I want the judge feedback. That’s it. I don’t want a ribbon to prove that I rode my test better than a kid on a school horse.
And drugs. That’s how.
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Exactly how are the “stakes higher” in a dressage show? I don’t see any of what you speak of at the recognized dressage shows in New England. That’s what we have TD’s for and they are watching.
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Because there are regionals, nationals, etc. All of which increase the value of a horse. A horse who has 5 firsts and a championship at a schooling show series is not the same horse that won the recognized regionals.
And anyone who thinks cheating is not going on in their sport has got to be willfully blind. It’s everywhere.
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Wow, I guess I don’t worry about it and just do my thing! Too bad you are so cynical about it, when I don’t do well I just blame myself not the other competitors drugging horses!
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That’s simply not true. There are vets there drug testing horses at every single show I’ve been to. I don’t drug horses so their ammy riders can ride them and I do not know ANYONE who does.
Rollkur and hyperflexion are the same thing - and someone would have the TD down on your ass in a heartbeat if they saw you doing that at a show. Your pique is imaginary I think.
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My vet, who I board with, has been the on-site vet at our CDIs for over 20 years. Anything iffy is immediately assigned to the FEI vet. And the jogs are very thorough.
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Why do you think they need to do this? It’s not because no one is doing it, that’s for sure.
Just in a recent thread, someone spoke of a horse’s feet getting blocked with an untestable substance right before entering a ring. Several others corroborated it.
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It’s not about blaming anyone. It’s about not supporting $$ an organization that encourages, intentionally or not, animals not being treated ethically.
There are more people looking to WIN than I care to be around. I don’t want to spend my money that way.
It’s not about “sour grapes”. I trust that my young mare would have done just fine in recognized stuff, and I’d love the judge’s feedback. It’s the rest of the money going to god-knows-what while cheating and unethical behavior are seen often that chaps my hide.
Again, I ride because it’s fun, and because I like horses. Showing is fun, but not at that cost, and not with the money going to who-knows-where.
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They’ve been doing it for many, many years. Decades. The practice started because there were some instances of people drugging horses. But believe me, it’s a great deterrent. If someone gets caught, they are banned for life. For people who train/instruct for a living, that would be a huge blow. It just doesn’t happen with the regularity that you are implying. I’m sorry that somewhere, somehow, you got a bad taste in your mouth for competition. But you are 100% wrong that drugging and mistreatment of horses is widespread here in the 21st Century. If you want a judge’s opinion, save your money and go to clinics instead.
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No, they aren’t. That’s part of the problem.
oh my gosh how did this thread turn into drugging horses lol
Equestrian Canada is incredibly transparent and lists all riders who test positive on their website; https://www.equestrian.ca/about/safe-sport/disciplinary-sanctions
I was tested twice this year, once in dressage and once in eventing. I actually asked the testers about positive tests and how common they are. Rarely in dressage and it would be from something like allergy or pain meds, very rarely. Almost never in eventing, and common in H/J. From the drug stewards mouth.
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I steward at the warm-up and scribe quite often… a LOT of bad riding, including hyperflexion, gets ignored. There have been times I’ve asked for a TD in the warm-up for an off horse or what I would consider abusive riding and been told that as long as it doesn’t escalate and no one else is being endangered, I need to let it go. Also, in the judging world, 5.0 is the new 3.0.
I do think there’s a lot of unethical stuff going on. But I’m not sure most of it is drugs. I think there’s a lot more shady business practices, training methodology, and veterinary care that isn’t brought to the show.
There is nothing like that in my area. It’s not a hub for high level high stakes dressage. It’s a small dedicated community.
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To bring this back to the topic at hand…
What about improving the prize pool? That seems like something dressage is not so good at, but if you can find some decent sponsors and get every entry in the youth division something decent (and not just a bag of carrots or something) then the winners/reserve get something slightly better. That would definitely be an incentive.
I also liked the idea of them being able to work off the entry fees. Sets them up for both entering the shows and volunteering as they get older.
I feel like a lot of kids don’t own their own horses, so it may be a conversation to have with your nearby riding schools too. The kids may be interested but unable to go if their barn isn’t willing to transport, etc.
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YES agree about the prizes. I would love to do some sort of leaderboard, or specific prize at shows for the JRs to bring them out. Has to be worthwhile for them.
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