kcgibson
Well-Known Member
when sending a reply to another post, it led me on to think about this.....
.... when we got my horse 8 1/2 years ago (i was only 14), my sister wanted to take him for jumping lessons. We went to an instructor (so wish i could name and shame here!!) once week. week one went ok except when my horse shied and my sister fell off and the instructor thought it appropriate to stab him in the ribs with his own stirrups - she was 'teaching him a lesson' she said. This upset me but at 14 years old i did not feel i could stand up to an imposing instructor (and i feel so bad in retrospect). A couple of weeks passed without too many problems, other than asking my sister and horse to do things above their capabilities and then getting mad cos they couldnt cope. week 4 was much worse, my horse had loads of energy so the instructor suggested lunging him first. well she made him go round and round and round. he was so frightened he dared not stop until he was sweated up. the instructor commented 'ooh he has more energy than my top showjumpers' (i came to realise that adrenaline goes a long way for a horse). Then the instructor asked if one of her stable girls could get on him, we allowed it as my sister was worried about getting on. Well this girl booted the life out of him whilst at the same time pulled so hard on his bit im surprised she didnt rip it from his mouth. At this point i burst into tears and it was only then that the instructor stopped. If she treated all her horse like this im not surprised they were all so perfect, they would not dare put a foot wrong. We never took our horse back there ever again. I still feel so bad that i did not stand up to that woman but now when i think back i wonder how people can be so cruel? Horses are so gentle (most of the time!) and their behaviour is only learnt from the people around them. Dont get me wrong, my horse was no angel but he did not deserve the treatment he got. To add to this, we had his back/teeth/tack checked and were told everything ok. It was only when we got another equine dentist a few months later we realised the problem - his back teeth had never been rasped!!! (he was around 71/2 years old). the previous dentist hadnt done a proper job and this new EDT spent over an hour just on my horse cos the hooks on his back teeth were so bad and they had caused painful sores in his cheeks. Again, i felt so bad but i thought we had done the right thing 6 months previously with the other dentist. Just wanted to share my story and ask if any one else had suffered from an awful instructor (or dentist!).
I'd like to say i am more knowledgable now and more old and wise and would never ever let any one treat my horse in that way.
.... when we got my horse 8 1/2 years ago (i was only 14), my sister wanted to take him for jumping lessons. We went to an instructor (so wish i could name and shame here!!) once week. week one went ok except when my horse shied and my sister fell off and the instructor thought it appropriate to stab him in the ribs with his own stirrups - she was 'teaching him a lesson' she said. This upset me but at 14 years old i did not feel i could stand up to an imposing instructor (and i feel so bad in retrospect). A couple of weeks passed without too many problems, other than asking my sister and horse to do things above their capabilities and then getting mad cos they couldnt cope. week 4 was much worse, my horse had loads of energy so the instructor suggested lunging him first. well she made him go round and round and round. he was so frightened he dared not stop until he was sweated up. the instructor commented 'ooh he has more energy than my top showjumpers' (i came to realise that adrenaline goes a long way for a horse). Then the instructor asked if one of her stable girls could get on him, we allowed it as my sister was worried about getting on. Well this girl booted the life out of him whilst at the same time pulled so hard on his bit im surprised she didnt rip it from his mouth. At this point i burst into tears and it was only then that the instructor stopped. If she treated all her horse like this im not surprised they were all so perfect, they would not dare put a foot wrong. We never took our horse back there ever again. I still feel so bad that i did not stand up to that woman but now when i think back i wonder how people can be so cruel? Horses are so gentle (most of the time!) and their behaviour is only learnt from the people around them. Dont get me wrong, my horse was no angel but he did not deserve the treatment he got. To add to this, we had his back/teeth/tack checked and were told everything ok. It was only when we got another equine dentist a few months later we realised the problem - his back teeth had never been rasped!!! (he was around 71/2 years old). the previous dentist hadnt done a proper job and this new EDT spent over an hour just on my horse cos the hooks on his back teeth were so bad and they had caused painful sores in his cheeks. Again, i felt so bad but i thought we had done the right thing 6 months previously with the other dentist. Just wanted to share my story and ask if any one else had suffered from an awful instructor (or dentist!).
I'd like to say i am more knowledgable now and more old and wise and would never ever let any one treat my horse in that way.
