Another jumper disqualified for blood

[vineyridge]

http://www.horseandhound.co.uk/news/…n-drama-627652

Marcus Ehning was disqualified for blood on the flank in the Nations’ Cup at Hickstead. The German team lost his clear round and ended up 7th. Ehning admits it was a spur scratch. Unless I’m wrong, that makes four high profile jumper eliminations for blood in the last year. I don’t remember any ones from before that time, but my memory isn’t so great these days.

Now if the FEI would just enforce its noseband tightness rules in all disciplines and its rollkur rules in dressage, the world would be a better place for horses in competition.

[AffirmedHope]

No big letter and social media tantrums from his teammates about how it’s only a little bit of blood? No changing story about how it was rubbed until it bled and they have before and after photos but they aren’t releasing them?

[MHM]

Honestly, I don’t know why anybody walks in the ring for any FEI class these days without a bellyband on the horse. It’s not my favorite piece of equipment, but if it could make the difference between winning a pile of prize money and maybe getting eliminated, I would certainly use one.

[OTTB2]

I get that spur scratches do happen but like if we didn’t have this rule how many horses would have holes in the side of them. The point of zero tolerance rules is they precent more hopefully that people getting punished from minor things.

[nutmeg]

The round in question: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ujpw1M41oq8

[ladyj79]

@AffirmedHope

No big letter and social media tantrums from his teammates about how it’s only a little bit of blood? No changing story about how it was rubbed until it bled and they have before and after photos but they aren’t releasing them?

I love you :lol::lol::lol:

[ladyj79]

@MHM

Honestly, I don’t know why anybody walks in the ring for any FEI class these days without a bellyband on the horse. It’s not my favorite piece of equipment, but if it could make the difference between winning a pile of prize money and maybe getting eliminated, I would certainly use one.

Agreed.

[SuzieQNutter]

Why do you need spurs for showjumping?

[MHM]

@nutmeg

The round in question: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ujpw1M41oq8

Thanks for posting that. Interesting to see. Clearly he wasn’t madly kicking or spurring at any point, and he certainly rides smoother and better than most people on the planet.

Side note. Wow, did that footing look chewed up. Yikes.

[ladyj79]

@SuzieQNutter

Why do you need spurs for showjumping?

You don’t, although you might need them for a particular horse.

I have no issues with spurs at all, and accidents happen, but alleviate the risk by using a belly band. Seems an easy choice.

[SuzieQNutter]

I am off to google a belly band. I have not heard if one before.

[SuzieQNutter]

I still don’t get it. I guess if you put a belly band on, it stops the feel of the spurs. You may as well ride without them and a bellly band.

[tinah]

@SuzieQNutter

Why do you need spurs for showjumping?

the same reason you use them any other place: Because you need a horse to move their ribs and/or shoulders NOW and sometimes they get hot and ignore leg. Like a lead change, for instance.

[SuzieQNutter]

@tinah

the same reason you use them any other place: Because you need a horse to move their ribs and/or shoulders NOW and sometimes they get hot and ignore leg. Like a lead change, for instance.

Yes I have showjumped. I have also done Jumping Equitation and picked for the Zone team. Not huge courses but I have jumped a 5 foot wall. Yes a hot horse. He was called Hot Pepper. I can say NOW without spurs and I bet I am not as good a rider as them.

I have also jumped cool and cold horses.

I only rubbed the hair off with boots with a ridge on the back of the boots for spurs to change my riding. I would be mortified to draw blood.

[SendenHorse]

I’m glad they enforce it, otherwise it does no good. If it’s “false positives” and there is a certain inherent amount of horses that get nicked by the spur due to having a large jump, then change the rule to somehow catch abuse but not normal"oops" bad days…I’d rather them enforce too much than not at all.

I had a horse bite their cheek and bleed a lot because of a weird moment, I was hardly doing anything to abuse my horse, so we would have been DQ, I’m ok with that had I been in a show.

[Daventry]

@SuzieQNutter

Why do you need spurs for showjumping?

Yes I have showjumped. I have also done Jumping Equitation and picked for the Zone team. Not huge courses but I have jumped a 5 foot wall. Yes a hot horse. He was called Hot Pepper. I can say NOW without spurs and I bet I am not as good a rider as them.

Jumping one big jump is a VERY different scenario than having to jump a FULL course of 5’ fences with 5’ spreads on the oxers, two different triple combination, double combinations, a tall vertical plank set on a 6 1/2 foot stride and then a long gallop to a liverpool…all while trying to control a 16.3 HH athletic warmblood and mold them into a bouncing, rubber ball.

Just sayin’!

[Annie_G]

Hey, I loved “Affirmed Hope”'s comment too - hear hear! But of course the Germans have and will be teaching us about horsemanship and riding for generations to come!

[HJdaydream]

@SuzieQNutter The belly bands are not that thick in person. I think most horses would certainly still feel a spur through one. I would certainly not hesitate to use one when it comes down to that much prize money!

[RugBug]

@AffirmedHope

No big letter and social media tantrums from his teammates about how it’s only a little bit of blood? No changing story about how it was rubbed until it bled and they have before and after photos but they aren’t releasing them?

Hrmmm…I didn’t think there was ever an argument that ‘it’s only a little blood.’ I’m also not sure there was a changing story…but I haven’t been following all the news outlets to see if new/different information was offered. Did a quick search and didn’t see any changing story. Saw a picture of the mark…or should I say, saw a picture of what was supposedly the mark…but it was very hard to tell.

Personally, I would be VERY upset if a rub that was not bleeding, was made to bleed.

Sounds like that is not the case for Marcus.

[SuzieQNutter]

@Daventry

Jumping one big jump is a VERY different scenario than having to jump a FULL course of 5’ fences with 5’ spreads on the oxers, two different triple combination, double combinations, a tall vertical plank set on a 6 1/2 foot stride and then a long gallop to a liverpool…all while trying to control a 16.3 HH athletic warmblood and mold them into a bouncing, rubber ball.

Just sayin’!

LOL One wall in the course. The others were Showjumps you could see through. You need a horse that trusts you to jump a wall they can not see through. He was only 15.1hh.