Are owners less able or willing to deal with things with horses themselves.

[sbloom]

I've not read all the replies but I was a bit when professional willy washers became a thing, and regular single horse owners employing people to plait manes and turnout as they "can't" do it. I understand more the things that people outsource because of lack of time but still...

 

[lynz88]

Paying someone to braid is a huge thing in North America where it really is an art for the hunter and eq rings...and not one that I'm very good at.

Professional willy washers gets me....

 

[Tarragon]

I was brought up by non-horsey parents but we had land and I had a field-kept pony, and did PC stuff as a teenager in the 1970's. I used to muck out upteen stables to earn money in the holidays at a race horse stud near me, and I spent 6 months working in racing stables in Perth, Australia when I was 18. However, all that time I wasn't the person responsible for making any major decisions. When I got my first pony, when I was mid 30s, I realised that I hadn't got a clue! I liveried the pony with someone local who scared me but knew her stuff and I would do anything and everything she suggested. Roll forward 4 or 5 years, and I began to form my own opinions and we began to diverge (you don't keep need Exmoor ponies in the same way as sport horses!) and I became brave enough to move on to more appropriate livery yards, and a few years later ended up just renting on my own on a farm, in complete control of everything. Probably took me 15 years!
So, now I know how to keep MY ponies in the way I like, and I certainly know what I don't know and have absolutely no qualms in getting a professional when when needed. I know nothing about rugs/shoes/clipping/plaiting/showing/dressage/show jumping/willy washing, but I can keep field-kept ponies reasonably fit and healthy. So, a limited knowledge, but fairly detailed in some areas, and I know my limits

 

[sbloom]

Paying someone to braid is a huge thing in North America where it really is an art for the hunter and eq rings...and not one that I'm very good at.

Oh I'm sure, but let's not that approach take over here, slightly messy plaits are always acceptable surely (unless you're showing I guess, but then I'm sure people who are showing find a way to nail it!)?

 

[ycbm]

Oh I'm sure, but let's not that approach take over here, slightly messy plaits are always acceptable surely (unless you're showing I guess, but then I'm sure people who are showing find a way to nail it!)?

Blimey I think nailing on plaits is a bit much, SB
.

 

[dorsetladette]

Oh I'm sure, but let's not that approach take over here, slightly messy plaits are always acceptable surely (unless you're showing I guess, but then I'm sure people who are showing find a way to nail it!)?

Besides nails - we practise and practise and practise some more. After all what happens if professional comes the night before and a plait falls our or gets rubbed out over night, we'd still need to put one back in.

 

[rabatsa]

I have memories of 9yr old me sat on a gate, attempting to plait my welsh boys mane. The results could be spectacular for all the wrong reasons but they were all a learning curve.

 

[southerncomfort]

I struggle to plait human hair let alone a horse's mane! Just not something I can do despite practicing until I cried.

Would happily pay someone else to do it for me, dont see anything wrong with that at all. We all have things that we struggle with. No shame in that.

Actually decided the smart thing was to keep natives that don't need plaiting!

 

[baran]

I've not read all the replies but I was a bit when professional willy washers became a thing, and regular single horse owners employing people to plait manes and turnout as they "can't" do it. I understand more the things that people outsource because of lack of time but still...

What on earth has plaiting to do with horse welfare?

Isn't it time to drop this myth that there was some golden age of horse ownership. I went to a talk some years ago by a vet about treatment of horses in the first half of the twentieth century. The surgery day book showed a depressing round of Monday morning disease, laminitis, lameness due to poor shoeing practices and saddle sores. Far from being turned away to let Doctor Green do his magic, lame or sick horses were routinely shot. Golden days? Don't think so.

 

[ycbm]

What on earth has plaiting to do with horse welfare?

Isn't it time to drop this myth that there was some golden age of horse ownership. I went to a talk some years ago by a vet about treatment of horses in the first half of the twentieth century. The surgery day book showed a depressing round of Monday morning disease, laminitis, lameness due to poor shoeing practices and saddle sores. Far from being turned away to let Doctor Green do his magic, lame or sick horses were routinely shot. Golden days? Don't think so.

Maybe check the title of the thread?

 

[Wishfilly]

I do think that someone had a point up thread that if you are a single horse owner, you become deskilled in certain areas. 7 years ago, I could reasonably confidently pull off a shoe- I'm not so sure I would want to do it now, and in another 7 years I'll probably have forgotten how! I've never had to deal with an abscess by myself, so definitely would want help with that first time around- I know the theory of how to do it, but I'd want someone experienced/professional there to help me for sure.

I can do basic first aid, and I do think that is pretty essential, and I am always trying to learn more (and have worked on yards etc)- I guess part of me has the attitude that I am an adult now, with a reasonable amount of disposable income, so if I want to pay for professional help in certain areas, then that's okay? Obviously there are things that are a welfare issue, and I do take responsibility for, but equally I want my pony to have the best, so I do sometimes call the vet when perhaps I could watch and wait- but I'm pretty comfortable with that.

I do also agree it is pretty hard to learn these things as an adult- you can definitely learn the theory but putting them into practice is a lot more daunting!

 

[ponyparty]

It’s also daunting when you’re completely on your own and have nobody else to sanity check stuff with.
Whilst I’ve enjoyed being left to my own devices on current yard in a lot of ways, it’s been really tough knowing what to do for the best sometimes, without another horsey person around. OH is great, but he’s not horsey.
I’d much rather get the vet for something that mightn’t have really needed it, than not get the vet and it turns out they were needed. Pretty sure the vets see it that way too.
I suppose I am still a novice horse owner really, being on my second horse. Having 3 years between horses, and not working with them any more, hasn’t helped my confidence.
This is one of the reasons I’m moving yards though!

 

[Rose24]

Same experience as an adult returner. And my riding school now just doesn’t have the same atmosphere like I remember at the one I went to growing up. I don’t feel especially ‘welcomed’. I would jump at the chance to do some proper stable management / care / first aid type refresher and would absolutely sign up to any courses or sessions. Looks like BHS stages (£££) is the only real option, alongside a loan or share horse! Equally, I’d feel a bit daft booking onto their standard stable management course, as I feel they’re aimed at kids or complete novices, which I’m not. There’s definitely a gap for something.

I also think red tape, health & safety, licensing etc. is a factor in how things are now.

As an adult returner, one of the early experiments I did was to get booked onto my riding school pony day. I was the only person over 11 which was no problem at all until the riding lesson part of the day, where I felt utterly ridiculous riding around the arena in front of all the children's parents... But the next time I went in, I got chatting with a lovely older woman student in the office and she was saying she wishes she'd known I was going because she'd have gone if she'd known there was another grown up in attendance .

I do think that RSs are missing a trick not offering things like that to adults.

 

[Wishfilly]

As an adult returner, one of the early experiments I did was to get booked onto my riding school pony day. I was the only person over 11 which was no problem at all until the riding lesson part of the day, where I felt utterly ridiculous riding around the arena in front of all the children's parents... But the next time I went in, I got chatting with a lovely older woman student in the office and she was saying she wishes she'd known I was going because she'd have gone if she'd known there was another grown up in attendance .

I do think that RSs are missing a trick not offering things like that to adults.

It makes me sad to read things like this, because I know at least two local riding schools which do offer things like this to adults- one even offers adult camp. I think for them it is partly that they have quite a few adult liveries and sharers who participate in things like this, and they also open things up to outsiders- there are quite a few people locally who keep horses in fields etc, so like the chance to go and have a play somewhere with a few more facilities!

There is definitely an adult market out there, and I do think more RS should make use of it!

 

[Rose24]

It makes me sad to read things like this, because I know at least two local riding schools which do offer things like this to adults- one even offers adult camp. I think for them it is partly that they have quite a few adult liveries and sharers who participate in things like this, and they also open things up to outsiders- there are quite a few people locally who keep horses in fields etc, so like the chance to go and have a play somewhere with a few more facilities!

There is definitely an adult market out there, and I do think more RS should make use of it!

This is lovely to hear and exactly what I'd be looking for, but have struggled to find in the Midlands... Might just be a case of limited advertising. I'll do some digging and chat to the local livery yards to see if they're aware of some events I might not have found.