Passing Judgement too Quickly

[infiniti]

I recently came across a video on youtube of a pro rider in a clinic. The comments ranged from beautiful horse to, this is abuse. Now I have no comment on this video and my purpose of this post is not to comment on it either. But it has got me wondering do we sometimes pass judgement too quickly on fellow riders?

I used to have one of the sweetest geldings on earth who only got a hard smack or a good spur/kick on the rarest of occasions. I now ride an alpha mare who takes advantage of my kind nature. I have had to completely learn how to ride again and learned to be assertive right from the ground to the moment I put her back in her stall. We have gone from her not moving from a spot (despite kicks and smacks) to her taking off on me to now a much harmonious ride. I struggled so much as I never had to be this assertive before, at times I was in tears because I felt like a horrible person for having to smack her so much. And the scary part is, it didn’t affect her! Now I promise you there were no whip welts or spur marks. But now I ride with long spurs and a stiff whip and she finally respects me but the moment I can tell she is losing it I have to be assertive. I struggle with it so much that I give a heads up to any new boarder/rider at the barn that I am like this because the mare is dominant. I constantly worry about being judged that I’m a harsh rider. I know this is part of my own self confidence issues, but this experience has made me less likely to judge another rider now. Has anyone else been in a similar situation?

[BigMama1]

To answer your question about judgement - yes. Unless you are the one on top of that horse in that specific moment, and know its personality and behaviour history, it’s impossible to judge what is happening with certainty.

As to the specific video you posted, all I will say is that “dressage” site and the person who posts the videos specifically chooses what can be construed as bad or abusive riding and publicly posts them to generate negative comments about riders she’s had personal disagreements with. On her personal Facebook page she often laughs about it and posts about “getting revenge.”

Ironically, the same person also tried to start a website aimed at comabating bullying in the equestrian world.

[Dutchmare433]

I too sometimes worry about judgements of my riding. My current horse has work ethic to spare and a huge desire to please, but his natural tendency even before he was started, is to carry himself a little behind the bit. It’s something I work on every single ride, and it has gotten better by leaps and bounds, but he is only 4, so it does come out if he’s a little stressed.

At times in his young life, he has gotten confused, and I handle it pretty much like that rider and clinician handle it, just give him a minute to breath and process, then get on with it, in a very relaxed and gentle way. I don’t really understand the comments on the video–the ones crying abuse–the horse backs off and stops a few times, rider just sits there waiting for forward then praises. Seems pretty tame to me. And yes, the site that posted it has been known to stir the pot.

[infiniti]

I do know the controversy around the site, but it’s the comments I’m referring too. It’s a lot of conclusions based a video of a few minutes…

[piedmontfields]

I watched the video of Heather Blitz on Ripline with Jo Hinnemann. If you think this is abuse, you know nothing about horse training IMO. It’s all very normal training/teaching stuff.

[Foxtrot_s]

This video and comments shocks me…I have no idea of the ‘inside’ of the issues or the people, but I realize how quickly one’s reputation can be tarred just by putting oneself out there.

People’s nature is to jump on the bandwaggon and the comments could be coming from any ignoramus.

Just today I got a free newsletter from The Horse Journal where there is an article from Ingird Klimke’s new book on keeping a horse fresh and building him physically and mentally which seems to fit the thread.

[SendenHorse]

Complete nonsense-This is DressageHub, there are plenty of threads about Susan Warowich on here, she is the Devil and not a good person. She picks negitive comments for her site and deletes the good ones and has been very harsh to memebers of this site (COTH).

She STEALS videos and passes them off as her own, been kicked out of at least one show grounds (?) and took/stole someone’s video and passed off as a “fan” only to throw her to her wolves and get her stomped on. NOT OK since the person spoke out against Susan.

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Back to the question:

In general yes, I try to not give critiques unless asked by the rider–

I really dislike taking someone eles’ videos like this and slamming the rider who didn’t ask for it on youtube. I think it’s very disrespectful to that rider, the exception being obvious abuse, RK that is an actual horse welfare issue.

[Tanny98]

I didn’t watch the video, but after reading Big Mama’s comment I am 99% sure who’s web channel we are talking about here and I agree. Said poster will post videos of such riders when she likes them… then if they speak out against her attacking someone else she will literally turn around and post another video contradicting her previous praise and call them bad riders and abusers… Seriously. Seems like sometimes the only thing social media has done is given everybody the ability to believe that they are an expert and “everything whipserers”, and that every thought in their mind is a diamond that must be shared.
As for smacking a naughty horse?.. a smack hurts a horse nowhere near as much as a swift kick from a 1500 lbs animal. Have you seen the way horses keep each other in line? Have you seen how your dominant mare rules the roost out in pasture and what strength she has to make that happen? No one is talking about beating a horse down to the ground here… I think we all know what abuse looks like.
As for being judged for riding? Some people have nothing better to do with their time I suppose. Dressage may be a beautiful end result, with harmony and understanding from you and your partner, but sometimes the process is quite ugly… Sometimes, my horse doesn’t want to have a conversation. He wants to argue and other times he wants to shut down. Sometimes, I am human and he is just a horse. Sometimes you have to put you and your horse in an uncomfortable and uneasy place to show them, that the right way will be the easy way. That’s just training in my mind. I too understand the need to take charge, and I used to worry too. I have to very sweet geldings, but even they can get nappy and spoiled if I don’t stay on top of things. ,if they just some days decide to bring their A game and say, Im gonna do what I want to do today, I can always hand them over to big mean trainer lady lol. And I guess she has instilled in me a better sense of fairness and being assertive as she works with a lot of youngsters.

[Tanny98]

Ok, I clicked on it lol. Big surprise on what it was…FYI yes she used to praise Heather on her site, now she bashes her cause Heather spoke out against her site for attacking others.
Heather is a very good trainer and rider, from what I have seen being personally around her over the years.

[DQ_Foxhunter]

I watched the video but did not read the comments, I certainly did not see horse abuse, actually I loved what Jo Hinniman was telling her to do when the horse stopped.
On a side note I really liked seeing a video of a top rider struggling with training issues, it was very interesting watching them work through it.
I got a lot more out of that then when I watch perfection!

[GraceLikeRain]

I agree that people are quick to jump to conclusions.

While sometimes I think it is genuinely fueled by concern for a horse’s well-being, I think it is usually more malicious. Much like railbirds discussing how much better they could do things, we a lot of people who are comment warriors ready to explain why everyone from the competent AA to Olympic rider is wrong.

People also like to be right. If you are the first to scream “lame” “abusive” or “incorrect” anyone who disagrees is labeled as condoning something negative so people dog pile on the negative comments to be on the “right side” of the conversation.

[SendenHorse]

THESE COMMENTS are edited, yes, so it’s not a true representation. Youtube and comment sections of the internet are the low class people, like wallmart. COTH can get snarky yes, but at least there is a knowldgeable group and have real “meat” to the comments, they are valid/well thought out. People aren’t just being mean.

Again, remember these people didn’t ask to be crituqued. It’s a really sad aspect to social media and there is no way to really stop it, people have tried with Susan many times.

Yes, SW is upset with Heather, these people are selected basically to hit and drag through the mud. It’s really unfortunate.

[Fairview_Horse_Cente]

Yes, people do over react too quickly. No, this is not abusive. That said, and please keep in mind, I am watching with no sound, the horse is much more bent in the neck than through the body. This is what I have seen cause absolutely the most rebellion in a horse. They feel unbalanced, and begin to refuse to go froward. I liked the exercise at the end, switching from one rein to the other, to help train the rider to not be overbending the neck to the inside. That nose should be from middle of chest to the outside shoulder, not bent to the inside of the inside shoulder. Bend with the leg, not the hand. Tip the ears inside, not the muzzle. Outside elbow to outside seatbone, etc, etc.

[Bellathemustang]

It’s not how I ride, but that doesn’t make it abuse. Hell that horse is probably happier with that balanced, skilled rider with spurs and dressage whip than me with my wobbly seat and weak leg.

[SendenHorse]

Horse looks lovely, people need to quit being so dramatic over a few glitches, this is not rollkur. We can’t hear the context of the work, maybe they were trying to address the deep frame.

Cheap shot if you ask me, Healther is one of our loveliest riders from what I see, though I don’t know her personally.

[Foxtrot_s]

o.k. - I’d better let it go - I saw a video of Heather Blitz - did not pick up on the background of the woman you are referring to…but, again, that is how reputations get tarred - people thinking of the wrong rider. Big apologies to a rider who has a good reputation as far as I know, but that is probably not enough from Heather’s point of view.

[SendenHorse]

Reference info
https://www.chronofhorse.com/forum/forum/discussion-forums/dressage/9709123-really-dressage-hub
https://www.chronofhorse.com/forum/forum/discussion-forums/dressage/9709129-normally-sane-fb-group-going-cookoo

[Blkarab]

OP–thank you for your post.

I also have a very dominant mare…and I’m struggling with the same. Sometimes, I have to be more harsh than I would like to assert my dominance and gain her respect. Once gained, we are fine…but it takes more tactful riding than I’ve ever had to use before and sometimes that requires a whip or a spur.

I feel that the harsh/critical judgement is not only from the commenters on the video, but also some people can pass along that type of critical judgement as well. I know a trainer that every time the horse shows resistance, it’s all the rider’s fault and not the horse just being naughty. The rider is doing this, that or the other wrong and dear horsey is suffering. Blech. I’m learning more and more to tune these things out, and focus on what is going on underneath the saddle. Unless you have trained or ridden a dominant horse…it’s impossible to know what it takes to sometimes keep things in check. (I’m not talking abusive means…just firmness). Sometimes, the horse truly is at fault, and more is required to keep things under wraps.

Editing to add…in the video of Heather Blitz…the horse was offering some resistance for whatever reason, but didn’t appear “abused”. Maybe a little over-faced or maybe a pain issue…but definitely not abuse. I thought Heather was tactful and Jo Hinneman’s instruction kind (allowing the horse a moment to think about things, regain some composure, etc).

[Foxtrot_s]

When a horse shows resistance one should first think of something wrong, instead of being ‘naughty’ or having a moment of loss of balance. It could be one of those teeny tiny warning oopsies that can then become something more serious.
It has become more apparent to me that dressage is very hard on horses as they go up the ranks. We can do straight lines and other performance movements, but as the weight goes further and further back on the haunches the more likely there can be an injury…my vet said to me that a twice yearly exam with an experienced vet with knowledge of lameness is a good way to prevent the injuries, nipped in the bud.

[yaya]

I was at that conference. The horse had been shown PSG/I1 on Sat and Sun, then the clinic was Monday and Tuesday. The horse had had enough, so she brought a different horse for the second day of the clinic. I think he was only 8 years old at the time.