"Horsey people" that havent got a clue!

Brightbay

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This thread is terrifying :eek::D

Although I have to admit, I do know a novice owner/saintly horse combo myself - if that horse could only talk! Funny thing is, they seem to be the kind of horses you'd shudder if told they were "first horses" - the one I know is an OTTB. Owner has had about 10 or 15 riding lessons from ex. But horse takes him out solo hacking. I have no idea who's deciding the route, but hey, it seems to work :confused:
 

soulfull

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The problem is what you don't know doesn't worry you'
I too made the same mistake as many. Daughter started having rising lessons. I soon realise it was cheaper to loan a pony than have 2 lessons a week :(
We were so so lucky that the person we loaned off worked with redwings and taught us what we needed to know
Next mistake 6 months later after daughter outgrew pony was to buy a 3 yr old welsh cob, cos it seemed quite and oh so pretty
Again redwings friend was there to tell us how to deal with worm an Lice riddled pony
At the same time I read everything I could get my hands on and now healthily and feisty pony was sent away for 5 wks schooling
Oh boy did we make some silly mistakes!!

My point being we had no idea at all how much knowledge was needed to own a horse! Had I have known I would never have bought one when I did.

Now many years later I don't forget that without that redwings friend I dread to think what would have happened to us or pony. Of course at the beginning we also had no idea how lucky we were to have her!!
 

misst

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I am sure I have made loads of mistakes and will continue to do so but my favourite ever question was from a lovely lady who bought her son a very nice WB for their first horse. Luckily it was kept on livery so well cared for and they loved it very very much. However the day before the mare was going on her first hack with the son she panicked and asked me "do we need the farrier out to get different shoes on for hacking":eek: I did manage not to laugh.
 

moana

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Some of this incidents are potentially funny, but most are seriously worrying.

Many years ago I worked in a Riding School / Livery yard and it was horrifying the number of youngsters and their parents who who thought because the child was learning to ride, they were now able to own and look after a horse.
 

Joanne4584

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OMG this thread is brilliant!! Well, for me to laugh at, maybe not for the horses involved :rolleyes:

I'll admit I was a novice when I got my first horse on loan. I had never put on brushing boots before so had to ask how to do it. I could put a headcollar on and tack up though :) I moved the horse to a yard nearer to my house and the YO asked me to go and get a haynet. She then asked me if I knew what a haynet was. I was rather insulted by this, but after reading this thread I can see why she asked!

The thing annoying me the most at the minute is teenage girls not warming their horses up. Within 5 minutes of getting on their horse they are cantering round the school and jumping. I was always taught to warm my horse up properly. Maybe I'm just old school.
 

tessybear

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The thing annoying me the most at the minute is teenage girls not warming their horses up. Within 5 minutes of getting on their horse they are cantering round the school and jumping. I was always taught to warm my horse up properly. Maybe I'm just old school.

Have faith ;) I am 17 and my mum who teaches me but is old-school instructress has always told me to warm up. I suppose it's like pulling yourself out of bed or from lozzing about the house to run a marathon !

But saying that i know someone who decorated her horses food bowls, and made them pink and sparkly it was a gelding but hey ho. I asked if it was to stop others on the yard taking her food bowl... I got

" Oh no no, it's so the boys in the field don't bully samson, the alpha has been chasing him away so perhaps they will think he is gay and not after the mares"

This was a good 4 years ago and has stuck with me since :eek: Mental lady, but again saint of a horse and he was well cared for.
 

Hoof_Prints

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As I mentioned in my first post, although it is dangerous I do not mind novices making mistakes as you learn from mistakes and nobody knows everything. What I do mind is 'experienced' (and incredibly deluded) people behaving dangerously or just being plain annoying with BS information, and acting as a role model.

My sister's friend who lovey as she is, doesn't know much about horses but as she has ridden mine a few times she thinks she does! She stood there telling my horsey friend how she now knew EVERYTHING there was to know about horses, how she'd galloped flat out hacking (steady canter that soon broke back to a trot) and then repeated everything I said immediately after to sound like she knew what she was saying :eek:

For example..
Me: He's a lovely pony, but a little parrot mouthed
Her: Yeah I thought that too, parrot mouthed.

... she had only seen the pony from a distance, you couldn't tell it was parrot mouthed without looking as it was only very slight.. and she didn't have a clue what parrot mouthed means!
 

vieshot

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It's hard because you don't know how experienced you are until your faced with the challenge! I know I made some mistakes with my first pony. He got turned out in a stable rug (I knew it was a stable rug but didn't think it an issue if it wasn't raining!) I thought a small scoop of cheap nuts each day was enough when he was in hard work. Of corse he lost weight but luckily I had some common sense to ask for advise on how to manage his weight so he soon picked up with a change in diet!

I didn't even know horses needed the dentist! It was just lucky that a good friend was taking her pony and asked if I wanted him done at the same time! I boxed him up to the tack shop and thought it was fine for a random lad that worked there (not a saddle fitter) to just plonk tack on him and tell me what was right. I used to 'use shoes up' in the sense that I would just ride until they fell off, not realising how important the 6-8 week rule is.

I was a daft teenager and the poor pony must have had a difficult first year with me! Luckily I learnt TONNES in that first year and as a result my horses want for nothing now. They get their shoes routinely, stable rugs stay in the stable, saddles are correctly fitted by a qualified saddler and they get more than just a scoop of crappy mix :)
 

vieshot

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Oooooo also, when I was very young and only just started at a riding school, I must have been about ten, two friends that had started with me asked me how big I thought the pony I was riding was. I answered 'he's got to be at least 13.7...maybe even 13.8' lol!
 

Jamie-lee

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Unfortunately, there are a few people like this at my yard.

There's absolutely nothing wrong with not knowing it all, we all have to start somewhere. If the person is willing to admit they need help and willing to learn, then great.

It's when you get the know-it-alls who have ridden only a handful of times, yet they obviously know more than the people who have had horses for many years... they are just downright dangerous.

I will admit, I almost put my horse's boots on the wrong way... it was an early morning lol but luckily I remembered after only putting one on that the straps do up on the outside of the leg! Whoops!

There's also a lady on my yard who has two rescue horses that cannot be ridden. She literally just looks after them, which is really nice in itself. But she once rented a third stable for a time and filled it with sand and pebbles so that it resembled some sort of beach... and both horses were each made to stand in the sandy/pebbly beach thing for an hour a day.

I'm not sure for what purpose as this happened before my time at the yard but the sandy-stable is no more.

Very odd.

I may be wrong but I am guessing the sandy/pebbly beachy stable was some sort of " barefoot conditioning" !!!
 

Cinnamontoast

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What gets me is experienced horsey people who refuse to call the vet when there's obviously an issue or keep a really poor or far too heavy sharer just for the sake of the money. Why let a horse suffer? :confused: It just horrifies me. :(

I see unclipped cobs in heavyweight turnouts in warm weather because the owner hasn't got a rain sheet and an unnecessary grackle because 'it's pretty'. Jesus! I will happily admit if I have no idea about something so I'll check rather than let the horse suffer.
 

Jamie-lee

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I find it terrifying that anyone can just go out and buy a horse/pony/donkey - well actually ANY animal without having any idea how to look after it -

on the other hand I find it quite discusting that people who DO have a fair bit of knowledge choose to ignore it - ie

the girl who used to be on a yard with me who left her horse in its stable from Thursday night until Sunday night or even Monday morning because she was "too busy " going out over the weekend to come down to the yard!!!!!!
Poor horse...... we used to throw hay over the door and give him water but fgs.
 

Jamie-lee

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We have a few "All the gear and no idea" types in this area. One lady was recently hacking out on her horse who had on very expensive brushing boots all round, hock books, knee boots and over reach on his hindlegs as well as the fronts. He also had a saddle cloth, a numnah and a prolite underneath the saddle -which probably did fit before the addition of all that, a breastplate with both running and standing martingale attached to his flash and chelt gag bridle, which of course was ridden with two sets of reins. And a crupper. I just kept my mouth shut as we passed other than to say good morning and tried not to stare. It was almost like she brought every single piece of tack going and put it all on him!

We also seem to be an area for clueless horse care. If your horse isn't hugely overweight you need to feed conditioning foods as they are under weight. And the amount of people who put the saddle far to far forwards beggars belief. Lots of people seem to ride on the neck. Oh and the epitome of being a good horse person around here is having a horse who is virtually un-rideable and tries to kill everyone. Clearly you have to be super skilled to handle such a beast, and anyone who has a well behaved, calm and obliging horse has brought a 'dope on a rope' because they are very novice-y!

It was very hard when we first moved here as we are definitely the odd ones out, after 8 years it's now water off a ducks back. We don't boot unless we need to, we use the minimum tack possible -saves me lots of un-necessary cleaning, we ride on our horses backs and not on their necks and all our horses are the right weight. We also treat our horses like horses, which means feeding and handling them appropriately so they are nice and enjoyable. If that makes us look like novices then that's just fine with us!

How refreshing Mistywoo - I do the same with my "dope on a rope"!
 

Love

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I have a very recent example of this! People who run the yard I used to be at have set up a self hire/taxi service style transport service with a (very nice) little 3.5 tonne lorry..... But are happily stating they can take up to 2 17hh horses in it... *facepalm* think they need "payload educating"
 

sjp1

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Really ............................!!!!

I must have been very lucky, although I have met some very novicey owners - certainly nothing as shocking as all these posts!!!
 

frozzy

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Many years ago when my daughters were doing sunday league winter showjumping the family with loads of dosh and the "BSJA" reg pony turned up with it newly clipped. Dad had done the job himself he proudly announced to the crowd who were watching with their jaws dropped. Yep, he had clipped it out, everything except its belly. It was totally furry from between its front legs , half way up its body to its sheath.! A kind soul took him round the corner to explain!
 

babymare

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I have no problem with people who are novice but want to learn(lovely memories of a family on yard who always were asking questions like"new hay seems greener is it ok to feed") but its the all the gear and no idea but hey know what im doing i loath. 1family got me to point of ringin whw for advice. Those people"more money than sense for darling(bratt)daughter i loath :mad:
 

Enfys

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Yes , cut the novices some slack but teach them.Have to agree with you cherrydan. The sad thing is that with each generation we loose so much of our equestrian heritage. I have been so privileged to have learned from ,for example the old git who used to come down to the yard where we kept our horses. But the old git had been a "corporal of the horse"during the first world war (think war horse) . What he didnt know ,probably wasnt worth knowing. He must have thought we were such mugs yet he never said and he always helped . Rest his soul.

Quite so Mike. Good to see that not everyone is using this thread as an excuse for a bit of a bitch fest.

Think on you folk that laugh at others, were you born perfect? Never made a mistake?
 

FionaM12

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Quite so Mike. Good to see that not everyone is using this thread as an excuse for a bit of a bitch fest.

Think on you folk that laugh at others, were you born perfect? Never made a mistake?

I'm glad I'm not alone in finding some of this thread uncomfortable reading. :(

It's definitely worrying when someone has a horse and no knowledge or willingness to learn. However most people do want to learn, and I find it a bit unpleasant having a good laugh at other peoples' lack of experience. :(
 
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Stroppy Mare

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I was told that my horse would be too heavy for their 7.5 tonne lorry (2 horse, no living!) - I advised my horse was not an elephant, but a 600kg horse. Said person then announced the ramp would not hold my horse but I was welcome to try it. No thanks, I'd rather not risk it if you think your box is dangerous. She puts her 500-550kg horse in... Think this reflects back onto the ignorance of the badly maintained horse box comment.

If I had suspicions that a 600kg horse would not make it up my ramp, I'd be questioning its safety and whether I needed to replace the wood.

This was not made by a novice, rather a so called experienced horse person, with a large background of horsey family. I have no problems with novices with horses providing they are willing to learn. We were all that ditzy novice back at some point. Child or adult, we all went through that phase.
 
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pony&cow

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my story is not funny but down right scary!!!!
lady came into feed shop where i used to work and asked for feed advice (fair enough she did ask for help)! her questiob was...
"my new pony ate a whole bag of these (pointing at pony nuts) yesterday and was still hungry. i'll buy a few bags now to last but hopefully he won't stay this hungry for long. do you think maybe he's got worms!!!!!)
when i'd recovered enough to answer I tolf her (kind of politely) that she NEEDS to get someone knowlegable to help as that could have killed the pony. suggested she tried working livery at a local riding school.
scary
 

LittleTero

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I remember being 11 and having my first pony. Parents not remotely horsey and would just drop me at the yard and I'd get on with it, I'd been helping at a yard for a over a year so at least I had knowledge on v basic care. Like feeding and mucking out. I was riding my pony (not a first pony at all bolted with me several times and I was terrified of it until being about 15 and strong enough to hold it. Then realised what a cracking jumping pony it really was) and someone told me I had my martingale twisted. I remember just shrugging and thinking oh well we're still moving forward I don't mind ill sort it out next time! Can't think of any others right now but sure I've done thousands as a kid. There were about ten of us kids all with ponies on a livery yard totally unsupervised by parents so if I saw things we did now probably think it was carnage! I wonder if kids still get left unsupervised like we all used to......
 

glamourpuss

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Last year I had a lesson after a thorough clean of my bridle. Horse was not accepting the contact AT ALL. Instructor looked at bridle & said
'Do you realise you've put your bit on back to front (KK ultra snaffle)'
I wanted the ground to swallow me. 15 years I've been putting that bridle back together & to this day I still don't know how or why I managed to to get it wrong....especially when it has a convenient arrow telling you which way is front!
 

TrasaM

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I'm with those who feel uncomfortable about how this thread reads at times. The worst case of stupidity I've witnessed has been by someone who has owned horses forever. We are talking 40 years plus. She left a young filly tied to a tree and left it alone when she went for a hack. Filly was short tied but as the tree was in a hedgerow there were lots of branches for her to get tangled up in. She was left for 2 and a half hours like this. Alone and not monitored because they wanted to go for a ride. Had the filly got tangled and fallen she would have seriously injured herself or choked. As it was shed scratched her legs quite badly.
So it would seem stupidity is not confined to novice owners. :)
 

samleigh

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We always call each other "Bad Owners" when we do a blunder with our horses at the yard LOL, I'm terrible for leaving my Brushing boots on, black on black legs...I know, no excuse I'm a bad owner :eek:
 

Brownmare

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So it would seem stupidity is not confined to novice owners. :)

So so true! The one that springs to mind is the lady who has had horses for nearly 50 years, even has her Pony Club B test and was still surprised after requesting allergy testing for her itchy horse to be told by the vet that the cause might be due to not washing his fly rug for 3 years!!! (and keeping it on 24/7, rain or shine, as he is grey and it keeps him clean)
 

Nudibranch

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Some unbelieveable people around!

I have a very tall gelding and have been asked by various members of the local, very experienced, hunt set family why he isn't shod, why he isn't bitted, why I was always leading him rather than riding, whether he was broken in.

He was 13 months at the time.....

Oh and the lady who asked why I needed a "great big horse like that".

I am 5'11....
 
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