Horses: sometimes you just don't care about...?

I'm with Miss Luke. I don't pull manes either. My horse doesn't like it, and frankly, neither do I. I alternate between letting my horse's mane grow out, and chopping it off with scissors, depending on how I feel. Right now, I'm keeping it short, just because it's lower maintenance that way. I just feather the ends with scissors a bit to make it look more natural.

I also don't clip ears or whiskers. I think it's rude to clip these areas. The horses use their whiskers for feeling and the hair in their ears protects the ear canal from debris and fly bother. I don't care if a judge marks us down for that, I refuse to clip those places!

I'm also not the height of fashion. I did recently buy a Charles Owen helmet for showing, but up until now, I had a classic, outdated velvet. I only replaced it because it was getting too old to be safe and didn't fit quite right anymore. I also wear whatever color show coat I feel like wearing. My favorite is brown and I don't think I've ever seen anyone else showing in brown. I mostly just see black and navy, and the occasional tan at the stock type open shows.

My horse herself is also a bit of an aberration. She's a Shire/TB cross. The cross is popular further south, where fox hunting is more of a thing, but around here, we're the black sheep of the show circuit, surrounded by Thoroughbreds, and Appendix types. Sometimes we get complements and positive feedback. Sometimes we get sneers and insults. Regardless of how people react, I love her and she's mine!

I'm also notorious for mixing and matching tack from different disciplines. Right now I have my husband riding in English tack with a Western D-ring bit. It's a snaffle bit and his horse likes it. It's a little out of place but not technically illegal to show English in it.

I really don't care if people don't like that I do my horse's hooves myself. I don't know what I'm doing? Totally, my horse must be hopping lame everyday from my shoddy work. Oh wait no.

Generally I couldn't give a flying frack if someone doesn't agree or like what I do with my horse or how he's kept. They can dwell in their annoyance all they want, it doesn't affect me. Unless of course they decide to be vocal about their opinions in which case they'll get a swift knock down.

I don't pull my hroses mane, first of all impatient and it freaking disgusts me!! I rather just trim it, my dad is a hair dresser and gives me tips, and I've had at least 3 people tell me to do their horses :D. Also, I got a lightweight western saddle and I don't have a saddle pad for it, so I just use my super thick english pads and it does the trick. People look at me weird but whatever. I've also ridden without a helmet and have had nazis tell me I will die because I hopped on for 3 minutes (gasp!). People are funny, however if they are really persistent I will be pi**** and I will tell them what I think. I'm sorry, who pays the bill on this horse? OH RIGHT! NOT YOU!!

I also don't pull my horse's mane.

Currently I'm schooling English but for trail rides I'll use my Western saddle (easier to hang onto if my young mare flips out!) but I still use the English bridle, mainly because my mare likes the snaffle better and I don't feel like switching bits. Looks weird but i don't care.

I ride in paddock boots.

I don't clip my horses ears or whiskers! One of my friends doesn't do it either and both of our trainers are on us to do it and our other friends are like why but we just like it. She also shows with her ponytail out (still wears a hairnet though- and only in jumpers) and she just don't give a care what other people think because she likes it like that. I've shown in the jumpers a few times with my hair out and braided but I usually put it up.

Just about everything in my program. My first though is for my animals and my own health and safety.

The older I have gotten the less I care about what anyone thinks! When I was younger it was especially fun to go wipe the arena with the nay saying competitors. (Go out and WIN start your own trend)

My pet peeve today is horse being kept way too thin. I have draft crosses and people just are too stupid. they are never going to look like a willowy TB. No matter how sick and miserable I made them by starving them. They have cresty necks and are bred for that. Slightly fat and very happy here.

Well, I don't pull my horse's mane. I absolutely LOATHE the task, and he doesn't enjoy it much either. I normally use scissors and thinning shears to maintain a 4" length. Right now, though, Smokey's mane is VERY long because my husband says he wants to get at least 1 picture of him with a long, flowing mane.

Used to ride my BARREL RACER in dressage saddles with western bridles, puffer pads, and myself in a skirt lol

I ride my high-stepping, big-moving Friesian in western tack... And post. I love my old barrel saddle and so does he so we are both happy no matter how it looks! Play time is play time. :)

Pretty much everything.

Whatever anyone else thinks about me is none of my business.