I agree with Alexis. I have shown in the three "English" disciplines, but my horses were my partners and it would never have come to my mind to over-stretch this partnership by wrong handling, be it demanding more than the horse would be able to do or manipulating in any way.
I'm an ambitious person and I needed to show in order to gain customers to keep my business going. But even when I had paid all fees and I felt somehow partner horse couldn't manage the day or event I quitt.
I'm disgusted by "barring" in jumping or "
rollkur training method" (explain. see link) in dressage.
Nowadays with my Oldenburger youngster I haven't attended a show. I might go one day when we are above 4th level dressage, if we get there
. But just for the fun of it, no need to show off or hunt for clients, for the purpose to meet people with kindered spirits, to see the level of others and maybe something new.
In over 40 years I have seen terrible things done to partner horse but also lots of good handling, no matter which country and discipline. I have pulled people off their horses on the showgrounds, was banned aso.
It has not changed a bit in the big picture, I got to tolerate to some degree that lots of human are feeling superior in a wrong way. The only way I can change anything is in training my students to respect their partners.
(I still would pull someone off the horse, no matter if big named or not
)