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

Oh god.
I rug my partly clipped TB in a heavy fleece and heavyweight rug.
Turn out every day (unless weather is REALLY bad)
Hose legs off every day
Let him walk himself to the hose area then to his stable (well trained, i know ;);)! )
I always walk behind him
Walk/Roll UNDER him (shock horror!)
I feed him the one or two treats after i have ridden.
I dont spend HOURS grooming :) Quick flick and hop on :)
He's happy, im happy. ;)
 
saddlesore said:
Oh gawd, well according to some on here I'm sure my list of sins is endless!

I rug my unclipped horse even though he is porky :o
I often throw the rope over his neck and let him take himself to the stable
Leave his stable door open if I'm just popping in and out
Groom his face with a dandy brush when muddy :eek:
Muck out when he's in the stable
Turn him out in all weathers
Worm without worm counts....

...... and I'm sure there are many more! Had horses for 20 years now and they've all been happy so can't be too bad an owner :rolleyes:
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i do all of these things! lol:)
 
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!!!
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It's much easier than you'd think. First you take both feet out of stirrups and run them up. Undo your girth and take it off (still sitting in your saddle at this point). Then wriggle forward while pushing saddle back so you end up where pommel was and saddle you remove saddle behind you. Thinking about it, it might be easier to do the wriggling forward part if you still have your stirrups but that's how I've always done it. It's really useful if you want to ride bareback but haven't got anywhere to get in off (although I suppose you have to ride over to the fence to hang your saddle off it, so you could always get on off the fence... yeah, it's a cool trick :D).

Other bad things I do:
wander off with the stable door open
don't put a bed down - just banks and rubber mats
don't use a headcollar most of the time
let my horse wander around on the grassy patch in front of her stable with her bridle on and the reins dangling - if she steps on a rein, she knows to back up
use rugs with leg straps
didn't rug my horse at all last winter, even when it hit -7 (I am this year, but only because she has a full clip)
refuse to feed a bucket feed for breakfast, to YO's horror
I do Parelli, and even own more than one carrot stick
horse has a massage pad and a big green swiss ball to play with - also to the disgust of YO
sometimes I stand up on my horse - very useful for changing a lightbulb in the stable - she is there and the ladder isn't. Obviously I never wear a hat for that, and she never wears a halter, never mind a bridle.
sometimes I dismount by sliding down her tail
I am thinking of going barefoot. The farrier does not approve.
I get on and off from the left and right.
My tack is usually much dirtier than it should be :( I will have to make a New Year's Resolution about that, although I'm unrepentant about all the other sins.

I'm sure there are plenty more...
 
lets see............
rug my horse for my convience - i dont enjoy dirty horses
clip for asthetic pleasure & always hog
allow the old mare to eat human food - shes almost 22 so it doesnt seem to have done any damage & the look of happiness on her face when she gets a bar of dairy milk makes it all good
muck out but in a non-OCD way - no horse dies if i miss a few poos/wet bits
make decsions about horses based on finances


but worst of all - i ride the arthritic old one - yes i know she looks stiff but she would look a lot more stiff if i retired her
 
I don't pull the mane [he is supposed to be part PRE!]
I don't shoe, in fact, I even rasp his hooves once a week!
Don't leave tack dirty, ever, it gets a daily wipe over, the girth is unfastened every day.
Don't feed molassed sugar beet nuts, cheap molassed chaff or pony nuts.
I never ask everyone in the yard for their opinion then do the easiest / cheapest option / or nothing.
I don't borrow stuff from people I hardly know.
I do:
Check feet once a week and pick out with rasp tang.
Throw out any wet and dirty bedding, any effort to separate poo and shavings is hopeless and time consuming.
Ask YO or any spare person to help me mount up [in the hope that one day they will build a mounting block]
Clean the water bucket every day [obviously I am a bit anal]
Always use my own hay-nets [I don't share my toothbrush. do you?]
Get horse out of stable every day, rain or shine.
Groom every day [not for "bonding"] as he is a bit itchy. Do not wash off legs [as practised by all who have mud fever] if covered in mud
Wash stable rug once a month.
Inspect for cuts and swellings every day rather than wait till I need a vet!
I know I am eccentric, but I don't care.
 
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Really stupid I know...I go for a hack round the XC jumps at our yard and pop a few on my own and without a BP.
Not wearing the BP is laziness I know; but getting someone to come with me is tricky - I hardly ever see any of the other liveries ride, and most of them are kids anyway.
 
I've got a pony that looks "half starved" she's very skinny but people always presume she's under fed and I don't feed her propely. She actually gets same amount of food as 15.2 boy and speedi beet. She also has cushings which affects her weight and has always been naturally lean. But I obviously just don't feed her :D
 
I used to do that when I kept my pony at a yard with an XC course. Then they made a rule you had to wear a BP - so I dutifully wore my BP to walk down to the XC field, took it off, hung the hated thing on the gate, did my thing and put it on to ride back again.

To be fair, now when we go hacking we jump the odd park bench (once we jumped a picnic table, not a full size one but still :D) and that is on our own (me and horse) without a BP. No difference really, but because it's 'hacking' not 'XC' I don't get told off for it:p.
 
I keep my pony out 24/7 with no rug.
I only ever scrape the worst of the mud off with a cattle comb before I ride.
I use plastic curry comb all over horse' including face - and I've been known to 'scrub'
I am very lazy and sometimes ride my own pony in trainers or even without a hat (although NEVER in public)
I haven't had my horse's saddle fit checked for years.
I only get pony's feet trimmed about once every 3months (TBF roadwork keeps them down)
I only worm twice a year.

I sneak down a local drove and jump a hunt jump when out hacking
 
I cut my horses mane and tail with scissors instead of pulling it.

I dandy brush his face sometimes.

I only clean my tack before a show.

Sometimes I trot on the road.

Often I laugh when my horse is naughty instead of telling him off because I think he's funny.

I will smack him every now and again if I think it's warranted.

I NEVER scrub my stirrup treads even when I clean my tack. I can remember at pony club being told off for that!

I school in a martingale and x-noseband when I can't be bothered to take it off.

I often jump when no-one is around to keep an eye on me.

I'm naughty and ride in the sheep field when I know I'm not allowed too, and I gallop in there and leave divots.

Sometimes when I'm meant to be schooling and practicing dressage I get bored and I canter round in a forward seat for 10 mins and then call it a day instead.

I do British dressage in a jump saddle.

That's all I can think of!
 
I bought my traditional colt a Rambo turnout rug....with a hood!

I then never use said rug....LOL.

And I let my baby jump if he wants to when turned out in the paddock. There's poles and jumps laying about normally and I leave him in there whilst I'm mucking out, and he happily pops himself round them all by choice!

Ride bareback, round the roads, round the fields, over motorway bridges, etc.

Regularly tie my horse outside the pub for a drink.

Tie said horses to solid things. [Gasp]

Let my horses eat hay 24/7 rather than 'weighed', the cob included.

Feed things which should be rocket fuel by all rights.

Don't turnout much over winter, if at all.

Always canter on grass, do a lot of trotting on roads, even trot and canter downhill....Gasp.

Don't have 20 zillion things for my horse....

And god knows how many more. I do what keeps me and my horses happy. B's the most bomproof ridden horse, Sparks is the quietest youngster and both are happy, well conditioned and quite attached to me if I do say so. So must be doing something right, be it 'correct' or not. ;)
 
Loads lol! He doesn't get groomed very often and if I ride it's normaly only where the tack goes, and his feet don't get picked out every day. I don't trim his tale - JH does that when she decides she can't cope looking at it so long any more lol!

I use treats with him a lot which I know some people think is wrong but they are used with clicker training and the last 2 days have proved how invaluable it is having him trained this way! I was able to get near a cut he initially wouldn't let me near and use clippers on him! He doesn't bite etc but I know some people think it's a bad idea!

He lives out 24/7 unrugged sometimes in muddy fields, he doesn't get fed much so is of course starving

If he is particularly scared of something I'd rather get off and walk him past it in hand not make him face up to it
 
I used to ride her when she was still pretty muddy and unbrushed in winter, only the essentials :D

I used to also give her treats for just being her :D

Possibly plenty more but those spring to mind right away
 
Oh dear, been reading through wondering why these are naughty! Can't see what the problem is with riding a well trained safe horse that knows where he's going without a saddle or bridle, my big boy bows or lies down so I can get on, he's too big to vault

Probably wouldn't go on the roads in the dark though, but then I wouldn't walk on unlit roads without a horse, traffic is far scarier than horses!
 
The girl who has my mare on loan hardly ever picks out feet, which really really annoys me - but I'm one of those people who practically wears a hoof-pick on a chain. Actually, that's not a bad idea now I come to think of it...


festivefirewell said:
Often I laugh when my horse is naughty instead of telling him off because I think he's funny.
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I do, however, also do this. But she is hilarious when she's naughty :D
 
My biggest sin is I have never weighed my feed out. I know my horse's the work they are in and what they need to eat. I knwo the rough size of the feed and do read new feed instructions (soaking etc) and the ingrediants. They don't get anything sugar its all fibre and a small amout of starch and so far touch would none of mine have colicked or had upset tummies :)
Lead more than two most of the time.
Open the gate to let my baby whos the bottom of my heards pecking order in to eat alone and let him take as long as he wants.
Leave babies unrugged
Grooming box is minging once a year brushes come out and I shake it upside down!
Hose legs before they go into stables in winter.
Clip pony in work in winter who lives out 24/7
Laugh at my oldies and babies when they are being cheeky.
Talk utter rubbish to them most of the time.
Feed oldie too many treats
Don't give the youngsters any treats
and my daily check if cold or raining consists of what was said above 4 legs, breathing and water.
 
My appy is out 24/7 and has not one, but TWO rugs on! :O (hw and lw sheet to stop hw getting soaked) and she isn't clipped!! :O

She isn't a fan of rain and has a crap coat, loves her life living out in her little herd.

I also visit her once a day and give her carrots, she isn't a problem but the little welshie with her regularly mugs me, shes cute about it though :D
 
I got a horse with a reputation for biting and promptly started to give her treats!

My plan has worked like a dream.
Imo she was biting when being tacked up because of discomfort. She had been in a RS/trekking centre and then owned by someone who was frightened of her.
At RS, I'm pretty sure that novices had tacked her up and not been as careful as they could, so she threatened to bite them. Then the next owner always put bridle on 1st and fastened the flash nose-band so that she couldn't bite but wasn't especially careful (I know, I watched her, more than once).

I always gave her some haylage to eat while grooming & tacking up.

I made sure that I stripped the tack back as much as possible and put each piece on slowly and carefully, talking to her all the time. (it used to take ages to tack up). I got rid of the flash and changed the bit. I got a bigger browband as hers was far too tight. I gave her a treat for every piece of tack that I put on. Now I can put the tack on normally and be ready in exactly the same time that it takes sister to get her horse ready. Horse doesn't bite but does like to hold my hand in her lips.
 
The one thing that I do that is practically a certainly to get me shot by 50% of the horse world is ... breed Shetlands! We only breed on, maybe 2 every 2-3 years so we never have too many or any unwanted ones. They are then RIDDEN *Shock Horror!* if they are big enough, my stallion will be broken to drive this summer.

I regularly ride without a hat on. I will ALWAYS ride my breakers with a hat on and all of mine, bar 1 Shetland, with a hat on for their first few weeks of work until they are back in the swing of things. Yes even the "Psychotic, loony tune Ex-racers!" But I rarely hack out and when I do I always wear a hat. I never wear a BP when riding my own even though I wear one all day at work as it is compulsory. I usually ride in trainers at home as well. I really must stop doing the no hat and trainers thing.

I rarely pick out feet - ie when farrier does it and at shows only! Manes and tails only get brushed out for shows.

Some of mine don't go out every dayas they would mangle the fields.

I rug up my natives - including the shetlands!

I have 2 Exracers living out for the winter in 1 full neck heavyweight rug with no shoes on.

On the rare ocassions that I jump I never put boots on whatever I am riding.

I stable some of the Shetlands and the Welsh colt.

I only groom my box-rest horses in winter. In summer when I ride I do give them head to toe flick over before I ride.

I catch, tack up, ride, untack and let loose all in the same field whilst others are out there grazing.

I rarely feed treats.

Uuuuuuuumm... I think that's it! I do keep mine at home though so I have no one to annoy!
 
Will ride in flip flops and a bikini
Never really brush other than to clean the tack areas
Do stuff like travel them in the truck with their front feet up on a foot of rubber matting to avoid 2 journeys
Always ride listening to an iPod
I'm just incredibly blase really :D
 
I would LOVE someone to criticise me for rugging Cate even though shes not clipped.. all hell would ensue!!!

I dont think its up to people to criticise anyones care of their own horse is it works.. if it isnt working then I can understand it..

Lou x
 
Keep them all barefoot and maintain the trims myself.
Use rope halters and 12ft lines.
Allow said 12ft lines to fall to the ground for ground tying.
Hack out anywhere in rope halters.
Hack in a bareback pad.
Never do anything "useful" like competing.
Rug horses loose in the field.
Lead with the rope long, not held under the chin, and sometimes from in front and sometimes even from behind.
Ride in any shoes I find on my feet (cage toe stirrups).
Sometimes have a wonderful hatless ride in the privacy of my field.
Travel without booting or bandaging.

Er, there's probably more...
 
I laugh when my mare does something mildly naughty and tend to encourage quirky behaviour!! I only smack her shoulder when she gets to the point where she could cause damage or injury to someone/something. I feed her far too many sweeties and also have a habit of picking up all of her crums that she has dropped from her feed and feeding them back to her by hand! I kiss and cuddle her to the point where other people get pissed off with me if they are waiting for me to give them a lift home and I speak to her in a baby voice! I don't pick her feet out or groom her unless I ride or get a day off where I have plenty of time to do it! (Luckily she rarely rolls and she is rugged up too so doesn't get dirty!).:o
 
Ok here goes....

*Rug my horses, even if they aren't clipped, except on total fire ban days, when temp is over 40C, or are having a nakey day, then the cottons come off.
*Clip the legs off in winter.
*Use paddock boots.
*Clip muzzle whiskers and ear whiskers if going to a big show.
*Rug them loose in the paddock at feed time.
*Smack them when they misbehave.
*Only pick feet out if its muddy.
*Laugh when they touch the electric fence

:o
 
Moomin1 said:
I laugh when my mare does something mildly naughty and tend to encourage quirky behaviour!! I only smack her shoulder when she gets to the point where she could cause damage or injury to someone/something. I feed her far too many sweeties and also have a habit of picking up all of her crums that she has dropped from her feed and feeding them back to her by hand! I kiss and cuddle her to the point where other people get pissed off with me if they are waiting for me to give them a lift home and I speak to her in a baby voice! I don't pick her feet out or groom her unless I ride or get a day off where I have plenty of time to do it! (Luckily she rarely rolls and she is rugged up too so doesn't get dirty!).:o
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Haha! I don't act too p*ssed off do I?! :D You clearly mollycoddle the poor animal!
 
I don't pick out feet every day, since they live out as it is sooooo muddy. I know i should.

All three ponies move about between feilds by me calling them, opening gates and giving them a treat when they get to the right place!

Give treats quite a lot.

Throw things at the idiot welsh if he tries to attack the old boy - this doesn;t happen any more as I keep them seperate.

I smack my small native tank pony with a rubber bucket when she barges through me (about once every 6 months....)

Hack out with reins on the buckle, then pick reins up when trotting and cantering. Resulting in two of the three cantering as soon as anyone picks the reins up......... (only the two old ones, not the young proper one!!)
 
Let pony out of field without headcollar on as its easier than me getting squashed at the gate trying to put it on - is bad as pony is not getting rather full of herself and barging out.

Let same pony steal mouthfuls of manky haylage (we have to lead past the area where it is stored). Its the skanky bits off the floor that have dropped rather than people's haylage they are going to feed. Its a very bad habit I have allowed - but again can't be bothered to stop it.

I muzzle 24/7 in Spring/Summer (it gets taken off at least once a day, usually twice when she is ridden/brought in)

I ride a muddy pony, try my best to get it off the tack areas but sometimes put bridle over muddy ears.

I NEVER wash legs, slap pig oil on every few weeks instead and ignore the mud

I turnout in all weathers

I never lunge - think it is totally pointless and boring (do very rarely long rein)

Pretty much never use boots on pony, even for jumping!

Ride on buckle out hacking whilst on facebook/email on mobile

Often don't bother with a noseband
 
Yep confess to treating my mini shetlands like TB's, rugs, clipping,tail bags, grooming, stabling the lot all to frantics cries of but they're natives from others. They're my babies.
 
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