THE ANSWER TO THE EARPLUG ???

[Anne_FS]

This is great! Well, we may all move on to other things as Louise just suggested but I’ve been away for days and just found out about this thread and now I know why we’ll never have agreement on drugs & meds.

The defensiveness and hypocrisy is amazing. Devildog20, pwynnnorman, and the person who said it depends on who’s ox is being gored - you have all hit the nail on the head!

Why, stuffing his ears just makes him quieter. Why, so do the drugs, and the tacks in the noseband, and the longeing for hours, and the cutting the tails, and the tying the heads up, and the nerve lines…well, aren’t we all just special?

[jch]

Wow, then just about every horse that shows here in Texas has been illegal!!

[Duffy]

Clarification: What I meant when I said the bit about finding the poms all over the grounds of the shows was that IMO, they are either falling out or being shaken out - NOT that they are being taken out on purpose, for ANY reason.

[Black_Market_Radio]

And just because you see almost everyone with them does not make it right. Yes, there are a lot more serious issues as well, and we have attacked at them, and we try our hardest to correct them, as seen with the weight issues and many of the rule changes that Snowbird and Pwynn have worked so hard on. But funny when it hits so close to home, everyone gets on the defensive!

[Bertie]

The point is, we assume martingales are permitted over fences, since they’re not listed as prohibited for those classes.

[This message has been edited by Bertie (edited 04-17-2000).]

[Black_Market_Radio]

Ok, I just recieved this e-mail, so it looks like we may need to dig a little further!

I understand that you put on the Chron. board that I made a ruling on ear
plugs. This is not the case. You should get a ruling from the
Hunter/Jumper council or the AHSA office. What I told you was my
impression. I expect you to post this message on the board. Judy Werner

So now I will e-mail the H/J council and see what they have to say. I seriously thought this person knew for sure, but I was wrong. But she was very nice and I appologize to her for the confusion!

[Black_Market_Radio]

I see where you guys are coming from, but I still believe that taking the time to train your horse is a better way and that ear plugs are just a “quick fix”. My point is, if the rest of the horse world can live without them, why is it SUCH a nessessity in the Hunter World? If you have ever been to a rodeo, or any other western event, you would notice that there is A LOT more commotion and things going on and none of those horses wear ear plugs! Add to the loudspeaker the sound of cattle and people whooping from the audience and all that stuff and it gets nuts! Yet those horses sit there calm and cool like nothings going on. THAT is my point!

[jch]

We use ear plugs for some of our horses. It is not a quick fix. We don’t do it to hurt our horses, rather we use the ear plugs to help the horses filter out what is unimportant so they can concentrate on what is essential. As the people in charge, we have to make decisions about what is good for our animals. We have to help them learn and adjust. Not every animal needs ear plugs, but for those that are more comfortable with them, it seems a disservice to refuse to allow your horse to have them. I would love to think that each owner knows what best serves the needs of their individual animal, and I would like to respect their decisions.

[Bertie]

Farmgate! “Quick Fix Ear Bunny Appliances/Devices”

I love it!!! All these years I thought you actually had to train a horse, and now I find out that all you have to do is stuff in a couple of ear bunnies and you’re good to go!

[jch]

I’m being a little sarcastic here, but I wonder, are spurs, a crop, a saddle, a dressage whip, reins, or a bit artifical aids? After all the horse doesn’t come equiped with them! My point is, we need to ride each horse the way that is best for that individual. We can’t treat each the same as another because they are all different. I think that we need to respect one another and allow for some individual differences.

[Louise]

I second Pwynn’s request.

[Black_Market_Radio]

I don’t use ANY devices on my mare.

[system]

Jumphigh, IMO a really good, experienced rider who has developed a relationship with their well trained horse CAN RIDE w/o saddle and bridle. I have ridden my horses in this way at home many times. I understand this wouldn’t ever happen at shows, but realize it can be done.(And if you can ride without saddle and bridle, you probably wouldn’t need ear plugs either ) I don’t mean to offend anyone, I’d never realized the prevalence(sp?) of earplugs until reading the thread, I think if they are legal, fine use them, but realize they shouldn’t be essential to your horses performance.

[Bertie]

It’s great that you were able to reach her so easily! Did you mention that the question was specific to hunters/jumpers?

[satin]

I don’t think it was at all necessary to bring Emily Williams and her trainers into this- the example could have been made without reference to any specifc riders/trainers. I believe her reasons for seeking outside help were most likely not the ones you suggest, but will not participate in this idle speculation.

You’ve lost both my ear- and my respect- with this post.

[Bertie]

I’m thinking that maybe Mrs. Werner could have made a mistake. I haven’t found a definition of artificial appliances yet, and it’s possible that ear plugs are not an artificial appliance. (I mean, an “appliance”???)

In the Dressage regulations, we can assume that artificial appliances, as shown in Devildog’s cite from the “General” section of the rules, are prohibited. In addition, under “Dressage” we have: “6. Martingales, bit guards, any kind of gadgets (such as bearing, side, running, balancing reins, tongue tied down, etc.), any kind of boots (including “easy-boots”) or bandages (including tail bandages)and any form of blinkers, ear muffs or plugs, nose covers, seat covers, hoods are, under penalty of elimination, strictly forbidden…”

If ear plugs are considered appliances why would they be listed again, along with martingales, bit guards and any kind of “gadgets” that are prohibited? I assume this section is listing items that are prohibited in addition to “appliances”.

Don’t throw those ear bunnies out yet!!

[This message has been edited by Bertie (edited 04-16-2000).]

[inthesaddle]

Ok my ignorance shows again - since all of this discussion started I have spent more time with my nose stuck in the rule book than I care to think about LOL . But now I have ANOTHER question. :confused

Why do you suppose the rules for hunters are so vague while the rules for dressage are EXTREMELY specific? - they even DRAW pictures of the legal bits for us so we get it right (DUH). They list almost every conceivable contraption as either legal or not and make it pretty hard to “bend” the rules. Of course it’s not fool proof but it’s really specific.

I’m just curious (really that’s all, I’m not trying to be snide or sarcastic, NO REALLY I’m not, promise )why the “rules” are left to such broad interpretations.

[Bertie]

Well, I think it’s great that Mrs. Werner responded to us so quickly and during a weekend.

She wrote a similar message to me: “…I could find nothing in the rule book regarding “ear plugs” but I wanted her to check with an AHSA Steward. My remarks can not be taken as final and there should be a ruling from the AHSA Hunter
Council regarding this matter.”

[Melissa]

Also, look at what those rodeo horses do!! THey RUN, TURN, or BUCK!!! yes they are great at their job, but they dont have to look like a million bucks doing.
The hunter world is judged on looks and perfromance, yes they may play favorites, and most of the time you must have the “in” look, but thats Hunters. If you love the sport, you grow with it, and hope if grows the right way. If it doesnt, you play along…or move on.
Dont take this offencivly, its just MOP

[Justbay]

Just asking, Devildog, by your last response, you are very emphatic that stuffing ears with cotton is BAD and you seem to be attacking the hunters.

Do you show in the hunters? If not, why is this so important to you? I show hunters and I could care less who stuffs ears with cotton. Some win, some don’t. I do not think it is the cotton.

Curious…