# Someone vandalized a students horse while at a show!!



## Alwaysbehind (Jul 10, 2009)

Poor sportsmanship sucks.

Glad that is all they did.


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## MIEventer (Feb 15, 2009)

I saw you posted that on FB, and I get just as angry seeing it here, as I do when I see it there.

Absolutely unacceptable behaviour and I would of FLIPPED if that were Nelson. Absolutely disgusting, disrespectful, immature, hateful and inconceivable!

I'd of been on the war path until I found out who did it. I'm so sorry  Your poor student, she must of been in tears! *HUGS*


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## equus717 (Aug 20, 2009)

Aw man that sucks. The good thing is that they just cut the manes it could of been much worse. The manes will grow back. 

I am sorry though they shouldn't of done that.


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## Allison Finch (Oct 21, 2009)

She is not too sure that was all. She said the pony was so upset when she got there that he was rearing when they started handling him. Makes you wonder....


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## equus717 (Aug 20, 2009)

Man next time you guys are at a show I would bring someone just to stay with the ponies. I hope that all they did was cut the mane. How is the pony doing today have you heard?


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## Allison Finch (Oct 21, 2009)

They are home now. She says she will never go back to RCRA. We'll see....


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## Quixotic (May 22, 2009)

Wow, seriously? What is wrong with people? That is completely unacceptable behaviour, I'm sorry that happened.


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## Allison Finch (Oct 21, 2009)

The other horse had its forelock cut off and the tail cut off at the hock level.


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## Heatherloveslottie (Apr 12, 2010)

That's absolutely horrendous, agreed, I'd be on the warpath if someone did that to Lottie or Tazz.
Hope your student and her horse are ok.


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## kathryn (Jan 16, 2009)

That's so scary. Hopefully the pony will be able to get over the trauma quickly. Thats despicable.


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## Alwaysbehind (Jul 10, 2009)

Any clue who did it?


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## sarahver (Apr 9, 2010)

What a disgusting display of poor sportsmanship, coming into summer as well just when horses really need their forelocks and tails.

Poor horse, get some MTG onto him, that seems to help stimulate hair growth.


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## equiniphile (Aug 16, 2009)

God, that would suck. Can you get extensions for the mane and clip them in for shows until it grows back?


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## MHFoundation Quarters (Feb 23, 2011)

sarahver said:


> What a disgusting display of poor sportsmanship, coming into summer as well just when horses really need their forelocks and tails.


My thoughts exactly. Poor babies


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## MaggiStar (Mar 19, 2010)

It is only hair after all could have been alot worse


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## Golden Horse (Feb 20, 2010)

MaggiStar said:


> It is only hair after all could have been alot worse



That is really NOT the point, yes it could have been worse, but are they going to be able to get that mane how they like it at all this show season??

It is an assault, pure and simple, if you woke up in the morning and found someone had chopped at your hair with scissors, I bet you wouldn't be saying it is _only_ hair.


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## Gidget (Jan 19, 2010)

that is horrible =/


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## Reiterin (Mar 28, 2010)

Golden Horse said:


> if you woke up in the morning and found someone had chopped at your hair with scissors, I bet you wouldn't be saying it is _only_ hair.


actually I'd LOVE it if someone took scissors to my hair right now. :wink:


That is terrible sportsmanship. I'd be flipping mad if someone intentionally vandalized my horse like that. A couple years ago the baby horse stalled next to my mare ate her tail off and it took 2 full years to grow back. :-x
That was mostly my horse's fault for standing there and letting him chew on it, but to have someone come in and cut like that.... oooh I'd be mad! :evil:


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## MyLittleHunter (Jul 20, 2009)

That is absolutely despicable! What poor sportsmanship. I hope the pony and your student are as okay as they can be after what happened. 

I've had something similar to this happen to me once. My horse really doesn't like whips or crops thanks to an abusive trainer. At one show I was at, a girl hit Dallas in the face with her crop as she passed. It was obvious she was aiming for him, and it was no accident. Some people have some serious growing up to do.


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## Delfina (Feb 12, 2010)

That is beyond horrible.

I wonder if she could utilize surveillance cameras next time. Beyond awful that one would need to do that.


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## MaggiStar (Mar 19, 2010)

Iv had it done to my horse dealing with it now. I am also goig into show season just takes alot of small tiny plaits instead of large standard sized ones. And i stand by what i sad i would go out every day for the rest of my life and have my horses mane hacked then something else.


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## Hunter65 (Aug 19, 2009)

That's horrible, I wish they would have caught who ever did it.


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## sarahver (Apr 9, 2010)

Whilst it is true that it could have been worse, I think the point is Maggi that none of it is necessary at all. What is the world coming to? What is the price of winning? You and/or your horse being violated? What a sad comment on society that just because you were the best on day that others feel within their rights to seek revenge for your hard work and training.

Showmanship *should* be about the best person winning, and if you aren't that person, well then, you congratulate your peers, go home, work hard and come back and whoop their butts the next time. THAT is how you go about seeking revenge for losing.

ETA: I am sorry that it happened to your horse as well Maggi, just horrible (even if you don't think so ha ha).


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## dressagebelle (May 13, 2009)

Thankfully I've never run into any problems myself at shows, but I always worry about someone doing something like cutting manes and tails, or worse just to try and get ahead of the game. I agree that yes, at least it was just hair, but just the fact that someone decided to go into another horses stall with the intent of doing damage in any form, is scary. And obviously even though visibly it was just hair, the horse was unhappy about someone they didn't know going into their stall, and messing with them. I personally would be of a mind to bring a lock with me, and lock the gate to the stall shut when I am not there, and that way no one can go into my horses stall that I do not approve of. I just worry what the parents are teaching their kids that they would decide that its okay to get back at someone for whatever reason, by going in and messing with their horse. I hope that there was nothing worse done to the two ponies, and that they will finish out the rest of the show season without any other incidences.


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## Hunter65 (Aug 19, 2009)

Someone cut all the tails off the RCMP horses that patrol Stanley Park in our downtown. I don't understand it.


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## SAsamone (Nov 5, 2009)

How disgusting!! People never stop amazing me with how ugly they can be just to win a stupid competition...granted competitions are big, and wonderful to win, but at the end of it all, is still just a competition and there can and will be others. What a jerk!


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## NorthernMama (Mar 12, 2008)

What did the RCRA say when it was reported? It WAS reported right? 

I don't take part in shows, but I sometimes take my horse "along for the ride". It is for reasons such as this that my horse is never left unattended. We buddy up and take turns so someone is always monitoring the horses' well being and containment.


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## MaggiStar (Mar 19, 2010)

I do understand the point being made of course. However whilst in the stable they could have done anything to the horse with the scissors i would be beyond releived that the damage was only cosmetic.
A few years ago at a huge yearling sale here all the tails were hacked off with a chainsaw. 
The point im making is whilst in that stable the possibilites were endless of what they could do but they settled for something that was not harmful to the horse.

ETA my baby is working her uneven mohawk with pride


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## TheLovedOne (Jan 26, 2011)

It would be nice if show event organizers hired security for this reason. I remember when I was a kid one of our friends was at a show where a horse was killed. There sure are strange people in this world that are so full of anger.


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## SAsamone (Nov 5, 2009)

Sick, to both of the above^^ chainsaw? Really? and no one HEARD that!?!?

Wow...like you said, you'd think they would have security!


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## jdw (Mar 17, 2011)

How terribly sad and sick people are!! I would definately have someone stay with them from now on no matter where we were; I will do this myself, from now on, wherever we go. Thanks for sharing; sorry it happened and I hope the horses are really okay. (You never know for awhile, do you?) They could have done ANYTHING to those poor horses~SCARY. People are twisted souls to harm innocent animals.


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## Strange (Jan 11, 2009)

Despicable. 

Were the horses tied to a trailer or in stalls? Ours are generally just tied to the trailer with water and hay, since we're so close to all the shows in our area, and usually there's nobody at the trailer unless they're tacking/untacking a horse for the next ride. Our horses spend, easily, 30 min+ by the trailer on their own. I would hate to think what could happen.


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## Sunny (Mar 26, 2010)

The immaturity of some people never ceases to amaze me. :roll:

Sorry to hear.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## mom2pride (May 5, 2009)

Allison Finch said:


> The other horse had its forelock cut off and the tail cut off at the hock level.


What I want to know is what were other people around these horses doing? Really...they had to have known that these horses were not supposed to be having their manes and tails cut...it's just as sad when people just sit around doing nothing when they see something happening, as the person who is doing those unsportsmanlike things. :evil:


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## luvdogz (Oct 11, 2010)

Envy and jealousy are strong human emotions - one of the most difficult to work with since admitting it to yourself and others is very painful and embarrassing..


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## Mythilus (Aug 16, 2010)

I *NEVER* leave my horse unattended at a show for that reason - and no one seems to want to do anything about it if they see stuff like that happening. My last jump show, someone removed _all four shoes_ off the horse who won Supreme Champion, so I had poor Angel stuck with me next to the jump arena all day because I was too scared that something would happen to her if I turned my back. Although the town the show was held in is a bit.. as my neighbour would say, "How you going", meaning its a very weird town and I wouldn't put it past someone from there to take a horse from the show if it was left unattended


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## Amir (Nov 18, 2009)

Wow. I feel very grateful that I have the privilege of being able to leave my horse stabled or tied to the float at shows and not have to sit with him constantly or have other people doing shifts with him.
My friend's 11 year old daughter did have threats made against her pony at a Pony Club state sporting event last year. Her stepfather ended up sitting out front of their horses stables every night. Thankfully nothing happened though.
It's beyond pathetic that someone could do something as low as this and get away with it. I hope your student and her pony are alright and no mental damage was done to the poor pony.


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## Alwaysbehind (Jul 10, 2009)

Maggi, I get what you are trying to say but honestly, it is still so very wrong that saying it is just hair only makes it worse.
Horrible sportmanship like this is just wrong. Period. Even if 'all' they did was paint a purple stripe on the pony, it is still horrible.
You can try to justify it all day long with 'it could have been worse if they.....', that does not make this even less wrong.





mom2pride said:


> What I want to know is what were other people around these horses doing? Really...they had to have known that these horses were not supposed to be having their manes and tails cut...it's just as sad when people just sit around doing nothing when they see something happening, as the person who is doing those unsportsmanlike things. :evil:


Reading into the OP's post some, I believe it was a multiple day show and I would guess this happened when there was not someone around.


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## kitten_Val (Apr 25, 2007)

That's just POS, Allison. Sorry, I just can't find another word (except more rude). I just do NOT get why people do it... 

I had it happened once at the barn to one of my mares and it took her over a year to grow it back.... :evil:


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## candandy49 (Jan 16, 2011)

I feel sick to my stomach after reading the OP and the one about the one pony acting traumatized. Envy and jealousy are such destructive and 'sick minded' motivators. "Cutting tails off with a chainsaw" really sent chills down my spine. In years past I sent 2 registered yearling QH fillys through a registered only consignment sale. It was a two day sale and each horse had a stall assignment. Oh My, if anything had happened to those babies on the sale grounds I have been one freaked out and angry person.


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## MaggiStar (Mar 19, 2010)

Ye hold on ill see can i find a link.....................
Hmm i just found it brought uo in another forum where they said axes.

The security at the time was not effective enough to deal with 700 horses. These were 400,000 E TB yearlings however so it was obviously hugely investigated dunno if they found out who did it,


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## MIEventer (Feb 15, 2009)

mom2pride said:


> What I want to know is what were other people around these horses doing? Really...they had to have known that these horses were not supposed to be having their manes and tails cut...it's just as sad when people just sit around doing nothing when they see something happening, as the person who is doing those unsportsmanlike things. :evil:


You'd be amazed at how people just stand by and do nothing, nor say anything. Say there were 10 people around, 1 may have stood up and said something, maybe. 

I would of FLIPPED royaly! A) My mouth would of been going uncontrollably B) I would of gone to the show committee, the authorities, whatever - shown them what happened and demanded that they find out who did this, and make sure something would be done about it C) I'd of called the police, have it documented and if they found out who did it, I'd of pressed charges.

Not only is that poor sportsmanship, but that is an act of a bully and an act of vandalisim. Not only is it a crime to invade someone's life like that, but it is also a crime to do this to someone's property in this manner.

My heart goes out to the horses, to of had people do this to them. The poor things.


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## Jessabel (Mar 19, 2009)

That's just sick. 

I wouldn't have been so upset about the mane and tail being cut as much as I would seethe at the idea of a total stranger with unfriendly intentions going near my horse without me knowing about it, and most of all the fact that the horse was really upset... The person would have to have a death wish. 

I suppose there's no chance of finding who did it. It's a shame.


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## whitetrashwarmblood (Aug 24, 2008)

Oh, I would've been so angry if that happened to Athena. I love her mane, and it's finally grown down to her shoulder. If someone had beef with me I'd rather they came after me, and not my horse. 

When I was at fair, I tried to always be close to Athena's stall. ESPECIALLY late at night, when all the creepers come to the fair and think it's cute to taunt the animals. Groups of teenagers would come to the barns and sit on the tack boxes while flicking the horses in the nose, throwing stuff at them, or bothering the horses with "I BITE" signs on their stall doors. 

I've heard of people popping out horse's eyes or chopping off their ears at shows too. Those people obviously aren't true horsemen or women if all they care about is winning, and especially if they'd actually harm/vandalize someone's horse!


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## SugarPlumLove (Dec 27, 2009)

Wow that makes me embarassed to cal myself canadian! I'm really sorry for what happend!


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## ~*~anebel~*~ (Aug 21, 2008)

This is when you call the police AND the media.
Then you threaten the show that you will have this story all over the media with the name of the show/show organizer and contact information.

It's amazing how quickly things get done when reporters start showing up lol.

If this EVER happened to any of my horses, or anyone I know's horses there woud be a poo-storm of epic proportions and everyone on those show grounds would be getting asked about it.
Luckily I live in the backwater and everyone knows everyone so I'd have a pretty good idea of who did it.
Also why U locks were invented (as far as I know lol my bike is so dusty).


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## aspin231 (Mar 20, 2010)

Hunter65 said:


> Someone cut all the tails off the RCMP horses that patrol Stanley Park in our downtown. I don't understand it.


Argh! Hunter, you're so close to me, it's scary that people can be so stupid.


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## Katze (Feb 21, 2011)

Omfg...I would raise a serious $%^*@# if that happened to my horse!! Poor thing's must have been terrified when a total stranger walked into the area where they are supposed to be safe!!! 

I would have video camera's and my 130 pound king german shepherd guarding them if I had to step away. Creepy people make me mad....


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## VelvetsAB (Aug 11, 2010)

_Wow Allison! I've always heard that that place was supposed to be a good place to ride at! _

_The sad thing is, with most likely a bunch of other barns there...there might not be any way to tell if it was someone from that barn or elsewhere._


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## Juniper (May 4, 2007)

My daughter and I spent a week at pony camp and someone cut her pony's forelock off. There was no way to know who did it. I did suspect a girl who seemed to be quite jealous of my daughter's successes, but maybe it was someone much sneakier who kept their feelings more underwrap. It was so creepy to think how vulnerable our pony was even though there were so many responsible people around. After that we opted out of entering certain classes in shows, where if she won, she would show the next day and have to leave her horse in a stall over night. Just wasn't worth it. Such a shame to have that in the back of your mind all the time.


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## sarahver (Apr 9, 2010)

I can't believe how many people this type of thing has happened to! What is happening in the world?

That is one good reason to have a horse that is in no danger of winning championships, I guess Bobbie's forelock is safe for the moment!


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## MIEventer (Feb 15, 2009)

I too am greatly saddened about this Sarah - I cannot believe how many would even believe that they have the right to invade someone's life like that - I couldn't even consider doing anything of that sort to any animal, or to anyone.

Scares me too! To don't like that, knowing that Nelson is going to be at HT's with me this summer......makes me paranoid!


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## sarahver (Apr 9, 2010)

You know, I would have less of a problem if the offender cut off the other child's pony tail. Still wrong but but to target a horse in a stall and remove something that actually has a FUNCTION to the animal is obscene.


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## MyBoyPuck (Mar 27, 2009)

Wow, that is seriously messed up. Sad to think there are people capable of this type of garbage.


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## ArabianLover2456 (Oct 5, 2010)

someone went onto my instructers property and chopped off one of the horses Tail. He was the only horse it happned to, and we have no idea why :c


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## Stormness (Apr 6, 2011)

I can't believe these stories.. they disgust me! Especially the one about the threats at state pony club champs - I see you're in brissie, so that would've been Theodore, right? I qualified (zone 5), but we had a mare foaling that month, and she looked close, so we didn't go... Kind of glad if that kind of behaviour was going on, the year before at Gympie was really good.. I even helped out a few riders with their horses, and everyone was really pleasant.

Vandalising the champion is just terrible. I think there should be a horsemanship/sportsmanship award at shows, and security and serveilance in closed stable areas where something like this could happen. Thankfully I stick to small local shows and everyone pretty much knows who's who and no one would dare do anything - everyone would know who did it! 

The grounds I visit mostly have open stalls and we're always chatting and borrowing stuff over the walls, mostly mounting blocks, hair spray, hoof black and glitter (at PC events, lol). A few people at our club don't know how to braid, so I'm usually running around braiding as well, so we're pretty close-knit. 

If it were me I'd have totally flipped out... walked straight out to the announcers box and had it announced over the PA. Then I'd go to to show society and inform them I was taking this to the police, and that I recommend they launch their own investigation or I would contact the media regarding their lack of action. Then I'd call the police. I'd be on a fully fledged rampage by the time they arrived, and would have taken multiple photos from every conceivable angle, as proof if anyone required it, and enlisted dozens of people in my campaign agains unsportsmanlike behaviour. There would be hell to pay I tell you! I would be calculating the amount of shows the horses would have to miss, and I'd be counting the days until the hair grew back... and if I ever found out who did it, I'd be posting images and a description of what they did on every noticeboard and letterbox in their district, there'd be millions of copies... I'd find out where their horses were stabled and post dozens on the stable door. They'd learn that bad sportsmanship has consequences, and they'd never forget. And just maybe they wouldn't do it again. Certainly not to me!


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## Lis (Oct 29, 2009)

The person I loaned from for a while had had to leave her own land because thugs were breaking the fencing then grabbing the horses and cutting off their tails. They took her filly's and her sporthorse's tail right up to the dock and even started cutting the sporthorse's mane. Luckily they missed the pony I loaned because he ran but they must have gotten hold of him because his rug ended around his neck, caused him some rug burn round his shoulders. Because of the stress both the filly and sporthorse lost weight until she moved them to a livery yard.


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## TralissaAndalusians (Sep 7, 2007)

And this is why I'm so protective of my horses. If people go to the field to see them, I'm always there to watch them.

I actually live next to a farm where their daughter used to do things like that. She stole jumps from me, riding hats, crops, brushes. She used to cut manes and tails off peoples horses (They are a livery yard) She used to ride peoples horses without them even knowing, she used to sit on them in the stable, and vandalise tack. It took a while to get it through to her parents heads that she was doing this. She ended up having her horse sold and wasn't allowed on the livery yard.

I'm so sorry about what happened. It irks me at how people can be such arseholes. I worried about this when I went to Hartpury last year to show my andy youngster. But luckily you have people walking through the stalls all day.


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## QuarterhorseRider (Apr 7, 2011)

If that had happened to Jack..... Oh no.... That is just terrible!I say you round up a mob with torches and everything and get the immature one!!!!!


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## QuarterhorseRider (Apr 7, 2011)

Bring a video camera and put it on your horses stall while your gone to see!!!!!!!


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## DrumRunner (Jan 26, 2011)

Im sorry, but I will hurt someones feelings if they even touch my horses wrong..much less this..I probaby would have to hit them in the face, hard, if I knew who it was..it would not be good..
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## EmilyandNikki (Sep 7, 2010)

I got upset when I tried to braid my lesson pony's tail for the first time and discovered who ever trimmed it last cut the top layer to short to make a good braid. 
I would FLIP(I don't do that often) if someone purposely savaged my horse(after I'm done crying of course). Shows are supposed to be fun, and as a wise person once told me, your goal is to make it through the class, not win it. If you place, best kind, if you make it through with no major problems even better!


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## RodeoLoco (Mar 11, 2011)

My mare has been growing her tail out her whole life (7 years) and if some one ever cut her tail, boy would I ever be on the warpath.


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