change my mind - what controversial/guilty horsey things do you do and not feel guilty for??:)

[Sanversera]

my horse is barefoot. got stopped once by a young man and his girlfriend he started ranting and raving at me for riding a horse wityhout shoes on.
i still ride with barefoot horses though

 

[DirectorFury]

I thought of this thread today as I took off my hi-vis and then my jumper, and put the hi-vis back on , while the horse was wandering down the lane without anyone holding the reins .

 

[Gloi]

I thought of this thread today as I took off my hi-vis and then my jumper, and put the hi-vis back on , while the horse was wandering down the lane without anyone holding the reins .

Sounds the sort of thing I do. Awkward when I have to take my hat off too, to get my jumper over my head. Will admit doing all this at trot when out with a mate and not wanting to have to ask her to wait.

 

[crazyandme]

Gloi, you just reminded me of the time I tightened my girth whilst cantering down a nice wide grassy track!

(I was trying to keep my time up whilst out competing endurance, and couldn't justify the time it took to slow down and tighten it at a slower pace)

 

[sam72431]

I tie my mare up and expect her to stand nicely without hay, I tie her to the tap and if I wander off to get shampoo she stands there, I don’t tie up to groom or tack up, I often leave her in tack unsupervised I feed treats for no reason and she never mugs me.

weirdly I don’t like to put her to bed without being groomed. I judge people who can’t bandage well/neatly

 

[McFluff]

while we're on this short de-rail
Try addressing it from your shoulder blades. That's what has fixed mine. Learning to keep the errant shoulder blade relaxed down flat on my back has stopped that hand turning over. (As well as a few other things) the equipilates instructor described it as imaging tucking the shoulder blades into a pocket at the bottom of your back which was just the visualisation I needed. It made my arm hang with the back of the armpit closed but not tight and then your hand is naturally inclined to be thumb up.

Thank you, that sounds useful. Will give that a try (currently sitting on sofa experimenting!).

 

[laura_nash]

I also rarely tie up for grooming, picking out hooves, trimming hooves etc. I feed my hay from "hay pillows" on the floor or in the field. Only pick out feet about once a week. If I do tie up I tie directly to the ring. I don't really groom November to April and very rarely rug.
If I do rug I put on rugs the BHS way though, if I try and just chuck them on I can still hear my old RI yelling at me! I never boot or bandage (excluding hoof boots). I don't have nosebands on my bridles unless they are needed (none currently).

I never hand feed my current two, but that's because I have two greedy cobs who quickly forget their manners. I used to hand feed my old pony.

I don't provide constant access to forage. Can't see the difference between 2 hrs on a hack without eating and 2 hours on the yard without eating.

I don't poo pick (this is down to land management being in my hands though, if I was still on livery I would still be poo picking).

I'm currently feeding entirely Top Spec feeds to my barefoot horses.

I also do some things with my old cob I know are totally wrong and wouldn't do with others (I pick out his back feet with my hand the wrong way around because its easier on my back and his hocks, yes if he kicked out I would probably break my elbow).

ETA: I also actively avoid anything approaching a routine.

 

[laura_nash]

I am so mentally scarred by an old yard routinely letting 10 in at once to find their own stables... I think I'll be leading mine in until I hang up my boots ?

I was once at a yard where we let 50 horses in at once to find their own stalls (not stables), usually in 2-3 groups as they were living on a big acreage so wouldn't all turn up immediately. Surprisingly it worked pretty well.

 

[SpotsandBays]

I used to do the leg over the front dismount until I got a sticky seat saver; then you just hang there

I do this and have forgotten how to get off normally (like the muscle memory! I know the concept ?). It’s tricky with sticky bum breeches tho ?

 

[spotty_pony]

1. Good manners are instilled from the beginning. I am firm but fair. None of my horses barge, or kick their doors. They are respectful.

2. I also hack out youngsters alone from the beginning. Hacking is great education for them. They learn to go to over any kind of ground and through hedges/narrow spaces with me too.

3. All my horses have a goodnight mint every night. ??

 

[PoniesRock]

I go to catch my horses with a treat everyday. Started off because my Connie was a bit of a opinionated diva on the being caught front so made life easier and now I have two they both get treats when they get caught...and yes if there is the odd day I forget treats my coloured bog pony will attempt to mug me the whole way back to the stables. Do I care.... absolutely not!

 

[humblepie]

Gosh I’m boring! Hat and gloves to lunge and turn out. Head collar and rope if changing rugs in field. Feet each time in and out. Tack most times used or quick wipe over if not. But on the slightly more jolly side will leave him standing on own while I get stuff etc. May but generally don’t do stuff whilst he is eating but he is fine if need to. One treat when turned out. No boots when travelling mainly because he gets too hot. Old retired horse who is a companion to a friend’s horse do the in and out on their own. If her husband is doing them then obviously they go the wrong way.

 

[humblepie]

Re-reading others yes hugs for one horse other would prefer I don’t. He is his own horse. Also talk all the time to him. Take jacket off etc whilst on him and hang up. Needs to be used to that sort of thing for when out and about.

 

[humblepie]

I've just done a naughty. Got home from our first lesson post lockdown, let the ramp down, unclipped horse and walked away to do something else while he unloaded himself

There was video clip of one of the Cheltenham winners doing that on arrival home in Ireland. Just wandered down the ramp and into barn and into stable.

 

[daydreamer]

The other day I was grooming my 3 year old, loose in the field, with no hat or gloves, including standing behind him to do his tail, whilst there was Pony Club show jumping competition going on in the next field about 5m away. Oops!!!

 

[windand rain]

The other day I was grooming my 3 year old, loose in the field, with no hat or gloves, including standing behind him to do his tail, whilst there was Pony Club show jumping competition going on in the next field about 5m away. Oops!!!

I cannot remember the last time I wore a riding hat must be at least 5 years ago although I did wear one when I last sat on Hazel but that is years ago too. I groom loose and do most things without tying up young and od alike.

 

[southerncomfort]

my 2 oldies are a definite NOPE on the question of cuddles. everything else has been really cwtchy.

I think cuddling the foal is another sacking offense from HHO actually. Have to make sure she grows up towing the line though! tbf she is very good about boundaries, she's bitten me once and kicked me once in her 10 months and shows every indication of having learnt that was a mistake her young friend is also a big smoocher, massive timewasters those 2.

When I worked on a stud my boss insisted that I spent time cuddling the foals.

It meant they were quite happy to be handled by the farrier, vet etc and none of them ever became over familiar or bolshy around humans.

I loved that job!

 

[cauda equina]

Foal Cuddler sounds like the best job ever

 

[thefarsideofthefield]

You can explain the science to me a thousand times but you'll be wasting your breath - if it's yellow with a dark mane and tail it's a dun , if it's yellow with a pale mane and tail it's a palamino .

 

[Harry Houdini]

Gosh I’m boring! Hat and gloves to lunge and turn out. Head collar and rope if changing rugs in field. Feet each time in and out. Tack most times used or quick wipe over if not. But on the slightly more jolly side will leave him standing on own while I get stuff etc. May but generally don’t do stuff whilst he is eating but he is fine if need to. One treat when turned out. No boots when travelling mainly because he gets too hot. Old retired horse who is a companion to a friend’s horse do the in and out on their own. If her husband is doing them then obviously they go the wrong way.

Definitely gloves for lunging (and usually riding), rope burn is no fun and once a horse learns he can pull the lunge line out of your hands and p*ss off he'll do it again!

 

[little_critter]

Is that wrong???
I do this all the time!

So do I, although I had a bit of an oh s**t moment one day when I thought undoing the zip on my fleece would make the head hole big enough to go over my hat. It didn’t. So I was sat on my horse, jumper over my head, unable to see anything and both hands off the reins trying to untangle myself. Luckily my horse didn’t move a muscle, I think I heard him sigh though.

 

[fidleyspromise]

I don't use hat/gloves for groundwork or lunging.
I've also gone to field with tack but girth didn't fit so rode along road to stables sitting on saddle with girth over one arm with empty feed bucket in that hand and holding reins and leading a pony on the other side.

 

[SatansLittleHelper]

I agree about routine, horses out or on a sole owner yard, you don't need one. horse knows they're fed when you turn up.
On a yard with multiple owners, much more tricky (but then, controversial post! I don't really like other people so avoid yards like the plague anyway - lockdown has been heaven in many ways!)

Are you me..?! ?????

 

[iknowmyvalue]

Another rug flinger here. Also don’t tie up for grooming/tacking up in stable. I’ll untack with him stood loose in the yard, then open the door for him to just go into the stable. I give him way more treats than I should just because he’s cute.

my biggest non-BHS thing is that I’ve found the best way to clip Henry’s legs without him fidgeting/snatching them is to sit on a stool with his leg on my lap. I don’t know why it works, but it does and he stands perfectly. Plus it gives my back/legs a break from bending down or crouching ?

oh and I also use clippers to do the sides of his tail! I’ve got the technique down now and looks so much neater than if I try and do it with scissors!

 

[FinalCanter]

This is a big one, but I plan on buying a somewhat pricey horse untried. People gripe about seeing and trying a horse, yet there are some very reputable places that will work with you if you are unable to drive states away to try a horse (BSF comes to mind, only because I'm looking at friesians/crosses).
If the place sends you all the routine vet checks, certificates, sends you all the videos you could ever want (tack up, catch in field, training and riding, etc), I don't see why it's somewhat looked down upon in the community at times. Sure- the horse might not feel the best when you try him or her for the first time- but no horse is perfect. You could raise the best foal and not like the way he or she rides.

Due to several circumstances, I will buy a horse untried, but not necessarily unseen. If a reputable seller does their absolute due diligence and maintains communication- it can mean a world of difference. Especially if they are already in the business of international selling. I won't feel guilty about it either (do ask me again in a few years though hah!)

 

[Boulty]

I am a definite rug flinger & I always do up the front, pull back, sort out fillet string (CBA with legstraps so all my rugs have fillet strings only) & then do belly straps. Stops the rug flying over their head if rugging a horse up in a field when it's blowing a gale. Rugs must always be hung up neatly to dry when not in use though.

At current yard horses take themselves to their stables on a night once gate is open & back into field next morning. They mostly know where they're going (mine can be a bit thick & they do sometimes attempt to share stables)

I used to hack on the roads barefoot & my pony didn't wear his feet away to nothing (in fact the more roadwork he did the better his feet looked!)

I didn't used to tie the orange one up to travel when using my own box as he travelled better & was more settled this way. (Did leave leather headcollar on on case of emergency though) I also used to open the top door & move the partition over for him if we were stood around waiting at an event.

I don't bother with boots / bandages to travel in & only rug (lightly) clipped horses.

Currently teaching the fuzzball to open his mouth & take the bit rather than having to stick a finger in the side to get it in. I am Hopi to evolve this into him literally sticking his head in the bridle cos that's how lazy I am.

 

[Polos]

Mine is really silly I know haha. I show jump so it might explain it. But I will never ever use a white saddle pad at shows especially when it’s paired with the awful white brushing boot combo. I would also never be seen dead in white gloves or the traditional show jackets with the baggy arms ?

 

[Harry Houdini]

I am a definite rug flinger & I always do up the front, pull back, sort out fillet string (CBA with legstraps so all my rugs have fillet strings only) & then do belly straps. Stops the rug flying over their head if rugging a horse up in a field when it's blowing a gale. Rugs must always be hung up neatly to dry when not in use though.

At current yard horses take themselves to their stables on a night once gate is open & back into field next morning. They mostly know where they're going (mine can be a bit thick & they do sometimes attempt to share stables)

I used to hack on the roads barefoot & my pony didn't wear his feet away to nothing (in fact the more roadwork he did the better his feet looked!)

I didn't used to tie the orange one up to travel when using my own box as he travelled better & was more settled this way. (Did leave leather headcollar on on case of emergency though) I also used to open the top door & move the partition over for him if we were stood around waiting at an event.

I don't bother with boots / bandages to travel in & only rug (lightly) clipped horses.

Currently teaching the fuzzball to open his mouth & take the bit rather than having to stick a finger in the side to get it in. I am Hopi to evolve this into him literally sticking his head in the bridle cos that's how lazy I am.

I'm confused - how else can you do up a rug?

 

[marmalade76]

I never tie up in the stable for grooming tacking up, etc.
I fling rugs on, even loose out in the field.
I remove clothing without getting off.
I let my horses snack on hacks and when there's a stop out hunting (I had one with history of severe ulcers so makes sense to me).
I spoil my horses with hand fed treats (bribery works).
As long as they stand still long enough for me to get my full weight in the stirrup, I let it go if they walk off while I swing my leg over, having had a few hot horses who like to get on, it's not worth the argument.
If I have a horse that really doesn't like something, unless it's essential, I don't do it to that horse - ie, if they don't like their manes or tails pulled, I will trim instead. I have a friend who ties her horse at the back of the stable which he hates because he can't see out and he fidgets but she insists he "needs to learn". Why? It's not essential, let it go!
I don't use travel boots or any boots, really.
I hardly ever clean my tack, just do it very thoroughly when I do.

 

[Foxaunt]

Give my horses treats

... from my hand

and they aren't bargy, or nippy either!