What's the scariest thing you've ever seen at a show?

[La_Gringa]

I once was at a Horse Show where a kids horse that had been drugged by the trainer, freaked out went beserk, bucked the kid off, jumped out of the ring and ran up the grandstands, stepped in a baby carriage (fortunately the baby was removed right before) it then stepped on several spectators, and then ran around the fairgrounds like a lunatic crashing into everything in it’s path. Everyone was running around screaming. The announcer at the show got on the PA system “stay calm, stay calm” as people were panicing. It was like a very bad horror film. Imagine a thoroughbred horse, a 1200 pound animal on PCP. He crashed into a security gate and fell on the guard, killing him. This is a true story. They put the horse down on the spot after the incident.

Ventura, CA 1982. Bad day at the show. It had a bad reaction to the dope they gave it… a sedative. The kid that was riding it, was trying it out to buy it. Not a good day. The trainer drugged the horse to “make it calm for the kid.” Big mistake, it ended up killing someone.

I was like 13 at the time. I ran into a stall and hid. It was very scary.

Was anybody else at this show? It was so scary. The horse ran down the beach, came back and wreaked more havoc before it was all over. I think the trainer was brought up on charges afterwards. The kid was riding it as a trial. Obviously it went very badly.

I will never forget that day in Ventura. It was in June or July of 82. Ventura Horse Show.

[Nikki17]

I try not to relive and recount horror stories. :no:

[La_Gringa]

@Nikki17;2923064

I try not to relive and recount horror stories. :no:

well it’s pretty hard to forget things like this, and if it prevents someone else from drugging and trying something like this, the it’s worth telling.

It’s actually amazing more people weren’t killed that day in Ventura.

[hunterjumper81]

My scariest thing that I saw was over the summer last year. I had hung around to watch the barrel racers go at it with the arena race, barrels, and poles. This one girl that was showing had this decent looking Arab mare and was doing pretty good with her times. I can’t remember what event she was going in for but when she was done she want to stop her horsey and the horse threw it’s head up in the air and went right over backwards. The poor girl, of course, went right over too. It was the scariest thing ever to see both of them on the ground and it seemed like forever until they got up. I have seen some good falls and bucks/rears, but this by far has got to be the top thing on my list.

[shmeg_33]

Wow, La Gringa…

I was freaked out just by hearing that story.

I’m not sure how I would’ve been able to handle being there…:eek:

[seeuatx]

I was 16, I can’t remember the show but it was to the KHP. A girl was riding a cute grey gelding in a stadium round of a horse trial, novice level I think (2’9-3). The pair had about 4 nice fences and then took a rail at fence 5, crashed through fence 6, and then dropped to the ground. Poor horse had an aneurysm in mid air over the 6th fence, and was dead. His poor owner was inconsolable. It was the saddest thing I have ever seen.

[ECMSD]

[QUOTE=seeuatx;2923447]
I was 16, I can’t remember the show but it was to the KHP. A girl was riding a cute grey gelding in a stadium round of a horse trial, novice level I think (2’9-3). The pair had about 4 nice fences and then took a rail at fence 5, crashed through fence 6, and then dropped to the ground. Poor horse had an aneurysm in mid air over the 6th fence, and was dead. His poor owner was inconsolable. It was the saddest thing I have ever seen. :([/QUOTE]

ohh my thats horrible

omg i dont know how i would be able to handle that if i was the girl. do you know how old she was?

that would be devistating (sp?) to watch as well

[ThatIrishTemper]

The worst thing I’ve personally seen was a crash at a local show… a girl was F-L-Y-I-N-G around the jumper course, fast and flat, (it was low schooling height, which just act like speed bumps to some people :no:)… it was early in the AM, the grass was dewy, horse got a long spot and it’s hind legs slipped WHILE pushing off from the ground. He fell into the jump, splintered the poles, she flipped over his head, then he flipped ONTO her. They both laid there for nearly 3 minutes before the girl got up, then the horse was down another 5 minutes or so before it got up on 3 legs.

Miraculously neither one wound up hurt… the snotty little witch walked out of the ring, never checked her horse (which her trainer was rubbing the heck out of), and started complaining that now she’d have to ride one of the trainers “schoolies”. I wanted to whack her on the head with my crop. :mad:

[farmeress]

We also have Percherons.

I was at a show in Waterford when an eight horse hitch team got away from the driver straight for me at top speed.

I was literally between a rock and a hard place…well…actually, it was between two large riggs.

Can we all say AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!! while crapping our pants?

[seeuatx]

[QUOTE=StellaDora;2923459]
ohh my thats horrible

omg i dont know how i would be able to handle that if i was the girl. do you know how old she was?

that would be devistating (sp?) to watch as well[/QUOTE]

I was 16ish at the time, and the rider was somewhere around the same age. Honestly, I don’t think there was a dry eye within seeing distance of the accident. Thank god, the rider was physically ok. I just remember going back to my horses stall and hugging his neck for the longest time, praying that never happens to me.

[jetsmom]

At HITS AZ about 4 yrs ago, a little girl about 6 yrs old was walking around on a med pony in the Hunter warm up ring. One of my barnmates was warming up her horse. The pony was walking on the rail when a water truck drove by on the outside of the ring and spooked the pony. Pony veered left towards the landing side of a jump my friend was just leaving the ground to. Little girl fell RIGHT onto the landing side in the path of my friend’s horse as he was airborne. My friend’s horse literally swerved in mid air and had his feet land right beside her head. That horse saved her life by trying to avoid her. Little girl got up unhurt and her trainer had to be tracked down. Good reason why little kids that are w/t kids shouldn’t be left unsupervised in warm up rings…even if they are just walking around. I thought the kid was going to be killed for sure. Scared the crap out of me.

[ktm2007]

[QUOTE=seeuatx;2923447]
I was 16, I can’t remember the show but it was to the KHP. A girl was riding a cute grey gelding in a stadium round of a horse trial, novice level I think (2’9-3). The pair had about 4 nice fences and then took a rail at fence 5, crashed through fence 6, and then dropped to the ground. Poor horse had an aneurysm in mid air over the 6th fence, and was dead. His poor owner was inconsolable. It was the saddest thing I have ever seen. :([/QUOTE]

I’ve seen this happen as well, but it was in the warm up ring. Cute girl (probably 13 or 14) warming up her little bay mare jumper for the 2’6 ring, and the mare dropped dead. Very sad, the girl was in hysterics and thought she had done something wrong.

Another one: At Thunderbird maybe 4 or 5 years ago, a MIL was walking a horse back to the barn for a rider and he got away from her, but she didn’t let go of the lead rope, and he fired out and caught her in the head. The show was shut down for a while, and she was taken out by helicopter. (she did end up being ok!)

[mroades]

I was actually riding one that died under me. It had uncharacteristically stopped out at a rolltop (horse had 3’6" miles, this was a 2’6" warmup). So I take it out and jump another warmup jump, as my boss (BNT) tells me to “get him over the *&^% rolltop even if it kills him!”
I go back in, the rolltop is the first jump, he jumps it, and the following one, then hits the next two , then hits the next one really hard, I start thinking “its time to pull up, something isnt right” Before I can actually make this happen (5 stride line) he canters right throught he second jump of the line! Ok so I have both hands on one rein at this point trying to stop…he wouldn’t stop, he wouldn’t turn, it was horrifying. He canters right through the end of the ring (thank god it was temporary tape fencing!!!)
I finally jump off, and he stops turns around, and drops dead.
I was inconsolable, all i could think of was I killed him I killed him!!

He had EPM, had been given steroid the night before, and the base of his spine at his neck exploded (as per necropsy)
Fun day (NOT) at the PSJ in Lexington, 1995

[AndNirina]

I was in high school in 1991 and there was a show at our barn. One of the grooms from another barn tied a big, chestnut warmblood hunter that belonged to a trainer to a pole outside a warmup arena. The problem was, the horse didn’t tie and he was wearing a nylon halter. The poor horse spooked, pulled back and pulled the pole out of the ground. With the pole dragging behind him he took off through the show grounds and parking lot. He ran straight for our barn aisles, where a friend and I were tacking up a pony. We could see/hear him coming, so we snapped off the crossties and shoved the pony against the aisle. The horse, with metal pole dragging behind him came barreling through the barn aisle past me, my friend and the pony. (god love that pony… she froze and didn’t make one move as the horse came flying past her).

The horse ran to the end of the barn aisle and unfortunately it was a sunny summer day. When he ran out into the light (the barn aisle was quite shady) he threw his head up and slammed his poll right into the top of the aisle doorjamb. He flipped, flew through the air and died instantly. It was absolutely awful. Seriously, the scariest worst thing I could have imagined. Everyone at the show was devastated, especially the trainer as she had had him since he was a yearling. The worst part is that the groom had been asked to hold him since the horse didn’t tie.

This was in the L.A. area at a local circuit show.

[arena_run]

These are awful stories but I believe it IS good to recount such as this if done in the right spirit.

It always good to realize and remember that horses are large, unpredictible animals and that riding and handling them can be dangerous. sylvia

[AnsleyGrace]

Three incidents come to mind.

First - I was at a CT-Dressage Schooling show two years ago where the trailer parking was level with the barn/house on premises etc. and the two arenas were on lower ground. One side of the arena was perpendicular to a fairly steep hill that sloped up to where the trailers were parked (sorry if that’s confusing, trying to give you an idea so story makes sense). Everyone knew not to park too close to the edge of the hill b/c horses were tied to the trailers as it was a one day show. A lady pulled up with her 6-horse and was a little too close to the side, but proceeded to tie up two horses nearest the hill. A few hours later a girl came and got one of them and the other horse, a really cute gray arab, goes from half asleep and snoring to spazzing out and pulling back on the trailer tie. He pulls a second time and breaks the hay string loop he was tied too which caught him off balance and he flipped over backwards and rolled about 15-20 feet down the hill. Luckily he jumped right up and looked around as if to make sure no one saw him and was later checked out by a vet with no complications.

Second - I did not witness this, but my trainer had a student at a show in Alpharetta GA (Wills Park for those who know). The student had her horse in his stall and was removing his bridle when he bolted past her and out the door. The horse (a very fast TB) ran out of the horse park and down a road that fed into an exit ramp for a major hwy. The horse ran for 20 min. (about 4 miles) stopped the show and traffic until he ran into the fire station and couldn’t figure out how to get out of the retaining wall. Amazingly, he too was fine. :eek:

Lastly and most tragic, I was at the state 4-H horse show in 2006 when a girl was leading her sister’s horse into the covered concrete walkway that lead into the barn. The horse had just finished a showmanship pattern so he was wearing a stud chain. The horse spooked caught himself with the chain and reared straight up. It had been raining and the aisle was slick and the horse lost his footing and fell over backwards and hit his head on the top of the aisle wall and fell on his side. The vets worked on him for two hours but sadly had some sort of internal injury and had to put him down. It was one of the saddest things I have ever seen.

Thankfully incidents like these are few and far between.

[Lieb_Schon]

The scariest thing???

[QUOTE=La Gringa;2923052]
I once was at a Horse Show where a kids horse that had been drugged by the trainer, freaked out went beserk, bucked the kid off, jumped out of the ring and ran up the grandstands, stepped in a baby carriage (fortunately the baby was removed right before) it then stepped on several spectators, and then ran around the fairgrounds like a lunatic crashing into everything in it’s path. Everyone was running around screaming. The announcer at the show got on the PA system “stay calm, stay calm” as people were panicing. It was like a very bad horror film. Imagine a thoroughbred horse, a 1200 pound animal on PCP. He crashed into a security gate and fell on the guard, killing him. This is a true story. They put the horse down on the spot after the incident.

Ventura, CA 1982. Bad day at the show. It had a bad reaction to the dope they gave it… a sedative. The kid that was riding it, was trying it out to buy it. Not a good day. The trainer drugged the horse to “make it calm for the kid.” Big mistake, it ended up killing someone.

I was like 13 at the time. I ran into a stall and hid. It was very scary.

Was anybody else at this show? It was so scary. The horse ran down the beach, came back and wreaked more havoc before it was all over. I think the trainer was brought up on charges afterwards. The kid was riding it as a trial. Obviously it went very badly.

I will never forget that day in Ventura. It was in June or July of 82. Ventura Horse Show.[/QUOTE]

Uggggh, …You? :lol:

[ktm2007]

[QUOTE=mroades;2923516]
I was actually riding one that died under me. It had uncharacteristically stopped out at a rolltop (horse had 3’6" miles, this was a 2’6" warmup). So I take it out and jump another warmup jump, as my boss (BNT) tells me to “get him over the *&^% rolltop even if it kills him!”
I go back in, the rolltop is the first jump, he jumps it, and the following one, then hits the next two , then hits the next one really hard, I start thinking “its time to pull up, something isnt right” Before I can actually make this happen (5 stride line) he canters right throught he second jump of the line! Ok so I have both hands on one rein at this point trying to stop…he wouldn’t stop, he wouldn’t turn, it was horrifying. He canters right through the end of the ring (thank god it was temporary tape fencing!!!)
I finally jump off, and he stops turns around, and drops dead.
I was inconsolable, all i could think of was I killed him I killed him!!

He had EPM, had been given steroid the night before, and the base of his spine at his neck exploded (as per necropsy)
Fun day (NOT) at the PSJ in Lexington, 1995[/QUOTE]

How AWEFUL! I’m so sorry that you had to go though that! I don’t know how I would have managed.

and Lieb Schon…grow up.

[galwaybay]

Not the scariest, but probably one of the dumbest and it happened twice ! at 2 different shows ! At the show(s) someone decides to tie their horse up to the board fencing that runs along the property, something startles horse, horse not tied w/ safety knot so pulls down rail. Horse now really freaked and stars tearing around the show grounds in and around all the trailers with a 10’ plank attached to their lead shank.

[SBT]

At a po-dunk schooling show in 1994, I saw an unsupervised 3- or 4-y/o child playing around a trailer to which a horse was tied. The little girl crawled UNDER the trailer and popped out by the horse’s feet. The horse, understandably, spooked and pulled back so hard he nearly pulled the trailer over on top of himself…and would have, were it not still hitched to the truck. Literally, the wheels on the opposite side were off the ground! :eek:

I thought the horse’s neck was going to break, but FINALLY, his halter broke and he ran off. Someone caught him, and he seemed okay. In the midst of all the ruckus the absentee parent appeared, hauled the LUCKILY unharmed child (she could have been crushed under the wheels/hitch!) out from under the trailer by one arm, and, still holding her arm, KICKED her in the pants so hard her feet came off the ground. :mad: Then he walked away with her.

I was shocked, not to mention livid. I was a teenager at the time, and I witnessed all of this from the car as my mom was navigating out of the parking area. She saw it too, and in the end she said, “That’s not right, but it’s over…let’s go.” :sigh:

I wanted to kick that a$$hat parent in the GROIN for A. leaving his small child to crawl around a horse trailer unattended, and B. punishing HER for the inevitable outcome. :mad: