groom beating up spoilt pony

When I lived at a riding stables there was a livery that was a pain. He had been reared by a woman and apparently that meant he had been spoiled and was badly behaved! He was a horrible horse, always in your face, unpredictable and difficult to 'do' anything with. His owner was scared of him and let him getaway with it. One day he threatened to kick the YO and she got a broom and beat him with it until he fell over. She could do anything with him after that! He was good as gold round her, but still a barsteward to everyone else. It didn't affect him negatively, he didn't become nervous, he just made sure he was well behaved around the YO.
 
By heck knowing my mare as i did anyone laying a finger on her would be against the wall with fist in face trust me. hence why was on diy and fussy who handled her. Nothing to do with her manners but just knowing how others on yard treated thier own horses
 
I'd probably be accused of abuse as in the first month or so of owning my horse I booted her up the arse! I had picked up her back foot to pick it out, normally she would (and still does) wave it around a bit but would soon stop and it's never in a "I'm going to kick you" way. Well, this day she snatched it out of my hand and kicked me in the back of my shoulder, it barely hurt as I was so close to her but I spun round and booted her as hard as I could. In nearly 4 years of owning her she has never done it again, sometimes they need that quick shock to sort them out! Does depend on the horse though, she will try to get away with anything but once put in her place she is good as gold.
When I was told to boot my favourite horse at work up the bum (he was being an utter turd) I
nearly got killed! I know him better now and if I get kicked or bitten its my own fault and I just growl at him for it, but I know what signs to look for and what makes him angry so I work around him to an extent. He's a "I'll get you before you get me" type of horse and had gotten much better since we haven't been hitting him like the yard he was at before did.
 
Polos Mum said:
Mares in a herd will give youngsters a very firm and physical reminder of how to behave, timing and calmness is key to making sure the horse understands what you are telling them (in no uncertain terms!)

For mine a raised voice is usually enough, they do test the boundries now and again but find them still in place so it rarely lasts more than a moment or two
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This is so right PM. I could not agree with you more.
 
I would fully expect a groom to give my a horse a bloody great smack if he did what that mare was up too in OP. I have hand reared two foals. If anyone has managed to hand rear and produce well mannered young horses without a lot of tough love and the occasional wallop I would love to see it.
 
This is what I mean, a slap on shoulder or whack on backside or as I have found a raised voice when they try something on, works wonders. Throwing a bucket extra is a no no and they shouldn't be working with horses or any animal or kids. I have a mare that I've had from day one, there is nothing nasty about her, just that she neurotic, if people didn't know her they would say she was dangerous, she's never kicked, bitten or reared but she is sensitive to loud noises which makes her hyper but she is as soft as they come. Hate to think how she would have ended up if I'd past her on.!
 
Dogrose said:
One day he threatened to kick the YO and she got a broom and beat him with it until he fell over.
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How totally dreadful that you find that so acceptable that you are quite happy to tell the tale here, and admit that you watched this episode of 'good horsemanship' and did nothing to intercede on the animals behalf?

If I beat every horse that ever waved a leg in my direction with a broom handle until it fell over I hope someone would have the balls to do the same to me. Disgraceful IMO.>:(
 
That poster did not know if the mare had been hand reared, she only summised that it might have been. Does throwing a bucket really help a situation? I rather fear that it show that you have lost the plot.
 
I do agree. However, I do feel sorry for all the grooms that have to put themselves at risk getting flattened and bitten taking care of ill mannered horses, day in day out for minimum wage. I'm not surprised if they occasionally loose the plot!
justabob said:
That poster did not know if the mare had been hand reared, she only summised that it might have been. Does throwing a bucket really help a situation? I rather fear that it show that you have lost the plot.
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Dogrose said:
When I lived at a riding stables there was a livery that was a pain. He had been reared by a woman and apparently that meant he had been spoiled and was badly behaved! He was a horrible horse, always in your face, unpredictable and difficult to 'do' anything with. His owner was scared of him and let him getaway with it. One day he threatened to kick the YO and she got a broom and beat him with it until he fell over. She could do anything with him after that! He was good as gold round her, but still a barsteward to everyone else. It didn't affect him negatively, he didn't become nervous, he just made sure he was well behaved around the YO.
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And that person should have been appearing in their local magistrates court for causing unnecessary suffering..
 
Whilst every horse is diffetent is "violence"the way? Just my thought as persoanally ive seen to many horses punched & hit for behaviour that didnt warrent it. Eg horse hated mane pulling got punched in face. sorry i hate my hair being pulled as it bloody hurts so why shouldnt a horse. a horse hates sounds of sprays kicked in guts. hello get a sponge spray on an wipe over. simples. my big lad hated ears being touched so to put bridle on was fight. un do cheek piece slipped bit in mouth do cheek piece up. horse happy me happy. result unlike previous owner that beat him :( but hey just my view :)
 
And Dogrose you have answered most of my question and it's not a very good answer, yes it did affect him negatively as he wasn't good around other people just the one that beat him up, as you said he just made sure he was well behaved around the YO. :( Does that not tell you anything at all?
 
Dogrose said:
When I lived at a riding stables there was a livery that was a pain. He had been reared by a woman and apparently that meant he had been spoiled and was badly behaved! He was a horrible horse, always in your face, unpredictable and difficult to 'do' anything with. His owner was scared of him and let him getaway with it. One day he threatened to kick the YO and she got a broom and beat him with it until he fell over. She could do anything with him after that! He was good as gold round her, but still a barsteward to everyone else. It didn't affect him negatively, he didn't become nervous, he just made sure he was well behaved around the YO.
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That is DISGUSTING behaviour. People like that make me sick >:(
 
But if your horse did something dangerous like tried to flatten you whilst turning out or he kicked you, what would be your reaction, that's the question??
babymare said:
Whilst every horse is diffetent is "violence"the way? Just my thought as persoanally ive seen to many horses punched & hit for behaviour that didnt warrent it. Eg horse hated mane pulling got punched in face. sorry i hate my hair being pulled as it bloody hurts so why shouldnt a horse. a horse hates sounds of sprays kicked in guts. hello get a sponge spray on an wipe over. simples. my big lad hated ears being touched so to put bridle on was fight. un do cheek piece slipped bit in mouth do cheek piece up. horse happy me happy. result unlike previous owner that beat him :( but hey just my view :)
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babymare said:
Whilst every horse is diffetent is "violence"the way? Just my thought as persoanally ive seen to many horses punched & hit for behaviour that didnt warrent it. Eg horse hated mane pulling got punched in face. sorry i hate my hair being pulled as it bloody hurts so why shouldnt a horse. a horse hates sounds of sprays kicked in guts. hello get a sponge spray on an wipe over. simples. my big lad hated ears being touched so to put bridle on was fight. un do cheek piece slipped bit in mouth do cheek piece up. horse happy me happy. result unlike previous owner that beat him :( but hey just my view :)
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Not to those questions but they are very different from the scenario the poor girl in the original post was describing...
 
Must admit I think we are going back to the Victorian times where horses were a plenty and they were knackered by the time they were 9 years old, so it didn't matter how said horses were treated, just look at the First World War and those proud horses that were left behind in Eygpt, that's how Brookes started by 2 Ladies who cared.
 
Agree Echo agree. Sorry sometimes we forget horses are not machines but living breathing thinking animals who react for a reason. We may not sometimes understand that reason. But i learnt along time ago to try and see the world from horses eyes. no excuse if well handled for rude and disrespectful behaviour but just see world from thier eyes and brains. What we see as harmless to them maybe a threat.
 
Last week there was a thread over how everyone had gone soft and old fashioned horsemanship was best, now the old ways are too harsh and we should all whisper in our horse's ears!

I think people have different ways of doing things as they have always done and there is more than one way to skin a cat.
 
And if a horse tried to flatten you just a sharp dig in the ribs or tries to kick you on turning out, you turn the horse towards you, gives you time to get out of the way. I think to many young people are taken on looking after horses when they are not A) capable B) have very little knowledge.
 
Echo Bravo said:
And if a horse tried to flatten you just a sharp dig in the ribs or tries to kick you on turning out, you turn the horse towards you, gives you time to get out of the way. I think to many young people are taken on looking after horses when they are not A) capable B) have very little knowledge.
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In the case of the thread your referring to the grooms boss is at fault for leaving her with such a difficult horse on her own
 
It's horses for courses. Some are very sensitive and need a light touch or they have a melt down, others are much more brash and need much more robust handling.

I had two young TB/section Ds aged 2 and 3. They were like chalk and cheese. One was an over confident git who needed to be firmly put in his place, the other was excessively keen to do the right thing and needed constant reassurance.

Had I handled either one in the manner that was appropriate to the other, there would have been mayhem.
 
Echo Bravo said:
And if a horse tried to flatten you just a sharp dig in the ribs or tries to kick you on turning out, you turn the horse towards you, gives you time to get out of the way. I think to many young people are taken on looking after horses when they are not A) capable B) have very little knowledge.
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I know someone who hates any kind of chastising/smacking/shouting. I got trampled by her spoilt, rude pushy mare last year whilst turning out (and yes i do know to turn horses to face me). I sustained a spinal injury and lost the feeling in my arms up to my elbows for several months and had to give up my job. Should I have given her a dig in the ribs?!
 
RaynerK said:
But if your horse did something dangerous like tried to flatten you whilst turning out or he kicked you, what would be your reaction, that's the question??
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Well if I found myself in the position that I had a horse so dangerous I had to resort to beating it to the ground to protect myself I would either have it shot immediately, or if I didn't feel the horse was dangerous enough to warrant that I would look to my own capabilties and retire myself permanently from any contact with horses or any other animal if that was the only way I felt able to deal with it.

I am not a fluffy bunny newcomer to horses by the way, I have been reared with horses and horse dealers and my experience is well over 60 years. I have seen many a rude and feisty horse nudged sharply in the neck or ribs, growled and screamed at, and/or hit with a rope on the rump and MADE to back up and then damn well remember its manners. I have never seen anyone I respect deal with a bolshy and dangerous horse by beating it to the ground.

Time for some people to rethink their career choice I think.
 
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