Hunter riders: What are your biggest show pet peeves, or biggest etiquette flaws you see?
Posted by admin on 29 August, 2010
9 Comments
This item was filled under [ Pet Gate ]
Trying to make this question a fun place to rant, while still being educational for riders new to showing, or those who are perhaps committing the faux pas you mention. 
So what do you hate worst at a show, particuarly from other riders and horses? This can be anything from grooming, to entry gate etiquette, to tack, to horse behaviors, to clothing, to trainers and parents… you name it.
List your top 5 (or more!) and state your level of showing/experience. Have fun ranting.
9 Comments on “Hunter riders: What are your biggest show pet peeves, or biggest etiquette flaws you see?”
I haven’t truly showed in years but I take some greenies to schooling shows every now and again (when I can afford to!). Top 5 things I hate at shows:
1. People who do not call out where they are going…if you are not going to pass left-to-left, call out OUTSIDE or INSIDE or if you are coming up on a horse that is going slower, yell out OUTSIDE! or INSIDE just incase the horse infront of you has ‘issues’ with other horses passing. I also hate it when people do not call out HEADS UP CROSSRAIL/VERTICAL
2. People who ride their horse who is only at a walk on the rail while others who are trotting/cantering have to figure out a way around the walking horse
3. People who purposely go against the general traffic of the ring and do not bother to take responsibility for a crash because of this
4. People who "abuse" their horse for not getting that ‘winning trip’ in the hunter or jumper ring. I have seen it many times at especially ‘A’ shows and more specifically in the hunter ring
5. People who have absolute no regard for horses in general while at a horse show. I’ve seen people let their dogs loose, people travelling on dirtbikes and spooking the CRAP out of my horse (these people were horse-people on the dirtbike too!), etc.
Although not defined to shows, this really bugs me:
The number of hunter riders on the Trillium (provincial) and A Circuit who are just perched ontop of their ridiculously expensive horse who does auto everything. One wrong step by the horse, the rider falls…yet these people place! I personally would rather be an effective yet "ugly" rider than a non-effective rider and "pretty" (although I am admittedly pretty jealous of those that can be very effective and pretty!)
As much as there are negative aspects to shows, I have seen MANY great riders and positive attitudes. I know of one guy who competes and at the end of every round in the jumper ring, gives his horse a treat while still in the ring and does this no matter how great/horrible the trip went.
I showed as a youth at a local, regional, and national level in Arabian Hunter Pleasure and Equitation.
I always hated the warm up ring because of people who just assume they can always have the rail. They shove past and come up right behind other horses. I thing warm up rings should have signs posted that state a rule such as "always pass left shoulder to left shoulder" or "those going counterclockwise have the right of way". It doesn’t matter how you do it, but make a rule that everyone must follow!
I’m a pretty experienced rider, but I didn’t show very often.
The thing that drove me absolutely nuts when I did show was when some people acted like we were enemies outside the ring, and couldn’t be civil or polite to their fellow riders. I get being competitive in the show ring, but when we’re waiting in line to get a coffee or something, there’s no reason to act like you hate me. Aren’t we all in this together? Isn’t the whole point supposed to be having fun and sharing a love of horses?
That’s actually why I didn’t show very much– people got way too competitive, to the point they would treat other riders like they were at war with them, rather than leaving our differences inside the show ring. It annoys me when people are hateful or rude to their fellow riders for no reason– it’s a sign of immaturity as a person to not be able to get a little more perspective on the whole thing, and those attitudes make showing a lot less fun.
It’s definitely NOT all show people who do this. Not even close. But the ones who do really spoil it.
i hate when entering the in-gate (i show arabs in hunter pleasure which are like the biggest classes) and there is usually a line of horses going in and what makes me so mad is when people just cut in front of you, that really makes me mad because entering the arena is pretty important and could be one of the only times the judge gets to look at you. along with cutting people off i hate when people cut you off/get super close behind you, grrr it’s called looking where you are going so you’re horse isn’t 2ft from my horse! also when going in different directions in the warm up arena i always say loudly and clearly inside or outside but some people just don’t get it! they totally ignore what you say and come close to colliding with your horse! as well when parents start to get all fussy about stuff like why their child didn’t win and so on it drives me crazy! be happy with what your child was able to accomplish and don’t complain about it! but one of my biggest and possibly number one pet peeves has to be the spoiled children at some shows i swear those kids need a wake up call. i have worked as a groom at shows before and when i hear a kid asking me why their horse isn’t ready and give me attitude i get infuriated! like getting their horse ready is the only thing i have to do, as though there isn’t like 5 other horses that are needed before theirs is and i’m trying to get the other horses ready! grow up and start taking responibility of your own horse and start getting it ready! grrrrrr! add – hey i was just reminded of another! when the judge keeps picking the same horse to win every single class it enters, not saying that sometimes the horse truley does deserve it, but once one of the riders at my barn got so mad because he kept winning even when he knew he didn’t deserve it! his horse really was all over the place, constantly jerking her head on the wrong lead but the judge placed them first anyway! some judges are just ignorant to the people who truly deserve a win and instead pick the horse they simply like. judging is so subjective it gets a little irritating!
it feels kind of good to rant like this. i might sound kind of cynical, but i love horse showing it’s just those few things that make my skin crawl! my level of show experience is about 10 years roughly with multiple types of shows from equestrian team meets, class a shows, regionals, to local unrated shows from jumpers to pleasure shows i’ve pretty much seen and experience it all the good and the bad. good question!
add – okay is the answer a couple below me commenting on what i put because it kind of sounds like it. i’m sorry i have pet peeves but you know what i do take responsibility when i ride, i don’t usually blame other people except for when they deserve it. and personally my horse is amazing when it comes to handleing different situations like getting cut off he will keep going and not break but when it keeps happening – the same rider cutting you off multiple times in a class – it gets annoying. and i don’t whine because believe me i have gone through everything imaginable with my horse i have given up complaining but simply except what happens in a show arena but what i’m saying in my answer is that when people are flat out rude in an arena something should be said! if you weren’t talking about my answer then that’s good, i just simply made an add about how i feel
i hate showing! its not all about the horse it seems to me its who you know and who your are! i’ve seen horses from smaller yards loose `to those of the bigger yards even though they are far better! i prefer jumping, its fair then.
I hate whiners.
"Oh, I lost cuz that girl cut me off and my horse broke…"
"That girl always wins, it’s so unfair…"
"She just whizzed in right past me when I was having trouble at the gate…"
"She let her horse get too close and it’s her fault she got kicked…."
Basically, you’re responsible for yourself and your horse. No one else is responsible for you. You have to give your horse a good trip; no one else will. If your horse is balking at the gate, it’s perfectly fair and appropriate for someone to pass you – she’s NOT there to help you.
Ring sense, people! Watch what’s going on around you and take the responsibilty for avoiding it! Some riders/horses should be avoided at all costs. You can make small circles, you can cut across the ring, but don’t get near them.
If another rider cuts you off… well, you have eyes. Watch out for that, and see them coming. Then you don’t get cut off.
If someone slows you down and your horse breaks… your fault. My horses can canter in place if absolutely necessary; but I keep my eyes open and stay out of those situations.
"She always wins…" well, yeah. She’s better. That’s the goal. "She has such an easy time…" The goal is to make it look easy, and that’s hard to do. Pay attention to yourself, and don’t whine when others are better.
The only exception is a kicker; imo no kicker belongs in a flat class. You can whine about being kicked all you want; I’m with you.
I’ve shown for decades, and been a horse show mom, a coach, steward, announcer, and so on. I’ve organized and run shows. I’ve always turned down invitations to judge – that’s a surefire way to get whined at.
EDIT: I love horse shows, and horse show people. 99percent of them, anyway! But sometimes if you start to complain, it takes off on you… I feel better now!
EDIT 2: No, not aimed at anyone! I didn’t read the other answers before I posted.
my biggest pet peeves…so many! xD
i hate riders that dont release over fences at all. i dont like it when they have saddle pads that are dirty and scruffy. it makes me rly mad when in the warmup ring when people dont know how to ride they get inn your way. and i also dont like how on the flat people cut you off..
People who yell at you coz you’re behind their horse and it might kick, but NOOOOO they can’t put a red ribbon in it’s tail as an indicator because it clashes with their pink ensemble….
Or when you put a red ribbon on your horse because it kicks and people stand their anyway and then get pissed at you because their horse got kicked and claim they thought it was just decoration…..
COME ON! RED RIBBON IS INTERNATIONAL FOR DON’T STAND THERE OR YOU’LL GET KICKED!!!!!
I hate the spoilt little kids on their little push button $10,000 perfectly groomed show ponies. I was groom at a show that all my stable border friends went to and a little girls (basically on a pony that all she had to do was sit on and look pretty), bolted, full on bucking, she came off and got trampled one of my instructors and I ran to the girl (she was fine, just crying heaps), my pregnant instructor ran after the horse and grabbed it. The parents took 5mins to turn up and they were shocked that it’d happened (they were clueless about horses!). My instructor was like ‘anyone want a horse? it’s going real cheap!’.
Or the people that are that stuck up and pro that they won’t talk to you, acknowledge you or smile at you!
And the people that look down at you when you say you’re the groom. I have an absolute hoot as groom at shows! I take photos, I love helping everyone, I learn heaps when watching and I get to go look at all the sales stuff and I get to mind my instructors adorable mini and walk around with him. People walk up to me and quiz me about him (and I’m there like ‘huh?’) and tell me how gorgeous he is lol.
The people that laugh and snigger when a horse acts up (esp the snobby people).
Or the girl that blatantly ignores the guy over the loud speaker that announces for the 20th (not kidding!) time that she can’t lunge on the grass because she’s interferring with a ring (it was a beginners kids ring too!) and that if she wants to lunge she has to do it in the warm up ring.
I’m not saying that all people at horse shows are snobby, I’ve met some really nice people, it just infuriates me when they’re not pleasant!