Judges Thoughts Please.

[NoviceNic]

Im taking my daughter and her wee pony to a show next weekend. Only in the fun and young handler class. It will be their first show together.

I have a little concern about other ponies though. If they are too close to Jimmy's bum I have a suspicion that he will kick back. :o For some reason he does not like being penned in by other horses.

I am gonna put a red ribbon in his tail. Will this hinder Jas and Jimmy's chance of placement??? :confused:

[rtk]

Honestly, very sorry but it should.

Showing, especially at local level where there are lot of inexperienced kids, ponies dogs etc, is not the place for a pony which might kick if put under pressure.

In my experience people are always lining up too close, running into the back of you, crowding you in the collecting ring. It really isn't the place for a pony that is not 100%. Our pony has been kicked several times when ponies have backed into her and my daughter was not even doing anything wrong.

Liability wise you are admitting by putting a red ribbon in the tail that you know the pony kicks. If a person or pony got injured your insurance might not cover you.

[Daffy Dilly]

I would put it in, there is sod all respect for personal space, and safety at local shows, and there is only so much the organisers and stewards can do to facilitate it when people insist on standing their horses right at ring gateways etc.

I've seen a young lad kicked full on in the chest because the pony in front, which has apparently kicked before, wasn't wearing a red ribbon. Yes he was close behind, but it was a very small ring for the number of entries and there wasn't really a lot of choice, the ring should've been bigger, they should've split the class, whatever.

But if that pony had been wearing a red ribbon, the boy wouldn't have been so close to him.

[eml]

Unfortunately very few people at local shows understand ribbons.

We take our projects (read loopy, unpredictable etc) to the local club and are always being asked why our horses have green ribbons in, never stops the kids crashing into the back of you either.

I personally would take the pony into a class yourself first (just ask if you can take part HC in anything inhand) to make sure the pony doesn't react badly in the ring. Young handler is a nightmare for a judge at local shows, full of pretty ponies attached to toddlers, I am sorry but if a pony wearing a red ribbon was brought into one of these classes I would probably send it out for the safety of the rest of the competitors

[Mehitabel]

yep - at a higher level with adult handlers who know what they are doing, i tihnk it's fine - but at local level in a young handler class i wouldn't expect the child behind to know or have wits about them enough.

[coyote]

wicked your coming to sheepgate!!! yeah!!!
Right first off, i ALWAYS tell the person/child behind me ,to back off and say that Nelly is young and i dont know what he MIGHT do!!:o
secondly i would put a red ribbon in his tail then if he did DO something you have a chance to say "well he did have a common,recognised warning" :cool:
Thirdly jas can stay at the back so no-one is stuck up his bum.

[Daffy Dilly]

Unfortunately very few people at local shows understand ribbons.

And I intend to have it put into the schedules/newsletters of my club next year. Admittedly the woman that passed away at one of the shows this year could not have been avoided by using ribbons, it was a complete freak accident, but hopefully the atmosphere of that day will be enough for people to be a bit more careful if they realise they are behind a kicker - everybody is aware of the damage even an unshod youngster can do.

[NoviceNic]

Am I liable if I put a ribbon in?? I mean I am only warning that he may. Every horse or pony MAY kick...:confused:

Of course this is all just What if's. I may get there and as usual he may well be the perfect ponio. :D

[Daffy Dilly]

I think it's unlikely. They could argue that you are admitting your horse kicks, and therefore that you shouldn't have brought him into a public environment. I can't really see that one standing up in court if it ever got there, all horses have the potential to kick - they are unpredictable!

I see it more as taking precautions. Putting the ribbon in and then warning other competitors that he may kick is a sensible thing to do IMO, and if after you had done that someone still put themselves into the situation, then I can't see them having much of a leg to stand on.

[titch_]

i went to a show with my mate the other dayand there was a horse with a green and blue ribbon, to be fair i didn't know what it ment untill my mate pointed it out. But i am fairly new to horse riding.

maybe you could have a sign on ** back saying warning pony may kick, ok i know it sounds stupid, but at least once you in the ring all the other kids will no to avoid the back side!

[Skye08]

i put a ribbon in scarletts tail because some IDIOT got repeadatly close and her horse was being an A***E and she did kick it. We got placed 3rd because she kicked out and she wouldve won but it wasnt my fault i warned her. So ever since then she has had it in and shes never been naughty and she doesnt kick unless they are up her backside and i mean that one was, and at the end of the day she protects me all the time because to her im "hers" lol

[coyote]

oh i forgot ,this is what 3rd party insurance is for.:D

[NoviceNic]

oh i forgot ,this is what 3rd party insurance is for.:D

Oh **** yes. Insurance. Thanks for the reminder...:o

[chickflick1066]

Best of luck to Jas and Jim :D

[chickflick1066]

Ooops, double posted :o

[Maddison's girl]

I always put a red ribbon in Maddions. People still rode up her arse though :(

[rtk]

oh i forgot ,this is what 3rd party insurance is for.:D

Yes but you have to be careful. This came from an equestrian policy under exclusions

arising out of the deliberate, conscious or intentional disregard by the Insured's technical or administrative management of the need to take all reasonable steps to prevent Injury or Damage

My point is that having a pony which might kick (you are admitting that by putting the ribbon in) with a child handler would not be taking all reasonable steps to prevent injury or damage.

[NoviceNic]

Well I took Jimmy. Put a massive red ribbon in his tail. Judge spotted it and asked if he kicked. I said we havent had him long and that he has a tendancy to kick when we first bought him home. She thanked me and kept him at a distance of the other rider. There were only 2 in each class. He was very well behaved in the classes except for the one with the nice big cob in. :confused: Had a squeal and a foot stomp when it went round the back of him. :o Desensitization required me thinks. ;)