What the heck? H/J vs dressage....

[Yowsa]

I have a dressage horse for sale at the moment. Get a call last night from someone who starts with "I've been looking for a horse for over a year and am getting really frustrated with what I see" - should have been a red flag.

Asks for the horses video - so I send the links. And she proceeds to rip dressage apart - I mean NASTY - it's the root of what is destroying horses in the US - and then goes on and on about the rider in the video and the horse "forced" into this unnatural frame and how the horse looks miserable and in pain. Never mind the fact that I was the one riding him. Then she tells me she is looking for a show hunter. I proceed to tell her this is a dressage horse, not a hunter mover at all - and am again lectured about how any horse can move for hunters if they aren't forced into these unnatural positions that dressage promotes. But "that it's particularly tough to retrain the "dumbbloods" as they are less capable of free movement from being forced and purpose bred for btv". Then she continues to tear us apart. And follows with "when can I come see him." At which point I let her know he is suddenly no longer for sale. I thought maybe it was a prank call - but she gave all her information and actually wanted to come out.

WTF? I've heard that hunter shows contain a lot of ringside-snarky critiquing, but since when do you call perfect strangers and profess to be the queen of the world and bitch about a discipline of which the person is obviously a part of and the horse is clearly trained for?

Sorry for the vent, but this was the most outlandish interaction I've had with someone to date. Did she really think I'd have her out with open arms to listen to her attack us for hours on end? Argh.

[esdressage]

Holy wow.

There are some cooky buyers out there. I wouldn't say it's hunter people in general though. I, like a lot of AA's in dressage, started out as a kid doing hunters and there were some less than desirable people, but also some great people. It's like that in any discipline, I'd imagine.

I wonder if this is her way of setting up "negotiations" right up front. If she convinces you the horse would be quite a "project" for her from the get-go, maybe she figures you'd already be half broken down price-wise.

Either way, good for you for not showing her the horse. I can imagine it being a huge fiasco with this drama queen! Instincts over the phone are so often right… but what about the people who sound great on the phone and get out to see your horse and completely blow you away?

Ugh, so glad I don't have a horse for sale. Good luck to you!!!

[CFFarm]

Any wonder why she's been looking for over a year? Did she mention LP?

[Carol O]

Never argue with a fool, because...

[magnolia73]

I'd have hung up. Or countered back with how bad hunters are(insert stereotype- draw reins, longing, drugging).

But people can be really rude. Sorry you had to deal with that.

[Bluey]

You could have answered "I would NEVER let my horse go to a hunter stable! Thanks for asking." and hung up.

No, that is not polite, but it makes you want to say something as silly as that, to her silly bigoted comments.

[rabicon]

WOW! I would not have been as nice as others on here. I would have told her to shove it up her you know what and that I'd never sell her parelli butt a horse in a million years.

[Blackberry Farm]

There's one in every punchbowl.

[Beau Peep]

On a not-entirely-dissimilar note, I once had a person politely ask why on earth dressage riders indeed force their horses into a frame, rather than letting them have the reins for the most part and just go however the damn well please. Instead of constantly asking them to do something so physically and mentally taxing.

I honestly had no answer to that question.

Anyone care to help me out?

[dbadaro]

ha ha! people like that are only good for entertainment value. i would have hung up the phone. lol

[Equibrit]

Originally Posted by Blackberry Farm

There's one in every punchbowl.

And they generally float.

[ksully913]

I'm a jumper rider that also rides on my college dressage team, and I just got a kick out of this. Maybe I just don't understand the hunters - I've spent most of my time working in jumper barns, but many of the jumper riders I know use dressage basics, and even have dressage riders come in to ride the GP and higher level horses pretty regularly. So its not the whole H/J world... Maybe just the hunter world!

[jumpytoo]

what a pain.. I would now google and FB her name because I am nosey and would be wondering who the heck trains her.

In likely in "her" eyes your horse wouldn't have had the perfect vet check and then she would also like to buy a world cup quality horse for under $1K, oh and had she got him it would have been your fault for every little thing he doesn't do well... and on and on..

Me: you seem to have alot of ideas about what exactly you are looking for and my horse doesn't sound like it.

Them: well I think maybe it can be trained properly and work

Me: well perhaps then, your trainer should call me so we can discuss the fit.

Them: I will be doing the training.

Me : Well then can your put your Mother on the phone ?

"click" dial tone

[SillyHorse]

I'd like a link to the video.

[Yowsa]

Originally Posted by SillyHorse

I'd like a link to the video.

Trust me, it's not the video. If she thought the horse was bad and SOOO poorly trained/ridden, why would she have ANY interest in purchase? It's at a known show where we scored very well, with nice comments from the judge. Not btv, happy and relaxed horse, ears attentive. But absolutely NOT a show hunter - nor plodding around on a loose rein with its nose in the air.

Anyway - still no reason to blame all the woes of the world on dressage. Dressage is ruining horses. Dressage BREEDING is ruining horses. Anyway - I was too dumbstruck to come up with anything witty, other than that he was now sold.

[Yowsa]

Just googled the numbers - glad I did She has several horses for sale, something odd going on here....her story was that she is horseless (lost hers) and looking for a replacement.

[STF]

I have been in both arenas (H/J and Dressage). I can tell you a lot of trainers in the HJ world consider at 10yr old horse aged and well, I have yet to know many that are sound after that age. Kinda funny that a lot of the *gasp* dressage horses go to their mid teens or later doing mid level to high level dressage without much issue.
So, it MUST be the root of all evils and what is destroying the American horse! LMAO

Not to mention that the main use to "getting a horses head down" at the HJ types barns is the use of draw reins, chambons, etc. But Dressage riders FORCE our horses in a frame.
LMAO

Carry on.......

[Beam Me Up]

Your buyer sounds incredibly rude, and somewhat misguided (why would you want to show her your horse after that? Would you want another hour of criticism?). But that's not just a h/j thing.

I'm an eventer selling a dressage horse and I've gotten several telephone "dressage clinics" so far. I don't doubt that their feedback is correct, and along those lines it is somewhat educational, but at the same time I'm stunned by how free with their opinions they are.

I've gone to try horses after seeing poor riding in a video, because the horse interested me anyway, but I would never say that to the seller!

I guess there are know it alls in all disciplines . . .

[ksully913]

I disagree that most horses are considered aged in the jumper world at 10. Most grand prix horses don't start peaking until at least 12. Most horses competing in the GP jumpers are 10-15. In my experience. Judgement, Beezie Madden's Dutch stallion ride just retired Sunday in Syracuse. He is 18 and competed at the GP level for ten years. I also don't believe that dressage ruins horses, and therefore concur that your phone buyer was outrageous.

[MyGiantPony]

Please don't paint the entire hunter world with that idiot's paintbrush.

Most of us understand the value of good dressage basics, even if we don't need the skills to move up the levels.