I just got a text from a friend who’s at Loch Moy today. She just saw ML riding Mandiba in the OI and they had a stop at a pretty straightforward combination on xc. I had thought this horse was competing with a YR, are they trying to move him up the levels again? IMHO I had thought it was pretty clear that the horse didn’t want to do it anymore. I just feel really sad for the horse. Anyway, just an opinion, don’t want to see anything else bad happen to him
I was never a fan of the big guy, he just didn’t seem to enjoy it. I think they should just let him retire or let him do jumpers or dressage. Or move down and do training level as a schoolmaster.
I have no idea why they’re trying to get him back to the top level.
shrug
I clicked on this thread thinking that it might be humorous, like about a horse or rider with a silly habit.
But, oh wow, Mandiba. This Mandiba, and this was years after he was pushed to run not very successfully at the 2008 Olympics.
He’s got to be 15 or 16 years old now. What exactly is the point of this? It’s certainly not Mandiba’s love of eventing. He’s given it enough, why would anyone think it’s okay to ask for more from him?
[QUOTE=JER;7674090]
I clicked on this thread thinking that it might be humorous, like about a horse or rider with a silly habit.
But, oh wow, Mandiba. This Mandiba, and this was years after he was pushed to run not very successfully at the 2008 Olympics.
He’s got to be 15 or 16 years old now. What exactly is the point of this? It’s certainly not Mandiba’s love of eventing. He’s given it enough, why would anyone think it’s okay to ask for more from him?[/QUOTE]
Man, I had forgotten how bad that fall was. I’ll have THAT stuck in my head the rest of the day . . .
Just checked and he’s a 1999 model, so 15 years old.
He has had a couple outings this year already:
http://useventing.com/competitions/profile-horse?horse_id=101051
[QUOTE=ToN Farm;7674131]
He has had a couple outings this year already:
http://useventing.com/competitions/profile-horse?horse_id=101051[/QUOTE]
Thanks for posting that.
Mandiba had an MR in February at Rocking Horse 2.
MR. Doesn’t that mean ‘fall of horse’?
Doesn’t this poor horse have anyone who’s looking out for his welfare?
The young rider who was riding him at rocking horse had a fall at the picnic table in the intermediate. The horse didnt slow and took a flyer over a max width table that had a clear ground line. Skidded across the top of the table and left some nasty skid marks. Rider broke her collar bone.
Retire the damn horse.
It looks like he had a good year in 2012, in fact I remember those who support his continued campaigning coming back after his win at the Fork ** rather smugly as if it proved that everything with the horse is absolutely hunky dory.
Truly, I can’t think what they’re hoping to achieve with him at this point.
I never liked him either, he struck me as a dirty stopper from the first time I saw him compete. From what I’ve seen I’d never keep him in the barn, but I do not know anything about the horse outside of having watched footage of a couple minutes of his life, therefore I have no place to make assumptions. He could be training the best he ever has, it would not surprise me, really. If he is anywhere as dingy as he has acted, it wouldn’t be a shock if he really didn’t get good till late in life, he likely needed the miles and maturity. His last bad wreck may have finally scared him enough learned to respect the obstacles, as well as why you don’t run through the rider’s aids.
We know nothing about the animal. It’s nice to watch videos, post on a BB, get some “likes” and make yourself feel smart, but in the end only the people in the barn every day can truly know what is best for the horse.
The above post does not make any sense.
[QUOTE=Foxtrot’s;7674514]
The above post does not make any sense.[/QUOTE]
I’ll break it down for you.
I have my immediate assumptions about the horse. I realize however, that those assumptions are based on the few minutes I’ve seen of a horse’s fifteen year life. It would be stupid for me to decide that his connections are jeopordizing his welfare based on the snippets of the horse’s life I have seen. It’s easy to draw conclusions, but that does not make them credible.
I cited an example; for all we know the horse could be training the best he ever has at home. We do not know, we are not there. I’m sorry you had difficulty comprehending my post.
[QUOTE=Angelico;7674642]
I’ll break it down for you.
I have my immediate assumptions about the horse. I realize however, that those assumptions are based on the few minutes I’ve seen of a horse’s fifteen year life. It would be stupid for me to decide that his connections are jeopordizing his welfare based on the snippets of the horse’s life I have seen. It’s easy to draw conclusions, but that does not make them credible.
I cited an example; for all we know the horse could be training the best he ever has at home. We do not know, we are not there. I’m sorry you had difficulty comprehending my post.[/QUOTE]
Any horse that has had as many horse falls in competition as this one has does not need to be eventing. Particularly out of our team coach’s barn. It sends a terrible message about horse welfare and horse selection I don’t care what he looks like at home.
[QUOTE=NCRider;7674652]
Any horse that has had as many horse falls in competition as this one has does not need to be eventing. Particularly out of our team coach’s barn. It sends a terrible message about horse welfare and horse selection I don’t care what he looks like at home.[/QUOTE]
Agreed.
He must school a dream at home, as that’s the only reason I can think of for many of his not-so-successful entries.
IMO Mandiba can’t be blamed in any way for the bad choices that have been made for him. Starting with the 2008 Olympics, where he had no business being. KOC said at the time it was beyond his training. And onwards to one disaster after another, some near tragedies. Jeez, when o when is it ENOUGH for this poor, poor horse ?? He really does seem to try until he reaches his limit. My heart breaks for this horse.
It’s not that there aren’t other horses that are poorly managed. It’s that this horse is part of one of the country’s leading expert barns, people who have put themselves forward as the voice of eventing. However they would justify Mandiba’s career, the plain fact is that it looks bad - for them.
Deleting my post because I did not read the first post correctly. Nevermind!
You might want to actually read the thread. No one said this latest was a horse fall. People were shocked that he was in the entries at all with ML given his last episode with his young rider and his past history which is well known to everyone. hence the enough is enough post. The horse is 15. What could possibly be the point of making him event at this time?
Again I don’t care what he looks like at home. This looks awful for the sport. And not just to a bunch of “Internet trolls” as they like to call us.
Dirty stopper? How would you know why he stopped unless you were the regular rider and knew his personality?
Some horses stop because they are hurting somewhere and that is how they try to protect themselves.
[QUOTE=Angelico;7674439]
I never liked him either, he struck me as a dirty stopper from the first time I saw him compete. From what I’ve seen I’d never keep him in the barn, but I do not know anything about the horse outside of having watched footage of a couple minutes of his life, therefore I have no place to make assumptions. He could be training the best he ever has, it would not surprise me, really. If he is anywhere as dingy as he has acted, it wouldn’t be a shock if he really didn’t get good till late in life, he likely needed the miles and maturity. His last bad wreck may have finally scared him enough learned to respect the obstacles, as well as why you don’t run through the rider’s aids.
We know nothing about the animal. It’s nice to watch videos, post on a BB, get some “likes” and make yourself feel smart, but in the end only the people in the barn every day can truly know what is best for the horse.[/QUOTE]
so I wouldn’t consider his record THAT bad with the young rider. Heck, they did some good winning and I watched them at the Plantation CIC**. The horse jumped great around the xc and took good care of his rider. Also won the 2* at Virginia in the fall, if I recall.
I really do think that the owners and trainers know this horse well enough that they have a plan. It is not like they’re not well known for taking good care of their horses and retiring them before they are “done.” I for one consider the OCET to be respectable and I don’t believe that I have the knowledge or expertise to criticize what they are doing based on the information that I have in front of me.
We have no idea why he is competing now and why he is being ridden by ML. He obviously went better for the previous young rider than he is going for ML at this point in time. If he were mine, I pass him on as a Novice/Training Packer 
but … that’s just me and I don’t expect others to do as I do…
[QUOTE=SnicklefritzG;7674908]
Dirty stopper? How would you know why he stopped unless you were the regular rider and knew his personality?
Some horses stop because they are hurting somewhere and that is how they try to protect themselves.[/QUOTE]
I do not know that, because I do not know the horse. If you had read my post you’d see that I said that he struck me as a dirty stopper from the few minutes of his life I have been privy to, hence my personal dislike of the horse.
You vindicated my original point exactly, none of us knows anything about him unless someone here is his regular rider.
[QUOTE=Angelico;7675250]
I do not know that, because I do not know the horse. If you had read my post you’d see that I said that he struck me as a dirty stopper from the few minutes of his life I have been privy to, hence my personal dislike of the horse.
You vindicated my original point exactly, none of us knows anything about him unless someone here is his regular rider.[/QUOTE]
Thank you for retracting your original comment, that is to have spoken so harshly about the horse without really knowing him.
[QUOTE=NCRider;7674652]
Any horse that has had as many horse falls in competition as this one has does not need to be eventing. [/QUOTE]
Given his (1) crash history, (2) injury history, and (3) that – at least from his public performances – this is not a horse who copes well under pressure, there is little evidence to support the notion that this horse is a ‘packer’ at any level in any discipline that requires jumping.
