Do I say Anything....Tricky One..!

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I'm along with a few others(at the yard) do not quite know what to say, when you see a horse quite evident to the eye that it is lame in the right hind!!! I have tried to be very tactful,but, it just goes right over their heads,and considering the showing season is round the corner and thats their field then it is not good........the other night said horse was being worked in the school(by daughter) with it's head strapped down in draw reins(this is not helpful to it's problems!) and the right hind was not good..........so the Mum said "his going lovely!" to the girls(my friends) and they just smiled......I was not there and they did so want to say something,but ,felt they could not!
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Difficult. Think you just have to let them get on with it.

That is the big downside of being on a yard. MUPPETS!!!!!!!!!!1
 
If I see a lame horse on my yard I always point it out to the owner - what the owner chooses to do after that is their business and I won't harp on about it.
 
Dont say anything, that is going to cause trouble. Can you not go to YO or YM and tell them your worried about this horse, it is realy up to them to sort this out as it reflects on the yard if a lame horse from there is out and about on the showing scene.
 
Oh I wouldn't mention the draw reins....I'd only mention the lameness issue. It's not anyone's business what aids they choose to use on their own horse I'm afraid.
 
I would probably say something, but in a nice way, like "I saw xxx in the field the other day, he looked a bit lame, is he ok?" or something like that. I'd prefer someone told me that Chex was lame, rather than letting me carry on riding (I'd hope I'd notice myself though!!).
 
If I were the owner and hadn't noticed I would prefer it if someone politely pointed it out to me.

However if they are the type of people who would keep ignoring it then it's their horse, their problem and their vets bills when it gets worse
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This is a bit like having a friend who is too heavy for their TB horse which already has a back problem and intermittent lameness,none of us want to say anything, help!
 
I think i'd have to say something, but as chex said not in a 'i saw you riding your horse when it was lame' kind of way. People get defensive if they thing you are 'accusing' them.

custardsmum, i'd find your situation harder to deal with, its quite difficult to tell someone maybe they should lose a few pounds!
 
I would just tell them one day when they're walking by with him, "Oh, wait a minute he looks lame", and walk over and have a look. But pretend that you've only just noticed.

Otherwise speak to your YM. The law in this country states that they are ultimatly responsible for all the horses welfare on their yard, and they would be prosecuted as well as the owners if any neglect took place. The YM needs to sort this out because it is as much they're problem.

There is someone up our yard who always lets injuries nd stuff go to see if it will just "sort itself ou". On Saturday night they're horse was hoping lame in the field, so I brought it in and called them and told them that they needed the vet. They would have probably left it if they had found it. I was right, it had an abcess which was going up it's leg and the horse got really ill (ran a temp etc), so just as well we acted when we did. Some people need to be told, but others don't. You need to work out what they are like. At the end of the day, if they take it into the show ring lame they will be asked to leave.
 
In a nutshell no ! I find that unless you are asked then dont offer up an opinion as if you are anything like me, I dont suger coat anything and sometimes things like this come back to bite you. Its always best in these livery situations to just do your own thing and let them get on with it.
 
It's times like these when you need to be straight-talking and not afraid of what other people think. Something ought to be said - tactfully.

I chickened out of pointing out to the girl next to me at my old yard that her horse is very overweight (even dispite the winter) and could do with having one rug less or less feed before the spring grass comes through. I regret not doing it but as I was moving to a new place I turned a blind eye.

(Hangs head in shame!)
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I would probably say something, but in a nice way, like "I saw xxx in the field the other day, he looked a bit lame, is he ok?" or something like that. I'd prefer someone told me that Chex was lame, rather than letting me carry on riding (I'd hope I'd notice myself though!!).

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This is hopefully what I would try to do... I'd also like someone to tell me (or better that I'd notice myself!).
I'd also listen though and I guess people are more likely to be open if you are going to take things on board
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I used to get tons of liveries coming to me with the 'such and such a horse is dog lame, can you say something' line - I didn't mind too much, it was part of my job, and it came with far more authority from a member of staff than another livery - I used to do the hanging around the stable as the horse was being led out then do an 'oh my gosh what has he done' routine, looking at the leg etc. If I was able to tell what it was I said so, otherwise I would tell them to call the vet as 'he looks very sore'. It worked pretty well - if there was a chronic problem, I would usually be aware of it, and could tell liveries not to worry the situation was in hand. Left to their own devices the liveries were apt to start witch hunts and bitching which quite frankly I didn't need, so far preferred all concerns about vet issues came to me or one of the other staff, rather than here the bitching through a stable wall, or have the owner come to me in tears! If you can get your YO / an instructor to do it, that is how I would approach it, if not, I would probably feign concern as it came out of the stable - no need to make them feel bad by doing it as the horse is being ridden.
 
I wouldnt say anything, you usually get branded with being an interfering busy body. The judge will point it out to them when they take it to a show - unless they ask you directly dont get involved. I was on a livery yard once where half the horses were lame and the yard owner used to bute them or work round it somehow, the last thing she wannted was the owners knowing their horses were lame and getting fed up so she masked it, I have learnt to just keep my head down otherwise you can end up in a mess
 
i would definitely say something! it would not be right to let the horse suffer in the ignorance of its pig headed owner that cant even notice or refuses to notice his/her horse is lame.

if the owner doesnt like it, and wont do anything about it, then tell him/her im sure the judges at the shows will pick it up and thats not going to look good on you if you cant even pick up that ur horse is in pain and lame and everyone else can?
 
Think it would depend who it was to be honest and what reaction i would get.

There are certain people down our yard who i would tell and certain people i would let get on with it.
 
I would say something straight to them. Not to other liveries or YO which could be seen as going behind their back. The welfare of the horse is paramount so for that reason I would feel it my responsibility to inform the owner.
 
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