Isn’t the point of having 2 divisions (small/large), (younger/older riders) to allow more ribbons to be awarded and more points? If you make it just one junior hunter division, then 6 or 10 people will get ribbons and everyone else will not. I know that we should have only one winner, but that kind of takes a lot of the fun out of showing? If there are 50 kids, only 10 will get ribbons, the rest won’t. And in some areas, it’s the same kids over and over. If I were a show manager or a trainer or a parent, I’d be for dividing it up a bit so the odds of getting a ribbon is increased. This isn’t the Olympics or the World Cup, it’s just a show somewhere in the country. Numbers won’t increase at shows if most exhibitors end up spending vast sums of money and go home ribbonless. Show managers are providing a product and part of that product is the chance of getting a ribbon. Reducing those odds deters buyers of the product. Besides, it’s junior hunters, i.e., kids. Who cares if there are small/large based on the traditional heights or small/large based on the new heights in horses?
I believe it is the same management team.
Can someone please point out to me a horse show setting the 3’6 junior hunter division on a 14 foot stride? I can’t remember being at a show where that was the case and don’t see anything suggesting it is common. The only recent course map I can find is the fall ESP show which shows 12’6" for the 3’6 performance hunters.
I’m going to go waaay back to the Show Pass fee rule. It states that “longers” must pay a show pass fee…
Is this ANYONE who longes a horse at any show? Grooms included? Or is this just in reference to a longer in vaulting?
I would think just in vaulting. How on earth would they police it otherwise?
That’s what I would think too, except that “longing” is also a stated exception in the amateur rule, so it seems like it could be confusing.
As a steward, I read that to pertain to vaulting not pre-ride longeing at hunter/jumper shows.
USEF Rulebook
GR135 Longeur For purposes of these rules, a longeur is the individual responsible for the control of the horse within the vaulting arena during a vaulting competition
But the smalls often have to hustle more down the lights so small vs small is appropriate in that respect IMO
USHJA proposed changes go to USEF;
Not to mention the night watch people.
I would think the horses would be more disturbed by those people moving around all night with flashlights.
Plus what happens in an emergency situation when nobody can find the light switch?
This was my thought too.
I would think the horses can sleep just fine with lights on.
Per my horse, sleeping in the middle of the day, outside, in the sun, is a pretty easy thing to do.
With all the possible horse welfare concerns, I would put “can’t sleep due to the lights” way down on the priorities list.
I don’t mind the lights. I do mind the people who pump up the music until 2 in the morning. Most of the braiders, grooms, and other late shift folks I see in the barns bring headphones, but not all… I think that’s more disruptive than having the lights on.
Headlamps? Most of them do anyway. Would be helpful for a braider to weigh in on this rule and its inconvenience.
(Not dismissing you or anyone else with my last statement. Reading it I thought it might read that way. And you might be a braider. )
I’m a braider. A headlamp in the pitch black is doable, but it’s hard on the eyes for 10 hours. I also worry about shining a light directly in the horse’s eyes to do the forelock. Having even dim lighting in the background is helpful. That’s me and my eyeballs, mileage may vary.
I also think of it as a safety issue for not just the braiders, but anybody else who might be out there after dark doing night check or what have you. What happens if there is an accident and a person ends up on the ground in the corner of the stall for whatever reason? Because… horses.
That person is a lot more likely to be found before morning if the lights are on.
And also, what happens if a horse gets loose at night? He is going to get spotted and hopefully returned to the right place a lot sooner with the lights on than with the lights off, that’s for sure.
Not true. They always change the distances between the jumps when the fence height changes. It’s one reason why the pony rings drag on forever, lol!
I think a rule like this can really only be safely implemented if barns are equipped with “daylight” lights and dimmer “night lights” that are still bright enough to see/read that stay on 24/7.
Of course, that also costs $$$$ to install for venues.
