First day at yard... first faux pas!!

PapaFrita

PapaFrita

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Oops!! I'm such a slob! I went down this morning to lunge PF (feeling far to sh:te to ride) and got her out of the stable, put her bridle and boots on, looped reins through throat lash and was out the door in seconds...
... and was sent back by YO in similar seconds!
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Apparently taking a horse outside with *shocked whisper* sweat marks
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and even worse
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shavings in her tail is a heinous crime at this yard. How embarrassing!!! I've not bothered to groom for lunging in AGES!! So much for making a good first impression
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Anyhoo, went back in to barn. 2 grooms descended on PF with brushes and a METAL curry comb to scrub the very slight sweat marks out... "Ohhhh!!! She won't like that!!" I interjected anxiously. She certainly didn't. Groom found a plastic one and then tried to tell me that PF had back pain because she nearly sat down when he rubbed at her like the Karate Kid (think back oldies!) on crack. After some very energetic grooming (they even brushed her face... I only do her face for shows... did I mention I was a slob??) she was gleaming like a fairly fuzzy conker and ready to go out... Once the reins had been removed (unsightly, don'tcha know)
PF, who can usually be relied upon to lunge beautifully without me needing to carry a whip, proceeded to motorcycle about on a 10m circle (made me dizzy) punctuated with some VERY impressive acrobatic bucking and very, VERY high rears (I was rather in awe of her balance) Of course as soon as YO wasn't about to watch, she settled down and behaved sensibly... Blinking horses.
When I took her back into the stable another groom swooped with another brush and stable rubber to remove all sweat marks and leave her pristine again to go back in her box...
One of them asked, rather nervously if I always left her whiskers long... "Yes" I replied.
"What, even the ones around her eyes?" he asked....
Jeez... I might let them trim her if it'll stop him from having a coronary. I don't even notice them any more although F has always said she looks like a sealion with her whiskers intact!
PF rather seems to like the attention!
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Blimey, but then I see you are in a different country, and maybe things are different in Argentina? In this country I'd be quite put out (understatement) about anyone interfering with the way I groomed my horse. And if anyone removed his whiskers I'd deck them.
 
Sounds a fairly retentive place.

On the other hand, if they are prepared to do the work themselves, let them get on with it. Is there a dress code for you too?
 
Things ARE different here; NO one (this is not an understatement) grooms their own horse or tacks up by choice, so having someone 'take care' of your horse like that is considered the height of luxury.
I don't really mind, but I walked past 3 grooms and none of them mentioned it!!
 
Is it in the contract that the grooms look after her at all or that there is a code of neatness for horses?
 
Well, the 'service' I suppose is why it's rather more expensive than the old place...
I'm used to doing things myself, in fact, I rather like it, but Argies like other people to look after their horses.
I'm going to fight to keep the whiskers though!!
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Is it in the contract that the grooms look after her at all or that there is a code of neatness for horses?

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The grooms are required to groom all horses before they go out and when they come back in...
They just didn't mention it to me!!
 
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Is it in the contract that the grooms look after her at all or that there is a code of neatness for horses?

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The grooms are required to groom all horses before they go out and when they come back in...
They just didn't mention it to me!!

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Even more reason to love that place!!!


But, how will they know when you want to ride, etc? Do you have to give them a buzz to tell that you want to ride, at so and so an hour and could she be ready?
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If you take her eye whiskers off I shall be over there slapping you with a metal curry comb
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At San Roque Club my groom absolutely REFUSED to allow me to take my horses out without a proper groom - I suppose rightly, our arena was alongside the golf course and one of the access roads, and therefore he considered everything in that arena a window to his aptitude as a groom - bless him, I would never bother doing tails unless going to a show LOL!
 
I would not let a groom clean my tack though as I am fastidious about how it is done. You can't really go wrong grooming a horse.

The only luxuries I have are full livery and a cleaner once a week (I don't do vacuuming, ironing, cleaning the bathroom, etc.). My cleaner is the mother of 1 of our grooms!
 
Gosh, I was just going to post on your other post how nice the new yard was, but it now sounds a bit hellish! That sort of thing would drive me mad lol, I'm very DIY! I bet there's all sorts of unwritten rules for the yard
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That made me laugh, especially the karate kid reference. Can you send them over here they can do my plaits
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That made me laugh, especially the karate kid reference. Can you send them over here they can do my plaits
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Oh good! Someone else who remembers the Karate Kid! I thought it was just me and my sister!
Don't know what their plaits are like yet! Will let you know
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PMSL! I loved it! It was how we were trained, not a blade of straw, sweat marks, stable stains, anything like that was really frowned upon; all feet had to be oiled every time horse went out of the box - yep, even to be turned out! It was more than our lives were worth to let any horse go out of the box other than smart! Bloody hard work but it did teach us how things should be done.
Now, the only thing I really bother about is no shavings in a tail, still hate that!
Think it all stems from when labour was very cheap and plentiful - and good!

The yard looks lovely, hope you settle in well; it'll soon come second nature to you, you won't believe how soon you'll be checking things 'are done properly'!

I'd fight for the eyebrows and whiskers too though!!
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Well, let's hope that their attention to detail extends to all the other aspects of horse care as well as making them look good. If it does, you will have made a very good move.

Leaving the reins on to lunge - tut tut!
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Leaving the reins on to lunge - tut tut!
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I ALSO don't undo the reins and take them out of the martingale rings when I untack
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... I have a clip-on attachment to save myself the hassle, but apparently this 'tangles' the reins ups.
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Funny... they've never done that with me!
 
Brilliant yard for lazy people!
I wouldn't like it so much as I like grooming my lad, because it lets me build on my relationship with him and I get to spend time with him doing that.
 
Love it - PF you have such a great way of posting your experiences, really put a smile on my face on a dreary Monday morning.
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Mind you, all that grooming and metal curry combs and I think the yard would have to have a permanent contract with the local recruitment centre if my mare was there!! She'd have bits of grooms plastered all over her box!
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