@netg I love riding with a team, I’ve done the solo thing, and I vote for the team. We all help each other out, support each other, generally make showing fun.
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That second part really, really enlarges the population of DQs.
Signed—
The chick who tried to start her hot dressage mare on cattle and, goddammit, will find a trainer to help her get his mare relaxed around those critters. Also, how do you tie a your horse to the wall of a dressage arena?
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Please, don’t tie your mare to the wall unless she’s perfectly trained for that. Both your horse, your BO and your wallet will appreciate. On the other hand, your vet might like the extra cash before Christmas. :lol:
A friend of mine had the chance to board her horse next to cattle at a western barn.
In winter, they brought in some calves to live in boxes next to their younger horses. Best way to get horses used to cattle.
They then had small enclosure in the arena.
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Some people just have a knack for always looking well put together. Their hair falls into place, their makeup stays on, their riding outfit always matches and somehow they even manage to stay clean at the barn.
I am NOT one of those people. I try to make up for it by having gel nails, a patent leather noseband and a collection of sparkly browbands :lol:
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LOL @ the 80s leg warmers! Its so true and its such a pet peeve of mine to see the liner blatantly sticking out of the wrap and covering the horse’s knee or fetlock.
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Coming from a multi-discipline barn: one who cannot see the value in other types of equestrian disciplines.
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How is it not a safety hazard to have all that liner right down over the hoof? Pet peeve of mine too, don’t care how many of the “big names” do it.
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posted by emipou;
Are we just making fun of the things we can’t afford to be now?
You could look at it that way. But our quiessential DQ also refers to her horse as a “Ferrari” and other horses (like her own students’ horses) as “Volkswagons”. So there’s an attitude of superiority to go along with all the fancy trappings. So, yes, I might enjoy buying all the matching “bling”, but I certainly don’t ascribe to the snooty side of judging others based on the horse that they can afford to buy.
Frankly, I am wayyyy more impressed by someone who makes it to Grand Prix on an non purpose-bred equine, then some horse that came out of the womb “on the bit”. Especially when the person throwing these labels around rarely even RIDES their horse—and when she does, it’s only walk-trot, in the indoor. So you can buy fancy, but if it’s really just a “trophy horse” then don’t breed shame others who are trying to learn and improve their Volkswagons. THAT’S a DQ.
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LOL. I love my VW. If you gave me a 488 Spider, I’d trade it for cash and buy myself an e-Golf and a nice handbag.
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How could it be a safety hazard?
Properly done, as I’m sure they are, there is really nothing to worry about.
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Dayum, the jealousy!!
So being nasty is supposedly ok because it’s in “fun?” I love how bling and nice horses get connected with can’t ride and being unkind. Mirrors, perhaps?
yiiiiikes.
Sour grapes and all that :lol:.
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I guess I see ones not “properly done,” with liner low and loose enough there is a definite risk of the horse stepping on it and tripping
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Of COURSE!!! :lol::lol::lol:
If we can’t ridicule the rich, what’s the point of being poor?
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Well, speaking for myself I can afford anything I see at my barn (we aren’t very high end) and I dislike how rhinestones look in daylight in any context.
The only people I envy or want to emulate are very good riders and trainers, and at this point those are all pros.
The only people I like are considerate and grounded and self sufficient.
I’m OK with someone who is scared to ride and just wants to longe their horse. I would find it irritating though if a person like that was making a pretence of being a capable rider, and searching for validation about that, as in some of the examples here.
On the other hand I rarely spend much time with people who have a whole lot more money than me. I expect that would be unsettling.
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The choice to use rhinestones or not is no indication of the character of an individual. They are simply a matter of taste.
As a friend who is on this forum has told me, “At least if I do poorly, I will look good while doing it!” And this friend isn’t into bling, but is super stylish and well put together. I am not a blingy person in general myself. But seriously - you do you, and other people will do what they want, too. If you love the bling, buy the damn bling!
ETA: Learning to be good takes YEARS. And happens if you work really hard and are lucky to have a good teacher, some amount of talent, and the health and financial ability to keep working at it. Many of us work really hard at it, regardless of what our financial resources may be. If buying bling makes someone feel a bit of joy as they struggle, I say more power to them. And the people with issues with that are the ones who have earned themselves angry monikers. All of us have challenging journeys, and it’s just unnecessary to be all judgey of others as this thread and many posts on it seemed to intend to be.
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I meant to say that I am not jealous of other people’s bedazzled gear because I don’t like rhinestones on horses myself.
I don’t however dislike people personally because they have rhinestones on their gear!
The substantive definitions of DQ here (all hat no cattle) could indeed apply to wannabes in any discipline.
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But why an entire thread just slamming people, equating liking bling (again, LOVE classy bling and who cares; I wear boring clothes out of necessity every single day and love my fun riding clothes) with an inability to ride, etc.
Why is this even a topic? And why is it even an issue the kind of person any of us likes or dislikes?
Just a very weird thread that seems full of jealously and slamming of others.
When I was riding at an exclusively dressage barn, it was usually said somewhat apologetically, along the lines of “I don’t mean to be a total DQ but…”
I haven’t really seen being a DQ associated with pricey gear, since people who have that stuff but don’t have any skills tend to be looked down upon/ignored. What I would personally consider more of a DQ attitude is people who are shocked, shocked if someone jumps their dressage horse (because gasp what if the horse jumped out of the arena during the test). Or getting told by a DQ I shouldn’t be allowed to canter any horse, ever, because the horse I was riding threw his head up during a transition into the canter. Or the person who throws a fit if someone drives their car into the barn driveway when they’re working their horse, because the horse might not like it and spook. Or the dressage rider who is always trashing other disciplines (versus asking a respectful question about why something is done differently).
So I personally would consider the dark side of being a DQ as a very judgmental attitude to anyone who rides less than perfectly 100% of the time (which is most of us mere mortals), who demands a church-like silence and level of seriousness to every ride, and to people who are very, very critical of non-dressage horse activities.
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The original question was along the lines of, just for fun, how would you define the term Dressage Queen?
It is a negative term, or a negative/humorous one, so obviously that plays into folks’ listing of pet peeves.
The thread has mostly been humorous.
The salient points of the definition seem to be: person who wants attention and validation for their riding, who presents as entitled or arrogant, but who does not actually ride as well as they pretend. In dressage. I am sure there are equivalent terms in all the disciplines.
I don’t see what’s wrong in having a thread about a current term everyone has heard and used.
Think of it as an entry in the Urban Dictionary, or perhaps the Suburban Dictionary.
I will also venture to say this thread will offend no one because no one will read it and self identify as a DQ 
Everyone who reads it will have another irritating person in mind
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No, it’s just plain nastiness. Racial jokes some people find humorous. They aren’t. They’re just nasty. And you’re actually summarizing what you believe are “salient points?” Please.
How does one “pretend” to ride well? Or present as entitled or arrogant? As judged by you?
We are all entitled to opinions: you don’t see what’s wrong with being nasty; I do. We’re different people.
