Cheating at a horse show - what have you seen?

Question

Thank you to everyone who previously posted their thoughts on my previous question. You can reply again if you want. I wish it could have generated more interest with some more people on here. What i mean is, what have you personally seen, heard about or viewed at a horse show. If you remember what class or seat (style) it was, that would help. Please, if someone already responded with the same answer as you. Go ahead and write it. It has been what You have seen, what You have heard about, etc. You at least get 2points out of this for answering.

Answer 1

I have seen horses which had dapples that were bleached on.

But the biggest cheat is when I see an entire judging team deliberately playing favorites and placing poor horses higher than good horses.  

Its pretty hard to take and sours you to the shows when it happens to you, especially in the world championships.

Answer 2

Well actual in the arena cheating, breaking to 2 hands to adjust headset while the judge wasn't looking.

But the noncheating, but down right disgusting abuse .... would be, tieing the head so low that the horse's head is 1 ft off the ground and warming up.   Whipping the horse before the halter class *arabian*..

Tying heads up overnight so the horse's neck hurts so much it can't raise its head.

Thats all i can think of now.. will add more if i do.

EDIT- I personally do not see cotton in the ears as abusive.  Some animals just can't handle the blaring intercoms and speakers.  I have seen tons of sellers do this at a very well known sale I go to because the speakers are so close to the arena.  I personally would do that if I had an animal that couldn't handle the noise.  Some just get information overload, same with people that can't handle high noise areas.

Answer 3

i usually just stick to local open shows, so its a casual environment, which helps to cut down cheating. but i've seen some things that were disappointing and unfair. the major thing that i've seen multiple times is someone taking two hands and cranking their horse's head down when the judge's back is turned. i've experienced being boxed in a lot, because people know that my horse is often the most consistant, and always places high. they try to cut me off and box my in by cutting corners and almost running into me. but we always manage to plow right through, and my boy never blinks an eye or reacts at all, proving his reputation for consistancy. =] horse shows are supposed to be friendly competition; i dont get why people go to great lengths to make it looks as if they put more work into them than what they actually have.

Answer 4

One show a competing barn snuck in and bleeched all our tack and costumes and everything. So it was all white... had to buy new everyting!!!

In the '08 Kentucky Derby that was a BIG cheat. Boxed in Big Brown and hit him with a whip so he couldn't run... He deserved that Triple Crown. That was cruel and harsh.

I've seen boxing in and all that good stuff. Shows just aren't fair. I've heard of people in the audience scaring competing horses as they come by the rail.

Shows are just horrible these days. I wish people weren't so competitive and the money wasn't so high so people wouldn't have to sink so low...

Answer 5

That is bad... I have never been to a show but plan on going to watch a few before I actually go to one soon...

On FHOTD blog their is a post about TW horses being dropped out of competition for sores and harmful things that make them step high. "They had 500 entries and everybody but 40 went home" for these cruel ways...

Redial nice sunglasses btw!

Answer 6

Just to balance things out I've been showing for 35 years and I haven't seen any of this. I have seen lots of horse gear not fitting correctly. Horse bits to harsh. Bad riding. Lame horses. Poor judgeing (of course only in my opinion).

And as for getting shut out, one of ours was riding in the title class for national best paced champion - and heard the judge say 'I realy like that one but he's not cantering now' and they had got themselves boxed in and thus lost the title.... ....them are the breaks! Lesson well learned never to allow oneself to get boxed in on a corner.

Happy showing everyone - to make champions, it simply takes a good eye for a horse, and the rest is lots of hard work.

Answer 7

Sorry, I haven't seen any cheating but i find the method of rubber banding the tongue is cruel and inhumane its a horse show why would you do that!

Answer 8

At our local county fair, there's a big trophy given for Good Sportsmanship.  The spectators nominate and vote on the winner.

One year, a girl with a cute pony was trying to win it.  She rode in almost every class, even drove in the driving class, and was so gentle and kind and lovey dovey with the horse that she was a shoo in.  She won.

Only those of us on the backside knew what was really going on.  In between classes, she'd yank that poor pony around and smack him and yell at him and ***** and whine that he was no good...  seeing her take that trophy made me want to puke.

Answer 9

well i ride western and do gymkhanas and barrel races

one show i went to a little tiny like 4-5 year old boy riding a itsy-bitsy pony a miniature and a game called bucket ball witch is a game where you run up to a plastic feed bucket like one you would put like grain in and you drop a golf ball in it witch is really hard because you have to completely stop bend down and drop the ball in the bucket without it bouncing out

anyway this little boy  ran up to the bucket and dropped the ball out of the bucket usually you would be disqualified for that but no he bent over and picked up the ball and put it in the bucket and won the class

Answer 10

i've seen

other people riding people's horses with the other persons name, so they get points.

people riding up to 5 horses in a jumping class, so they get most of the ribbons.

other people warming somebody else's horses up

people walking cross country courses on their horses! so their horses get to see the jumps.

Answer 11

well one of my friends had two fillies one welsh and reg and one welsh cross something unreg almost identical, so she just bleached part of unreg filly to make her look the same as the one that was lame, but registered to show..the filly that she took won everything although technically not the right horse.

i've also heard of people deliberately cutting a champ cutting horse nicking one of his tendons so he couldn't run.

Answer 12

I've seen it all, and its horrible what people do just so that they can win, i've show in aqha for many years now and it just seems to get worse.  i've seen quite a few things that aren't considered "cheating" but aren't fair to the horses.  the rubber band trick on the tongue, freezing the doc so that they can't swish their tail, steriods, tranquilers ect.  Cheating wise i've actually seen people pay the judges and of course they win, and you can tell people, but if you have a highly recognized judge no one believes you.  i've seen people go into classes with their best friends and work as a team to ruin others rides.  the worst class i've ever been in was in an aqha jr. western pleasure class, it was a family of 4 a mom, dad, and 2 girls, and the dad was showing the best horse, so the mom and the girls were going around crowding everyone and the girls got so close to my horse they kicked him, pulled their foot out of the striupp and kicked him right in the gut.  of course he got scared and freaked out right when the judge was looking.  when it was time for the line up and the judge was giving everyone compliants and telling them what to do better i asked him if i might be able to speak with him after the class because i had some concerns.  i talked with the judge and the family got kicked off the grounds and lost all points that they had earned that day for their behavior.  i love showing but you have to watch out for the people at some of em cuz they are down right heartless and all they care about is the ribbons and prizes, not about their horses well being or being fair to other competitors

Answer 13

well, the cutting off and CROWDING.

adults/trainer would see a horse annoyed with other horses, and then tell all the riders (while showing, spectators could lean on the fence and talk to you)  from the barn to crowd that horse AT THE SAME TIME.

when i was on my green QH in a w/t class i had 5 Morgans around me, one in front, one in back, and three on the side.  I was STUCK. and the judge saw, and STILL placed them above me /=

I also had this guy who realized that my other qh lost focus and screwed up collection/head set/cadence... and of course i was showing against his kid so EVERY time i went past he'd shake hes keys at the mare, and of course the judge/stewed couldn't see cuz i was in the way!

but i went home and had people shake keys whenever i went past and broke the horse of the habit.

The stupid thing is, i wasn't even beating his kid.  She had a "made" horse and i was on a greenie.

Answer 14

i have never seen cheating because I have only been to one.....but I was wondering what putting rubber bands on the horses tounge would do? I would never do anything like that I was just curious...and besides I don't even own a horse just take lessons!

Answer 15

A few years ago I was helping my friend with her english pleasure & hunt seat classes. There was this lady at the show who would talk to her daughter through and ear piece, the same lady would also try to spook other horses by waving around umbrellas, crops, and even her f***y pack. Thankfully she was asked to leave and her daughter didn't place, otherwise I can't think of anything. The judges and by-standers around here are pretty observant when it comes to cheating.