bomb proof?

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harrihjc

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A friend of mine sent me a link to a website today and she is thinking about getting a horse from there, she is a novice rider and has lost her confidence.
This is the website
http://www.bomb-proof.co.uk/index.htm
has anybody heard of/had any experience with this site? It's something that is totally new to me and alarm bells are ringing for some reason. What do you all think?
 
I think if you do a search on this site, you will see they have been discussed on several occasions....might be of use
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It has been around for a bit, I remember seeing it a while ago, maybe a few years -not sure? No experience of it, but not my cup of tea. I was the same, slightly suspicious, but maye I am wrong, will be interested also to hear...
 
Can't comment on them.

But just remind your friend - that nothing is totally bomb proof. And whilst something may be suitable for a novice rider - and be just a wonderful little horse - it can have it's off day and spook as good as the rest of them.
 
I reminded her of that, it sounds almost too good to be true in some respects. I think the fact that the adverts are so similar made me more suspicious, I don't think you can say, for example, that a 6yr old horse is bomb proof (or any horse for that matter!
 
I dont see what the problem is? You can go and try the horses and have them vetted and so on so whats the issue?
 
What my real concern is is that the place is a long way away from here so its difficult for her to go and see it a few times, and she was told that the horse she liked has a lot of interest and that she would be best to put a deposit down straight away, and that they can send the horse here for 2 weeks to see how she gets on then can send it back if she doesn't like it. maybe I'm just not a very trusting person? But something about handing over money when you don't really know anything about the horse really concerns me
 
I read several threads on here and other forums on this dealer. This is the only one where I have ever heard of anyone having a positive experience! I have heard of several negative experiences. Also someone I know saw a horse advertised on there and the same photo appearing in someone else's add. After a bit of detective work, she discovered that the mare was owned by the other private seller. It was 3 years old and had just been backed. She had had a dealer trying to buy it, but she hadn't sold it to them, she still had it! It was advertised by 'Bombproof' as much older, novice ride etc!! Seems they got a bit ahead of themselves!

I have no personal experience of them myself, but after what I've heard, I wouldn't go there! I can recommend www.stubleyhollowfarm.com My mare came from there and I know of several other good 'as described' horses that have. I also went there when I was looking again. The ones I saw were good horses, just not quite what I wanted. They are honest and there is no hard sell.
 
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I don't think you can say, for example, that a 6yr old horse is bomb proof

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Why not?
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My 3 and 4 year olds don't spook at anything. They don't care about partridges, trucks, tractors, machinery, deer, pheasants, children bouncing on trampolines, kids splashing in the pool or riding bicycles with ringy bells,, flags flapping in the wind, poly bags floating, tarps flapping, gunshots, loud bangs etc. I have no qualms whatsoever saying mine do not spook at anything.....because they just don't.
 
I have been there when I was looking.
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Would definitely not recommend. Have had two people I know buy from them. Pm me if you want more info.
 
Here at my farm I have Hanoverians, TBs, Arabs, WBs, Drafts and of course my own horses are QH's, Paints, Appys, Canadien and my Arab; so I don't think it is down to breeds.

Tips: Ride out with 2 lively dogs in deep woodland where you meet deer, wolves, partridges, pheasants, rabbits, chipmunks LOL!!

Fly a flag, attach tarps loosely to the inside of field shelters or better still take one into the field on a very windy day! Tie poly bags to fencelines and move them about often.

Use plastic pepsi bottles and go around crunkling them up. Give them to horses to play with under supervision.

Have lots of neighbours children round with their bikes and have them cycle around ringing their bells constantly. Have them do skipping next to fields, have them all bounce on the trampoline and scream a lot! Make sure they make plenty of noise when in pool and remember to get them to splash horses once in a while!

Drag long hoses about fields - drag rugs on ground to make great noises.

Clatter about when tacking up, drop items of noisy tack (bits and snap fasteners) on ground to make a good deal of noise.

Flick your hair in a wild fashion and discard clothes or jackets by throwing them, rather than placing them down.

Top tip: feed horses round bales by taking the tractor into the field and dumping the bale in the metal feeder as noisily as you can. Our horses can hear the tractor starting up a mile away!!

Take horses into fields when it is hay-making. Any deliveries arriving make sure horses see the huge trucks and any who appear to shrink back, take them out and up to trucks.

Oh I had a great one a couple of weeks ago! Our water froze inside the heated water drinkers so we bought a metal tube thing, just like a tumble dryer hose but made of aluminium. Oh my, they were ALL dying to see what it was! I cut a piece off and was going round the field speaking their names to them and they were coming right up to this elephant-type metal thing! I waved it around in the air and this got them even more intrigued. Then I gave it to them! They all had a play with it and one of them managed to put it on his nose whilst another was trying to take the other end and steal it from him.

I don't know; most things that you wouldn't normally do - I do! I do the opposite of what I see other people doing....and it works!
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I know Emma can vouch for how the horses are here - they're all dead calm and nothing new phases them and they certainly would never ever run off even if they didn't know what the new thing was - they would stand their ground and I ask them to go over to it once they've had a little look...and they go.

It's easy really - everyone can do it. There's nothing special going on, just not pussyfooting around them.
 
Tia you have some great ideas there. I have already tried de-sensitising Oliver to plastic bags by waving one around near him and putting it on my hand and "grooming" him with it. I have also got him to stand on a couple of different tarpaulins in the school. I would love to be able to implement some of your other ideas to but I think I will struggle as my horse is on a busy livery yard and not at home. It is impossible to get any space or time to myself in the school as there is always someone in there schooling, jumping, lungeing etc. I need to have a think about what to do because there are lots of things I want to do which I can't at this current yard.
 
Yes that is the problem for a lot of people. Thing is, here, as owner, I do it to ALL horses regardless of whether I own them or not, so my owners don't have to do it. I guess it would be a bit frowned upon on some yards though....although I have no idea why
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I think if everyone made much more noise whilst doing their everyday jobs then they would notice a big difference in all the horses. The other thing which is a valuable tool is the horses themselves. I get horses in who are are pretty nervous of things initially however not long with my guys and they stop freaking at things; because my lot just look at them like there is something seriously wrong with their brain cells LOL!!

Do you have a stable? You could hang things inside, put up Fisher Price toys that squeak and pop-up, put pepsi bottles on strings, tie up squeaky toys etc. Always supervise initially though if you are doing this in the stable.
 
Add turkey vultures too!!!
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I am very wary of using the term bombproof, as everyone has a different definition of what it actually means - I would never use it in a for sale advert but then I have seen what people do to some 'bombproof' ponies
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However, Tia's are pretty much "bombproof" - my own rule of thumb is would I pop a small child (say 2) on them - and I have to say, with the exception of those still being brought on, I would pop a teeny tiny on any of Tia's !

There certainly needs to be more 'handy pony' classes - people used to find it hysterical when I built obstacle courses, thinking it was for the kids and ponies, then take the 16.3hh's around it - in the UK this incuded someone banging a wooden spoon on a wheelie bin (officialy THE most scary thing on the face of the earth), big feed sacs flapping, walking over a pile of crisp bags, and usually my wax coat hanging from something (but most were pretty used to items of my discarded clothing lying around!!!!)

People do tend to assume horses are going to freak at things - and fair enough, some things will spook even the most docile horses, like a shot gun going off a few feet away when they don't realise a rider is there! Suddenly turning a corner and encountering a herd of escaped cows was a touch amusing too. You can't plan for everything, but the more unexpected things you throw at them, the more they learn that you are not going to put them in danger, and they will be ok.
 
Yes, I have a stable so there is nothing to stop me hanging things inside it. Someone suggested something similar to me and I am going to start doing it tomorrow. I just know I could get a much closer bond with my horse if I could do more things with him so that we develop trust in each other. I feel a bit "held back" with some of the rules and regulations on the current yard. I have no problem with any of the ones which are health and safety related but some of the rules seem a bit arbitrary and make me feel frustrated. You and all the other people who own your own land are sooooo lucky!
 
Some interesting comments here, I will certainly pass on peoples experiences.

I'm not sure really what unsettles me most about the idea, but something just doesn't 'feel' right about it to me. I guess its a gut instinct or something. Maybe its the idea of selling unseen, I personally would never buy something I hadn't seen several times, or the fact that it seems 'aimed' at perhaps the more novice or nervous rider, or more likely a combination of the 2!

And jessrulesdaworld, yes that one is sooo cute!
 
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I don't think you can say, for example, that a 6yr old horse is bomb proof

[/ QUOTE ]
Why not?
confused.gif


My 3 and 4 year olds don't spook at anything. They don't care about partridges, trucks, tractors, machinery, deer, pheasants, children bouncing on trampolines, kids splashing in the pool or riding bicycles with ringy bells,, flags flapping in the wind, poly bags floating, tarps flapping, gunshots, loud bangs etc. I have no qualms whatsoever saying mine do not spook at anything.....because they just don't.

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i can also say that i got my mare as a 3 year old she is compleatly bomb proof other than an incident last year where a kid jumped out of a bush with a base ball bat and due to the fact she was beaten as a baby i don't blame her all she did was turn her bum round away from it and took 2 steps backwards then carried on down the road (pretty good considering her history) other than that helicopters can land near her 1500 people screeming and shouting, massive inflatable army course, archary going on 2 feet away, tractors, busses,dogs,you mention it she doesn't care shes only 6years old now. I bet you think i take her to some weird places lol
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[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
I don't think you can say, for example, that a 6yr old horse is bomb proof

[/ QUOTE ]
Why not?
confused.gif


My 3 and 4 year olds don't spook at anything. They don't care about partridges, trucks, tractors, machinery, deer, pheasants, children bouncing on trampolines, kids splashing in the pool or riding bicycles with ringy bells,, flags flapping in the wind, poly bags floating, tarps flapping, gunshots, loud bangs etc. I have no qualms whatsoever saying mine do not spook at anything.....because they just don't.

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i can also say that i got my mare as a 3 year old she is compleatly bomb proof other than an incident last year where a kid jumped out of a bush with a base ball bat and due to the fact she was beaten as a baby i don't blame her all she did was turn her bum round away from it and took 2 steps backwards then carried on down the road (pretty good considering her history) other than that helicopters can land near her 1500 people screeming and shouting, massive inflatable army course, archary going on 2 feet away, tractors, busses,dogs,you mention it she doesn't care shes only 6years old now. I bet you think i take her to some weird places lol
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to be perfectly honest my 4yr old is the same, but I wouldn't describe him as bombproof. I guess its different interpretations. I think I meant more to do with a youngster for a novice rider
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archary going on 2 feet away

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LOL!! I can go one better - I have a horse-archer who boards on my farm and he does it from on top of my horses backs, LOL!! They don't care about the arrow whizzing through their ears at warp speed!

You're right though - the more you can throw at them, the better it is for both them and you in the long run.

Oh yes Emma - turkey vultures are just the best! They aren't roosting there this year as yet; hoping they don't to be honest as they are ugly and silly creatures; not to mention HUGE when they jump out on you!
 
wow tia thats brill!!!!forgot to mention the fire fighter display as well with the men runnin around shouting and the big hose fingy lol (very nice men hehe)i take her anywhere and everywhere its nice to be able to trust your horse and feel safe!
 
I spoke to a friend of a friend who said they'd bourght a horse off an advert that said it was totally bomb proof, sounded bit like this site. She said it was true to there word and was fab. Soooo dont be put off these people are arround.
Best to take an experianced person allong to sus out horse for them...
 


[/ QUOTE ]to be perfectly honest my 4yr old is the same, but I wouldn't describe him as bombproof. I guess its different interpretations. I think I meant more to do with a youngster for a novice rider
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i know what you mean but mine has taught alot of people how to ride from two year olds up to my mum who is scared of horses she has boosted her confidence loads
 
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