# Will I be counted down in a 4-H show for a red ribbon in the tail?



## donatellodemerlieux (Apr 18, 2011)

No, they actually encourage you to put the ribbon in if needed for the safety of others.  Just read that today!


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## Hijack (Apr 27, 2011)

They better not! Better to have it in and not have any incidents then risk an accident.


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## HollyBubbles (Jun 22, 2009)

If anything they should be marking you up for warning others and thinking about everyone elses safety lol.

I know right, I hate how people can ride right behind your horse and you and not give a second though, and to be completely honest I would love for my horse to kick out at them, not hit them, but kick their way... Fortunately for them though none of my horses kick.


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## faye (Oct 13, 2010)

Personaly I believe a kicker shouldnt be at a show untill the issue is sorted. However I'd much rather see a red ribbon and give it a wide berth then be completely in the dark about it and get a bit too close (which will happen in warm ups because generaly there just is not enough room for all the horses).
Yes horses can and will kick if something goes right up its bum but I wouldnt count that as a kicker.

A kicker is a horse that will lash out when anything comes anywhere near it, so when trying to pass it, trying to work in open order etc. 

Stan was awful if horses went up his bum, I could feel him gettig tenser and tenser the more they rode into him and then he would explode. Mind you these people were litteraly using his back end as a brake and one girl was cantering with her ponies nose in his tail. I didnt count him as a kicker because when working in in a collecting ring, people could get a bit too close and he'd be fine.

I'd personaly get some friends together and teach him that kicking is not acceptable. Ride in open order get friends to come a bit too close (not up his bum and at a safe enough distance that they wont be hurt) and reprimand him every time he even *thinks* of kicking.

My youngster has had it drilled into his head that kicking at anything is not acceptable and will get him a heftily smacked bottom for his efforts if he tries. He has even had dogs play fighting, roll straight into his back legs, he thought about kicking them but a quick "no" from me had him thinking twice about it and putting the leg back down.


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## HollyBubbles (Jun 22, 2009)

faye said:


> My youngster has had it drilled into his head that kicking at anything is not acceptable and will get him a heftily smacked bottom for his efforts if he tries. He has even had dogs play fighting, roll straight into his back legs, he thought about kicking them but a quick "no" from me had him thinking twice about it and putting the leg back down.


Mitchell had that drilled into his head when he first arrived at my house (That and correct canter leads :lol He lashed out at me in the paddock one day and got the tail end of a nylon haynet cracked across his bum... Some might call that abuse, I call it reflexes, I would far rather my horse get a good whack rather than me hurt or killed and him end as dog tucker or glue (Yes that would be done if he ever kicked me and hurt me, not by me by my parents)
I put mitch in the paddock that he's in specifically so he would get used to dogs playing around his legs... It worked :lol: now he doesn't so much as bat an eyelid.


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## faye (Oct 13, 2010)

Hollybubbles, Reeco lashed out at me in the stable the second day he was here, when I tried to put boots on his back leg, he got an instant wollop on his **** so hard that it left my hand hurting for 15 mins afterwards and sent him shooting to the back of his stable. It was instinctual and not something I even took time thought about, call it abuse if you want to but I will do it again if any of my lot ever think about kicking at anything
He has NEVER tried to kick me, anyone else or the dogs eveer again. 

We're still friend, he still comes to me for cuddles and kisses but he knows his place and knows what behavior is acceptable and what isn't


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## HollyBubbles (Jun 22, 2009)

faye said:


> Hollybubbles, Reeco lashed out at me in the stable the second day he was here, when I tried to put boots on his back leg, he got an instant wollop on his **** so hard that it left my hand hurting for 15 mins afterwards and sent him shooting to the back of his stable. It was instinctual and not something I even took time thought about, call it abuse if you want to but I will do it again if any of my lot ever think about kicking at anything
> He has NEVER tried to kick me, anyone else or the dogs eveer again.
> 
> We're still friend, he still comes to me for cuddles and kisses but he knows his place and knows what behavior is acceptable and what isn't


I wouldn't call that abuse at all, there was a perfectly acceptable reason behind it you didn't just go out there and smack him one because you felt like it. I would call that punishment/payback. After I got Mitch with the haynet he wouldn't come near me for the rest of the night, and ever since then he hasn't deared even lift a leg the wrong way, let alone send it flying my way or anybody elses.


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## faye (Oct 13, 2010)

Reeco let me go back upto him straight away and I led him back to where he was stood before and put the boot on him with no fuss, then we had kisses and cuddles and went and did some work.


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## HollyBubbles (Jun 22, 2009)

Eclipse295 said:


> Why don't they realize that any horse can kick, rear, spook, strike, buck, bite, whatever!?! Just because a horse isn't labeled "kicker"(or biter, spooky, bucker, etc) doesn't mean they won't!


Exactly!!! The first show I ever went to I was on a little arabian mare and she had never ever kicked out or bucked or ever put a foot wrong with me, ever. We got to that show that morning and oh crap, Snoopys in heat. If we were at home it would have been fine, even though she got more moody than your average PMSing woman she had never done the dirty on anyone. We got into our ring after warming up, and this little shetland come right up her bum and was just about touching, like I could have reached out and tapped the ponys nose with my dressage whip. When suddenly WHACK, there goes snoopys front end and the pony shot off in the opposite direction, to this day I still don't know if snoopy actually kicked the pony or not, but when they re-joined the circle they certainly kept their distance:lol:


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## equus717 (Aug 20, 2009)

I know around here they don't allow horses that kick to show. It is a danger to the other riders. Something else to is some people at the show may not know what the red ribbon means so I would let me know why you have it in their tail. 

Personally I wouldn't show that particular horse at this time because if he accidentally gets someone hurt it falls back on you regardless if you have his tail marked. I know when I got into horses I didn't know what the red ribbon means until it was to late and my horse got kicked. Let me tell you I had it out with the horse owner. I had asked and she didn't tell me I was ****ed. This was a good friend of mine and she knew I had never seen that before. 

Needless to say we don't ride no more. It is better to let people know at the show maybe even have them announce it over the intercom so no one gets hurt.


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## fuadteagan (Jun 10, 2010)

I hate when people line head-to-tail with me at shows! And guess what, my judge today told us to. Then she like yelled at me cause my horse wouldn't go head-to-tail. That marks a bad judge!!! I always look for red ribbons on tails and always stay far away. There was a young yearling at the show today and she had a red ribbon and she got like a first and a third, not sure. I do not know her


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## faye (Oct 13, 2010)

fuadteagan said:


> I hate when people line head-to-tail with me at shows! And guess what, my judge today told us to. Then she like yelled at me cause my horse wouldn't go head-to-tail. That marks a bad judge!!! I always look for red ribbons on tails and always stay far away. There was a young yearling at the show today and she had a red ribbon and she got like a first and a third, not sure. I do not know her


Lining up head to tail is perfectly normal for the show ring. Its not bad judging if you cant make your horse do this, it is bad training on your part as you havent taught your horse manners!!

My 3yr old would happily stand head to tail with anouther horse and would stand all day if nessecary (I always leave enough room from the horse in front of me, which is good ring craft).


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## countrygirl91 (May 16, 2011)

Nope they don't(actually encourge the warning) I actually do it with mine so riders don't think they can ride my horses rears..you'd think people would have the sense to not ride a strange horses butt..apperantly not though..


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## Royal Pine Buck (May 28, 2011)

they should NOT mark you down. Tying a Red Ribbon in the tail of a known kicker is good horsemanship! it shows consideration of your fellow show goers.

 one of my good friends ties a red ribbon in her horses tail even though she doesn't kick just to make sure riders give her extra room anyway. some people can really get up on you becuase they are nervous or just don't care.


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