National Anthem protocol with carts

[targetsmom]

I guess I am watching too much of the AMHA World Show, but I was on this morning waiting for the AM Obstacle Driving Class when the show opened and they played the National Anthems of the US and Canada. The announcer asked everyone to stand and face the flags at the end of the arena. It looked to me like all (or most anyway) of the drivers got out of their carts and stood as asked. Have any of you been in this situation and is that what you would do? Or I guess the real question is how do you balance proper respect with safety? Certainly, people who are unable to stand due to physical disability are not expected to stand.

 

[rabbitsfizz]

I do not think you should get out of the cart, not unless it is a vehicle carrying two people, then one would get out and stand and one would stay behind the horse. Gentlemen should remove their hats and ladies should face the flag and bow their heads, this is quite enough respect as far as I am concerned (although I have to say that not a huge amount of respect is ever afforded to our flag by our people- this is totally OUR fault and I wish we would address the problem!)

Respect can be shown merely by body placement. Stillness, and a drop of the head in the direction of the flag, as a salute. As far as horses are concerned, safety comes absolute, undisputed, first.

How much respect would a runaway show??

 

[RhineStone]

Even at WEG (World Equestrian Games) when they played the national anthems of the drivers who won, each driver on the podium had one of their grooms take the reins before they left the box. Those grooms never left the box. Drivers who didn't make it to the podium (didn't place 1-3) didn't leave the box, either. When a horse is put to, there needs to be a driver on the seat with the reins in hand. No exceptions. No excuses. I don't recall grooms on the ground taking hats off either if they were heading horses. They need to attend to the horses, not a hat in their hand. (WEG is for four-in-hands.) Trainers and grooms not heading horses probably took off their hats.

I would never get out of my cart. I'm not even sure I would remove my helmet if I were a guy (hat, yes. Helmet, no.).

If that is how they do it for the best competitions in the world, I would think that is how a mini show should do it, too.

Myrna

 

[Sue_C.]

Even in the Military, there are times when one is required to "sit at attention", in cases where you are not able to leave your place for the sake of safety. I figure if it was good enough when I was in the Military...it is good enough for a horse show.

 

[hobbyhorse23]

When a horse is put to, there needs to be a driver on the seat with the reins in hand. No exceptions. No excuses.

I have said for years, and still say, that such a rule/statement makes it really hard for a single driver to hitch and unhitch!

Agricultural/draft drivers do not do it that way. The Amish don't do it that way. None of the pioneers or those historically using horses for transport (except the monied elite who could afford grooms) to my knowledge did it that way. It was simply impractical! Why the ADS has decided to make such a blanket statement of what is "correct" I do not understand.

Most of the bad bolts I've seen happened in spite of a driver on the box and in fact might have been prevented by someone at the horse's head when the driver wasn't able to do a darn thing.

Anyway, sorry, just had to say something. I don't expect anyone to agree.

On the original subject, if I were driving during a National Anthem presentation I'd take my reins in one hand, put my other hand over my heart and sit up tall looking at the flag but no way would I get out of the cart. I get out to do something with the horse or to use the restroom during vet check at marathon. Not for anything less!

Leia

 

[RhineStone]

I have said for years, and still say, that such a rule/statement makes it really hard for a single driver to hitch and unhitch!

Well, that would not exactly be "put to" when you are halfway through the process one way or another, now would it. You need to have common sense about it.

Agricultural/draft drivers do not do it that way. The Amish don't do it that way. None of the pioneers or those historically using horses for transport (except the monied elite who could afford grooms) to my knowledge did it that way. It was simply impractical! Why the ADS has decided to make such a blanket statement of what is "correct" I do not understand.

Most of the bad bolts I've seen happened in spite of a driver on the box and in fact might have been prevented by someone at the horse's head when the driver wasn't able to do a darn thing.

Most of the populations you listed use(d) their horses more than the average recreational/show driver. Face it, those horses know their "job" a whole lot better than our "pampered pets". (Most of those populations use(d) MUCH more strict methods to get the horse to "behave" than what is popular nowadays, too!

) Yes, I have seen bad bolts with a driver on the box (heck, I've been one of those drivers), but at least with a driver on the box you stand some chance of stopping the horse. With only someone on the ground, that horse is surely going to get away. I was just talking with a recreational driver this weekend who talked about having to bail off a vehicle at times. She asked me if I would just become part of the crash, and I said under no circumstance is the driver to leave the vehicle. If you put a horse to a vehicle, it is YOUR responsibility to stay with it and see if you can get it stopped before it runs into something or someone else. We haven't had a major "crash" BECAUSE we HAVE stayed with the vehicle and got it stopped before the crash happened.

 

I have not seen a horse get away from a driverless vehicle yet, and I think that is mostly because of that "strong suggestion" that ADS has. I have on numerous times either told someone they needed to have someone on the box (as I myself was told by a TD a number of years ago even before it was in the rulebook), or volunteered myself to climb on the box if the header wasn't comfortable doing it, i.e. not really a "horse-person".

 

Myrna