Vet bills.

Think I saw one the other day asking for donations so they could buy a horse trailer..l

 

[HanniRT]

Not exactly social media but, 'Re-advertised due to time waster'.

I don't mean the case of the horse not being collected that was on the other day, that was time wasting to a new degree. I mean our driving a 7 hour round trip to view a horse that wasn't near as advertised and lame. That is wasting our time. The owner knew where we were coming from and could have rung in the morning. Plenty of questions asked on our part beforehand too.

 

[Mary3050]

Every "equestrian influencer" and all the wannabe influencers ?

Maybe I've just not viewed the right story and there are good ones out there ? ??

I honestly do not see the appeal. Most of the "instafamous" big follower accounts can't ride one side of a rocking horse and are always moaning about some injustice in their lives if they aren't making tiktoks of the multiple new outfits they've been sent. The Blue Chip Academy participants are up there as the most irritating.

Being honest seeing some of these "influencers" wearing/using a brand puts me right off it and I've not bought certain brands solely because they make me think of certain influencers.

Every freebie that they get is the best thing they've ever used/worn and oh look, they have a discount/brand ambassador code ?

You can include "brand ambassadors" in this too. My vets have several and the one that I know, whilst a nice person, is the last you'd aspire to be like horse/riding wise. Its only because I like my vet so much that I've stayed because the social media "brand ambassador" promotion has made me want to change practices.

I know that's this is the way of the
world now, that it's cheap advertising for brands and there are plenty of people willing to sell their soul for a free baseball cap whilst spamming everyone with links ans brand names but yeah it bugs the life out of me.

I have on occasion tried to follow "influencers" thinking that it must be me and that I should be finding finding this shtick relatable/motivational/inspiring (delete as appropriate) but I just end up very glad that I'm not on a yard or RC with these attention seekers.

You'd think that there would be an element of free choice so because I've chosen not to follow influencers or BAs that I'd be free of the scurge but no, they have infiltrated every part of online equestrianism and publishing. I buy my niece & nephew Pony magazine and every issue features "influencers". To enter a completion they had to list 5 of their "favourite equestrian influencers". Ugg

Here endth today's vent ?

I hear you on this ! I have been on yards with wanna be influencer and a real influencer although they only have 25 k followers which is a lot but not loads she does have a few sponsors but she gain them mainly from competition results .

The wanna be influencer get me usually the 15 years with everything having to match . They don’t do anything themselves . They don’t get placed at a competition and it’s not there fault usually some stupid reason. Never the riding as they are always perfect . Everything has to be filmed from about 8 angles . They are perfect and in there eyes you Must kiss the ground they walk on usually as there mother does . There “sponsors” are usually a company nobody ever heard of but it’s the best think than sliced bread and they constantly try to force you to purchase stuff .

The actual influencer i know well . She works so so hard to compete her horses. She freelances for schooling and teaching she starts schooling at 6am . Has a job in the evening too. She never forces you to buy the sponsors products but will let you try them to gain your own opinion. Her posts are honest she says when she had a bad session or if her horse isn’t going well.

 

[Mary3050]

People who spend their time getting annoyed by other people's social media. Seriously, it's not healthy. Switch your phone off, take a social media holiday, do your own thing that makes you happy, and don't look at other people. Other people will always do things that annoy you, whether it's on social media or in real life. You can't change that, but you can change whether you look at it or let it wind you up.

My happiest time this year was spending 10 days in a remote area with no phone, internet, tv or radio signal. It doesn't take long before you replace scrolling through (and forming opinions on) other people's life choices with re-evaluating your own.

(and yes, I get that this is me writing how harmful social media is on a social media website. My irony detection is still functional!)

Until you realise what its like to be stuck in a room unable to get out of bed for days or weeks on end . You wouldn’t know what it like for your phone or tv to become your only connection to the outside world. The only escape you have, my phone at times is my lifeline . It’s a depressing world when you can’t get out of bed to see your horse or friends. Would love to go to a remote part of the country and have disconnected time but that wouldn’t be possible for me to not have a hospital appointment or a medical episode for that long .

 

[Mary3050]

I follow a few eventers on youtube and sometimes the ads get grating but tbh I see far worse in my other YT subscriptions. A "nerdy gameshow" type one I enjoy has just gotten a sponsorship from a toiletry wipes brand of all things and getting an ad break about how to wipe your own *ss is far worse than "SILVERMOOR HAYLAGE CHANGED MY LIFE MY PONY NOW POOPS RAINBOWS AND DOES MY INVOICES" ?

Omg this made me laugh . Yes I need some of that !!

 

[Mary3050]

i hope you feel better soon op

Thank you , a little better out of bed now !

 

[Mary3050]

My bugbear is seeing horses for sale that have issues, because the owners don't have time to manage, yet still wanting top money as they need to fund their next horse.

Sadly, any horse can have an issue at any time, be that behavioural, injury, or illness, and it seems there are so many out there who aren't prepared for this and think the answer is to discard and replace with a shiny new one.

It drives me nuts!

I'm on livery, we have an EMS pony, and his management is financially and emotionally draining. He'll be outgrown within the next 12 months but won't be going anywhere, apart from a loan from the yard. If no joy there, he'll be my 'big dog' for the rest of his life, or we'll find him another job.

I'd rather keep him until the end of his day's, than sell on and him not be managed the way we do.

It will have a huge financial impact but I believe it's the right thing to do.

Each to their own I guess.

I am in the same position with my mare . She got so many conditions one being EMS . Her medication cost is stupid but I do it because she gave me so many amazing years I would still do if she has it within the first week of owning her. It gets me too that why I looked for a companion with the same issue

 

[[135546]]

Ones where people put up a "woe is me" type post to excuse being unnecessarily judgemental and condescending of others.

 

[Crazy_cat_lady]

There's someone who I'm not friends with but keeps coming up as suggested so I nose through her feeds

Shes ragging her wonderfully honest horse who I wouldn't mind having over massive jumps even when the ground was rock hard, not caring about technique and charging into fences, encouraged by her "instructor." Both only seem to care about the height of the fences not how they get over them. Horse is so honest going off any stride. Surely one day that honesty will run out.

 

[Mary3050]

Ones where people put up a "woe is me" type post to excuse being unnecessarily judgemental and condescending of others.

Is that aimed at me ? Hardly being like name and shame the most annoying people on social media so I can head straight over and judge them

 

[Gamebird]

Until you realise what its like to be stuck in a room unable to get out of bed for days or weeks on end . You wouldn’t know what it like for your phone or tv to become your only connection to the outside world. The only escape you have, my phone at times is my lifeline . It’s a depressing world when you can’t get out of bed to see your horse or friends. Would love to go to a remote part of the country and have disconnected time but that wouldn’t be possible for me to not have a hospital appointment or a medical episode for that long .

Probably safest not to make assumptions about other people - you have no way to know about what they've gone through!

 

[[135546]]

Probably safest not to make assumptions about other people - you have no way to know about what they've gone through!

That was my point

 

[ElectricChampagne]

You would hope so but I know a few riding schools near me who sell them off in there twenties or if they start getting issue to a novice family for a first horse

This, so this! I know someone who's after purchasing an elderly horse that's apparently a shoolmaster. It's 23, has navicular, on a £275 + a month supplement for joint arthritis, really really horrendously bad box feet which are too small to carry its own weight, and it's legs seriously blow up after jumping. To top it all off it's got a horrid personality, and bites and kicks in the stable. Poor thing feels every day of its age. Turns out on top of it all it's a gelded late stallion with serious riggish behaviour. The owner is clueless to it all, thinks it's cute and rides away with it, jumping regularly! I feel so so sorry for it.
It's a huge accident waiting to happen because the owner doesn't have the experience the see what's wrong.

It’s the selling off of old horses that just breaks my heart.

Once saw some ditsy chick try to sell off her 27yr old horse because she wanted to do more jumping and needed the $$ from the sale of the 27. Yr old to fund the new horse.

It really is heartbreaking, especially in the case above, the poor horse..

 

[Rusky]

Ok so today.

someone selling a 25yo TB because they can no longer afford to keep it.
it’s not a small pony which will jump hedges hunting all day and live until hell freezes over.

They are wanting actual money and for it to be sold, not a loan or share etc.

they’ve been trying to get rid for a few months now and unsurprisingly no takers. It’s also not a novice ride as “forward going” so not suitable for someone to sit on and poddle round block.

I know many can’t afford to have multiples on livery or have the space/grazing to retire one and run another - I couldn’t. (which honestly, is what I think their intentions are as they’ve jumped the legs off this one)

It keeps cropping up and it just doesn’t sit right with me this one.

This makes me so so angry!! Treat the poor horse like a piece of sports equipment and when no good want rid of!! I think there are a lot of reasons why horses or ponies need sold on but getting old shouldn't be one, it cruel.

 

[nikkimariet]

Posts on behalf of other people that have been offended by someone else. ‘My friend is so upset that you xyz’

It’s social media. There are people who literally have a hobby out of using ghost accounts to wind others up. Put your big girl pants on, speak to a real life friend and remember the prison stripes aren’t worth it.