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

I ride in draw reins - sometimes!!! *ducks for cover* But I have been taught how to use them!!!

I talk to my horse and expect him to understand it all - which he usually does in fairness to him!!

I also give treats for no reason other than you look like you want some and your so cute!!! :D

I also think my horse is better than any one elses horse and I just laugh when he is being naughty!!
 
Oops re hugging.

When I was looking for a horse my criteria (in order of importance) went
1) Likes cuddles
2) Connemara
3) under 14.2

and when I start looking for my youngster in a few years, despite my increased experience my criteria will be exactly the same!

I secretly quite liked it when Rosie had to be sedated for a few teeth inspections after her tooth removal as it meant an hour of unlimited cuddles.

She stands still after I remove her headcollar in the field so I can have my morning cuddle and kiss. Then I say have fun with your friends and off she goes.
 
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.
 
Oh god if kisses and cuddles are a sackable offense my guys really didn't read the manual. B waits at the gate for kisses and scratches/cuddles. So much so that my new livery has fallen for him as her lad really isn't a cuddler. She gets her daily fix from kissing Bs nose. Robin comes for kisses to, he sticks his nose in your face and demands its kissed.
 
Another sacking offence from HHO I think - I bought a 6 month old foal as my first horse :D She's now mostly grown up, hasn't been completely ruined and has impeccable manners (both the farrier and dentist love her).
I also do everything without tying up (although she can) - feet, tacking up, hosing, eyedrops...
I'm a rug flinger.
The mare owns a sheet that she rarely wears - so maybe I should feel guilty about her lack of wardrobe... ;) Other horse has a full closet though...
I travel horses without boots/bandages etc
I have a serious saddle pad habit - not matchy matchy as I don't do ears/bandages etc. I just like nice colours!
 
HuskyFluff said:
I have a serious saddle pad habit - not matchy matchy as I don't do ears/bandages etc. I just like nice colours!
Click to expand...

I don't do bandages but I do matching/co-ordinating overreach boots. And I'll occasionally do ears because they're useful for covering up the mud that Blue likes to rub into every little crevice.
 
I let my horse out of the field without a halter then catch her outside while she's eating the much nicer grass on the path. Occasionally I forget the halter and she follows me in anyway.

I tie up with a rope halter.

I don't use travel boots.

I feed ryegrass haylage and enjoy the snorting dragon rides.
 
dorsetladette said:
I don't ride with my thumbs on top!! (unless anyone is watching)
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Does anyone!?!?

I spend a lot of time riding one handed with the thumb of my other hand in my belt loop ...

I also don't pay attention to my crazy, wild stallions at shows and let them get away with blue Murder...
 

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McFluff said:
Does anyone put rugs on the ‘correct’ way? ....
I don’t tie up to groom or tack up
I give hand treats - sometimes just because
I do out and back hacks ....
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I put rugs on the correct way because I find then easier to handle and get on than flinging them. However I do them up wrong - put on, do up front, pull back do fillet string/leg straps and then belly surcingle .
Palindrome said:
I sometimes leave the lead rope on the floor still attached to their headcollar....
I gallop on the way home on hacks (on the beach).
I feed the horses before they are worked (high fibre feed though) because it is easier to get them all to come in from the field.
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I have one pony I will leave the lead rope wherever and one I won't.
I gallop home on various tracks.
Ponies are fed before work but like you high fibre feeds plus the feeds are tiny.

I groom, clip, pick out hooves in field with no headcollars on.
I sometimes hack out with a head collar and 2 leadropes and bareback.(although I now have upgraded to a halter and clip on reins).
I take the horse and dog out walks together and if there's a long quiet track I jump on and canter up it with dog beside us.
I treat regularly from hand. Neither horse mugs or nips.
I lead with a hand on mane or with a leadrope around neck.
I stand directly behind my ponies and give them big smooshy hugs resting my head on their rumps.
 
Elf On A Shelf said:
Does anyone!?!?

I spend a lot of time riding one handed with the thumb of my other hand in my belt loop ...

I also don't pay attention to my crazy, wild stallions at shows and let them get away with blue Murder...
Click to expand...


Oh yes - I laugh at naughty ponies when I know I should be telling them off. But in the show ring they need to have a bit of presence to stand out from the crowd.
 
I’m very non-BHS. I don’t have any in work currently, but during the winter they only ever had a headcollar on when the farrier came. All but one rarely get shut in a stable, but the doors are open if they want to go in. Actually even the one that goes in overnight doesn’t have the door bolted. She’s free to push it open if she wants, but only ever does if I’m a bit later in the morning.

I pick out feet and brush with them all loose together. If they don’t want a brush and wander off, fine, I’ll just move on to another. They all know (apart from the Shetland who tries his luck) that feet aren’t optional though.

I think they probably get too much choice tbh. It gives them opinions. I have one horse that is exceptional to handle (previously a working driving horse), but even she walks off now if she doesn’t want her rug on. I do try and explain I’ve seen the forecast for later ?. To save an argument I just do it while she’s eating usually.
 
I only visit mine once daily. I was taught to put rugs on fastening the front first and working back. I was also taught the reverse was correct for removing the so back to front. Clips on the front towards the chest and fillet strings short
I would also advocate buying young horses over older ones they are usually less likely to have awful quirks and badly learned habits
 
Elf On A Shelf said:
OK correction - does anyone that doesn't do dressage ride with their thumbs on top ??
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Well, to be devil's advocate...
I didn't think about it much till I saw this image in a Molly Sivewright book. With the bones of the forearm UNcrossed, as it says, the hands are carried "from the back of the shoulders" and the whole arm/hand/contact feels totally different. Lightbulb moment for me, the first time I tried it...
 
GreyMane said:
Well, to be devil's advocate...
I didn't think about it much till I saw this image in a Molly Sivewright book. With the bones of the forearm UNcrossed, as it says, the hands are carried "from the back of the shoulders" and the whole arm/hand/contact feels totally different. Lightbulb moment for me, the first time I tried it...
Click to expand...

Never heard it explained like that, but that makes sense. I will carry on with my current torture retraining (carrying whip across my hands under my thumbs to stop piano hands).

This has gone from a confessional thread to a 'is that wrong?' thread :D
 
McFluff said:
Never heard it explained like that, but that makes sense. I will carry on with my current torture retraining (carrying whip across my hands under my thumbs to stop piano hands).
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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.
 
I had no idea that I was not supposed to hug horses! I always hug my mare and I always give her and retired gelding a kiss on the cheek when I leave them. Well, if that is wrong, I don't want to be right!
 
I take my jacket off while sitting on the horse if I get too warm during a lesson.

Then ride over to the fence or to the jump uprights in the centre of the arena and hang it up.

The instructor reckons this scares the horses. But it hasn't done so yet.

They seem to be more scared by the tractor bring parked three centimetres further to the left than usual, or by the presence of seven pigeons instead of five.
 
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