Guess Ill Just Stop Showing

[MindyLee]

You know what actually happened to me last year at my very 1st "R" show with my 7 yr old stallion Sentra??? I had a person come up to me and tell me to my face that "How dare I bring my stupid horse to their show." I was shocked!

and just smiled and said... "I'll see you at the next show and win your stupid ribbons there as well with my stupid horse!" And walked away. What I guess is that because my stud who has never been in the showring before won many 1st-3rds when he really did'nt stand still very long as he yelled his head off, he should have never placed in thet persons eyes. But after my 1st class, the judge walked up to me and informed me that in his opinion, I had one of the best looking horse at the show that weekend and with a little more work he'll win like crazy! I took that as a HUGE compliment and that is what kept me showing the rest of last year and now this year as well. I am proud of my horse and love to show him even if he's a s***head in the ring!

I just smile and laugh as he's having the time of his life and that's all that matters to me. And if it's a waste of money... who cares, it's my money not anyones elses. To this day, I see the same person at every show I go to and all I get is dirty looks but who cares as I'm there to have fun and I'm not going to stop just because of a few bad folks in the crowd.

 

[Katiean]

Last year was our 1st AMHA show in May. We did quite well 1st-3rd's in Country Plesure Driving. We wanted to go to The rejional show in July but I almost died June 1st. We made it back to our May AMHA show and did even better than we had done the year befor. But, we had showed 2 horses. I am not sick but it just is not near in the budget to show. But, in the first Country Pleasure class we were in was the first show for my Missy and she placed over two very prominant names in the rejion. There are politics. But not that day. We were real proud of the accomplishment. (and it was fun watching their jaws hit the arena floor) LOL

 

[tagalong]

I am proud of my horse and love to show him even if he's a s***head in the ring!

I just smile and laugh as he's having the time of his life and that's all that matters to me.

Mindy - is he still jumping around and yelling his head off in the ring as you seem to suggest?

If so - he may be - or may have been - a disruption to others in the class... and while it was very rude for that person to say such a thing to you, sometimes we need to take a step back and look at the big picture. Just a thought, anyway. And I would never reply to anyone in kind - just nod and smile wisely - and walk away.

******

Every so often a new thread starts on the forum about showing politics and how someone took their Super Duper Stallion to a show and the trainer with the fugly stallion beat them so it must have been all politics!! It could not have been the conditioning, the presentation, the handling - or even the horse itself!

No trainer who knows his/her stuff is going to have a fugly nag on the end of the lead shank...

So many have made so many excellent points along those same lines!

Some politics comes into play at times... but most of the time it is the best horse in that ring at that moment in time for that judge(s) that wins...

I always refer to this tale when the subject of politics comes up... years ago I was working at AMHA Nationals - I rarely got to watch any classes from the seats inbetween being in the ready ring prepping horses, running back and forth from the barn to the arena(s) etc. But I kept hearing about the politics that were on display... one particular filly had many people upset. She was being shown by a BNT (Big Name Trainer) and she was kicking butt. She was also kicking butt in the Ammy classes. I had seen her whisk by me in the hitching ring, but never got a really good look at her. The grumbling in the barn intensified. I watched part of her final halter class from the stands before I ran back down to the gate to collect our filly from our trainer... and she seemed completely... ordinary. Oh, she showed well and all - but seemed to be just an average grey mare... who then swept that class.

I was in the washrack shampooing our filly later - who had come 3rd (or maybe 4th?) - and looked over to the next wash stall. There was one of the girls who worked for BNT with the grey filly - wringing wet and miserable. My jaw dropped. She was... SPECTACULAR. Even standing there wet, with her tail clamped and shivering and no "make-up" or pretty halter on - she was gorgeous. And well deserving of all the ribbons she was awarded. Sometimes, what you see from the stands - or from the front of your own horse - is not what the judges are seeing. That drenched grey filly taught me that...

 

[JWC sr.]

Tags,

you are so right, having been in center ring when Miss Kentucky was being shown in the Champion of Champions class was breath taking at times. As an extra added bonus getting th hear the judges deliberate was very interesting as they picked apart each of the horses to each other at times.

The last year she won she was beat by the Senior Stallion, till the judges made one more pass down the line up and Mike H ask for her ears and neck once more, she finally gave them to him and it was over. When the judges starting deliberating, several commented on this and then they all came to the conclusion to use her. Pretty neat stuff to watch and understand a little better from a judges standpoint. As they say every horse is judged by a snapshot in time and each time that snapshot can be different.

 

[Minimor]

I am proud of my horse and love to show him even if he's a s***head in the ring!

I just smile and laugh as he's having the time of his life and that's all that matters to me.

Mindy - is he still jumping around and yelling his head off in the ring as you seem to suggest?

If so - he may be - or may have been - a disruption to others in the class... and while it was very rude for that person to say such a thing to you, sometimes we need to take a step back and look at the big picture. Just a thought, anyway. And I would never reply to anyone in kind - just nod and smile wisely - and walk away.

******

At some shows a horse behaving this way could actually end up being excused from the ring, with the handler being told not to bring the horse back for any more classes. Most shows have a rule that states something to the effect of "unruly animals will be excused from the ring"--it's just a matter of what the particular show officials deem to be "unruly". Here there are some shows that prohibit stallions from showing at all, because years ago there was an exhibitor who went around to all the shows with an unruly stallion. Show management just decided that it was easier to not have stallions at their shows at all, and after all these years they haven't seen any reason to change the rule back. It's rather disappointing to exhibitors who have a well behaved stallion they'd like to show now!

 

[wildoak]

As they say every horse is judged by a snapshot in time and each time that snapshot can be different.

Amen. Quality always shines through, but the best horse may not be at his best on a given day. The horse that wins is rightly the good horse who is best conditioned, prepared and presented for his class. And as already said, the top trainers usually have access to the best horses and do what it takes to have them looking like a million dollars. No sour grapes here.

Jan

 

[JWC sr.]

Just this last weekend a stallion was ask to leave the ring, because the owner could not keep him from being a disruption at the Area 5 AMHR show.

 

[txminipinto]

Just this last weekend a stallion was ask to leave the ring, because the owner could not keep him from being a disruption at the Area 5 AMHR show.

Hmmm, I wasn't there so it wasn't one of MY STUDS!

And I have a few that I consider unruly.

 

[HGFarm]

I am not saying the political crap in the show ring doesnt happen, but you are right, not always! I do my own training, etc.... too and am a very small farm that I keep up on my own, and I have not done that badly in the show ring with limited showing. I have beat out a few trainers, and some nice horses. Sometimes I am not even in the ribbons.

I think SOME of this boils down to the type of people and how they perceive things of life in general.

You know, some always have to put the blame on someone else- they will not learn anything and dont want to admit to their own faults, so will never improve and see what is 'wrong' to fix it. Some blame themselves for everything and seem somewhat fearful or nervous, because they just know they will mess something up, so probably do and even if they dont, they think they did.

Some already 'know everything', and their's is the best, so should come in second place to no one. Some see the cup as half empty instead of half full, etc.... Some folks are very laid back, some very high strung. It's all just different human natures and how they perceive things. You could get 10 different views from 10 different people.

My favorite old Will Rogers had a saying, and I think he was so smart about people. It kind of sums up how people learn and interpret things. It goes like this:

"There are three kinds of men.

The ones that learn by reading.

The ones that learn by observation.

The rest of them just have to pee on the electric fence for themselves."

**********

Some people are not going to be happy no matter what - and some will never stop peeing on the fence, LOL. I have watched people win in the ring, and still come out and gossip and cut down their competition. WHY?? I have seen others than win or lose, very gracefully and always make it a learning experience.

All these things and those that complain through life (and I have not read the other thread, don't know who wrote it, but I'm sure it is not anything I have not heard before in regards to showing- and I dont mean ANYTHING personal here, I am just making general statements here regarding human nature) remind me of another Will Rogers quote. "Never miss a good chance to shut up."

And with that, I will.

 

[MindyLee]

With the response of my horse being a butt head in the ring and he could be excussed from the ring... How do you get a horse to learn to be good in the ring if you cant put him there???

He's AWESOME at home while practicing, he's awesome at other farms around other horses practicing, untill the showring! Then He yells and moves around. I work with him and work with him and he just dose so great everywhere but the ring as he gets way excited there for some reason. I plan on showing him 1 more time this year back at the same show as last, and than figured I would be done showing him if he acts up this time (already paid huge for him to be there). I've worked so hard with him and he dose so well away from the ring so it seems like I should have NO issues in the ring. But when I get there, he turns into someone else. (can count on 1 hand amount of shows I put him in, so not much ring time at 8 yrs old) If they place another horse (usally a mare) beside him in the ring, he wants to turn and look at them and not stand still. I always try to go in last so that way he dose'nt bother the other horses by distracting them and for the yelling.

Is there a way to distract him with a cookie? And what class can I do that in?

This year I only put him in 5 classes which are Liberty class, solid stallion, model stallion, halter stallion & amateur stallion that way he was in all boy classes and not around mares. I am bringing his girlfriend and 09 filly to do the other classes that require a mix of sexes, so I did look at that point of view for others in the ring.

I am learning to show slowly in the ring but it is hard when you learn all by yourself with no ones help and only going on by what you see and read. (no help from trainners or such)

 

[Karen S]

Mindy,

If your guy is still an intack stallion, put some vicks up his nose so that he can't smell. He's picking up on the estrogen from the mares that are in heat while at shows. You need to discipline him when he does act up. I would rather blow a class than to allow the behavior. He may be fine at home because he's use to his enviroment and surroundings. Do you just get him out of his stall while at a show and walk him around so he can "see" things? If not, that's a good time to do so and when he starts screaming, then discipline him and tell him "No" in a firm voice. He will learn not to talk.

Karen

 

[JWC sr.]

Unruly horses of any kind are a pet peeve of mine with miniatures. People because of their smaller size tend to put up with more than they would from a full size horse. I hate an unruly horse with a passion and will not tolerate it no matter how good they are from a conformation or breeding standpoint. We have cut more than one excellent stallion prospect because they would not come around to normal training techniques.

We take stallion training all the way to the point where when hand breeding a mare that is in, the stallions are required to wait until given a verbal command to attempt to breed etc. With a little practice they can be taught to be gentlemen and not act out in any set of circumstances.

I completely agree with Karen, in that conditioning your horse in show type situations will go a long way to getting him to relax and settle down. Additionally the discipline she mentioned is a must, horses learn from repetition and training. Remember that allowing him to bobble even once will take you back to square one, where you have to start all over with him. I might mention that we have used the Vick's with mixed results, sometimes the visual stimulus is as intriguing to a horse as the smells etc.

Good luck with him and I bet once you get him broke of this you will enjoy being around him even more than you do now.

 

[Katiean]

John,

That is kind of like my yorkie stud. He was very tiny and could have been hurt by breeding on his own. So my solution was a baby blanket. He wouldn't touch a female in heat unless he had hhs blanket. It was real funny because I would ask him "Where's your blanket?" and he would go nuts and run in to the shelf where I kepy it. He would dance in circles until I got it down. I think horses (studs) can be trained the same way.

 

[JWC sr.]

Yes they can, Take Rio for instance. Cindy walks out into hs pasture with his everyday nylon halter and he comes to her, but acts like a gentleman walking outside her space etc. etc. to where ever they are going.

But walk out there with his leather halter and he will run to you, put his head in the halter and start dropping as he know that means he is getting a new girl. Then up to the barn flexing his muscles etc. he goes and when he arrives at the mare, he watches Cindy till she tells him, go ahed and he will then and only then mount, breed her and then drop off. He is a joy to be around and is never one to act like an idiot.

The other three stallions we have for breeding are the same way with the exception of one, who is still a youngster and has some more to learn. All it takes is patience, work, conditioning and training.

 

[Marty]

I agree there is always going to be some level of politics in the show ring. You will win some, you will loose some and some get rained out. Its all part of it.

Mindy Lee, I know what you mean when you have them doing great at home but when they hit the ring they make chopped liver out of you. When I had green (quarter) horses just starting out under saddle, I would look for a very small local open show and begin there and camp --- pay the entree fees for as many classes I could and tell the judge I was schooling the horse and not to judge me. I would stay as far away from other horses as I could if I suspected problems, and then be able to correct the horse in the ring without causing any disturbance or disruption of any kind to the others. I"d try to pick up a show like that every week or as often as possible. You might try something like that and go to as many small shows as possible until your horse has a little seasoning on him and learns to behave himself. Just pay your fee to practice. I'd especially suggest you go to some clinics also just to get your horse used to being out there. It should help. If it doesn't help, then enlist a trainer to evaluate you and your horse together. A well trained "outside" eye is usually effective. Not all horses are comfortable in the show ring and will never be. Best wishes to you.