I dont under stand some horse showing or some people who show , why be cruel?

Question

http://www.thehorse.com/ViewArticle.aspx?ID=12310

read and look

utterly disgusting to read that ppl do this to their horses so they might come first, if your doing this you shouldnt own a horse !

ppl who do this have lost the caring side of the horse/human relationship and just see it as a tool for your goals. STUPID

you people who do this disgust me!!

what are your opinions,( you have to read the article to get what im raving about)

Answer 1

It has to do with money, and power people feel from doing this.

"My horse WILL win, and i will do anything do get it, because I paid alot of money for it" is the usual mentality.

I remember reading a magazine, and seeing that it had an article endorsing this, saying it would help present your horse better and win. No easy outs. Its stupid.

Shows and prizes make people forget the real reason they own horses and ride - for fun and the pleasure of it.

This is just one way that people get over the top just to win. Another way is for showjumping, horses are given a shot to make their legs hypersensitve, so when they hit a bar of a jump, its really hurts them, so they lift their legs higher.

Its stupid.

Answer 2

i have never seen that before but it is so wrong on so many levels. i would honestly be ashamed to leave my house if i did something like that and litterly destroyed my horse. i would rather get points taken off of my performance than completly s***w my horse up! This IS SO WRONG!!!!!!!!! i totaly agree with you

Answer 3

I completly agree with you - apart from anything else a horse who is happy and comfortable in his work will not resist - it's cheating plain and simple and the cost to the horse is horrendous!

Answer 4

Blocking is horrible. The people that do this to their horses aren't in showing for the real reasons. Everyone before me pretty much said it clearly.

People do all sorts fo weird things to alter their horses tails from swishing (its shows resistance; a tail that just hangs their is highly desirable). You should see what they do to some Paso Finos in South America, they actually surgically cut the tail so that it hangs at a 45 degree angle as it's stylish in the breed.

Also, in breeds where high tail carriage is fashionable, people actually put irritants under the horses tails like ginger, so it causes a burning sensation that makes the horse want to carry it's tail high. It causes MAJOR DISCOMFORT in horses.

Some people will do whatever it takes to win. Doesn't make it right.

Answer 5

For some, horse showing is just one important aspect of a business.  That means winning translates into making more money.  In the animal business, whenever profits come into it, the animals generally become secondary.

Many of us love horses and showing is a sport that we participate in without our livelihoods depending on it.  I prefer to stay in that category for exactly the reasons that articles like this point out.  The pressure to win would never have me hurrying a training program, or justifying abusive practices to achieve those wins.

I suggest to all young people who dream of going into the business of horses that you take a good hard look at what really happens in some areas of that business, and ask yourselves why so many horses are treated like commodities, and not like you would like to see them treated.  The answer you'll find is money.

Unfortunately, even when money is not the motivating force, some are still willing to do just about anything for that all important win.

Answer 6

If you won't to know cruel then look know further at the racing side how can people do that to baby-es it's like making a two year old child run and jump carrying someone on there back people only care about winning and that is the world we live in i love my horses so much and don't care about winning and as a breeder i know the heath of the horse comes first or they don't breed.

Answer 7

I havn't done much showing, and had no idea that people do that.  I think it is horrible.  Vets should not be allowed to give these injections.

Answer 8

I think it's illegal to do that anymore. At least in AQHA. But that's sick and cruel, I do APHA World and NEVER would do that to my horse.

Answer 9

Huh, kind of like beauty pagents for women, dog shows, body building tournaments. Some people think this is a form of entertainment and status. Can't explain why people think the way they do.

Answer 10

I totally agree with you those ppl are stupid, ppl who do that only care about winning and not their horse's health or comfort!!!!!

Answer 11

Just like with anything, some people use unethical, immoral practices to get the job done.  There are no short cuts and accidents happen.  Situations like this is the reason breed organizations often institute rules banning such practices.  AQHA and APHA both state that any horse not showing natural tail movement is to be disqualified.  That is not to say that some do no slip through the cracks.

Answer 12

you think thats bad?  Look at what they do to Tennessee Walkers

http://www.soundhorse.org/soring.htm

Answer 13

Let horses be horses! Don't make a horse NOT a horse! Tails were made to swish flies, and let them stay that way! I'm completely disgusted! Plus, there is a risk of permanent damage, all for a few tail swishes. This should be illegal!

Answer 14

To me it defies the entire purpose of showing.  Showing is supposed to be about showing off all the hard work you and your horse have done to gain a good partnership and understanding of each other.  

Just one of the several reasons why I have absolutely no interest in showing...

Answer 15

Many good people show horses and never resort to these tactics.   We need more of them.

It is important to remember that all human activities have people who will cheat or do anything to win...you will find it in jobs, politics, business deals, everything.  It's the age-old question of good and evil.  Some people have no caring or empathy for other people or other living creatures.  So it is up to each of us as individuals to make a decision every day to live ethically.

IMHO It is a big problem when good people refuse to compete because it just cedes the field to those who cheat.

Answer 16

This makes me both sad and angry :-(

People like this should be shot :-(

Answer 17

I hate that some people do such stupid stuff to win.So the horse swishes their tail to tell you they don't want to do something. If you get pionts taken off tuff luck. It's just plain stupidity to risk permentally injuring your horse. Just to win a horse show or two. I hate people who do that asnd i think they should be put in jail.

Answer 18

that is just terrible, i own 2 horses, and i would never in my life do aything like that!!!

u think and begin 2 wonder y they wouldn't hav at least at the VERY LEAST researched and made sure there were no dangers in doing this, i mean REALLY!!! come on people, who could b this thoughtless, 2 these beautiful and kind animals!!?!?

and 2 the girl that rode him and doesn't anymore, suck it up!!! it's ur own retarded falt, no one elses.

Answer 19

Did you get it off of Fugly Horse of the Day? If not you will want to check it out:

http://fuglyhorseoftheday.blogspot.com/

Also a good one:

http://shameinthehorseshowring.blogspot....

Yep the other comments have said it correctly. These people just want to win.

Answer 20

I use to work at a tack shop. A young kid came in bragging about how well he placed at AQHA congress. He was telling everyone how he had his mare's ears blocked and it went wrong. One ear is permanently ****** back. The jugdes actually commented on how well his horse was listening to him and always had one ear focused back on him. I was horrified. I told him that people like him don't deserve an animal of any sort. I could not believe he was laughing about the permenant damage he had done to his horse. People like that disgust me. All because his mare pinned her ears when she was showing. Did it ever occur to him there was a reason for it?

Answer 21

These people need to realise that a horse is a living breathing creature that has feelings. If they can't get the best out of what they have they shouldn't be allowed to keep any animal let alone a gentle creature such as a horse. Let some one give them a paralysing injection there.

Answer 22

Some trainers are just in it to win it... no matter what it takes!

All they see is $$$$$$$ and the more they are rewarded when using these tactics the worse the it will get. It's sad.

Answer 23

Money is the name of the game. This is all done for the almighty dollar. Horse associations could stop all of this but they don't have the will or desire.  When horse shows start to penalize participants for doing these things and stop promoting the look that causes these abuses to occur, this will stop.  I don't see any change or reform, because the DOLLAR is king. It is disgusting and cruel and should be stopped. If PETA really wants to do any good, they should go after this kind of thing instead of rodeos and riders.

Answer 24

wow this is truly sickening...

all for a piece of fabric with the number one on it...

Answer 25

WOW!!!!!!

The things people do to the animals who will do anything for them, just to win a peice of fabric that says 1st place.  Sickening.  Absolutley DISGUSTING!

EDIT**

Starlight1 - Me neither? Having been competing for YEARS, since being young I have never even heard of this...makes me wonder what else is out there that we dont know about!!!!!!

Answer 26

Ugh, thats horrible to do, just to win some show! What ideots!

Answer 27

dam, thats messed up, why would som1 do that

Answer 28

AWWW!! thats awful! that poor horse was in pain too. im totally against any abuse towards horses or any animals! I also dont think it's fair to what they do to Tennesse Walkers to make them do that high stepping thing!

Answer 29

wow. oh my gosh. i have ridden forever! and i seriously have never heard of that, but maybe its only like more, dare i say it, "Fancy" types of riding/riders that do it. If i ever find out anyone i know is doing that, im seriously gonna like inject that into them and see how they like it. Not really, but ill be really mad

Answer 30

Yepp...Winning is all that goes through the minds of some of these high-class trainers, and they'll do just about anything to get there BUT the hard work they really should be doing.

People these days don't want to work for anything, they would rather do things the easy way and these are the consequences of 'the easy way'.

.....Truly sad.

Answer 31

I wasn't going to read this article and ignore the question but I thought, why not. I am so happy I read it so I can realise what some people do just to be rated highly!

This is utterly attrocious! i can't believe that people can torture their horses like this! The horse in the article (and all the others) don't ask for this and they have no say! The horse has it good now but for that long time he was suffering!

Its wrong that people get marked down for their horses doing something natural to them, next thing will be rider's wont be able to blink! Its just stupid!