Personally, until they start enforcing this rule, I will continue to use earbunnies. I know that this may be wrong and unethical and may group me with those who break much larger rules, but my horse needs them. They do not affect how he jumps, moves, or anything. They just keep his attention. How am I supposed to accustom my horse to those buzzing lights without an indoor arena? And those of you who show in Raleigh have seen those young kids playing in the TREES outside the covered ring. My friend was PARALYZED when her OWN (fairly made) horse spooked while her son was playing in the woods (and YES she was wearing a certified helmet!) Now, if I’m going to have to deal with children swinging around in trees and shrieking, you can bet that I will have my earbunnies in. Just my opinion…Don’t flame me too bad…
Haha, good point Flash!
re: wild children - WHERE are the parents of these little darlings? For years, I have thought that it would be better to let the dogs run loose and keep kids on leashes!
Seriously, this is a dangerous situation - and show management should be proactive and require parents to keep their children under control. Ask once and then call the police. It won’t happen again!
GEEZ Moesha - lighten up!!! if you don’t want to be involved in the discussion then get off the board.
I for one think it’s very interesting to talk about what goes on “across discipline lines”. Unfortunately I think it’s the closed and single mindedness of people that is dangerous.
If you think earplugs are the right thing to do then do it - I haven’t heard anything on this post that has told you otherwise.
BTW - many of us who ride dressage now started as eventers and hunters and have done the A shows etc… so don’t assume we haven’t been there or seen that. Maybe it is you that needs more exposure to the “real world”
One of the things that has made this my favorite forum from the very beginning is the very diversity of people who participate. While the title is technically the “Hunter/Jumper” forum, it has evolved to the point where I think it could more rightly be called the “Horseperson’s” Forum.(I really like Horseman’s Forum better but am trying to be politically correct) 
Just think, we have hunter people, jumper people, eventing people and dressage people, all coming together to discuss different facets of the art we all love best. It is so very interesting, to me at least, to hear the opinions of those in other disciplines than that in which I participate. Thank goodness, most of the others here seem to share that willingness to listen and contribute.
Moesha, I think that you need to back off a little here. Take a minute or two and analyze all that has been said. I’ll tell you what I have learned, and how my thinking has changed, as an example. Before the discussion of ear plugs started on another thread, I had never heard of using them. My first thought was, whatever for? Why don’t you just expose your animal gradually to more and more stressful environments? I still think that this is the best thing to do. Where I have changed my thinking, however, is that I now can see, from the examples provided by others here, that it might be a good idea for a young horse, just starting out, to wear them as a preventative measure. That’s not a 180 shift, by any means, but I still feel that I have learned and adjusted accordingly.
Where I’m still having some problems is in the area of legality. I may have missed it, but, has anyone been able to find out definately whether the plugs are legal or illegal? If they are illegal, then I’ve really got a problem, because, while I can see the benefits, I still wonder about the ethics. At what point is the line drawn? At what point, and by whose definition, does a piece of equipment cease to be “OK even if it is illegal”? Aren’t we all concerned with all the bad influences that face our young riders today and don’t we owe it to them to provide a good example, even if it is not to our benefit? Now, thats all assuming these darn little things are illegal, if they are legal, then charge me with pontificating (which you probably could anyway).
Off of the saopbox now.
SueL, Thanks for the great chuckle…I loved the bit about the ferris wheel. And I agree on all the very good points made.
As someone else before said, they are called, and have been forever, artificial aids not “devices” which sounds more insidious and might include “battery operated”.
Also, how many coaching fans would head out without their blinkers attached.
[This message has been edited by farmgate (edited 04-15-2000).]
Many horses I know show in earplugs not because they actually need them, but because they might. Your horse might be the absolute quietest thing in the world but who can account for those once in a show noises. The ONLY time the loudspeaker starts spazzing, the only time a jumper in the ring 10’ away crashes through a huge oxer…Your horse could easily spook at this and put you out of the ribbons (and prize money!). But maybe with those earbunnies in, his focus would be on his task instead of the squeaking speakers. Just a thought…
I am totally for the use of earplugs or those little fuzzy things (I’ll call them earbunnies!). I feel that we would loose many of our top hunters. Not every horse is quiet enough to go around without them. Also, would you rather the horse be lunged into the ground or have a piece of cotton in his ear? My trainer has a 12 year old horse, one of the fanciest and most made things I have ever seen, and he will still not take that horse into the Hunt Center in Raleigh without earbunnies.
Recently while at WEF at Tampa, I noticed a vendor selling ear plugs. It caught my eye as I have not had too much exposure to horses needing them. I am a member of a mounted drill team, and 99% of the time if a new or seasoned horse is going to react to something, it will be VISUAL (a cart with hundreds of balloons, etc). I cannot tell you how many parades we have marched in with fire engines directly behind us blaring their horns & sirens the entire way. We have TB’s Arabs, QH’s and many other breeds in our group. My 17H TB, who I show in hunter/EQ classes has seen and/or heard just about everything - men walking on stilts next to him; walking through smoke machines; thousands of people clapping & cheering on a boardwalk, etc. After all that, the horseshows are a piece of cake!!
If the rules say no artificial appliances, and we blatently ignore the rules, in spite of the fact that, as Jennefer Alcott has said, one AHSA employee has stated specifically to her that they are illegal, and quoted specific rules, why are we any better than those who use other artificial appliances. Also, what are we teaching our young riders? Seems to me we’re saying “I’ll follow the rules, as long as it’s not to my benefit to break them”. If you don’t like the fact that ear plugs are banned, get the rules changed. Don’t just blatently ignore them. Otherwise, you really have no right to complain when you see others using nerve lines, and other illegal devices. Yes, there’s definately a difference in degree, but not in ethics.
Pwynn,is there room for two in that flame proof booth?
pwynn, I have to agree with you, of course it’s probably because I too am a dressage rider LOL!!!
inthesaddle said:
“Basically the way a dressage test is laid out for scoring purposes each required movement gets ascore. In other words if you are to make a 20 meter circle in trot at C that is all placed in 1 box on the test score sheet and ONLY that movement receives a score - not the trot leading up to the 20 meter circle, not what happens afterward, ONLY the circle counts. Sort of like in jumpers - nothing matters except the fence itself.”
This is not quite true. The way the dressage test is divided up, every stride, from “Enter at A” to the final “Halt at X” is included in at least one scored movement. At second level and above, sometimes there are two scored boxes for the same figure- one just for the transitions.
If “freshness” results in going above or behind the bit, or in any way not being “on the aids” it will affect the general impressions for submission. Dressage horses do not have to be calm, necessarily, but they DO have to be attentive.
well, moesha, I guess I should have phrased it “as close as possible”. Someone else mentioned dogs, umbrellas, radios, hoses… walkie-talkies produce nasty noises…just as much commotion as possible. Teach with a megaphone or microphone (think of how it’ll save your voice!)…
Ok Moesha, you just proved to me what a stuck up witch you are. If you are so full of yourself that heaven forbid you should take your horse to a :gasp: schooling show to help them get used to the showing environment, than you are just a point chaser and I don’t appreciate being called a “ninnysausrus” or anything like that. You have no idea who I am or my background or how many shows I ahve been to so don’t for a second sit there and tell me I don’t know what I am talking about. Don’t call me self rightous and all that BS, I really could care less if the horses in your barn are in the state standings or back-yard nags. I think YOU are on the self righteous kick and need to back off. Talk about tiresome. Maybe if you took the time to TRAIN properly your horse wouldn’t NEED earplugs. THAT was my point. I am not so stuck on myself that I can’t go and do other things with my horse besides “A circuit shows”. My horse is getting miles put on her without training devices. There are things in the dressage world I don’t agree with. I don’t agree with draw reins and german martengales. I think that your attitude about people in other disciplines and well, your attitude in general really sucks. Have a nice day.
