Showing: cruel to horses?

[moody mare]

Hi there everyone :saludando:

I saw this being discussed on another forum and wondered what you all thought:

someone said that to show a horse is cruel but if you must then you should only

go to 4-5 shows a year and anyone who does more than that ie every week, is only in it for the LOOT ie

$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

I personally thought that this was a load of ********** as i have shown 3

different breeds over the years and not 1 horse EVER suffered or if i thought

that they didnt like what they were doing i would have stopped but they all loved

to show off in the ring, they know when to perform and when to let it all hang out

as they say.

I dont know if this person has ever shown.

What do you think?

 

[Anne]

Loot??

define loot, it sure costs me a lot more to show a horse than anything that comes back from showing.

 

[moody mare]

Over here

Loot = prize money

but like you it always cost me alot more to get there + diesel + entry fee + food for the day

+ grooming products + + + + + + + +

so it never makes money (well not here in Ireland any way)

hope this clears it up

sorry about the language barrier

 

[_minihorses4ever_]

Loot??

define loot, it sure costs me a lot more to show a horse than anything that comes back from showing.

I was thinking the same thing! I am not postitive, but I am pretty sure most classes available for miniatures do not have prize money.

 

[Devon]

Oh jeeze. I do win prize money down here in some shows. But belive me I spend SO much more than I win personally. with clippers new blades allt he time products entries for classes youd ont place in show clothes gas money for trailer; show halters; harnesses carts; food;. Oh jeeze. I dont even want to get into it makes my head spin. I think iM crazy :lol:

 

[Miniv]

What a load of CROCK. Showing costs a FORTUNE!

IMO, the only time I feel it's cruel to show a horse is when it's sick. And it's also unfair to show a horse that obviously doesn't like it.

There happen to be horses out there that actually LOVE to go to shows! I've seen horses like that literally get depressed during the off-season.

MA

 

[moody mare]

Of course we're crazy

Thats why we do it and of course to meet up with friends and to see who has bought new

horses, got married, had babies, moved house and most importantly who brought the nicest

picnic.

I only went to about 6-7 shows last year but it was due to work commitments and no other reason

and am hoping to get out much more this year. Yep im crazy too :bgrin

 

[Lisa-Ruff N Tuff Minis]

well in other breeds there is money to be made showing sometimes lots of it however when you add in the work/time/hours it takes to keep you and your horse in top shape and ready to compete other then the very small percentage at the top it doesnt pay out for most

 

[SHANA]

I show at a number of shows. My arabian show alone I do not win any money back. In 2005 I spent about $4000 on this show alone, came home with a dozen or so ribbons, no loot. I show there every year. In 2006 I trained my own horse so saved a bit but still cost me over $1000. No money won. My motto is "Participation is the prize, winning is the bonus." I go to have fun, my horses love to go. They jump in the trailer.

 

[user 488]

THIS HAS GOT TO BE A JOKE? How can anyone in their right might think that showing a Miniature Horse will make you (prize) money????? :lol: :lol: :lol: ..........that of course unless you are a professional trainer and you show horses for a living.

Can you make money showing other breeds? Yes, sometimes you can.....but Miniatures? LOL!

Cruel? I think whoever this is needs a good "head doctor" and they have just posted something like this to get a good argument going. I wouldn't be sucked into making a big deal over such ignorant statements.

UGH......totally ridiculous

:

And if this turns into an Irish BRAWL it will be removed as usual. If you have something personal to say to the person who started this thread........do it through email...............not on this Forum as everyone has a right to post a question but nobody has the right to attack anyone on this Forum. Nobody has any idea where this was quoted from so let it go.

 

[shane]

lol carol :lol:

well i go to as many shows as i can, the money doesnt enter into it, in fact last year i donated my prize money a few times back into the show....

i go to about 15 shows, because before my horses came along i was very depressed and housebound, the minis have given me back my life and now im obsessed in all the life i have left,{if that makes sence} i love the shows, i love getting my horses ready and i spoil them rotten

i love the nerves of going into the show ring

i love the feeling of getting a rosette

the pride i have in my daughter when she shows

meeeting people who dont get bored of talking minis lol

so to be honest I WOULD PAY TO SHOW

: my horses love it, they box themselves :bgrin

i have fibromaglia and i get very sore but i dread to think of my life without horses and looking forward to shows for fun

ill stop rambling now

AWK HERES AN IRISH JOKE BEFORE I GO

an irish man walks into a library and goes up to the counter and says to the girl

FISH AND CHIPS PLEASE!

the girl turns to the irishman and says but this is a library

and the irishman WHISPERS

.....oh sorry fish and chips please :lol:

 

[targetsmom]

Are they saying it is cruel just to show? I have at least one that loves to show, and anyone who has seen him at a show would agree. That is Target, my big horse who had the 2 colic surgeries. After the second one I promised him that if he survived he wouldn't have to go to any more shows. But in a few months, I realized that he LOVED to go to shows, so I just became very selective in where we went and continued to show him. He especially loves shows held at fairs, because of all the activity and he gets more attention (and food). He also gets very upset when the trailer leaves for a show with the minis and he isn't on it. I think our minis like to show too - at least they seem to enjoy it. Now, we don't show every weekend and they get treated like horses in between shows.

 

[HGFarm]

Gosh, I could sure use some prize money?!! Where is it??

Show horses are among the most pampered well cared for horses there are. How would you be successful if they weren't? What is supposed to be cruel about it? Wierd people

:

 

[Devon]

Gosh, I could sure use some prize money?!! Where is it??

Show horses are among the most pampered well cared for horses there are. How would you be successful if they weren't? What is supposed to be cruel about it? Wierd people

:

ahah! I don't know but we should go searching :lol:

 

[Leeana]

I know right? Propperly feeding, grooming, worming, trimming, floating, conditioning and training ....we are just so horible, we should be stopped!!!!!!

:

:

My horses enjoy being at shows and generally enjoy being out and working, they dont stand in their stall and are not pasture ordiments. They are working horses and loving every moment of it!

:

 

[lovinarabs]

I have a friend who thinks it is cruel for us to be training Thunder to drive, too. People see the minis and think, what a cute little horsey and that they are just pasture ornaments. Which of course they CAN be, but if you can enjoy spending time with them in other ways, I don't see the harm. I went to see a clinician one time who told us that people who show are just a bunch of horse's a@@es showing a bunch of horse's ...... that they are horse's ..... you get it. I pretty much had to leave at that point. To each his own and if I want to get in the ring and show my babies stuff, well - I don't see the harm in it. Keep strutting your stuff everyone!

 

[kaykay]

well like anything else it can be cruel when done the wrong way. I have seen horses in the ring that were without a doubt show sour and still here are they are in the ring, miserable as all get out. One really sticks in my mind from last year. I felt so bad for this horse and his owner openly admitted he was show sour and yet he was still forced to go in. I really couldnt understand it as he had years of winning behind him so what was the big deal in retiring him? You know these are the ones when the handler tries to set them up they lay down, or go down on their knees. This is a horse despertly trying to say enough already. It is a fine line. Some horses absolutely love to show. Some horses hate it. I was very disappointed this year when after conditioning a horse and training she stressed so badly at the show that i was afraid she would become ill. She never went to one more show.

Some horses love it for awhile like patches (2 years) and then become sour and dont want to show. She also stays home now. Ive even had a trainer tell me im nuts not to put her back on the show circuit but nope she likes staying home now and bossing everyone around.

You have to know how to listen to your horse and they will tell you when they have had enough. And no I dont think one horse showing every weekend is good. That is just too much. Everyone including animals need rest.

 

[Lonesome Dove]

Lets see ... Katy, Tx in the July heat and humidity ... getting stepped on while clipping horses, hair up my nose, down my shirt, in my ears. I look at my husband and ask "What do poor people do for fun? 'Cause I'm pretty sure this isn't it". It costs a small fortune to show and I sure don't get a prize equal to my investment.

You can tell when a horse likes to perform, when it's enjoying it's little horse life. I swear my little 30" jumper takes great delight in jumping higher and higher. You can tell which horses jump because the love it and which do it because their person makes them.

Carla

 

[Littleum]

LOL... prize money. I laughed so hard.

I think I made $37 back in 2004....

Clearly the person who made this comment has a keen grasp on the Miniature industry and know exactly what they're talking about, and should be taken VERY seriously. LOL!

 

[Pepipony]

Showing can be cruel if the horse HATES their job. Just watch some of the AQHA or other stock horse shows. I think that the expression of the horse should be 10% of the mark. crabby horse, crabby mark. Its depressing to watch how some of those horses go and you have got to wonder if they are that hatefull of their job, how is their barn life?

I showed for years and my guys LOVED it. OMG my ol man would start screaming bloody murder when he saw me hooking up the trailer and if I left a door, ( any door) open, in he would go LOL There were a few rare times when he woke up on the wrong side of the stall and I could tell he just wasnt with it, so we stayed home. His happiness was worth far more than anything we could win or the pre-paid fees lost.