Glitter and Dye

[rabbitsfizz]

Everything can and is taken too far. How about leveling the playing field right out, for, say, two years- no dying at all, no make up beyond discrete use of clear oils....let everything find it's level, as it were, and then start over one step at a time. Oh, and NO chicken dance, no matter how entertaining it is for the spectators, it's just plain silly, it looks silly and the horses look BORED!!

And a lot of Silver Buckskins, BTW, DNA tested , have pure black manes and tails naturally- look at Buckeroo- they do start off completely different, and are usually obvious , as Buckeroo was, at birth and as youngsters, but, as they get older the mane and tail darken. You can just about, usually, tell, by looking closely, but honestly it would have to be a very close look!

Otherwise I think they may just as well allow glitter, it is certainly only o0ne more step on down a completely crazy path......

 

[MyMiniGal]

I don't get the chicken dance either. Was watching Worlds the other day and the horses were responding just as well to ones that weren't dancing around as ones that were. The ones that were to me we're taking the focus off their mini and onto themselves. But that is just perspective , and I don't show.

 

[BSharpRanch]

Could not agree more on the chicken dance. So silly. But then Arabian people do a version of it too, only their's include a whip. I've not seen QH halter in a while but they use to show the horses as the minis are shown in showmanship. SQUARE, natural, alert. The way the halter minis are posed (please, no offence ment, just my honest observation here), they all look either laminitic, post legged or both. There is not anything attractive about it at all.

 

[Margo_C-T]

Susan, if what I've read and heard are true, you wouldn't like what is happening in the QH halter ring nowadays. Still shown square, yes...but beyond that...some horrid stuff. Look around on the internet, see what you find about things like 'chain in the mouth/under the upper lip' and 'shanking' relative to showing stock type horses at halter..... I hope it ISN'T the case!

Agree with your assessment about Minis posing at halter.

 

[Marty]

I'm all about dying a black mane and tail if its bleached out and has those nasty red streaks. Heck, I just did two mares here over the summer because I couldn't stand it being a groom-a-holic type and all.

But that glitter......ok I"m all about glitter and if you want to glitter your horse, I think its great for a parade, but a show? that's going too far. The over use of make up, that's really out there but that chicken dance is beyond stupid.

 

[oakrunfarm]

Susan, if what I've read and heard are true, you wouldn't like what is happening in the QH halter ring nowadays. Still shown square, yes...but beyond that...some horrid stuff. Look around on the internet, see what you find about things like 'chain in the mouth/under the upper lip' and 'shanking' relative to showing stock type horses at halter..... I hope it ISN'T the case!

Agree with your assessment about Minis posing at halter.

Just to clarify AQHA's rules... Lips chains (over the top gum only, not through the mouth) are allowed for Stallions over 1 yo in Open & Amateur, Amateur & Youth Mares and Geldings 1+ year old, and weanlings.

I have put 100's of AQHA halter points on numerous horses of all ages, and have never used a lip chain. I think that if you have a horse that's so uncontrollable you can't show it without a lip chain, it doesn't belong in the show ring.

They did put a rule in place about shanking - "Applying excessive pressure on or excessive jerking of a halter lead shank or an Allowed Lip Chain is prohibited." I have seen people get warned/disqualified for this one, and I'm very glad they finally created the rule to address it.

I will begin showing AMHR halter soon - I am really excited! I have fallen in love with these little cuties and everyone in the mini world hase been SO amazingly-friendly and welcoming. It is really a great group of people!

We attended the AMHR National show and I was having a hard time not laughing at some of the crazy antics people were using to get their horses' attention. One lady looked like a matador with her jacket open and flapping it. If I were a judge, tired of seeing that all day long, I would be hard-pressed not to say "STOP it!" It reminds me of a Bird of Paradise doing a mating dance, lol.

 

[BSharpRanch]

That is too sad. It seems where AQHA goes the other breeds follows. Too sad.

 

[susanne]

I've always preferred a more natural horse. I detest balding and all of the goop -- as I've said before, instead of looking like horses, they look like Tammy Faye Bakker -- or burn victims.

On the other hand, I'm not for too many rules. If people want to do this, so be it -- but I'd like to see the rules give preference to horses that look great without all the skinning and greasing.

This could be done as with height, where
"preference in judging shall be given the smaller horse, other characteristics being approximately equal,"

only in this case it would be:

"Preference in judging shall be given to the more natural horse, other characteristics being approximately equal."

 

[disneyhorse]

Wow, a lip chain? I think that's more excessive than a chain through the mouth. I've used chains on the top gum of a horse as a twitch... And it's not pretty (although restraining a draft horse afraid of injections or something does necessitate a twitch).

I can't imagine that should be allowed in a show ring!!! And the rule book states "EXCESSIVE jerking"... This implies that a jerk here or there is okay.... And I jerk those gum line chasing when I'm afraid of a draft horse trying to injure me... Very sad that's allowed in AQHA in my opinion.

 

[rabbitsfizz]

The lip chain as a real restraint has a similar action to a twitch and may well have it's place under certain circumstances, but in the show ring it is merely another fashion. "Look at me I have a fierce stallion!!!" I have never even used a chain on my stallions, they show in a simple, non-draw, strap because, call me old fashioned, but they are trained and the have manners! A stallion I admire over here has recently become a trifle "feisty" and his owner has put him in a very nice light weigh, traditional, bitted, in hand show bridle, and he goes well in it, behaves and is controllable, but then she is a person who does actually care about the horse's well being more than showing off!

Susanne, since the height rule appears to be ignored anyway, I doubt such a rule, sensible as it is, would hold any water, unfortunately .

It's a funny habit, the chicken dance- I have seen a professional Arab handler in the US and then handling here in the UK and the difference is astounding....BUT....I have to say the US horses showed off much better and he was fairly understated in his handling- he is not jerker of chains or unnecessary waver of whips, just a sympathetic and very professional handler in both countries.

 

[Marty]

I think its amusing that some people don't believe in showing with a support bra..........adds so much more razzle dazzle to the chicken dance

 

[oakrunfarm]

I think its amusing that some people don't believe in showing with a support bra..........adds so much more razzle dazzle to the chicken dance

LOL!

 

[Minimor]

Especially if there are sequins or glitter on the shirt/jacket??

 

[MiniNHF]

Yeah I noticed that the first year I watched worlds online. Definitely a distraction when you are trying to watch the horse; unneeded movement in that area.

I think its amusing that some people don't believe in showing with a support bra..........adds so much more razzle dazzle to the chicken dance

 

[Field-of-Dreams]

I think its amusing that some people don't believe in showing with a support bra..........adds so much more razzle dazzle to the chicken dance

We sat right on the bend at Will Rogers on Saturday.... seeing the horses trot straight at you gives another perspective of "jiggle"....tie those babies down, girls!!

 

[oakrunfarm]

We sat right on the bend at Will Rogers on Saturday.... seeing the horses trot straight at you gives another perspective of "jiggle"....tie those babies down, girls!!

When I showed riders, there was a lady who was quite um, blessed, in the chestage dept. who rode in a very inadequate brassiere.

I was watching the class with my trainer when she jogged by on her horse. I was thinking "Oww!" when he quipped, "Looks like two puppies fightin' under a blanket!"

Lol.