Does anyone else have problems with judges being bias toward your ponies?

Question

Does anyone else have the same thing happen to them? When your at a show with your ponies, do you get place way in the back of your class all the time? Do you feel that you get low scores so often because the horse is favored over you? I'm talking mainly about dressage (because I show them in dressage and I know that this happens all the time), but I want to know your experinces with it. Does it happen more or less often in other disciplinces? To what extent does it bother you?

Another question, do you get annoyed when horses (and ponies) and their riders that (for example) can ride at 2 level, but ride at training level in rated shows, just because they can and win ribbons...agaist the horses and ponies that can only do training level and arn't moving to 1st level anytime soon or ever?

Answer 1

thats why i do barrel racing they dont care what your horse looks like  

Answer 2

I would have to say that dressage is one of the least biased horse sport next to eventing and show jumping.

This is because there is a standard you are being held to in dressage. The standard you are being held to is written right there on the test sheet. Look at the collective marks. I'm not sure what is going on in your particular case but I'm going to suggest that maybe you are misunderstanding something.

MAybe you think your horse is round just because his head is down when in reality the judge can see his lack of drive or something.

I have only had one unfair judging in dressage i was given 0's on ovements i did. (its really hard to mis a canter to trot transition) that since it was so silly the scores and it only happened once i didn't worry about it.

I don't know you exact sitaution myabe you could explain it better i don't know. But i would suggest if it keeps happening over and over and with different judges then maybe it ain't the judges problem.

More baised horse disiplines (not a horse sport) would be performance if it ain't paint or quater it's wrong.

keep trying maybe you will figure it out.

GOOD LUCK!

Answer 3

I don't know about the judging, because I mainly do timed events (however I've met a cutting judge who gives the lowest scores to all paints), but I totally understand the better riders riding in a novice class. In motocross we call that sandbagging, but it's everywhere. When I did gymkhana we had a pony class, meant for ponies to run in. Well we ran into the problem of a small quarter horse who dropped his withers every time you touched them (hm...been poked with a needle much?) and so the short legged ponies had to run against him because he "measured as a pony". Also had the older ladies running in the slower divisions and taking trophies from deserving little kids. It bothers me that people are so focused on winning that they don't even care to challenge or improve themselves. They're only hurting themselves in the end, because how far can you go when you only compete against beginners and refuse to move up? Silly silly people.  

Answer 4

I totally agree with you! I do Hunter/Jumpers and it seems to me that the judges always lean toward the ones that are young, cute (braids, bows, the whole 9 yards) and have the cutest ponies. It gets frustrating sometimes... As for the second question... that doesn't seem to effect me but I totally agree with you on that!

Answer 5

Can your pony perform as well as the horses in your class?  If your pony is always placing the same, I would wonder.

The reason I am asking is because Arabs cannot perform as well as a long legged taller horses which appear more powerful and graceful.  Just a thought.

Answer 6

I think it's strange that you think this is happening in dressage, which should not show any bias towards any one kind of horse or pony, since you are judged against the movements in the test.

I have not personally come across this.  When I used to ride a large pony regularly, we usually came in at the middle or bottom, and deserved to be there (then tried to make it up with our x-c and jumping scores).  One time I rode a 12.3 hand pony in a beginner novice event, in the senior division, against all adults on only horses.  We got 2nd after dressage, and went on to win the event.  It surprised a lot of people, but was an example of good judging because the pony was a really good mover for his size.

Answer 7

i do barrel racing but when i halter show i know some people bribe the judge which is sooo unfair or when the judge calls your horse a dun and its a sorrel and you dont know if she/he is talking bout you and they are but they mix my horses color up

Answer 8

I gave up on dressage a long time ago - I can't find a single dressage judge who will take native ponies seriously.  I have a Highland gelding who is more than capable of performing at a decent level in BD competitions, but judges look down their noses at him because he's a hairy pony.

I've found that dressage judges only want to see Warmbloods.  If you don't have WB movement, you're not good enough.  I have had comments like, "a promising little ride" - err, he won at HOYS, he's more than promising! - "too heavy for dressage" - he's a Highland pony, and that's bone not fat - I was told that my Welsh cob (who was a good enough stamp of his breed and moved beautifully enough to qualify for the biggest shows in the UK) was "rushing", because the judge didn't understand the typical Welsh movement... and one judge even said to me afterwards - "you're a good rider, it's a shame you don't have a proper horse"!

They just don't want to give ponies a chance - dressage judges have closed their minds.