I don’t think it is related to the genetics/bloodlines of the horse so much as it is related to the management of it. Those top HJ horses do not see turnout - if they do, it’s for an hour or so a day. A lot of those horses are quiet in spite of their management, and many of the more proven/fashionable lines are actually very amateur friendly, all things considered. The management of these horses is just unrealistic and unsympathetic in terms of what a horse needs: lots of turnout, an actual herd environment, and constant forage.
A horse is lucky if he gets one of those things provided – let alone all three.
Um I don’t know- learn how to do better for your horse. Training, turnout, more work, take some more lessons yourself (general you, not you specifically). I ride in a discipline where, in some competitions, using vaseline on a girth rub or rubbing alcohol to cool or baby powder on your horse is against the rules- seriously zero tolerance for any substance other than fly spray. We all seem to be able to manage “crazy” Arabs who are fit to run 50-100 miles in a day (oh and that includes kids and ammies)
I don’t even show the H/J circuit, but do show another circuit…and THIS is spot on for us as well. I’m hopeful my association follows suit on medroxy, although candidly, that just means shady trainers and vets will find something else that doesn’t test. My concerns, like some of yours, is that this is used in excess for horses that really don’t need it to balance hormones. Trainers are giving it so casually because it’s perceived to be safe and they feel it acts as a calming/dulling agent. At least in my discipline, there is such a demand (IMO) to make what I consider robotic horses. It’s all about making the horse dull and tired, and just robotically going around.
Again, I can’t speak for the H/J world, but in my discipline, it’s a cycle. Most horses are in a full time training program. A pro is working the horse 5-6x a week. Customer shows up to ride at the farm occasionally, then of course comes to the shows. Trainer needs to keep customer happy. Customer is happy when s/he wins. Customer doesn’t really know HOW to ride their horse. So horse needs to be super compliant, even if it comes at the expense of a needle, so trainer keeps customer’s checks coming. It works for the trainer b/c the customer just can’t pull the horse and go show his/herself.
And to be clear, the horses above, aren’t dangerous, hard to handle, etc…but they are expected to be perfect, all the time. Consistency wins.
As someone with several horses who require medications to stay healthy, please don’t ban everything but aspirin
Not all medications are used in subversive or unethical ways. None of the medications required by my horses have any sort of effect on their performance but without them they would be miserable.
my horses are good in the warm up. it’s the other people i worry about. have you been to a Florida circuit and seen how busy the schooling ring is especially on weekends? with children and adults who will clip you on a young horse?
I can kind of relate as I have a horse with allergies that can flare up at a competition due to traveling in the trailer and being stalled. What works best for him in his inhaler is not allowed to be given at/before recognized competitions. It’s purely to help him with the inflammation in his airway so he can essentially be/breathe normal. Nothing exciting or nefarious.
I forget where I saw this… FB maybe? Someone brought up the point about Depo being already banned at recognized shows in Europe and the lack of fuss over here about it. I already mentioned this earlier in this thread but someone replied to said comment with something along the lines of “but they don’t have hunters/equitation in Europe”
Many trainers do their best to find a good match for their rider. Unfortunately, sellers (or sellers’ trainers) are not always honest, or leave out important parts of the horse’s makeup that the purchaser’s trainer knows would be a red flag, but without knowing about the red flag(s), horse is purchased after a good trial. Then buyer’s trainer has to fix the rearing, bucking, tail-flagging, unusual bonding to other horses, anxiety if turned for for more than… throws shoes a lot, doesn’t like roll tops, has to have depo every other week, whatever. It puts buyer and their trainer in a heck of spot after good money is spent carefully. Then buyer’s trainer has to come up with ways to discourage unwanted unknowns. Depo has been one popular method.
So we have increasing chatter about the exorbitant expense to show at this level and now a ban on a substance heavily relied on to be competitive at this level. Anyone else foresee a dive in rated show attendance?
Not everyone showing on the rated circuit can afford to dump their depo dependent mount for something “better”.
I have zero issue with this ban and I think it will be interesting to see how the dust settles.
If I had a trainer that couldn’t mitigate those horse buying issues I wouldn’t use that trainer. That screams lack of knowledge that doesn’t warrant a commission.
IME the people who end up with horses like that are not honest with themselves about their skill level, nor is the trainer honest with the student about their skill level and the trainer is usually someone who has no business being a trainer.
where did i say drug the horses? I said, i hope we don’t see kicking out and twirling. Maybe my comment was meant to be, i hope that people who are taking this short cut now, don’t get me killed in the warm up without it. But it’s the COTH so you know, everyone is a mind reader and expert and can tell me how to train my horses that they’ve never met.
Actually I think it is. If you horse cannot stay sound as they are, they aren’t allowed to compete. They are gone over by both a vet and a lay judge at least 3 times per competition- minor issues, they lose points for. Anything bigger, you’re not allow to continue competing.
Do people forget that most horses need be able to earn their keep in some manner in order to be useful. What happens to useless horses? I don’t know what Tabulah Rashah’s discipline is (I would guess endurance), but implementing such strict limitations for a massive amount of animals would be eliminating a lot of horses from the sport.
I’m not saying it’s okay to allow lame horses to compete, but I am saying it’s NOT good for the horse to ban everything that helps keep a horse comfortable and useful.
I am all about welfare and putting the horse first, so let’s do the HORSES a favor by not going to the complete other end of the spectrum. There is ABSOLUTELY a middle ground here
As someone who judged such competitions for many years, it was always refreshing to see a baseline of horsemanship among the competitors that was significantly higher than the overall average.
But this isn’t new either: in urban California we’ve been managing horses this way for decades, and managed to survive, whatever we were riding. I rode plenty of OTTBs who managed to behave and honestly basic manners weren’t that much of an issue.
The middle ground is clients and trainers being real about skill level, training timelines, appropriate horse/rider matches, judging standards being made less idealistic, and horse shows becoming horse friendly.
…but those all require work so instead it’ll be on to the next Perfect Prep/Depo solution in a tube, whatever that may be.
