Has the horse world just gone a bit crazy?

[Starbucks]

I don't know if I'm just being old fashioned, but it totally makes my mind boggle!

Hear me out here..there are certain standards where I know how I should look after myself, i.e. Eat fruit and veg, exercise, don't drink etc.

There are certain standards in which I should keep my dogs, i.e. Walks, not left alone, quality food, no chocolate etc.

Why isn't there more of a standard with horses? Why are there always so many debates about simple things? Why do vets think it's acceptable, and why are they thought of as successful if half the horses they see end up getting the bullet?

I sometimes feel like the rest of the world is moving forward but the horse world is moving backwards. More injuries, more fatalities, smaller jumps, worse tests, crapper riders.

Where are we going wrong?

Is it just me?

 

[WelshD]

Really? Half the horses seen by a vet get the bullet?

Wow I'll never call out a vet both of mine at the same time ever again

 

[Starbucks]

You know what I mean. Maybe a good %age of horses with 'unknown' lameness get the bullet.

Another thing I find disturbing! My friend is at collage at bishop burton, they were demonstrating horse treadmills to the students and had a lame horse on it!!! Even the person who put it on said 'she's not exactly sound', how can that be right ??

Another friend works at a fairly posh private school (she's a groom at the equestrian bit ) they were going to send a cob to the meat man because the bloody saddle fitter said it was knackered because it's hocks were swollen!? WTF???

 

[lizbet]

I don't know if I'm just being old fashioned, but it totally makes my mind boggle!

Hear me out here..there are certain standards where I know how I should look after myself, i.e. Eat fruit and veg, exercise, don't drink etc.

There are certain standards in which I should keep my dogs, i.e. Walks, not left alone, quality food, no chocolate etc.

Why isn't there more of a standard with horses? Why are there always so many debates about simple things? Why do vets think it's acceptable, and why are they thought of as successful if half the horses they see end up getting the bullet?

I sometimes feel like the rest of the world is moving forward but the horse world is moving backwards. More injuries, more fatalities, smaller jumps, worse tests, crapper riders.

Where are we going wrong?

Is it just me?

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

 

[lastchancer]

I don't think it's just the horse world, more a symptom of today's spoilt, self entitled, money motivated society. I think there's a lot of over rated bull**** merchants and a lot over indulged idiots. People just want to throw money at everything and think that somehow takes the place of proper training and education, and of course there's plenty of professionals only too happy to indulge them for as long as they keep paying...

I don't think it's really fair to accuse vets of being trigger happy, a lot of the horses they see probably have behavioral problems related to bad training, and health problems caused by over feeding. Feed company's tell us that our horses need far more feed and supplements than they do.

People buy horses sooner because they think after half a dozen lessons they can ride, and are blissfully unaware of what they don't know, so of course things go wrong. This in part in most likely because horses can be bought so cheaply, and lessons are so expensive - as a result of our blame/claim culture pushing riding school over heads up.

Here's a cavary video from the early 1900's - how many horses or riders would be up to this now?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nOyvimZuF5o

 

[Rose Folly]

Overall, I'd agree. Some horses these days are treated like a cross between a Barbie doll and a drama queen. If there is an issue it is always the back, the teeth, the saddle, the this that or the other possible injury ... rarely is the rider's ability to RIDE called into question (and incidentally I apply this to myself - the only difference is that I have faced up to it). Horses are either neglected or have tackrooms full of bling and supplements. And I think the vets have to play along with it. How rarely do you hear a vet these days say "Right, we'll give a bit of pain relief, turn him/her away for a few days and see how things go". It's practically "off to the equine hospital" before you can get your credit card out.

As for "the bullet" sometimes now I wish vets would be more forthright. You can't MAKE someone put a horse to sleep, but I don't think punches should be pulled. In 'the old days' every vet we used could ride, and did. they would get up on your horse if necessary and feel for themselves. when did you last see that?

 

[lizbet]

Horse owners today wont admit they are wrong its always the horses fault.The vets take the mick and get the horses in the practice.The last thing the vet wants to do is pts.Its less money
for them always the owners modern way.It takes a big person to admit they dont know.But i do think vets are getting lazy like everyone else.

 

[Starbucks]

That's such a good point Rose. We had an excellent horse vet where I grew up, he used to hunt with us, his daughter was in pony club etc. I would have been able to ask his opinion and get a sensible answer but base do my experience of the current vets I've had they will find something wrong, and charge a few grand for the privilege!

 

[lastchancer]

I have a good vet who once prescribed a ''bloody good hiding'' to a naughty horse I had checked out
On one occasion they sent a young newly qualified vet out to see a horse who had cut it's leg, a fairly mild injury but i thought it might need stitching, I was horrified when she wanted to take it to hospital for bone scans and all sorts. Unnecessary but yet another money making opportunity.

 

[babymare]

Fortuntly i had a brilliant vet who when she told me baby was going blind wss very positive but who understanding babys issues never questioned me when a few years later i rung to arrange to PTS. she was nothing but supportive.

 

[ladyt25]

Overall, I'd agree. Some horses these days are treated like a cross between a Barbie doll and a drama queen. If there is an issue it is always the back, the teeth, the saddle, the this that or the other possible injury ... rarely is the rider's ability to RIDE called into question (and incidentally I apply this to myself - the only difference is that I have faced up to it). Horses are either neglected or have tackrooms full of bling and supplements. And I think the vets have to play along with it. How rarely do you hear a vet these days say "Right, we'll give a bit of pain relief, turn him/her away for a few days and see how things go". It's practically "off to the equine hospital" before you can get your credit card out.

As for "the bullet" sometimes now I wish vets would be more forthright. You can't MAKE someone put a horse to sleep, but I don't think punches should be pulled. In 'the old days' every vet we used could ride, and did. they would get up on your horse if necessary and feel for themselves. when did you last see that?

Thank fully our vet is more of the "give it some bute and turn it away for a couple of days" type. Over the 30 odd years I have had horses/been riding, I have learnt that, in the main, most horse injuries are treatable without them needing a stay in some swanky hospital and most injuries are not in fact life-threatening/career threatening!

However, I do feel some of our younger vets want to throw lots of expensive diagnostics/ medicine at horses when it really is not necessary or won't actually benefit the horse.

I do think the problem is, as someone mentioned, too many people buying horses on a whim, after a few lessons and because they CAN afford it. They plonk them on livery yards and it is their 'hobby', nothing more - ok nothing wrong with that you say and I would agree. However, they don't try and learn any more skills, they don't listen to others' advice and often the horse ends up being deemed "unrideable"/"dangerous", purely because the expectation was for it to do as it was told and these people forget they are actually animals, and powerful ones at that!

 

[braindead]

I was speaking to some friends of mine who own a farm which has a livery yard. They were telling me how very few of their liveries actually hack out their horses. If they do they just walk with the occasional trot. They had especially built a canter track around one field. It remains unused. They said that most of their liveries seemed afraid to go for a good pipe opener. Like you say for most people it is a "hobby" or status symbol.

 

[NativePonyLover]

There are plenty of sensible people out there too - that do have regular lessons, use "common sense" and although just a hobby, look for self improvement and genuinely want the best for their horse. Neither of my two horses that I've owned have ever had a stay at the vets or shipped off to horsepital.

I don't, at this moment in time, particularly want to jump or ride a dressage test & certainly if that changes, I'll start with a "crap" test - but at the end if the day, if my horse is happy who cares if we aren't rivalling Valegro or the Cavalry on our equitation skills? I don't - but it doesn't mean I'll blame the horse or am automatically a terrible rider.

For what it is worth, I would rather a horse PTS humanely if a future cannot be guaranteed (through soundness, behavioural issues or whatever) - there is a fate worse than death, IMHO.

I'm very glad I'm a hobby rider though, the concern with profit margins & remaining viable as a business probably make it very difficult to be commercial as well as ethical to the horse - rightly or wrongly so.

 

[Pigeon]

I think the horse world has always been a bit crazy.

An interesting post though, me and my mum were talking about this the other day (she was an eventer before the days of health and safety) and we think it is largely down to horse ownership being more accessible. You don't need your own land, you don't need horsy parents, and you don't need to have ridden from a young age, which going back a few years would have been the norm. This is a nice thing, but it does mean that there are people out there buying who really haven't a clue about horse care and stable management, and this is when accidents happen. The answer is education and research, but some of these people simply can't be bothered. To be fair they're usually the same with their kids and dogs. Also there are a lot of people with confidence issues, which I don't really understand. I am not a brave rider by any means, but some of the posts on here make me think that if you're that scared, it can't be enjoyable, and riding is meant to be fun. I think in the old days, because all the deaths by horse weren't thrown in your face constantly, and you usually had a parent in the wings to shout 'get on with it!', people were braver. Also lack of confidence can cause issues with horses, maybe a bolshy horse or an animal that has lost confidence itself.

The other thing is people diagnose/treat injuries and lameness whereas before it would have been ignored/the horse destroyed. Again, this can be good or bad, and despite the advances in veterinary science I wouldn't put my horse through months of box rest. But I also wouldn't retire/spend thousands investigating a horse that was a little stiff in the mornings, for example.

Also, because most people don't own their own land, they have a monthly livery bill to deal with, so if they lose their job for example, there is no way they can keep the horse on a shoestring.

 

[Goldenstar]

If people want to keep a horse and amble about there's no problem if the horse suits the job .
I do think their a group of owners who just don't get it they don't understand how difficult it it is too ride well and simply don't see that changing themselves is the route to a horse that does the job that they want.
Insurance makes vets ( with some justification ) feel pressure to over treat as from the day they first see the horse the clock is ticking towards the time the limb or whatever is excluded .
Theres a lot of poor farriery being done and the farrier council is acting to protect the closed job not to strive to raise standards and retrain the poor .
In a perfect storm of foot issues many horses wear shoes all year round giving the feet no chance for R+R.
There are owners who keep horses to care for them .
I also know a livery owner who is perplexed by how little is done with the horses but as long as the horse is healthy and happy who cares really.
It's also probally not fair to base the state of horse owner ship from the forum people often post when they are in trouble so you get a lot of strange head banging tales on here.
Horses are too cheap to buy verses their cost to keep properly .
Well having got that off my chest I'll just toddle of and get my rugged horse with shoes on ready to go hunting when I'll canter it wily nilly all over the place including on the road wearing a treed saddle and a bit.

 

[Tiarella]

I was speaking to a dressage trainer on the same sort of topic the other day. We came to the conclusion that having a horse or being around horses is actually more of a fashion accessory rather than a passion/love. Lots of 'townie' people are suddenly coming into the horse world knowing nothing about horses and having no natural ability to ride. Its all based around one thing...money!

 

[siennamum]

I think we are slightly victims of the advances in diagostics and treatments, although that's a good and a bad thing. I spent £900 the last month having my horses fetlock and hock x rayed and injected, nerve blocks, box rest, the full monty.

All he had done was slip on the road, he was 2/10th lame and my inclination was initially to leave him in the field for a month.

I suspect the outcome would have been the same with rest vs medicating, but at least I now have the assurance that my horse is 100% sound and my vet has insight into what is normal for my horse and what future issues we might expect.

I think there is a tendency to over medicate but that's because everyone wants their horses in work asap & paying livery for a horse to stand in a field isn't a lot of fun.

What I despair about it the basic lack of knowledge, simple tasks like putting on a rug have to be taught. People new to horses assume it's adequate to manage horses without learning about the basics (as surely these things are just common sense) - they get insulted if you point out stuff like how to tie a haynet properly, how to poo pick properly or how to put a rug on properly. That really winds me up.

 

[Echo Bravo]

I think that standards have changed over the years, not always for the best in some parts. I use to love x-country, jumping and hunting and rode with a snaffle bridle and then you started seeing the big show jumpers with weird looking bits in their horses mouths for control and many a young person started to copy, many not understanding what the bit actually did. stable management was taught as a matter of cause and at PC camp, but not many people will pay for these sort of lessons and again many new gadgets, one I love helps me shorten their manes without having to pull the mane, so that's good for my fingers and my horses neck. Not many people like to hack out on roads as they have become too fast and many drivers and bikers don't either slow down or come very close to you, it's a changing world.

 

[hnmisty]

People are rushing into buying horses. Example: friend of a lady at my yard has just bought a horse. She can't do rising trot, and as far as I'm aware has no plans to get lessons.

Although I thought it was the other way round re PTS. I'm sick and tired of people keeping their animals going because it "might get better". Animals have no concept of the future, all they know is the present and the past, and they know they are in pain. I'm pretty much as soft as they come, but if you're animal is suffering and no one knows what is wrong or how to treat it, then do the kind thing for it. I know someone who let her horse go on for 6 months. It was so weak it could barely stand on its own. Vets had no idea what was wrong with it. Meanwhile, that owner let it suffer all that time in the hope of a cure. Did the horse know that is why it was in pain? Nope. I know people who have put their severely laminitic pony in foal to try to "save it". When I lost my pony to laminitis, the only thing I could have done for him was what I did- I had him PTS. I wasn't letting him suffer for 6 months and then die anyway because it would make me feel better.

Back to the first point... People just aren't bothering to make sure they know enough before taking on a horse. I wouldn't even take on a gold fish without doing a lot of research, let alone a large animal. Before I got my first pony, I'd been helping at my riding stables for over a year and devoured every single book on horse care that I could get my hands on. When I started group lessons after having privates to get me started, I could name parts of the saddle and horse that people in my group who had been riding several months longer than me had no idea about. That was when I was 9, and the so called "horsemad " girls in my lessons hadn't even bothered to find anything out apart from lessons. Both now resemble satsumas, so I'm very grateful for my nerdiness!

PS- the total novice who has just bought a horse is apparently already scared of it because it's turned its bum on her a couple of times in the field and she doesn't know what to do...

 

[honetpot]

I spent most of my childhood riding barely broken ponies that lived out 24/7 and lived on a diet of grass and in winter they may have got some stale loaves. They never saw a rug and we had our 'own' saddle which had to fit every pony your rode. The farrier used to fit second hand shoes. How we longed for smart tack and a stable. Now every one seems to have the money on smart tack, the rug for every change in weather ( I have two rug boxes of 6'9'', consequence of a teenage daughter with a Barbie complex and a TB), but no time and no turnout. I am really old fashioned and think most problems would not occur if horses had more turnout and people spent more time hacking at a responsible speed for the fitness of the horse. Most horses seem to be ridden sporadically and then competed or do fast work that k*ackers them, there seems to be no concept of controlled exercise leads to fitness and then the horse is fit to compete.
I lost the will to live when I found out that their are people that diagnose your horse from a picture, they could save the NHS millions.

 

[pennyturner]

Here's a cavary video from the early 1900's - how many horses or riders would be up to this now?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nOyvimZuF5o

Tee-hee. Looks like one of my hacks out with the kids. We don't have any of those lovely bankings, unfortunately. They look like fun!

 

[MrsNorris]

Part of the problem in my neck of the woods is that nearly all of our local riding schools have shut down, which is encouraging people into ownership far too fast. To make matters worse, we have very few proper yards, most are just DIY with the YOs not involved in any way, so no help on hand for the new owners.
Not only do many of these owners not have the skills to care for a horse properly, but they are buying completely the wrong type of horse, due to lack of experience.
It's an accident waiting to happen in some cases, and very sad for the horses involved, but not surprising really as there are so few alternatives around here for someone keen to get involved.
As for vets, not sure on that one, there is so much more available these days re diagnostics and treatment, but I sometimes feel that we can get a bit caught up in it all, and lose sight of what may be best for the horse, just because we CAN do something, doesn't necessarily mean that we should.

 

[lizbet]

I was speaking to some friends of mine who own a farm which has a livery yard. They were telling me how very few of their liveries actually hack out their horses. If they do they just walk with the occasional trot. They had especially built a canter track around one field. It remains unused. They said that most of their liveries seemed afraid to go for a good pipe opener. Like you say for most people it is a "hobby" or status symbol.

Then they wounder why horse bolts cry with fear and shoot it

 

[AmyMay]

Horses don't bolt simply because they are only occasionally ridden.

 

[Booboos]

There is a 19th century Anthony Trolloppe novel where he goes on about the same sort of rant, e.g. where have all the real horsemen gone, it's all new city people riding now who don't know one end of the horse from another, all the horses are injured due to lack of horsemanship, riders are incompetent and can't hunt safely, etc.

It says more about the nature of human beings and the ease with which we forget and idealise the past, than anything about our decreased competency with horses.

 

[ester]

I can't actually think that I know any of these sort of people!

 

[JoannaC]

It is also down to the way we keep horses nowadays which with land at a premium is difficult to get round unless you are lucky enough to live in the country. When we were kids our ponies all lived out and were ridden everyday, sometimes twice a day. Now even ponies are kept in a lot of the time with little exercise and not enough turnout so it's not surprising they develop problems. With the increase in traffic you can't blame parents for not wanting their children to be hacking out for miles whereas we used to regularly hack a couple of hours to ponyclub do a rally and hack back. Also the YO's ruled everyone with a rod or iron and if you did something wrong your were told in no uncertain terms. Nowadays people tend to be left to their own devices and don't really understand what is best for the horse because they've not been taught.

 

[Jesstickle]

There is a 19th century Anthony Trolloppe novel where he goes on about the same sort of rant, e.g. where have all the real horsemen gone, it's all new city people riding now who don't know one end of the horse from another, all the horses are injured due to lack of horsemanship, riders are incompetent and can't hunt safely, etc.

It says more about the nature of human beings and the ease with which we forget and idealise the past, than anything about our decreased competency with horses.

Perfect answer

 

[RunToEarth]

There is a 19th century Anthony Trolloppe novel where he goes on about the same sort of rant, e.g. where have all the real horsemen gone, it's all new city people riding now who don't know one end of the horse from another, all the horses are injured due to lack of horsemanship, riders are incompetent and can't hunt safely, etc.

It says more about the nature of human beings and the ease with which we forget and idealise the past, than anything about our decreased competency with horses.

The very nature of human compassion means that a lot of more experienced people will not stand by with very novice owners who have no idea on the very basic things such a feeding, rugging, turn out and stable management - at the very best it is dangerous for the horse if human's just turn a blind eye to it. I don't think it is idealising the past at all, deciding to buy a horse is a decision which seems to be taken very lightly these days by people who just don't have the experience to keep one.

 

[Goldenstar]

My OH found a magic short story , Victorian about a young man who bought a naughty horse to make a few bob turning it round and the chaos that ensued its hilarious .
George Elliot covers the ground in Middle march.
The inexperianced coddling in the wrong way is covered in the going for the doctor story in black beauty when BB gets colic because of inappropriate care .
I suspect theres not much new under the sun .