HOLY CRAP!!

[Laura]

Yep, unfortunately it's part of showing

A few years ago we left Orbit (many people know our bratty JRT) in the "living area" of our stalls with the door closed. A little while later a client came by to say she couldn't put her horse up (we were still in the ring), because Orbit was loose and FEROCIOUSLY guarding the entire aisle (we had 2 full aisles of horses)...good DOG! Someone had obviously opened the door and got QUITE a surprise in the form of a fat, ticked off little JRT...again, GOOD DOG! We're not showing right now, but do please LOCK your hitches, use wheel locks, whatever you need to do, including REMOVING the wheels, to keep your trailers secure. The plain fact is most of us CAN'T buy a trailer on the spot to haul the horses home

PS-Thanks for the update Belinda, it's good to know the Expo center has stepped up with increased security, good for them

.

 

[Boinky]

lol laura,

I've also decided having a dog at nationals to guard your tack stall is a good thing. My dogs are usually extremely friendly unless they feel they are protecting their car and last year i noticed the one i brought really would bark and sound ugly when someone got too close to the stall (i was way across the barn and saw one of the management emptying the garbage can right next to the stall she was in and she was letting him know not to enter that stall..lol).

I think dogs are a great deterrent for some theft as they will alert everyone around that something is going on (unless they are incensant barkers..whichi hate!!) plus they tend to be protective/territorial of their area which makes it more difficult for theft.

 

[Katiean]

Laura, you are right. I could never buy a trailer on the spot to get my horses home. Infact in my entire life I have only owned a hand me down stock rack for my truck, a single axle open top home made horse trailer I paid $100 for which I got rid of when a friends friend that was moving and couldn't take their trailer and it is in good to very good condition and they gave it to me. I am dissabled and can't buy a trailer at all. I have to save for the spring horse shows so I can even show.

 

[Field-of-Dreams]

We'll have two JRTs and one rather large Lab in our aisles. Normally these guys are super- anyone can walk past, no problems. You know- you can have hundreds walking by. Two years ago some guy came into our aisle (he was a panhandler, asking for money) and ALL the dogs there just went ballistic! I mean, my laid-back Lab who has NEVER growled at a human in his whole life had the hair standing up on his neck and was SNARLING. Needless to say we we rather rude to this guy. And praised the dogs.

Lucy

 

[Nathan Luszcz]

I hate dogs at shows... nothing makes me more nervous than walking through barns with big dogs sitting around. I don't think they belong at horse shows, personally. Yes, they may help with security, but my safety and my horse's safety comes first.

 

[Field-of-Dreams]

I hate dogs at shows... nothing makes me more nervous than walking through barns with big dogs sitting around. I don't think they belong at horse shows, personally. Yes, they may help with security, but my safety and my horse's safety comes first.

I'm sorry you feel that way but for MY safety my dogs come with me. I stay in the barns at night and they keep me safe. Both are obedient and quiet. Most of the time they are asleep anyways....

Besides, they're great company, too.... even sleeping....

Lucy

 

[MiniMaid]

OMG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!11

 

[Sun Runner Stables]

I heard today that DD got their trailer back? Anyone know if this is true? I hope so!!

My good friend Donna also has dogs- some of the best trained I have ever seen- She will tell them to "go to their room" and they will stay in the open tack room and if she says "guard" they do! She has Never had an issue with theft, and I am Very grateful to those dogs. When we were out at Worlds a few years ago and there were some tensions, even though I was completely alone even later at night- those dogs (Plus my own) made me feel very very safe.

I do agree that at big horse shows, there should be a sever limit on dogs as down at our horse shows there are at least one rider a day that ends up eating it in the warm up thanks to a loose JRT.

Big difference in the way horses are shown however, as well as the way very expensive tack is handled.

 

[srpwildrose]

Yes they got their truck and trailer back. In good shape. Thankfully not alot was stolen.....show clothes, and a few other things.

I don't know all the details.....my friend is cousins with them and they talked earlier today.

Thank Goodness

 

[HGFarm]

It seems there are trailers stolen there EVERY year- I know there was a couple of years ago and they busted a bunch of guys who were stealing them and reselling... but it obviously has not slowed anyone down! Our friends truck was stolen from their hotel when they first got there too.

This is NOT good! So sorry to hear this has really gotten the show off to a BAD start! Double Diamond folks are so nice too!

Just edited to note:

Our friends new truck was stolen at the hotel too, and she didnt get it back. Had to buy a new one to get home! Finally found it much later- on it's way to Mexico they think but it took a long time to find it and by then she had another and had to work it out with her insurance and all. Her tracking device didnt work in OK!! What we thought odd was that we used to stay in a cheap hotel in the crappy part of town and NEVER had any problems! And had an icky old old trailer that nobody would want.

Pondering Oak, I remember seeing your rig now at the RV park- we were there too as the neighbors now have a big trailer with living quarters in it and we stayed there.

I agree Boinky, you took my thoughts... I think with the entries, a pass, form, number or something should be issued to folks and if they do not have that, or cannot verify the number on a list and show ID when taking the trailer out, it just flat does not go!!!

This just seems to get worse each year!

 

[JMS Miniatures]

Yay now hopefully I can go shopping

I am competely fine with dogs at shows, but hopefully those people who have dogs are smart enough to judge whether or not their dogs are safe or not at horse shows.

 

[REO]

[SIZE=18pt]WHOOO HOOOO!!!![/SIZE]

I'm SO glad they got it back!

So happy for them!!!

And happy for me too because I had won a $75 gift cert from MHW for Double Diamond Tack and now I can go shopping after all! Wheeee!

 

[mydaddysjag]

Ive never been to nationals, but this seems ridiculous. I used to go to quarter horse congress (spectator) and quite honestly, I don't remember there ever being big theft there.

 

[Katiean]

We have the Reno Rodeo here every year and someone ran a herd of 45 bucking horses right out the gate and no one saw it happen. Two days later they got back 42 of the 45 horses. If they would of had security at the gate the horses might have been let out of their pen but would not have been turned loose on Reno. Can you belive no one saw them for the two days. They almost got all the way through Sparks at which point they would have looked like any of the wild horses we have here. Those horses never should have left the fair grounds. They didn't leave in a truck. So weather it is a Rodeo, a miniature horse show or a National show they SHOULD have security at the gates.

Congrats on getting the trailer back. I hope the scum didn't take too much.

 

[wildoak]

I used to go to quarter horse congress (spectator) and quite honestly, I don't remember there ever being big theft there.

We used to go to QH World every year, and there were theft problems there as well...years back. I think it is, as someone else said, just the nature of the beast. Lots of expensive trucks, trailers, tack, etc in one location and often unguarded.

We looked at a trailer to buy at World one year, went to lunch and came back intending to buy it.....only to find it had been stolen off the lot while we ate lunch.

Jan

 

[alongman]

I can tell you that I spoke to one of the security guards yesterday when we arrived. I find it's best to befriend a couple of them then THEY watch my stuff like nobodies business. The DD trailer was taken and one other trailer to their knowledge. The other trailer was recovered a short time later and returned. They haven't had problems this year like last, but they do increase their security during the AMHR Nationals because it's during THIS show that the majority of the stuff is stolen (trailers included).

 

[HGFarm]

Last year they had people going through the barns when folks were in classes etc... and I cannot believe that people leave their purses, wallets, etc.. in the barns with no one there to watch or attend. Some were stolen. It was that same day they threw a bunch of outside passing through hecklers out of the arena and show- just there causing trouble, and I wondered if there had been any connection. We NEVER leave anything valuable laying out and about there.. that is just asking for trouble and begging to be stolen.

Unfortunately it's human nature for some, but don't make it easy for the thieves by leaving stuff laying around!!

 

[Margo_C-T]

Sadly, this kind of thing can be a problem at ANY large horse show venue, I'm afraid. Local 'low' types come to realize the nature of such a venue--lots of activity, busy and distracted exhibitors, rushing off to get to their classes, means that some will just not think of the need to safeguard EVERY aspect of their possessions--and with so many coming and going, and no way to 'tell' who has a legitimate reason to be there and who hasn't(as the 'public' is always allowed into such events-encouraged, usually)---it is an 'ideal' environment for these sneaky thieves, and they 'learn' to try to take advantage of the situation.

Even at our state fairgrounds there have sometimes been problems. We NEVER step away, even for a moment, from our tackroom w/o locking the padlock--and in fact, I made it a point NOT to have much of anything of worth in my fanny pack(I don't carry a purse) when I left it, well-concealed, in the tackroom.

Pretty sad that one has to even worry about such things, but to be prepared, one must be proactive in your actions and behaviors...you really have no choice, nowadays.

Margo

 

[CheyAut]

So glad to hear they got it back!!!

Laurie, I was thinking of her and her truck while reading this thread!

Jessi

 

[Laura]

We'll have two JRTs and one rather large Lab in our aisles. Normally these guys are super- anyone can walk past, no problems. You know- you can have hundreds walking by. Two years ago some guy came into our aisle (he was a panhandler, asking for money) and ALL the dogs there just went ballistic! I mean, my laid-back Lab who has NEVER growled at a human in his whole life had the hair standing up on his neck and was SNARLING. Needless to say we we rather rude to this guy. And praised the dogs.
Lucy

My "I love everybody" old mixed breed dog HATES our propane delivery guy (and he loved the old one) and I respect the dog's judgement of the guy!

When Dana stayed over alone at Nationals a few years ago she kept Orbit with her. She work up to someone trying to open the living area door and Orbit SNARLING and growling. All she heard then was running feet! Again, GOOD DOG!

Dogs, properly trained and restrained, have a place at horse shows. Obit was an ***** for his first few years at shows, but he did learn and become a great horse show dog.