2007 - Will This Be Just Another Festival Of Abuse

[hinny_heart]

"Four of the world’s top horse whisperers meet four virtually un-touched young horses ... In just three hours together each horse and rider team will have to negotiate an obstacle course ... This is horsemanship at its very best."

HORSEMANSHIP?  Three HOURS?? Oh please!  

Poor bloody horses.

http://www.roadtothehorse.com/event.html

 

[Jolene]

You know, I nearly got thrown off my yard for speaking poorly of that 'event' (spectacle, rather).  They already think I'm crazy because I want to wait until my next horse is 5 1/2 or 6 to start ridden work, and they thought it was blasphemous that I would speak against "the best trainers in the country".  :ouch:  Umm, did I mention my horse is at home now?    

[shoveltrash]

HH that quote says it all -- yes it WILL be another "festival of abuse."
 
 

[Linda Baia]

I have seen some pics. the horses look quite knackered  :blink:  

Now they use 4-5 years old horses, who are not even halter-broken ....

The last challenge was won by a woman, and one of the competitor refused to ride his horse, because he was not ready ....

I think they have been trying to change the format ...

Anyway, I do not understand this show it is pretty digusting    

[nix]

"Breaking" (which imho it should read instead of "starting"  <_< ) unhandled three year old colts and expecting them to do an obstacle course in three hours. What's the hurry? Oh, yes, I forgot ... "entertainment".    

[Cloud_cirrus]

Oh goodie, now all we need is some rope, a pineapple and Tony Hopkins.  When does the fun start?

For people that haven't the fogiest idea what I am talking about, do a search for the 'In a whisper' thread.

[1 morejump]

I don't think 3 is too early to start a horse (as I duck for cover) what I do think is to early is expecting this much of them.  I don't think there is anything wrong with starting at 3.  For me though, starting is trying the saddle in the roundpen, weight in the saddle, long reins, learing how to bit, and so many other basics.  Sitting in the saddle and light trotting is fine depending on how quickly the horse is advancing.  

This is just a show though.  It is very upsetting, these are good trainers and they are reducing themselves to a three ring circus.  The poor horses are on a sensory overload, and infront of huge crowds.  This is no foundation for a working partnership.  I guess dressage horses aren't the only ones who are rushed through training now.   :(      

[Flashback]

"Four of the world’s top horse whisperers meet four virtually un-touched young horses ... In just three hours together each horse and rider team will have to negotiate an obstacle course ... This is horsemanship at its very best."

HORSEMANSHIP?  Three HOURS?? Oh please!  

Poor bloody horses.

http://www.roadtothehorse.com/event.html

holy c**p ...........    here we b****y well go again ........... when is this systematic abuse going to end??????????????

[Heather]

So much has been done in recent years, to try to make the lot of the horse better, and along come these egotists who set it back decades again, and all purporting to be humane  and even gentle in their 'training'?I just sometimes despair.

Heather

[TashaKat]

and still people will buy their books, buy their DVDs, buy their overpriced equipment and preach their gospel.

Events like this make me so angry and all done under the guise of 'natural' horsemanship.  I have nothing against humane, sympathetic 'NH' techniques but this stuff just stinks.

I would despair if I had the energy :(

[Amanda Teale]

I haven,t witnessed or attended the described event so I cannot make a true comment on it,  However these kind events and attitudes are probably why we now have Equine Ethology and LaCense a breakaway from a well known method of NH.

Although there have been some very good things acheived in Europe via this method, (I especially found it helped me and many people I know) some things were not best suited to Europe.

I believe, and please correct me if I am wrong, that Equine Ethology and LaCense are trying to take the parts of NH and intergrate into mainstream Equitation.  Hopefully for the good of the horse.

Amanda

[Heather]

I agree 1morejump- 3 is not too young to back and ride away a young horse, done correctly and over the normal period of time, but to ask them to do all this in 3 hours with no physical or mental preparation before, it is simply abuse.

I wrote to the In a Whisper Challenge organiser, and asked if he would take a ten year old kid out of school, and subject him to 3 hours of hard work, the last two carrying a heavy load, making him go over jumps and trail a bale of hay around, all whilst carrying this load?

He wrote back and asked' How can you equate a ten year old kid to a fully mature horse?' And these horses were not 3, but 2.

Have a look at the pics on the In a Whisper Challenge website, those of you who didnt come in on this discussion last year. Those poor exhausted, defeated looking babies, were said to have been treated to the most gentle introduction to being ridden by three of the finest and most humane trainers in the business, or words to that effect.

Being dragged off the range, having never been handled, and subjected to this ordeal in front of 6000 people, ridden by the likes of Pat Parelli for over an hour or more, who admits to being 200lbs, and the horses were scrawny looking little colts of about 14.2hh? - this is gentle and humane?  

Good classical ground work, in hand and in long reins, and an understanding of equine body language that comes from years of being around horses, is to my mind still the best route for most horses.

But, I think that Equine Ethology and La Cense, are to my mind, more for horse owners coming into the sport in later life, and do work in this category, especially as it is something that can be learnt fairly quickly and does give the owners more control.

Heather

[Fred]

I think its a great shame on NH, what purpose outside showmanship is there to all this.

What really surprises me is when you see a certain judges name appear,its just beyond belief that he would want to judge such an event.

I wouldn't let C.A  near Dakota, not even 100 yards near him! :ouch: .

its amazing that ground work/time, the part of equestrian education that is so overlooked by many owners and those returning, may have contributed to the/gentling  events/ as they put thing's   .

 

[Heather]

Well look out for two articles on in hand and long reining with our Beck,  Fred, in Horse magazine in a couple of months or so!


Heather