people riding that cant ride!

[fleabitten]

Was down at balmoral watching the working hunter and all the tinies doing their jumping rounds - i quite like working hunter as its supposed to be elegant and controlled and has that special sort of sparkle that XC or hunting doesnt have in my eyes.

They warmed up for ages before their round cantering round and round and round - mind you the ponies seemed fit enough.
When they rode their legs were swinging all over the place and kicking away - i suppose you cant blame them as they are only tiny - under 12??? can you??
And the ponies just took it all in their stride!

The parents buying their little children well schooled ponies that they can win on and then they dont ride properly .

Another thing that bugs me is the use of whips on ponies necks and shoulders - i was taught to give the pony a smack on the bum if he wasnt listening you you leg aids i.e. a squeeze, then a kick if not listening with your stick there to back it up.
We only used the whip on a ponys shoulder when you came round to jump a fence again that they had just ran out at - on the side they ran out at - as well as your leg and hand aids channelling the pony towards the jump.
Any other time to smack your pony on the neck is unacceptable.

So i was glad to see a girl on a brown pony using her stick responsibly at the show.

I dont want to start a huge debate about the whole whip thing, so i will shut up now!

[spotti]

I'm against whips completely, but that's my choice and I won't force it on anyone else.

However, smacking a pony on its shoulder is surely counter-productive because the point of the whip is to back up your leg, which is asking the pony to go forward, but by hitting it on the shoulder is blocking the forward movement and would surely confuse the horse...maybe making it slow down?

I don't know. Maybe someone else can explain it better, but it does sound like a silly thing to do if you want your pony to go faster!

[maximum]

poor kids, must be hard to have parents like that.

thankfully mine were happy for me to do whatever i wanted which was bimble about and have picnic lunches and mad hacks. never went near a show until I was 16.

[brigadier]

Actually its a good point about showing mothers/parents. Do their children grow up happy. Im not saying all parents whose children have ponies are of this ilk but there are a breed of mums and dads who push their children into becoming 'win' obsessed at whatever the cost. Never mind how miserable it must be for the ponies- what is it doing to the children.

I fear there are a number of mums and dads out there who try to live out their own failed ambitions through their children. IT IS DOOMED TO FAILURE!!!
Brig

[Becca]

The ones that upset me a the spoiled brats that beat their ponies when they exit the ring because they didn't come first, maybe they tripped during the indivdual show or ran out at a fence they were pointed too at the last minute on a horrible angle. The worst part, the parent just stand there "now now dear dont be so upset" grrrr

haha sorry one of my biggest pet hates!

[prasygow]

I just bought a horse from a lady who has had it sitting for 2 years waiting for her now 18 year old to "admit " that she loves horses and wants to ride again. The Girl gave up trying 4 years ago moaned and wined about riding for a couple years then just said NO!!!!
As we left the mum asked if we would be interested in the daughter riding for us when she "comes round"!
I had to bite my cheek to stop myself from laughing out load.

[kateflashy]

used be a failly that lived up the road from me they changed horses every month because it wasnt winning the thought obviously never entered there head it was the daughters riding

[zara]

Now you've got me started! I just hate going to shows and seeing all manner of horrors!
Kids who can't ride who then blame their pony
Spoiled brats srceaming 'cos they didn't win
Horse / ponies held down etc with all manner of unecessary ironmongery and gismos
Kids who seem to think their pony is infact a knitted donkey and is able to gallop up and down and jump all day without stopping for a rest or god forbid a drink and then expected to hack home!
Parents living a horsey life vicariously through their children who so obviously don't give a s**t.
I could go on all day, thats only for starters lol zx

[Blonde Donkey]

when i was showing savvy i chose where we went and what classes we did, my mum was quite happy to groom for me and i was always grateful and bought the ice creams at the end of the day.
i don't use a whip because i don't like them and savvy would just tell me to f**k right off if you're gonna do that get off.
savvy was never over showed and she loved going into the ring(poser - on the bit posh little twinkle toes) but was a nutter outside kicking and bucking the judge got a shock she saw us outside of the ring then inside i bet she thought i'd swapped ponies
when i gave lesson on my work exp last year i took whips away and had people jumping without stirrups to improve legs.

[brigadier]

Good for you Savvy- the Spanish riding school dont let their trainees have either for two years- imagine that- first you learn to ride- then you refine it.

Had an awful experience teaching pony club- resigned straight after. Lovely little girl on lovely little pony was enduring a two hour (yes two hour!) joint lesson- she was all of seven for goodness sake- Id say the attention span of a seven year old is about twenty mins max and thats with breaks- anyhow did them all a little jumping course in shape of a cross and gave them a time trial- her pony jumped lovely but her dad at side of field wanted more, so whilst I was engaged with other kids he dragged a home made moveable xc jump from the hedge and instructed her to jump it......pony refused/girl in tears, I came over just as mother joined them, as I talked to dad (asking him rather nicely ...for me!....not to interfere) the mother went up to the pony and gave it an almighty thump under its belly. Well you can imagine -all hell broke loose and I dont teach at that particular branch anymore! hee hee
But that is what you are up against- that little girl was just sick of it- and Ive no doubt she is spoiled but I cant imagine a surer way of cheesing off your children- and teaching them its the pony's fault- unforgivabble.
brig

[FirenLady]

that sounds terrible. I carry a whip when i ride Fire. only ever give him a tap with it when hes dozing during schooling (after ive asked with my legs) but he has no reason to be afraid of it and hes not, i could stroke him with it and he wouldnt care cos he knows im not gonna hurt him with it. For some unknown reason carrying it seems to improve his bravery 10 fold out hacking. I dunno if he thinks its a sword im gonna get the PEDs who live in the funny tufts of grass with or what.

Anyways I had taken my lil bro to a show and we was in the family class ring and some boy who was running late about 12yo had come in a lil welsh sec A pony . He came in lined his pony up and it wouldn't stand still and he was jabbing it in the mouth and kicking it and the poor thing looked so stressed. So his mother came in to assist him and he started crying and screaming telling her he didn't need any help and was yanking the horse away from her by the bit. It was awful it took all of my self control not to give him an earful. Then when she got the pony he sat there sobbing no respect for the pont at all.

[arumanii]

kylieavril -love the image of u hacking away at the horse eating monsters n others with ur *sword*! I once tried jousting with a broom (was applying to do a jousting video documentary thingy not just p***ing about) n think that would be an equally hillarious image!

H8 the damn kids that do stuff like that but h8 even more the adults/teenagers that act the same! They shud def kno better! I'd love to be able to turn it around n if the person didn't wanna jump something scary hit them or if they looked at something funny jab them in the mouth! Horses take so much but can hardly ever get their own back.

[duckles]

While I agree with all that's being said about pushy parents etc I am surprised that the standard at Balmoral wasn't better as its a pretty big show. I would have thought it would have kids who could ride pretty well (even if they had very pushy parents) -goes to show. I remember at my old riding school, there used to be show jumping leagues at weekends and a whole lot of kids from another school up the road used to come hacking down to compete. Some were good and some were useless and there was a lot of the flapping leg brigade but all were very enthusiastic and serious about it. However there was one girl who was an absolute brute. SHe was really savage. In fact several of us complained to the organiser as her behaviour was way out of line. He was not in any way a soft man but he wouldn;t have allowed that kind of behaviour from one of his own pupils. Although we were always complaining he did nothing about it. In hindsight i think he didn't want to lose the entry fees from the whole pack of kids. What really used to annoy me was that this girls behaviour was totally admired by all the other little kids. when she got on a pony who was refusing for someone else, and walloped it until it reared or bucked, they would all praise her skill and bravery. She was generally considered to be a fine horsewoman and very gutsy. Even the adults admired her toughness. The ponies she rode would be litterly shaking. It used to make me sick. i could never understand how her riding was admired.

[aimee]

I think that no matter where you go there is always gonna be some brat and their over-paid, more-money-than-sense parents! They treat their gorgeous little ponies like machines! I would have done anything to have had my own, practically perfect, pony at their age! Some kids are just ungrateful. But I do believe it is more the parents fault for not teaching their kids that animals are beautiful creatures that should be treated with love and respect.

RE> The whip. Yeah I carry one on Fern. 99% of the time I wont have to use it as she knows its there and so is much more responsive anyway. But I am more than willing to use it if she is ignoring my leg. Another thing I hate is seeing leg-dead horses from where their owners are anti-whip and will constantly kick their horses sides, most of the time bruising them, to try to get them going forward!!

[midori]

When you ride side you need to carry a whip or a stick, but not to hit, just to give the offside aids and help the horse not to swing his quarters out to the right.

Cheers, midori

[Flissy]

Along with the overuse of the whip theres the children taught to 'saw' their ponies mouths!
It is so fustrating to see .. hads down on the neck, pulling side to side. Dont they see the pictures of the dressage riders, hands off the neck - just like you'r reading a book (as I was taught) But yet they get away with it, well in the showing classes they do, becauses its judged on how the pony goes and not what the brat on top is doing. GRRRRRR !
Em X

[twinkle]

i have to admit i have picked up the habit of using the whip on the neck and not on the bum like i know i should and have been told to a million times i don't like using the whip and point blank refused when i first began riding but with the horses at my riding school you have no choice .