Fess up - what things do you do to your horse that others might criticise?

I forgot to add: feeding from my hand. Ned's very very VERY good with getting treats. He's never bitten me and even if the treat is in my hand near his mouth, he won't get grabby, but he'll pull the 'polo face', he almost says "Pleeeeaaassseee can I have it now?"
 
Legs hosed every day
Frequently fed treats from hand...
They're often not tied up/left standing in the middle of the yard whilst I remember to do something
They're all given a smack if they misbehave
I occasionally ride them bareback in from the field if I'm feeling adventurous....
I'll answer my phone whilst hacking and ride on the buckle
My event horses are turned out EVERY DAY :O!

Probably so many more.. I don't realise how incorrect some of the habits I have are!
 
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These are great! Here's mine:

Sometimes going two weeks without riding
Not seeing him everyday (he gets checked daily though at least twice by people I trust)
Letting him canter/gallop home on a hack coz it's fun!
Dont get farrier out unless shoes are falling off!
Hardly ever school
There must be plenty more....
 
Ok here goes.......

I have given up poo picking in winter

We rug up our unclipped horses TB or not

They all have loads of treats hand fed

Only clean tack if going out

Keep my beloved TB even though he is not ridden and costs me a fortune t keep and I rarely ride him

..............Oh i dont think thats too bad in the scheme of things!!!!!!
 
Hmm mine might be too bad to admit...oh OK.. my horses often hang around in the yard being a pain and won't go out into the field... so I get the hose out....!! They now know to clear off before they actually get hosed. Yep I know its bad!! But I keep them at home so no one knows ;-)
 
Ooooh some more from me!
1) my mare still gets hard feed (hi fi lite and cheap brand pony nuts) even though she's not in work and stabled 24/7
2) I usually take her headcollar off outside her stable and let her walk in by herself.
3) If she is in the stable and I'm doing hay or making feed, doing water etc then I'll leave the stable door open (no chain across) and she stands quite happiny, and if she steps out i walk up to her and she reverses back in :p
 
My poor tb is wasted by not being ridden 6days a week and compeeted (he seems to enjoy a couple of rides a week and playing in the field)
I dont groom him every night, gets mud brushd of when ridden, thats it really.
When i bring him in i chuck the rope over my shoulder while i put the head collar on and that is quite often where it stays while i take him in (along the road and round a bad bend :eek:)
When i get close to his stable i chuck the rope over his neck and he walks on in while i stand in the doorway ready to undo his leg straps with his bum in the doorway.
I dont poo pick the field, terra-vak it couple of times a year,has sheep in it too (while the horse is in it)
My welsh a is left out over night in winter on his own un ruged
My tb only gets a handful of countrywide mix and a bit of chaff and hes not skin and bones.
I ocassionally ride my welsh a :eek: (I cant be too heavy seing as i got on him today for the 1st time in a few weeks and soon hhit the floor lol, he was a good boy when i got back on :rolleyes:)

There must be loads more
ow im an inexperienced rider with an ex-racer (we get on very well together)
I think that will do for now lol
 
My horse is now on full livery until the spring
He never wears boots for any activity
He is unshod
He doesn't wear rugs unless he is really wet and I need to dry him off a bit
He decides where we hack to (I let him choose the direction we go in!)
We canter along grass verges, and on the way home too!
I have synthetic tack
I have a treeless saddle (although this is being changed when I can afford it!)
I use metal curry comb to remove hair when moulting
We hack on the buckle end of we are off road
We wear hi-viz when hacking
I wear my BP when hacking or jumping
He gets a haynet when tied, to keep him occupied

Oh my word, that's a lot!
 
I don't get the farrier out until my horses feet "look" too long - as none of big ones are working and the pony has very good feet I don't see any need to do it any more often. None of them wear shoes. This will change when they are ready to be worked properly.


This and I hardly ever tie him up to put the rug on,usually do it whilst hes in the field.
Havent ridden him for at least 18 months (will bring back to work in the spring)
Dont lead either out of field.
Spoil the pair of them rotten.
When they dont want to be caught I leave them to it!!!
 
ohhh i'm so naughty, i don't undo the ponys' noseband when i take the bridle off:eek:, i only groom the important bits in the winter, the big grey wears a rug in winter even though she's unclipped because i'm too lazy to battle with the mud she insists on covering herself in.
there's loads more but i'm also too lazy to type them:p
 
I have a treeless saddle that I use on two different horses and have never had a saddle fitter out.
Big mare is ridden in a pelham with two reins or a 'parelli' style rope halter depending on what we are doing and her mood. :rolleyes:
Baby mare has had a bit in her mouth for a total of about ten minutes and is ridden in a rope bitless bridle.
I use metal curry comb to remove mud and hair when moulting. :eek:
I usually take headcollars off outside the stable and let them walk in by themseves.
They're given a smack if necessary.
I trim my horses feet myself. No I am not a farrier. :eek:
I rug my unclipped horses even if they are porky. One was clipped in october but it has practically grown back.
I change rug weights daily depending on the weather.
I change rugs loose in the field.
I turned horses out nekkid on boxing day when they usually wear rugs. It was like spring, I mucked out in a t-shirt.
I can't lunge big mare without her rearing and boxing at me but she loose schools like a dream. :o
I sat on my youngster before she was three.
I expect my youngster to behave the same as an older horse and have since I bought her at 20 months old (she hasn't disappointed yet). :D
They are fed treats by hand when turned out, brought in and as bribery if required.
When the midges are about if they land on the horses I squish them dead by slapping and don't give the little b*ggers a chance to bite again. Horses get used to it.

Not a lot if you read it fast :cool:
 
Hmmm... Interesting Question xD

I semi deep litter and just take wet out once a week, haha the amount of stick i got for doing this is just funny!
I Insist that if i cant throw myself onto my horses bed and bounce, its not deep enough... (when i had a stable!! xD )
I now keep my TB out all winter. Im just cruel like that :eek:
If the horse is too muddy, il just ride bareback, saves brushing the hippo.
Keep my horse in a field with a few boggy bits in and 'god forbid' MUD! IN SUMMER*shock horror*
Electrocute my horse on regular occasions. No matter how many times i say to people that if he didnt like it he wouldnt touch it (the fence that is), its still looked down upon?... hhmm..
Dont pick my horses feet out before i ride sometimes (like i said above. MUD)
Only poo pick on weekends if that rofl
I will stand up and jump off my horses back just to prove i can.
Teach him to bow - causes biting ya know...:rolleyes:
Ride without a hat!! hehehehehehehe


Naughty i know, but seriously, i think everything i do is looked down upon. Im just one of those people that doesnt give a damn and so everyone moans about. lol!
 
Gosh, everyone's "sins" coming out!!! Well done.

Well here's my list:-

- bring them in from the field all muddy and just bung 'em in the stable for the night without brushing off the mud or anything

- if pushed for time just clearing a space for the saddle/girth and the bridle if they've come in from the field all muddy - and riding out like that. OMG

- opening the field gate in to the yard and letting the hairy horribles charge through and find their way into their own stables/feed

- always feed a polo mint when I dismount on return from a ride

- sing to my mount!
 
The one I bred used to love his bum sratched as a foal. He would come up ad present it to you so you had to scratch it! Still does,even though he is 16.2hh and 17 yrs old!!
I also don't pick feet out daily,and only scrub mud off areas tack touches. The native is unrugged and has neck clip.
Can change home breds rugs,in field and untied.
 
don't bother with headcollers or the like to bring in, gate is open they find there own way to their stable, i toddle along to their stables anything upto ten minutes later and close the doors , i do have well trained horses, they have never left yet :)

let them rub on me, okay i am stopping this now :)

Don't clean anywhere other than saddle bridle area unless we're going to a 'party'.

Give them cuddles

Hack out only once a week , twice maximum, and they only have ONE day off, gosh im a bad mum.

EXPECT THEM TO BEHAVE. ;)
 
Well considering one thread on here, I shouldn't own horses because:

My horses go out all day and are freaking wasted therefore. They come in every night to big fluffy clean straw beds, clean water, fresh haylage and are fed. They get brushed a few times a week but not every night. One horse is my 5 YO jumper on a break, my 7yo all around do anything horse, a 16yo ex chaser who was supposed to be put down at 9 due to his injuries, a yearling, and my broodmare who hasn't been bred in 2 years. I will start back my 2 riding horses in mid January but for now I guess I just shouldn't own these horses because I obviously don't care about them at all.

I also hose off mud every night and have blankets on unclipped horses. My bad.

Terri
 
Loving the replies!

Mine - feed polos to my lad daily.
Smack him (NOT beat) if he's naughty. (same as kids really, but I believe that I now banned, so should I be in prison?)
Change rugs looses in field.
Dismount the wrong way (swing leg over withers)
Trot or canter on people's lawns in front of their houses. (the bit between the wall and the road).
Trespass all over private land (catch me if you can)
Swear (politely) at farmers who tell me to get off their land.
The rest are MUCH too wicked to say in public.
 
hessy12 said:
Trot or canter on people's lawns in front of their houses. (the bit between the wall and the road).
Trespass all over private land (catch me if you can)
Swear (politely) at farmers who tell me to get off their land.
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Jeez! How to give horse riders a bad name :(
 
Well after reading that lot i'm SHOCKED!!! ;)

But get this - sometimes I feed bran!

I also am another who worms only twice a year and don't do worm counts and I let my horse follow me from the field to the yard with no headcollar or rope!
 
I used to boil up a mugful of pearl barley and feed that the night before a show. It used to appear my pony was in fantastic condition in early spring.
 
I'm classed as the mean mum on the yard as my 2 (both very good doers) are left naked unless it turns freezing or wet and cold, where they then get a sheet if they are lucky:rolleyes:

I DON'T bring my ponies in even in a bad rain storm or very bad snow (like last year) and get called cruel as they stand knee deep in snow whilst everyone else has thrown 3 rugs on theirs and tucked them up in their stable for the night

I also get frowned at when attempting to hose my cheeky pony's legs (he will not stand still) so i unroll the hose, put the hose attachment on the end for a stronger jet spray and hose him from a distance, no matter where he fidgets to, i can reach him:D he eventually gets the message and stands still!

Looks of disgust when I ride or lead mine off the yard and I haven't spent forever scrubbing and washing every inch of mud off their legs...I like the muddy footed look!

My cob doesn't get tied up (he pulls back) so stands with his rope just looped through the twine and I have walked off and just left him standing there loose in the yard if I need to grab something. He's a gentleman and generally stands still:rolleyes:

I do not let my ponies disrespect my space or myself and a tap on their nose if they nip or a gentle smack on the shoulder if they push me around will be given...everyone else seems to not mind being used as scratching posts or something that gets trampled over willy nilly.
 
Give too many treats
Let him nibble my pockets
Sometimes ride without grooming
Leave him in the stable with his saddle on without tieing him up
Take my saddle off whilst mounted! :p
Taught him tricks, such as saying ‘please’ etc
Sometimes I let him choose which way he wants to go when out hacking
Ride him without a bridle
Kneel down in the stable when trimming feathers
Walk under his belly
Take him out on long hacks (sometimes three hours or more!) But he is plenty fit enough
Give him lots of hugs and kisses
Don’t clean my tack as often as I should

I love this thread! :D
 
I used to take the dog out with me on a hack, leading him from the horse. We used to go for miles and only ever had a couple of near misses. Apart from that, I rarely take short cuts from a safety perspective now, as I've learnt the hard way over the years and now value my body being in one piece.

That said, I did lunge today in the spooky howling wind in a head collar and no gloves and yes, I did come close to parting company with the skin on my palms!
 
Equilibrium Ireland said:
One horse is my 5 YO jumper on a break
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you and me both, my 5yro is also on a break :D

It wasn't exactly planned, I just got so busy pre christmas but I like to split her training up anyway so it's worked out well

should that have been on my list?
icon11.gif
;) :D
 
Snow Jumping Superstars said:
Give too many treats
Take my saddle off whilst mounted! :p
Sometimes I let him choose which way he wants to go when out hacking
Kneel down in the stable when trimming feathers
Walk under his belly
Don’t clean my tack as often as I should
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Oh gosh I do these things too...

So OK, so how-the-hell do you take off your saddle whilst you're mounted?? :) I'd love to know! Video purleeeessse!!!
 
MiJodsR2BlinkinTite said:
Oh gosh I do these things too...

So OK, so how-the-hell do you take off your saddle whilst you're mounted?? :) I'd love to know! Video purleeeessse!!!
Click to expand...

It's easier than you'd think to pull it out from underneath you - iirc it's one of the household cavalry's tricks in their musical ride. I used to do it just for fun :o
 
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