USEF to test equine hair

[skydy]

Group W Bench.

[dags]

The ad on this very thread such a missed opportunity for our breeders and the entire NA horse industry

[NaturallyHappy]

@Ghazzu

@dags

I don’t think the quality of horse has gone downhill, but I do think the quality of riding has.

Ayuh.

Me, too.

[NaturallyHappy]

@Ghazzu

It was like a cartoon–he shot out from under her, she hung in the air briefly, then sat down hard on the dirt.
Trainer looked at her and calmly said, “I told you he dosn’t need a lot of leg.”
I damned near fell off the bench laughing.

This description is so funny…I imagined Wiley coyote and laughed out loud!

[Peggy]

@Ghazzu

It was like a cartoon–he shot out from under her, she hung in the air briefly, then sat down hard on the dirt.
Trainer looked at her and calmly said, “I told you he dosn’t need a lot of leg.”
I damned near fell off the bench laughing.

Many decades ago we put my brother on my horse to do an egg and spoon race. Why we/he decided this was a good idea, who knows. I think he was wearing shorts and there was no helmet. This was a race (not a contest) which meant all the kids (it was a 12/under event) lined up on their horses with their eggs and spoons, waited for the signal to go, and the first one across the line with the egg still on the spoon won. Typically this was a kid who went slow and steady as the gallopers generally lost their eggs. Troy was an old OTTB and we warned my brother to gently release the reins when they said “go.” Do not kick. Do not even squeeze. They counted down 3-2-1 and on “2” my brother’s legs went straight out to prepare for a big kick. He booted him on “go,” the horse shot forward, and the egg and spoon both went flying. My brother did stay on. He may or may not have been the first one across the finish line.

[jvanrens]

@NaturallyHappy

@Ghazzu

It was like a cartoon–he shot out from under her, she hung in the air briefly, then sat down hard on the dirt.
Trainer looked at her and calmly said, “I told you he dosn’t need a lot of leg.”
I damned near fell off the bench laughing.

This description is so funny…I imagined Wiley coyote and laughed out loud!

When I was a whole lot younger a friend of mine was longing her QH and he did a QH scoot. She was yanked of her feet like she weighed nothing and flew through the air and hit the dirt in the ring. It was like a cartoon. We both laughed so hard, though I think I laughed harder because she didn’t get the cartoon visual. Forty odd years later, it still makes me giggle.

[jvanrens]

The egg and spoon mentioned reminds me of this:

[albytb]

I’m really not surprised about what the lengths people will go to to win a meaningless ribbon. Even as a casual observer, a lot of what I see in the hunter ring is disheartening even without it being “against the rules”… the nosebands strapped as tight as they can go, the double twisted wires on a saintly horse.

It’s kinda silly but the noseband thing really pisses me off. Why we are cranky those still in the year 2025 boggles the mind.

[WNT]

If my kid was in a lesson and shot that attitude at their instructor, I would have them in the dirt faster than the horse did. You NEVER mouth off to an instructor like that, ever.

[Tackpud]

@Ghazzu

Until then, it is worth asking for the seller to authorize release of the veterinary records under their ownership. And you may or may not want to raise an eyebrow if they decline.

The veterinary records won’t show what’s actually being given at shows…

[Ghazzu]

@Tackpud

The veterinary records won’t show what’s actually being given at shows…

Oh, I know–but it would make my life easier.

[TWilson]

@albytb

I’m really not surprised about what the lengths people will go to to win a meaningless ribbon.

This statement always makes the rounds when this topic comes up, and I never understand why because the author almost always seems to be knowledgable enough to know this is completely ridiculous. Of course the ribbon is meaningless; most of them don’t even keep the ribbon. They do what they do for what the ribbon represents: recognition, prize money, points towards qualifying for Devon, indoors, and year end awards, and the added value to the horse’s worth that all of that represents. What is the purpose of pretending that it’s the ribbon itself that matters to anyone? Is that supposed to make the means to this end somehow worse than it is?

[endlessclimb]

The whole damned thing is hollow when it takes animal abuse to get there.

[Railbird]

Certain participants raised an eyebrow as far as people who I would expect to be laying low in the present environment, but who knows. I hope
Liza shows them all how it’s done on her American bred chestnut mare!

[CuriosoJorge]

100% this.

[CuriosoJorge]

@Railbird

Certain participants raised an eyebrow as far as people who I would expect to be laying low in the present environment, but who knows. I hope
Liza shows them all how it’s done on her American bred chestnut mare!

The chestnut mare isn’t going. Ironically, Liza is taking one of the plethora of “MTM” horses showing in this country who weren’t bred and are no longer owned by “MTM”. At least this one was recorded with a pedigree, so his German breeder can follow his American career if they want to. Many of the MTM horses aren’t recorded with their pedigree or their birth name.

If I bought one of those horses, the first thing I would do is change its name. No matter how much the transfer fees are. Ridiculous practice.

[hoopoe]

perhaps then the DEA should pay some random visits

[albytb]

@TWilson

They do what they do for what the ribbon represents: recognition, prize money, points towards qualifying for Devon, indoors, and year end awards, and the added value to the horse’s worth that all of that represents. What is the purpose of pretending that it’s the ribbon itself that matters to anyone?

To me, all of this becomes meaningless as well when people are, at large, sacrificing horse welfare to achieve it. And even if you (general) don’t care about the welfare aspect, or think it’s not big deal for a horse to show with any sort of sedation, then at the very least it’s still cheating.

[findeight]

@WNT

If my kid was in a lesson and shot that attitude at their instructor, I would have them in the dirt faster than the horse did. You NEVER mouth off to an instructor like that, ever.

Well…kids of a certain age tend to not listen because they know it all and simply telling them once then letting them find out the hard way is far more effective then blah-blah-blah. Keeps instructor blood pressure lower.

[nutmeg]

Just read a thigh-slapper of an article in Bloomberg that says the strict rules of the World Anti-Doping Agency are “forcing” athletes to cheat. “Look what you made me do!” in other words. I am sure that once USEF has nailed the Euthanol enthusiasts, they will avail themselves of this pathetic argument.
For context, the topic of the piece is next year’s Enhanced Games to be held in Las Vegas, with no restrictions on performance enhancing drugs. Fortunately no horses involved so far.