Agreed. Trying to fake a happy mouth is pretty sad, but I always though it was wild how people went absolutely bonkers over the marshmallow thing. Unfortunately, that’s not the worst thing that happens to them.
I remember once wrapping a bit in a fruit roll up for a young horse that was a bit fussy putting it in his mouth. He loved it honestly haha.
the majority of CM’s UL horses are partnered with her mother. So her family is still supporting her business. They have very deep pockets for sure.
perhaps I have missed some of the last few days posts or have misread your post, but I hope no one is excusing bad behaviour by a girl who is “only” 30 y.o.
No one was excusing alleged bad behavior because of her age.
It was in regard to the former parental support. People saying her family has supported her in the past. Well yeah, they supported her through her young rider years, but she started her business to support herself because they backed way off. (As parents should IMO)
See this is the kind of post that evolves into rumors about other riders… a person says X rider and then it ends up that another rider is the one who does this nonsense. I was taken aback when a dressage trainer friend was talking about marshmallow fluff was used by some at dressage show -I have a hard enough time finding it to make Christmas fudge let alone use it on a horse. Frankly in attending events in person or watching live stream - I’ve not personally seen a lot of event horses with the foamy mouths that you see in straight dressage. It would never occur to me to put a handful of sand into a horse’s mouth - who comes up with some of this stuff. You see some “creative” stuff being done in any number of disciplines. Some is just mind blowing.
FYI - she’s already given birth… so I’m not sure your point on this thread about prenatal development… And after birth - to each her own.
Ok, I know the tricks from showjumping, but how does the sand hide blood in the mouth? Like it looks like the horse has been eating the dirt, and the official doesn’t clean the mouth off to check?
I think the relevance is that at/after a particular age people are or should be expected to be taking more responsibility or be so for themselves.
The young man in Tallahassee is 20.
I think the accusation is that eventers have to be self made adults who learned to event at the age of 12 on a free OTTB they got because it flipped over backwards on people and was lame. They must fund all their training and entries themselves, with money they made working at Burger King.
There’s a lot of disdain for people who achieve the upper levels on horses they bought, not made, and on horses that were bought for them.
Everybody loves the feel good story of “bought OTTB off the kill truck, just won the 5* at Kentucky.” but the reality is most people will have to go through many horses to get to those levels, because we are dealing with living animals. They get injured, they get old, they decide they don’t jump ditches, etc.
Adding in the “women must have children and must quit riding until those children are 18” and no wonder we are further behind the Europeans.
…and, while there are dozens upon dozens of these stories in eventing, most of those riders get that one great horse and spend the rest of their careers trying to find it again.
When I was in my early 20s, it was really sobering to realize the only way I was going to achieve my riding goals with my finances was to hope for the backing of a wealthy person. Because there are very few “self-made” success stories. Most “self-made” riders find their fairy godmother who believes in them and funds their dreams.
Right. A lot of our riders competing at the top levels are one retired horse away to never achieving that again without the help of a syndicate or wealthy owner.
The Disney movie scenarios are no longer realistic. Sure we all love the $80 Champion and other feel-good stories, remember Amy Tryon and Poggio. Unfortunately to be at the top in any discipline you have to have financial backing - whether that’s a wealthy family, a wealthy benefactor or a group of financially sound owners/investors - or in many cases all 3. Of note, I was reading a FB post about the cost of keeping a horse - this person bemoaned that she was spending $170,000 a year on 1 horse before entering a show… 
Amen to that. A lot of talent are one-hit wonders because there is no way to materialize another 5* horse from endless rounds of OTTB’s straight off the track – the only genuine prospects they can afford to buy.
Plus green horses developing well often must be sold to keep the entire endeavor going. And this becomes the real career track for the rider.
So that is another can of worms. How to get support to the true emerging talent, in a sport that requires a gigantic investment in the horses that are truly the most likely to make it the top.
Ironically, LN may fit in to that search for backing, somewhere … 
The National Velvet / Black Stallion stories of horses from nowhere winning the ultimate prize, mostly because the young-adult owner dreamed it hard enough, are, in fact, fiction. But sometimes the g-public thinks they are an actual career track to the top.
One of the reasons that riders on the one amazing horse do become a legend are because there are so few of them who endure for any length of time at the top.
As someone who grew in Europe, that was one of the most surprising aspects of the horse world in this country (The other main one being how siloed each discipline seems to be—almost like they exist in separate vacuums that never really intersect. It’s often something like, “I’m the world champion of the yellow horse,” or “I only show Western dressage,” or “I only do Half-Arab saddleseat” but that’s another discussion)
In other parts of the world, systems tend to be more merit-based. There, a talented young rider can compete for a spot on junior or young rider squads, etc and receive government or lottery funding to learn, train, and establish themselves. Of course, the money still has to come from somewhere, but it feels less like you need to schmooze the right wealthy lady who also happens to sponsor the show you’re entering…
That is the truest statement I have ever read.
I want to spinoff a whole ‘nother thread just to complain about this.
It is weird.
Even within a given breed there is separation.It wasn’t always the case.
Way back when, there was a lot of emphasis in the Arab world (and with Morgans, too) on versatility.
The Arabian was promoted as a “family horse”, and Mom might show Native Costume, Dad would go in a Westrn Pleasure class, and the kids would ride in equitation and egg and spoon, etc.
The the pro trainers invaded, and the “do it all” horse vanished because the specialists beat them every time.
It’s sad, and IMHO, it has contributed to the somewhat perilous state of horse showing that currently exists, because that’s when the money began to play a huge role.
Way back when, I rode as a junior, two very fancy Arabians for a lady who kept a beautiful Stallion and bred him very selectively (not a big time breeder) and she had some lovely show horses.
I remember riding hers in the “Versatility” classes. Western pleasure was first, then change of tack and riding clothes to Saddle Seat English pleasure. It was great fun (for kiddo me anyway) and the horses were expected to go differently when we switched from Western to English.
I suppose that must not be a thing anymore? I lost track of the Arabian world ages ago.
Anyway, in that place and time there was no snobbishness, since those classes always filled and people were happy with horses that could do both.
I wonder if the divide comes from those who ride English, feeling that it is easier to ride in a Western saddle without falling off. It is, but that doesn’t mean that people who ride Western can’t ride. I look at cutting and reining horses in action and can see myself coming off easily unless I’d had many lessons.
ETA I rode only one horse in the versatility class, it obviously had to be the same horse being ridden in the Western part and then switching to English. I rode two of her horses but only the one of them in the versatility class. I don’t think I made that clear.
I cannot even tell you why, just seen it done. Probably just to turn the mouth a different color? Honestly, it would be easier to feed them a treat if that’s what they were trying to accomplish.
Some minerals found in sand can act as coagulants. I’ve never seen that done or heard of it being done before reading this thread, but coagulation would be my guess.
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