According to some of the posts on here...

I don't give a stuff if you want to keep your horses rugless, barefoot or whatever way you like but to state that people create neurotic horses by not keeping them in the way you think is best is patronizing! I don't judge and look down on ppeople who choose to keep their horses hairy and muddy but it seems its ok for those that do to chastise people the other way round.
I think its sad that in the equine world there is always the desire to criticise the way others do things, as long as your horses are happy leave others to get on and enjoy theirs. It's attitudes like this that spark the ' I hate my livery yard ' posts. So many of them contain an interfering person trying to stick their ways on them. Grrr
 
I don't think anyone is berating people for rugging/grooming/feeding/whatever their own way; what some are saying is that it is not NECESSARY to do everything we're told to do to have a healthy, happy horse.
 
Tbh, I didn't read ops post as objecting to anything Charlie 76 has mentioned. Certainly I don't think like that. I was thinking more along the lines of a few I know in rl. The horse has tonnes of unnecessary stuff, everything from supplements & boots, legwraps etc it doesn't need, to 3monthly back/saddle/teeth/vet checks etc. But, none of the stuff it needs, like turnout, ample forage, company, the chance to have the sun on its back, enough exercise to keep it healthy. Expensive tack & training but no sympathetic riding to back that up. Expensive training & handling gadgets, but no clear boundaries or understanding of why the horse acts like that. Basically never looking at the base cause, just thinking 'what can I buy to solve the symptoms'.
Now there's nothing wrong with doing all the extras, either because that individual horse needs it, or even just cos you want to. But not instead of the basic requirements, they should be additions to good horsemanship, not the basis for it.
 
Nannon said:
I think as far as keeping horses goes - as long as they are happy and healthy there is no right and wrong way. The only thing I don't like is when someone says you are cruel to your horses because you don't do what they do - everyone does things differently its just finding what works for you and your horses :)
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I think that sums it up beautifully

I have one pony who is a hairy mess and is rarely bought in for anything and another who is fussed over to the last degree and who has a better wardrobe than I do, he is living out currently with just a no fill but I wont hesitate to rug up or stable as his needs dictate and I personally wont feel like I am somehow failing him because he is a native and 'they are used to living on mountains' etc.....

I think as long as you can honestly say to yourself that what you do is for the welfare of your equine then all is well
 
I'm not really getting the point of this thread. some horses are more suited to the rough and ready approach and that's fine. Not everyone on my yard has the same attitude to keeping horses. nobody neglects their horse/pony but they just have different ideas. You could say mine is pampered, she is always immaculate when we ride, she is rugged according to the weather, she is a tb with a fine coat and is getting on in years so I need to keep her warm or she drops weight. I have had her for 10 years and she stays the same weight pretty much all year round. If they are on the hard standing when the fields have been too wet, i cut grass and put it in a net, one one the hard stand and one in her stable for night time. Not because she is pampered but because she needs grass. she is happy and healthy and is ridden pretty much daily. if i put her out 24/7 with no rug she would be shivery and miserable, if i fed her rubbish hay she wouldn't eat it and i am sure she wouldn't look like the horse she is now. I don't think that others who keep their horse differently love them less than i do mine or don't look after them as well. vive la difference!

ets I am not neurotic and neither is my horse!
 
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I haven't read all of the replies but OP I know what you mean.

My horse gets a feed with mollasses in it (waits for everyone to faint). He wears shoes and for the past 5 nights has been wearing a HW stable rug and he's not even clipped yet... *shock*. I fit his saddles myself as everytime a saddler advises me on what he should wear he gets a bad back. He has a flash strap on his bridle and sometimes I wear spurs.

I couldn't care less what people think tbh. I think it's nice to share ideas on here and everyone has their own way of doing things but ultimately my horse, my way :D.
 
TwoStroke said:
I used to think like that. Then I got my TB. He informed me that he's allergic to rain, mud, flies, neoprene and sheepskin. He said he needs at least 4 meals a day, he needs haylage not hay, he needs lots of grass but it can't be rich, cow grass. He can't be expected to be naked if it rains, even in July, as he'll get cold. He needs physio every 3 months and the dentist every 6 months. But don't bother with a saddle fitter, because he cannot possibly be expected to work. That is for lesser creatures, dontchaknow.
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:D:D:D
 
Its these kind of conversations that make me happy to be moving to a nice quiet yard where everyone has the "your horse, you decide" attitude.

As I have said previously I would quite like a horse that always looked nice clean and tidy all the time. I have no issue what so ever with how other people look after their horse, its theirs and I'm sure they know it best. But I have been at yards before when you are talked down to for not doing something or not knowing something, and reading through some of the posts on here, I have felt like I don't know anything, that isn't a criticism just that I have always kept things quite simple, it is interesting to get peoples tips though and am always open to new things.

At the end of the day horses are extremely expensive pampered or not, they're supposed to be fun. If some people spent less time arguing over what should be done and more time brushing, maybe Id have a lovely clean horse too!!
 
charlie76 said:
So what you are saying is that those that choose to stable, rug, trim, groom and shoe our horses all are doing a bad job? My horses are rugged according to the weather, groomed and hood oiled daily, come in at night, trimmed and tidied weekly, have the farrier every six weeks, are never ridden dirty, are fed quality hay and feed and have the best tack I can afford, the fact you imply that unless you keep your horse au natural means you create neurotic horses is totally insulting and ridiculous! My horses are all in perfect condition and are happy to work with me.
maybe charlotte should dragged valegro out of the field the night before the Olympics, scraped a plastic curry through his tail and cracked on, prob would have done far better! Really, why be so judgmental... how you choose to keep your horse is up to you, but don't accuse people of being clueless just because they don't do the same!
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I'm saying the opposite! I felt like I was in the wrong from what other people wrote. In fact it took me a long time to work up the courage to write my original post, in case people accused me of being a bad owner! I choose to look after my horses how I see fit, and I like to think I'm a good judge of how happy and healthy they are.

It's each to their own as far as I'm concerned, everybody here knows their horse better than anyone else :)
 
charlie76 said:
So what you are saying is that those that choose to stable, rug, trim, groom and shoe our horses all are doing a bad job? My horses are rugged according to the weather, groomed and hood oiled daily, come in at night, trimmed and tidied weekly, have the farrier every six weeks, are never ridden dirty, are fed quality hay and feed and have the best tack I can afford, the fact you imply that unless you keep your horse au natural means you create neurotic horses is totally insulting and ridiculous! My horses are all in perfect condition and are happy to work with me.
maybe charlotte should dragged valegro out of the field the night before the Olympics, scraped a plastic curry through his tail and cracked on, prob would have done far better! Really, why be so judgmental... how you choose to keep your horse is up to you, but don't accuse people of being clueless just because they don't do the same!
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^^^THIS
Everyone is different and has different ways of doing things, you cant criticise what someone is doing just because its not what you do. If it works for them then leave them to it and so long as them and their horse(s) are happy then thats all that matters surely?
My horse for one hates being out, he is turned out every day for 10-12 hours and spends more than half of that time wanting to come in to bed, If he is ever out without a rug in the rain he comes in stands at the back of his stable with his bum to you until he is dry. He would happily stand for hours getting a good proper groom as he loves it, so if i let him be totally natural he would be the most misreable horse i know, okay he would maybe adjust to it but is it worth putting him through that unhappy spell at all...
 
Today its peeing down here, the fields are soaking and thats 3 days in a row of hard rain, mine are having a spa day inside today, massages, manes and tails done and jammies on :D none are complaining but seem to enjoy it
 
Quote~ Today | 02:13 PM
marydoll
Today its peeing down here, the fields are soaking and thats 3 days in a row of hard rain, mine are having a spa day inside today, massages, manes and tails done and jammies on none are complaining but seem to enjoy it~ quote


Sounds lovely! Pssst, can I come for a bit of pampering too, my boiler blew up last week and I'm thoroughly miserable :( ❤
 
The things that get my goats on HHO are threads where people are asking for advice, i.e. my horse did something unusual today when riding. The first responses are something like, "what did the vet and back man say?" Or when someone buys a new horse and it doesn't settle or something "What came back on the 5 stage vetting/what did your instructor think? A lot of horse owners don't have high performance horses, we have family pets and budgets that do not stretch on forever. We dont have money for vet/backman/saddler visits every time our horses don't do something we ask, we don't all get a 5 stage vetting for our £1k steeds and a lot of us are happy hackers so don't have lessons on a regular basis. Someone once asked if it was possible to keep a horse for under £150 a month. The first 5 pages were people saying no chance, my weekly livery is more than that. Well I pay less than £150 a month all in. Vaccs/trimmer/worming/livery/insurance/dentist/hay/feed etc and I have done this for years, so just because you dont, doesnt mean others cant.

I think the problem with this forum is there is a split between people like me with my thelwell type pony on my diy grass livery, who keep my pony naked/barefoot/out 24/7 use an adjustable gullet saddle to keep costs down etc and stretch every penny I have, and the people with expenses horses who compete, have cash to throw around and can afford to get the vet/backman/instructors for every little issue that arises.

I think we all need to read the threads properly and comment according to the type of person/situation that is in front of us rather than upsetting people and making them feel like bad owners when they are doing the best they can. Our opinions on how horses should be kept are just that, OUR opinions. So lets keep this place friendly and everyone appreciate each other for what we are. Dont judge me for keeping my native out 24/7 unrugged, with no shoes and minimal feed and I wont comment on your horse with his heavyweight rug in his cosy stable eating a ton of feed. As long as our horses and us are happy, what does it really matter?? People ask for advice due to the wealth of experience on here, so lets keep it open and friendly.

Ahhhhhh thats better. Thats been brewing for a while.

Happy posting :D
 
charlie76 said:
So what you are saying is that those that choose to stable, rug, trim, groom and shoe our horses all are doing a bad job? My horses are rugged according to the weather, groomed and hood oiled daily, come in at night, trimmed and tidied weekly, have the farrier every six weeks, are never ridden dirty, are fed quality hay and feed and have the best tack I can afford, the fact you imply that unless you keep your horse au natural means you create neurotic horses is totally insulting and ridiculous! My horses are all in perfect condition and are happy to work with me.
maybe charlotte should dragged valegro out of the field the night before the Olympics, scraped a plastic curry through his tail and cracked on, prob would have done far better! Really, why be so judgmental... how you choose to keep your horse is up to you, but don't accuse people of being clueless just because they don't do the same!
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LOVE THIS!

My horse shod every 6 weeks, fed balancer and has a demand for lots for polos. He is trimmed, groomed and looks immaculate. He gets more grooming than me! His teeth are done every 6 months, he gets a back check and massage at least three times a year. He is bedded on a thick bed of straw (with square high banks) with rubber matting underneath. Eats haylege out of a hay net and gets 'breakfast' and tea, don't panic very high fibre. He is turned out for over 10 hours a day in the winter, rugged or not according to his needs. Comes in before dark and is put to bed in his pjs :o

He is schooled, jumped, hacked and hunted. Some times he gets two or three days off a week, some days he just gets groomed for an hour instead of being ridden. When he is ridden he wears boots on all four legs usually inc. over reach boots, he has different boots for all the different work he does. He wears a clean numnah every ride and I clean my tack religiously.

I would like to be my horse! I keep him how I have always kept my horses, I just couldn't leave him standing in a muddy field because horses are meant to live out. I won't leave him to get cold and wet in the rain and wind. I like him to have shoes on, he is sound and comfortable. I do not like treeless saddles, they are ugly. Parrelli is a load of poo and monty roberts is a showman. I cuddle my horse and kiss his nose ( I like to think he likes it), I also give him a smack when he is naughty.

I don't judge how others keep their horses, I do however find that often people who keep their horses rough n tough ARE the judgmental ones more so than us softie pony patters!
 
Cortez said:
Totally agree with you SarahThomas, makes you wonder how horses ever managed to get through the last 5,000 years, doesn't it? I think the equine "industry" is mostly to blame; how else are they going to sell their rugs/feed/supplements/gadgets/fashionable clothing to all of us if not by creating "needs" for stuff that there isn't actually a need for?
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Are we forgetting the vets? Haven't read the whole thread, but....

My elderly aunt is very horsy (or was) and the sort of person who naturally attracts confidences. She was telling me how delighted her vet was at the newer generations of young horse owners who get themselves into trouble and then have to call him out -- which means yet more fees for advising on commonsense matters and dishing out expensive pills and potions!:D
 
Buds_mum said:
I don't judge how others keep their horses, I do however find that often people who keep their horses rough n tough ARE the judgmental ones more so than us softie pony patters!
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There is a middle ground. I am in it. My three horses are currently rugged due to some horrendous weather (and one being a total mud monster who loves the rain because it means more mud). They are currently living out 24/7, but for the last 8 years our horses have come in overnight as soon as the weather 'breaks', up until the worst of the winter is by. I get them each in several times a week to be groomed, feet picked out, any cuts and scratches tended to.

But they are fed pony nuts and mix as and when they need it based on condition. I get my farrier out when their feet need doing. The back man has been to my old mare once because she had some tightness in her back, but she hasn't needed him since. My original post was to highlight that I don't want to be strung up for not pampering my horses. Don't get me wrong, when I get the chance I go all out, and I love it (Jimmy hates me, but he looks like such a pretty boy when I've finished with him!). But when I don't have time to get them in to fuss over them, they get left out. In a field. In the mud. And nothing happens to them.
 
SpottyFalula said:
The things that get my goats on HHO are threads where people are asking for advice, i.e. my horse did something unusual today when riding. The first responses are something like, "what did the vet and back man say?" Or when someone buys a new horse and it doesn't settle or something "What came back on the 5 stage vetting/what did your instructor think? A lot of horse owners don't have high performance horses, we have family pets and budgets that do not stretch on forever. We dont have money for vet/backman/saddler visits every time our horses don't do something we ask, we don't all get a 5 stage vetting for our £1k steeds and a lot of us are happy hackers so don't have lessons on a regular basis. Someone once asked if it was possible to keep a horse for under £150 a month. The first 5 pages were people saying no chance, my weekly livery is more than that. Well I pay less than £150 a month all in. Vaccs/trimmer/worming/livery/insurance/dentist/hay/feed etc and I have done this for years, so just because you dont, doesnt mean others cant.

I think the problem with this forum is there is a split between people like me with my thelwell type pony on my diy grass livery, who keep my pony naked/barefoot/out 24/7 use an adjustable gullet saddle to keep costs down etc and stretch every penny I have, and the people with expenses horses who compete, have cash to throw around and can afford to get the vet/backman/instructors for every little issue that arises.

I think we all need to read the threads properly and comment according to the type of person/situation that is in front of us rather than upsetting people and making them feel like bad owners when they are doing the best they can. Our opinions on how horses should be kept are just that, OUR opinions. So lets keep this place friendly and everyone appreciate each other for what we are. Dont judge me for keeping my native out 24/7 unrugged, with no shoes and minimal feed and I wont comment on your horse with his heavyweight rug in his cosy stable eating a ton of feed. As long as our horses and us are happy, what does it really matter?? People ask for advice due to the wealth of experience on here, so lets keep it open and friendly.

Ahhhhhh thats better. Thats been brewing for a while.

Happy posting :D
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SpottyFalula, I LOVE this post :D

*whispers.....and I only paid £400, not £1k for my pony :eek:* :D
 
SpottyFalula said:
The things that get my goats on HHO are threads where people are asking for advice, i.e. my horse did something unusual today when riding. The first responses are something like, "what did the vet and back man say?" Or when someone buys a new horse and it doesn't settle or something "What came back on the 5 stage vetting/what did your instructor think? A lot of horse owners don't have high performance horses, we have family pets and budgets that do not stretch on forever. We dont have money for vet/backman/saddler visits every time our horses don't do something we ask, we don't all get a 5 stage vetting for our £1k steeds and a lot of us are happy hackers so don't have lessons on a regular basis. Someone once asked if it was possible to keep a horse for under £150 a month. The first 5 pages were people saying no chance, my weekly livery is more than that. Well I pay less than £150 a month all in. Vaccs/trimmer/worming/livery/insurance/dentist/hay/feed etc and I have done this for years, so just because you dont, doesnt mean others cant.

I think the problem with this forum is there is a split between people like me with my thelwell type pony on my diy grass livery, who keep my pony naked/barefoot/out 24/7 use an adjustable gullet saddle to keep costs down etc and stretch every penny I have, and the people with expenses horses who compete, have cash to throw around and can afford to get the vet/backman/instructors for every little issue that arises.

I think we all need to read the threads properly and comment according to the type of person/situation that is in front of us rather than upsetting people and making them feel like bad owners when they are doing the best they can. Our opinions on how horses should be kept are just that, OUR opinions. So lets keep this place friendly and everyone appreciate each other for what we are. Dont judge me for keeping my native out 24/7 unrugged, with no shoes and minimal feed and I wont comment on your horse with his heavyweight rug in his cosy stable eating a ton of feed. As long as our horses and us are happy, what does it really matter?? People ask for advice due to the wealth of experience on here, so lets keep it open and friendly.

Ahhhhhh thats better. Thats been brewing for a while.

Happy posting :D
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Mine are kept for bugger all and all bar one were freebies.
If they get any simple issues etc they're treated by us (normally on vets free advice). However if my gut ever said that it was out of my depth or the horse was ever out of character I'd get the vet out in a heartbeat and wouldn't be asking advice on a forum 'til I'd done that.

New dirty trick on a dificult horse or one that has only had a day to settle in, not a biggie. Out of character to me is normally something not worth wasting time on.
 
What an interesting thread, as you can see from my piccie me and my mare take our appearence very seriously. I clip when required as she has a dense coat from being cushionoid, I rug when required because of the clip. However I did try going natural and this was what I ended up with, :eek::eek::eek:

e51a5b0c-1.jpg
 
Hmm, the horse world has certainly changed a lot in the last 25 years. I come from a horsey family, competed in show jumping, dressage and one day eventing. Keeping a horse was quite straightforward back then, shoes in summer, barefoot in winter, I never heard anyone changing diet as a result of that. Food came in a big brown bag from round the corner, 2 scoops morning and evening. Out during the day, in during the night plus a month out 24/7 after competition season. Supplements, what's that? Only 2 rugs per horse, few horses were clipped. Can't remember any of my fellow competitors having backs done, teeth only rarely. Saddler visited twice, once to fit a new saddle and then after 6 months for adjusting. Riding/exercising was far more important than grooming, regardless the weather. Laminitis was very rare. Gave it all up after University to pursue a career and kept well away from the horse world. Fast forward 25 years, did the career thing, had the midlife crisis, moved (back) to the countryside with the idea of keeping horses, possibly for myself but certainly for my children. I'm preparing/re-educating myself by reading up, visiting shows, speaking to horse owners, looking at horse feed (omg!) etc and almost regretted I ever wanted to go near horses again. What a palaver keeping horses has become, it has been made into something really complicated, filled with anxiety and, worryingly, people forgetting that we're dealing with a big potentially dangerous herd animal, not a human toddler.
I'm glad to see there are 'not so anxious' people around. It has reassured me a bit that you can still keep horses without being scared 24/7 that one of their legs falls off if they don't get fed supplements, fatally injure themselves if they're not kitted out in half a tack shop or freeze to death without a rug in September.
 
Oh dear! I sit on both sides of this fence! My 2 Show Riding Horses live the life of riley - the have all the good food, all the best hay, mahoosive beds, 3 meals a day, turned out for 8-10 hours a day unless it is particularly vile. They are primped, preened and polished on a regular basis, get a good groom everyday. They really so want for nothing - they even have Shetland Ponies as toys!

On the flip side my other 2 TB's live out all year round, are rugged in the winter, but not in summer, have a bale of hayledge at all times from November-March, get fed twice a day, go completely unshod, unbrushed and one of them is never ridden. The one that is ridden gets a quick flick over the saddle and bridle area but that's it. He doesn't get ridden in winter as I don't want to get him warm and leave him in the field. They do have the luxury of a Shetland Pony as a toy but they have to share her!

Of the natives - well they are just natives! I put light weight rugs on the ones I ride just so they are dry - I won't put a saddle on a wet pony. They get hay in winter but otherwise that's it! They only ever get brushed, primped and preened if they are going to a show.
 
I do see what you mean spotty falula, & to a certain extent I agree. But you've not accounted for experience & old fashioned horse sense. The rise in disposable income means there are far more novice owners nowadays. And unfortunately, experience costs, whether that's hard graft or paying for help. I have, & would bought dirt cheap horses & ponies, without benefit of vet checks, instructors, & got them good without expensive help & support. But when novice adult buys their first horse, or kids pony they have to pay for that experienced help. You or I & countless others may do just fine without expense, relying on experience for everything from buying a cheap horse unaided to how we manage it on a daily basis & deal with minor problems. But a new novice owner needs a good yard with support, needs the vet for things a more experienced owner doesn't, needs a decent proven horse & someone to give a second opinion on purchase, needs an instructor to help with minor problems etc.
 
Cortez said:
Totally agree with you SarahThomas, makes you wonder how horses ever managed to get through the last 5,000 years, doesn't it? I think the equine "industry" is mostly to blame; how else are they going to sell their rugs/feed/supplements/gadgets/fashionable clothing to all of us if not by creating "needs" for stuff that there isn't actually a need for?
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As I read this I thought of the new craze for 'dressing' tiny dogs. It made me wonder how long it will be before that also becomes the norm.

The equine industry does a great job of guilt tripping us into believing our horses actually want/need all these accessories etc and that we are less than perfect owners if we fail to provide.

When we bought our first horse 12 years ago and after a long break, I fell for a lot of the hype and nearly killed him in the process. He had all the supps and the 'specially blended feeds' and he was rugged and then rugged some more. After a ferocious bout of laminitis when our farrier thought he wouldn't make it, we turned him out 24/7 with no rugs but shelter and on a very basic fibre diet. I believe it saved his life, he is now 100% ok and thunders about barefoot like a youngster.

Sadly I think a lot of people might have similar stories.
 
Isn't this just the thing about horses, they are all individuals (as are their owners) and what works for one won't for another! Everybody has their own way of doing things, I am sure that many would think ours neglected, whilst I think others pamper theirs needlessly. I think this is quite an inflammatory thread, more because it is something so many people feel guilty about. If I had the money and the time I would keep mine in absolute splendour, I don't, so they are kept in a way that suits them and us too, all live out 24/7, including the TB and the warmbloods!
There are some people on here that I have so much respect for, really know what they are talking about and others who just don't have a clue. I take note of advice given from some and completely ignore that given by others.
Do what you do and let others do what they do, without judging!
 
If the owner is happy and the horse is happy and healthly who cares if people waste money on stuff it's their money.
I have a passion for matchy matchy I know it's silly and unnecessary but it's fun so I indulge myself.
I always have my horses turned out immmaculatly i like them like that , does it harm any one else no .
I am lucky to be able to buy / do whatever I wish with my horses .
It's best to concerntrate on your own horses and let others do as they wish.
 
My friend keeps her horses rugged all year round, only turns out for an hour a day and feed all sorts of potions. She thinks I am cruel because I don't rug 98% of the time, turn them out at least 12 hours a day every day, rarely groom and feed only hay - and only when the weather is doing its worst. Strangely enough BOTH of our horses look and perform absolutely splendidly
 
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