Being the person who calls out a lame horse at a show

[TWH_Girl]

I did it this weekend. It was quite uncomfortable. Anyone else done it??

It was a club show, but a large group of people that I didn’t know were there with a family that is part of our club. They show nationally. I don’t know the family very well, just sort of who they are. I had finished my first class and was watching. I saw this horse and he was so very very lame on the left hind. It was painful to watch and obvious to my non-horse husband as well. I recognized it immediately because it is the SAME way my 6 yr old has presented with his left stifle issue. Same skipping movement. Same resting the leg in the line up, poor boy.

So, I mention it to the DQP (designated qualified professional) who knows the group of said people. He agrees horse is lame. Says it’s the judge’s call from the ring to dq a horse for soundness issues. This is the horse’s 2nd class, so I am assuming the judge had not done that as of yet since horse was showing again. DQP whispers to one of the family members and tells me hopefully the rider will do the right thing. I cringe as I watch the horse in the line up and limp out of the ring.

I overhear a few comments here and there such as “we didn’t notice it” etc. I see the rider a while later by the food both out of her show clothes, and tell her I am sorry about her horse; that my horse has the same issue and I’ve been working on it for a while. She seemed okay and thanked me; didn’t seem not mad, and maybe just not in tune enough to know he was off. IDK. Who knows if my name is crud now, but hopefully horse will get looked at and get some help. Ugh. It was so super duper awkward!!! :o

What a horrible position to be in. Has anyone else had to speak up for the good of a horse when no one else would??

[Pennywell_Bay]

[QUOTE=TWH Girl;8774618]
I did it this weekend. It was quite uncomfortable. Anyone else done it??

It was a club show, but a large group of people that I didn’t know were there with a family that is part of our club. They show nationally. I don’t know the family very well, just sort of who they are. I had finished my first class and was watching. I saw this horse and he was so very very lame on the left hind. It was painful to watch and obvious to my non-horse husband as well. I recognized it immediately because it is the SAME way my 6 yr old has presented with his left stifle issue. Same skipping movement. Same resting the leg in the line up, poor boy.

So, I mention it to the DQP (designated qualified professional) who knows the group of said people. He agrees horse is lame. Says it’s the judge’s call from the ring to dq a horse for soundness issues. This is the horse’s 2nd class, so I am assuming the judge had not done that as of yet since horse was showing again. DQP whispers to one of the family members and tells me hopefully the rider will do the right thing. I cringe as I watch the horse in the line up and limp out of the ring.

I overhear a few comments here and there such as “we didn’t notice it” etc. I see the rider a while later by the food both out of her show clothes, and tell her I am sorry about her horse; that my horse has the same issue and I’ve been working on it for a while. She seemed okay and thanked me; didn’t seem not mad, and maybe just not in tune enough to know he was off. IDK. Who knows if my name is crud now, but hopefully horse will get looked at and get some help. Ugh. It was so super duper awkward!!! :o

What a horrible position to be in. Has anyone else had to speak up for the good of a horse when no one else would??[/QUOTE]

Not at a show, but I volunteered taught a PC lesson for a club that was in a tight spot (couldn’t accept any $ so did it as a favor). One horse was so off and the owner (a non-parent of the kid, not the kid) told me -“that’s how he is” , I had to stop teaching it. And the pony was foul and dumped the kid and I didn’t blame him. Apparently that is “just what he does”. No- I was never invited back.

FWIW, same owner (different pony) at least retired one from jumping who was diagnosed with severely arthritic knees. But they still ride him and he kind of limps around in dressage. He actually “wins” at local schooling shows. I am surprised a judge doesn’t dismiss him. I suppose he is “serviceably sound” very loosely, but not to me.

[redalter]

First, thank you for sticking up for the horse, particularly when it doesn’t sound like you got much support.

I’ve done it, and been sort of fobbed off, but I was persistent.

Again - good for you for doing right by the horse!

[SendenHorse]

[QUOTE=TWH Girl;8774618]
I did it this weekend. It was quite uncomfortable. Anyone else done it??

It was a club show, but a large group of people that I didn’t know were there with a family that is part of our club. They show nationally. I don’t know the family very well, just sort of who they are. I had finished my first class and was watching. I saw this horse and he was so very very lame on the left hind. It was painful to watch and obvious to my non-horse husband as well. I recognized it immediately because it is the SAME way my 6 yr old has presented with his left stifle issue. Same skipping movement. Same resting the leg in the line up, poor boy.

So, I mention it to the DQP (designated qualified professional) who knows the group of said people. He agrees horse is lame. Says it’s the judge’s call from the ring to dq a horse for soundness issues. This is the horse’s 2nd class, so I am assuming the judge had not done that as of yet since horse was showing again. DQP whispers to one of the family members and tells me hopefully the rider will do the right thing. I cringe as I watch the horse in the line up and limp out of the ring.

I overhear a few comments here and there such as “we didn’t notice it” etc. I see the rider a while later by the food both out of her show clothes, and tell her I am sorry about her horse; that my horse has the same issue and I’ve been working on it for a while. She seemed okay and thanked me; didn’t seem not mad, and maybe just not in tune enough to know he was off. IDK. Who knows if my name is crud now, but hopefully horse will get looked at and get some help. Ugh. It was so super duper awkward!!! :o

What a horrible position to be in. Has anyone else had to speak up for the good of a horse when no one else would??[/QUOTE]

I think you did the right thing.

However, I am very wry of getting mixed up in something that I don’t know the background on (some horses look lame when tense, or bad ground, etc)

[jetsmom]

Kudos for speaking up. Owner/rider may not be knowledgeable enough to know what a lame horse looks or feels like.

[charismaryllis]

i’ve done it; same way you did. report it to the appropriate individual. i do it in a “hi there, i don’t know that horse and i’m by no means an expert, but does he look off on the near hind to you?” way that allows the appropriate person to make their own decision; i would never tell them, “hey, the number XYZ horse is off, why is he still allowed in the ring?”

and you should never feel uncomfortable doing it.

[mayhew]

If she was a kid, she may not have any say if she shows a lame horse or not, especially if the family is horsey and her parents/trainer are telling her it is fine. I’m glad you spoke up, but she may not be able to do anything about it. It is a shame the judge didn’t take action.

[Beentheredonethat]

I have. I was volunteering as a ring steward at a dressage show. Horse was VERY lame at the trot, so BNT had the rider canter. I mentioned to the TD that the horse was really lame, and she mentioned it to the mother of the rider, who said the horse was just shod. TD said it was the judge’s call. The judge did not excuse the horse.

[goodhors]

The way I hear it with lame horses at QH shows, is judge can’t rule horse lame unless they are also a Vet. Judge is “not qualified” to determine lameness. Been awhile since I heard this, but the rich folks sued over it, with the Judge side losing. Can’t afford those kind of suits, AQHA loses to high-powered attorney every time.

[Quelah]

It’s why I don’t go to many shows, I can’t keep my mouth shut Husband says “There you go, making friends again….”

The allowances made for lame horses are truly depressing. I was at a CDE years ago, eavesdropping, listening to the head of the ground jury (head judge) telling the show VET that a horse he was taking a hard look at in warm up wasn’t lame, he just (wait for it) “moves like that”. As I understand it, the head of the ground jury can overrule a judge at CDEs, which I think is total BS, and I said as much to the vet (who I knew) later, and he agreed.

[TWH_Girl]

[QUOTE=mayhew;8774672]
If she was a kid, she may not have any say if she shows a lame horse or not, especially if the family is horsey and her parents/trainer are telling her it is fine. I’m glad you spoke up, but she may not be able to do anything about it. It is a shame the judge didn’t take action.[/QUOTE]

No, this was a lady probably in her 50s. But I think Jetsmom’s comment was spot on for this case. I just don’t think she knew. She said he felt funny but thought it was the (bad) footing. Exactly how I felt when my guy became off. If it were my horse, I’d want to know. I don’t get offended when someone is thinking of my horse’s welfare.

[Simkie]

Forever ago, when I was still riding and showing Blush, I picked up a snide whisper-not-whisper comment as I was exiting the ring after a stadium round that I should be grateful my horse got me around with her bad hocks.

I wish whoever that was had spoken with me directly. I would have been grateful for the feedback and second eye on my horse.

As it was, it wasn’t her hocks but her neck, which we turned up within the next six months.

I think you did the right thing.

[Foxtrot_s]

I’ve done it - sort of -

A young rider was unable to get her horse cantering and the horse was doing everything possible to avoid it, and looked very uncomfortable. I just spoke nicely to the Dad that maybe they should get it checked out. He was not a horsey fellow and was very agreeable.

[heronponie]

I’ve completely given up. Any time I’ve spoken up about lame horses in the show ring, it gets brushed off. No matter how blatantly obvious.

[Guilherme]

Some years back at a FOSH show I scribed for a judge who was a Name in the “sound horse community” and in the class was a Name riding a spotted horse that was a solid grade 3 lame at the gait and 3+ at the canter. The Name had to vigorously spur the horse into a canter and consistently got the wrong lead. Three classes, back to back, with only two or three entries per class. The judge pinned this horse consistently. I mentioned it to the judge and he said it was unimportant. I felt concerned enough to contact the show manager by radio and she said it was the judge’s call. I was quite upset. Sufficiently so that I severed my ties with FOSH and shortly thereafter bought my first Marchador.

Over time I’ve seen this on multiple occasions. Whenever I do I go and find the rule book for the shows in question and look up their lameness rules, guidelines, etc. Most speak against showing lame horses but the language ranges from pretty strong to “Caspar Milquetoast Speaks.” Another reason why we never showed much, I guess.

G.

[TWH_Girl]

[QUOTE=heronponie;8774897]
I’ve completely given up. Any time I’ve spoken up about lame horses in the show ring, it gets brushed off. No matter how blatantly obvious.[/QUOTE]

That’s so disheartening to hear. Totally wrong priorities when people’s need to show and get points supersedes the welfare of the horse.

[heronponie]

Yes and no. It partially helped drive me to a career where I spend all day every day helping horses get well.

But I no longer bother wasting my time expressing concern to people who care more about their $20 entry fee than their horse’s well-being.

[Pocket_Pony]

Good for you, OP, glad you spoke up for the horse and the result worked out in its favor! :yes:

[no.stirrups]

I judge 4-H and other low level fun shows, and I’ve had to excuse a number of horses for lameness. Mostly people are nice about it.

I’ve heard the line that judge’s aren’t vets and so can’t tell if a horse is lame, and I think it is such BS! Recognizing lameness is just horsemanship. Diagnosing and recommending treatment would be the vets job, but recognizing that the horse is lame is just observing a symptom. It’s like saying you can’t see a rash unless you are a dermatologist!

[OverandOnward]

At a schooling show, once, and it wasn’t so much lameness as radical over-use of a young horse. There were actually 3 of us, 2 of us volunteers and one the show coordinator, who in the last few classes were watching this poor young horse who had been jumped and jumped in every possible class since the morning. All three of us started talking to each other about it at the same time - this was way too much.

The trainer was the rider’s mom and was insisting the horse had to keep going because “he has to get it right”. The horse was just tiring and getting more wrong. Show coordinator was debating telling them they just couldn’t show him any more, but was hoping to get a good decision from them and not have to go that step.

Finally all 3 of us talked to the mom in the warm-up ring (where the rider was jumping and jumping the horse, on mom-trainer instructions - as she had in every warm-up before all the classes he was entered). The mom was obdurate. Horse went into the class and jumped the best he had all day. Teenage rider was all smiles and ready to take him to the trailer. But mom-trainer rose up and insisted “he has to do it again”. Well, all 3 of us stood up and said “three experienced horse people are trying to tell you this horse has had enough and you are likely to injure him seriously by continuing - and he is unlikely to be this good again, as tired as he is, you are going to lose this good experience”.

Mom-trainer (who really did not have that much experience) continued to insist the horse had to continue. Fifteen-year-old rider spoke up like a hero: “HE IS FINISHED AND GOING BACK TO THE TRAILER”. And she got off and started walking the horse away.

Fifteen-year-old rider took good care of her horse, then came back to tell us without her mom-trainer around, with great poise and determination, “My mom does not know what she is doing. I am taking over this horse and I am not going to let her do that again.” And from her tone and bearing, that is exactly what was going to happen. Between the girl and the mom, the girl was clearly the older and wiser soul, and she knew it.

There was one other time, another schooling show when I was one of about a half-dozen people who said in a positive, casual and friendly tone to a rider, “hey, have you thought about having his hocks done?” Rider was very quiet in response. Learned later that the horse, a 4-yo, was retired after that show. His hocks HAD been done - and that was not the problem. Whatever it was, he was not asked to be sore any more. I understand he is still living happily at pasture as a companion horse at a breeding barn.

So sometimes it does help to speak up. Far more effective if it isn’t just one voice.