Ginn
Well-Known Member
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Horses are big strong and potentially very dangerous animals. If we don't have their respect and they are not listening to us then yes, sometimes they should get a damn good smack!" - Sorry but I totally disagree with this. This is certainly NOT the situation for the horse to have got "a damn good smack". Her horse was shying and jogging, beating the hell out of it would do absolutely nothing!! If anything, it would make it MORE frantic! My horses get the odd tap but certainly never a thrashing or even a 'damn good smack' yet they still have respect for me! None of us have the right to beat the crap out of our horses. At least she regrets it, its people who think its OK to do this who dont deserve the pleasure of keeping horses.
"she could have put you on the floor and ended up loose on the road." - I think beating her up in the middle of the road would have a higher chance of causing this! If a horse is jogging, surely the WRONG think to do is smack it?!
"Im not condoning hitting/whipping horses but they are big strong and not overly intelligent animals so when they do try and get the better of us it is sometimes needed." - In this situation, who was to say the horse was "trying to get the better" of her? Maybe it was genuinely worrying about something. Too often it is US who arent intelligent, we dont try to think like the horse.
Sure, I doubt beating a horse up one day wont cause it lasting damage but if it became a habit then it certainly would. I have owned a horse who was beaten up in the show jumping ring from a very young age by the previous owner. He NEVER got over it to the point that I had to call it a day competing him.
Sorry, apologies if I sound aggressive! I just feel very strongly against thrashing horses and those who think its ok. Im sure in your case randira, you already feel so guilty so I doubt you'll ever do it again. In which case, Im sure your horse will forget about it. x
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I agree with you there entirely - kiri's pony has had big, big issues due to having the crap repeatedly beaten out of him for bad behavior and even now if you smack him then you also need to be prepared to sit a good few bucks. BUT having seen what a horse can do when they don't respect you I honestly cannot see the harm of giving him/her a single, firm smack when needed. I think I can count on one hand the ammount of times Tilly has had a smack as she knows what is acceptable behaviour and what isn't. The tone of my voice is usually sufficient to stop her before she even thinks about playing up and on the roads a horse must be listening as idiots are often found behind the wheels of potentially dangerous vechicles.
However, like I say I in no way condone "beating" or even routine "punnishment". But we are all human and occasionally we will all loose our temper, sometimes for very good reason and other times not. Maybe I miss-read the original post but I got the impression the horse was behaving in a dangerous manner on a road and that the rider had given it a good smack or two, maybe unecessarily, but if it repremanded the horse and he/she proceeded to continue on in a sensible manner then I can understand why she did it and cannot see a problem. Maybe I have completely missread things?
I also find jogging out on roads illmannered when not asked for and expect the horse to listen with me in control. Obviously how you deal with this is down to the individual horse but letting a horse get away with it is not an option imo as it is dangerous. Sure all horses spook and come across frightening situations and these again need treating acordingly depending on the horse and particular situation but from my interpretation of the original post this was not the case.
My apologies if I have misread everything and I'll reiterate that I don't believe in hitting/beating/whipping animals but I do feel that discipline and respect are paramount and sometimes a horse may need a single firm smack.
Horses are big strong and potentially very dangerous animals. If we don't have their respect and they are not listening to us then yes, sometimes they should get a damn good smack!" - Sorry but I totally disagree with this. This is certainly NOT the situation for the horse to have got "a damn good smack". Her horse was shying and jogging, beating the hell out of it would do absolutely nothing!! If anything, it would make it MORE frantic! My horses get the odd tap but certainly never a thrashing or even a 'damn good smack' yet they still have respect for me! None of us have the right to beat the crap out of our horses. At least she regrets it, its people who think its OK to do this who dont deserve the pleasure of keeping horses.
"she could have put you on the floor and ended up loose on the road." - I think beating her up in the middle of the road would have a higher chance of causing this! If a horse is jogging, surely the WRONG think to do is smack it?!
"Im not condoning hitting/whipping horses but they are big strong and not overly intelligent animals so when they do try and get the better of us it is sometimes needed." - In this situation, who was to say the horse was "trying to get the better" of her? Maybe it was genuinely worrying about something. Too often it is US who arent intelligent, we dont try to think like the horse.
Sure, I doubt beating a horse up one day wont cause it lasting damage but if it became a habit then it certainly would. I have owned a horse who was beaten up in the show jumping ring from a very young age by the previous owner. He NEVER got over it to the point that I had to call it a day competing him.
Sorry, apologies if I sound aggressive! I just feel very strongly against thrashing horses and those who think its ok. Im sure in your case randira, you already feel so guilty so I doubt you'll ever do it again. In which case, Im sure your horse will forget about it. x
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I agree with you there entirely - kiri's pony has had big, big issues due to having the crap repeatedly beaten out of him for bad behavior and even now if you smack him then you also need to be prepared to sit a good few bucks. BUT having seen what a horse can do when they don't respect you I honestly cannot see the harm of giving him/her a single, firm smack when needed. I think I can count on one hand the ammount of times Tilly has had a smack as she knows what is acceptable behaviour and what isn't. The tone of my voice is usually sufficient to stop her before she even thinks about playing up and on the roads a horse must be listening as idiots are often found behind the wheels of potentially dangerous vechicles.
However, like I say I in no way condone "beating" or even routine "punnishment". But we are all human and occasionally we will all loose our temper, sometimes for very good reason and other times not. Maybe I miss-read the original post but I got the impression the horse was behaving in a dangerous manner on a road and that the rider had given it a good smack or two, maybe unecessarily, but if it repremanded the horse and he/she proceeded to continue on in a sensible manner then I can understand why she did it and cannot see a problem. Maybe I have completely missread things?
I also find jogging out on roads illmannered when not asked for and expect the horse to listen with me in control. Obviously how you deal with this is down to the individual horse but letting a horse get away with it is not an option imo as it is dangerous. Sure all horses spook and come across frightening situations and these again need treating acordingly depending on the horse and particular situation but from my interpretation of the original post this was not the case.
My apologies if I have misread everything and I'll reiterate that I don't believe in hitting/beating/whipping animals but I do feel that discipline and respect are paramount and sometimes a horse may need a single firm smack.
