Has the horse world just gone a bit crazy?

[windand rain]

Most people would agree that 20 or 30 years ago kids had more freedom. None of my friends kids cycle off in the morning at the weekend and turn up again at tea time as the norm. The parents understandably worry about traffic and the things they read about in the news. I do wonder how the younger generation will learn skills like independence, bravery, getting yourself out of trouble and common sense leading such controlled, structured, safety focussed lives and how this will reflect on society in the future.

I agree wholeheartedly with this it is my biggest bug bear that kids up tot he age of 18 are delivered to the school gate and never darken the door of their home for fear of the boogey man. I also agree that things always look better in a nostalgic way but I do think horse ownership is too cheap It is cheaper in many cases for a person to buy and pay DIY livery than have a weekly or twice weekly lesson.
As to the bling and matchy matchy who cares if you have the money go for it as long as you dont turn your nose up at those that dont.
My ponies are kept on a shoestring there is no movement on that as we have a fixed small income. They are all fed, watered, poo picked and generally cared for at a very high standard they are vaccinated, dental work done and feet trimmed regularly. There is no room in the budget for anything that is not absolutely essential for their health and welfare.
Good luck if you can afford twenty rugs that is your choice and your money as as I said before who cares but the rug collector and few that suffer from the little green monster I have never envied anyone anything in my life and I doubt I am likely to start now. I love my ponies I want what is best for them I keep them healthy and happy but if I cant afford to do it I will PTS the old one and the evil one as I have taken full responsibility for them The youngster I can sell or gift to someone as she is tough enough to cope with what life throws at her and she is a super star so likely to get a good home anyway

 

[AmyMay]

Exactly, I doubt it's got worse, it's just people are talking about it more

No I don't think its got worse either. Horses live longer generally because of better management and veterinary advances. Injuries that were previously a death sentence many years ago are now treatable and many horses continue to live long and useful lives once treated.

I also don't think people on this forum are particularly advocates of destruction - just realists.

 

[Crugeran Celt]

Well i think its the owners vets give horses bullet as owners ask them to because they cant cope
and blame the horse.The jumps are smaller as people cant ride.The riders are crap as they wont work they have no guts like they used to. Every one you see on a yard now
is stood talking.well b******g.It is just not like it used to be.They dont
know what real riding and horsemanship is.So no its not just you But yes vets are probley
going same way hard work dealing with all these pretend horseowners
lets face it they are all vets farriers themselves the modern owner now

Do you think that riding standards are lower because children aren't allowed to just get out and enjoy their ponies because of health and safety issues and also less places to ride and much busier roads. When I think back to what we did as children and where we took our ponies its quite scary! I also feel that schooling has become so important in teaching that I see many people who are completely at ease riding any horse in a school but ask them to ride in the open and they go weak at the thought of it.

 

[mirage]

There are still good horse vets about.Recently knobberpony wrecked her rug overnight and I found it wrapped around her back leg the next morning.She was a bit stiff,but there was no swelling,heat or cuts,so I turned her away for a week.After that she was improving,but still looked stiff so I rang the vet who was very helpful,said I had done the right thing by turning her away and that there was no point examining her for a soft tissue injury that was improving.She had another few days off and is back in work again.Ours are specialist equine vets though,so that might be the difference.

 

[mirage]

Forgot to say,our ponies live out,we have no school so any jumping/schooling is done in a big flat field or at PC.We hack on the road most days and the girls will happily ride and jump bareback in the open fields,herd the sheep up,jump logs and generally have fun.

 

[teapot]

The 'idealising the past' thing referred to the notion that things used to be better than they are now, i.e. more knowledge, more compassion, more experience, more whatever you like. Trolloppe felt that things had gone downhill at his time and he was writing in the 19th century. If he was right and things have continued in a downward trend since then, by now we should be struggling to get on a horse! Mind you Xenophon was also pessimistic about the state of affairs with new owners who didn't seem to know half the things his more experienced lot knew, so maybe things have been going downhill since the 4th century BC and we should be grateful that we can still tell a horse from a cow!

He was also very forward thinking - we're talking about the guy who implemented the post box here! However he was hated within the Post Office so...

I think OP makes a point though - my old boss and two older women I volunteer with for RDA are who I would deem old school horsewomen. Their knowledge, their handling, their common sense (above all else), their experience of years being around horses is something you can only learn. A novice straight from a RS who's never had to tack up and go buys a horse will undoubtedly have problems of some sort.

Horses arn't like buying a hamster and the consequences when it goes wrong are much larger too. It's not about making sweeping statements or 'looking down on others' (I've never had a horse of my own) but I'm damn grateful I spent my teenage years at a decent riding school learning good practice. Thankfully before H&S kicked in so I was leading four ponies whilst pushing a wheelbarrow full of feed to the fields... You only get it wrong once :wink3: The culture of 'my right' and 'I want' is infiltrating the horse world, three lessons and kid gets a pony. 'I want' brings the disposal nature of life though that appears to be the norm.

As long as a horse is looked after well than what someone does with their own horse is their business. It's when blind ignorance leads to a horse being disposed of (selling or shooting) because they've not got off their arse to learn that if boundaries arn't set, a horse will be bargy for example I take issue with. A horse isn't a book, it's not a toy, it's not something you put down or pick up when you want. How many 'problem' or 'project' horses are actually just lacking some manners because of the last owner's total disregard for actually learning and getting experience?


ETS: I think modern society is less accepting of death compared to the 19th and early 20th century and that impacts on dealing with horses in a responsible way. I don't think it's right to bute a horse up just because they seem happyish and 'see out their days' when the moment the bute stops they're hopping lame. Drugging up for one more day in a field isn't fair IMHO.

 

[lizbet]

Very good point Kobi.

Do you think that riding standards are lower because children aren't allowed to just get out and enjoy their ponies because of health and safety issues and also less places to ride and much busier roads. When I think back to what we did as children and where we took our ponies its quite scary! I also feel that schooling has become so important in teaching that I see many people who are completely at ease riding any horse in a school but ask them to ride in the open and they go weak at the thought of it.

well it has not helped has it good point.week at the knees is right.

 

[Duvetdays]

This ^^^^^^^

 

[NZJenny]

LOL yay for living in New Zealand. We have also moved on from great, heavy canvas rugs, but I can still go for a blatt on the beach, although in my old age I do use a saddle and wear a helmet. However, I do hack on my own because the number of people who can't bear to break into a trot (never mind a canter) is just a bit silly really. Everyone knows the best bit about owning a horse is going FAST.

I'm also perplexed about the number of people who worry about falling off. If you get on a horse, sooner or later you're going to hit the ground. Get over it. Yes, it will hurt (more so the older you get) and yes, you might get hurt. If you "can't afford to get hurt", maybe consider a rocking horse. Your might also crash your car on the way home.

As for the whole vet thing, I think lots of vets these days are under pressure to come up with a "cure". I still like tincture of time for most things, but most people don't want to hear "turn him out for six months".

 

[Starbucks]

Thanks for the interesting replies folks!

Seems to have become a dig at beginners which wasn't my intention. There are a few novices on my block and all they seem to do is look after their ponies and have lessons!

 

[Mike007]

your post brought a smile to my face. I just love novices who have lessons and look after their ponies. Dear god, I started there. I occasionaly flog hay to horse owners and have recently aquired a new customer. a small yard yet all the kids there are just so happy to be around horses. None of the "oh a hay delivery ,how can I get out of the work"These kids are an absolute hoot and throw everything into the job. They restore my faith in this crazy horse world. I reemember when I was like that. No hope of a horse of my own but an infinite love of the horse world.

 

[Cherrydan]

A gorgeous way to look at it Mike007, I was once that little girl desperate for a pony, my parents couldnt afford...it narks me this stodgey superiority from the past.