I Took HHO To The Stables ....

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Tia

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..... with me this morning.

Generally once I sign off here, I immediately go into real life and don't think about HHO, unless I am really concerned about someone/horse OR if there is a "famous" Hannah foal due
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Anyway, you all came down with me while I was mucking out and I started to think about the people on here and why some of us think the way we do and then others think completely differently. Not sure if I am making sense here but I'll blunder on anyway.
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I was thinking about things that I (and some others on here) do and take for granted that everyone does or at the very least knows how to do, even if they don't do it as a matter of course.

I sometimes find it interesting how some will call the vet for relatively trivial things and there are others who, even though the advice they are given suggests that a vet may be needed, seem to really dilly-dally over calling.

I am often surprised at the apparent inexperience of many people on here on simple things such as the giving of injections, doing emergency feet repair on their horses etc. Things that a number of others "just do".

I wonder about the thought-processes also. There are obviously some very experienced horse owners on here; do we trust them? Would we honestly believe them to have a bash with things that they have no knowledge over? LOL!!

I guess what I am saying is; are we guilty of putting everyone on here in boxes? The same box? Or do we have an inkling as to the idea that some on here actually do know what they are doing? Conversely, does that then mean that some are also aware of others inexperience? Or does no-one really register anyone on here as competent/incompetent?

I guess what I am sort of getting at - does the forum surprise you from time to time?

Oh by the way, going off at a complete tangent......I found a full shedded snake skin in a bale of straw this morning
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. Totally intact.
 
Woah Miss Tia! You've had HHO overload!!!!!!

I think most people take me for what I am....pony patthing, happy hacker who knows Jack all! Of course, I'm not ignorant with that and will seek advice and do read alot to try and further my knowledge base. I will call the vet if I feel it's necessary. I'm very much in the "air on the side of caution" camp. However, I think I'm pretty ok at adminstering basic first aid in the interim.

When I read certain posts, I can sense that some members might be a bit aloof and unperturbed by things that would ring alarm bells with me. Some members are very knowledgeable and I really do listen and respect their advice. Others strike me as people who wouldn't know what to do in any given emergency.

However, aren't we all, all of those people some of the time? I know more about some conditions than others through personal experience. Sometimes I'm unworried by things someone else might be scared witless over and vice versa.

That's what makes us all individuals.
 
LOL!! @ HHO overload.
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You see, I don't think you know Jack-*. I realise you are relatively new to horses.....but I see you as someone who really wants to learn and once you are shown something I would think you are pretty competent at understanding and being put to the task....whatever that task may be.

Well that's my opinion of you.....others may disagree....which is really what I am getting at I suppose.
 
Lovely! I think I have in my head who does what, whether they have a 'professional' attitude or 'non nonsense' or maybe a bit silly at times. I think you do consider whether people are competent, but sometimes people do surprise you, or maybe if they have had experiences of something. Know what I mean?
 
Actually patches I regard you as someone who knows rather a lot - especially regarding shoeing, lameness and unbalance in horses as I think you are one of those good students who retain all the research you do into a subject!

Personally Tia I deffo have some boxes which I file some people in. My biggest irk is that some people reply to try and sound knowledgable but either a) say nothing or b) have OBVIOUS c/p'ed or (and this is one of my personal faves) c) wait until someone else has given the answer and then nod convincingly that yes X is absolutely right (even tho the poster doesn't have any qualification to qualify what the other has said LOL)

I know who I trust when reading advice and that, for me, is all that counts.
 
First things first, glad it was just a shed skin..where do snakes go when it is cold? Will you find the rest of the family snuggled up in the bales I wonder?

On the subject of perceived experience, yes it is quite clear that there is a huge range of experience (or lack of) in may different fields. I think if I had a real fairly urgent crisis I couldn't resolve myself I would maybe contact local friends for advice, or go straight for the vet (I do trust my vet implicitly)

For a more general issue I am happy to sound out the wise folk of the forum, between so many of us, somebody will have encountered pretty much every problem out there and I am always interested in different views and experiences. some advice I might use, other advice I will disregard, not necessarily based on my perception of the posters experience, more based on whether the solution is applicable in my case.

I think if I give advice I tend to work from a position that the OP might not have that much experience. Not that I intend to insult anybody, just think it is safer than assuming they know more than they do. They can always put me straight, or ignore me...but I would hate for a complete novice owner or rider go off and try something and come to grief on my say so, or anybody else's
 
Well yes, I must admit. I do pick things up quickly. In all aspects of life, not just horses. If shown something once, it's "up there" stored in the good old grey matter and will never be lost. I had four driving lessons before being put in for my test from never being behind the wheel.....I just had a "grasp" of it naturally. Duncan showed me how to ready the parlour for milking once.....well he didn't show me, I was watching him. Three years later I just went up there one day (as he was late silaging) and did it. He was so amazed that I remembered.

Same with the horses. I like to read the vet sections of magazines and take on board the recommended course of action for numerous ailments. I also have oodles of horsey based books. I feel it's imperative that I educate myself as much as possible especially seeing as I have my horses at home so I'm pretty much flying solo.
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You always strike me as an unflappable, laid back character. Someone confident with their knowledge and abilities who's vastly experienced at all aspects of horse care/management.
 
That was a bit too much to take in having just woken up.
I dont tend to have boxes for anyone, just take everything at face value.
I am constantly amazed at the duff advice handed out on here (have to bite my tongue a lot). Its always seems to be the ones that havent got a clue, that reply with a long explanation to each and every problem.
I cant always spot these people - but did notice one person the other day hand out a particularly un-useful piece of crap, who I had always thought was okish.
I guess im trying to say you shouldnt really segregate people, because they can fool you for ages into thinking they are something they are not (for better or worse).
 
Ditto Weezy by the way.

Watcher - you have raised another point which I mean't to say in my long-winded musings. One of my old horses yesterday looked like he was dying. We were in the middle of something else which was pretty important.....so although I ran across to him to see how he was doing....he had to be left until after we had finished. Well we finished the task in hand and although he had collapsed again in the interim he was back up again; I checked that he wasn't anaemic and took his temperature, heart rate etc. and he seemed fine. I kept a check on him for a couple of hours before we went out to celebrate and he was up and eating. First thing this morning I looked out of the window to see him tucking into his hay....no worries. So in my "HHO overloaded mind" I wondered how others would have dealt with this on here? Bearing in mind my vet is 4,000 miles away so not much use to me.....I wondered if others would just get on with it or if they would come onto HHO asking for help or support... or would they just get on with the job in-hand and not even think about telling HHO until the emergency was over.

Gosh I think I am waaaaay too philosophical today
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Yes I know what you mean exactly. I think I do the same as you.....but I do wonder if others do.

Maybe it is just the length of time of being an HHO member that gives you the sort of "inside information" trail of thought.
 
Yes that's interesting. I wonder then if people on here have specialty areas? Either that or just different opinions, neither being right nor wrong? I guess it is such a massive area with so many differentials.
 
Far too philosophical!!
Have to say if one of ours collapsed, I would be calling a vet, but ours is 5mins away, and we are relatively 'novice' owners in that at 18 I'm the oldest in the yard with non horsey parents. Plus we had two collapse and die/PTS so yes, I would classify myself as being too quick to call the vet, but better safe than sorry?
 
Yeah but would you put up a post on HHO before you did any of those things?

I'm beginning to wonder if I have seen too many old horses die
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That's interesting - when I started lurking in some two (or was it three?) years ago I was really surprised by many things people did or didn't do with their horses in the UK. There were times I was shocked by people who owned a horse and seemed incapable of taking care of it and some questions asked on the forum indicated that some had absolutely no idea about day-to-day training/interaction/care (you name it) when it came to their equine dependants.
In time I have come to the conclusion that maybe (?) those people knew more than they seem to have been showing on here and that they were just checking/making sure whether what they thought was correct. The latter thought is the one I prefer to believe in...
For me personally the forum is a source of a general opinion on various things horse related; I like to read what people think then see how it compares to what I am used to do. I have my own ways of doing things which are not necessairly the same as people's on here (and in the UK as a whole) and which are not necessairly the best. For the latter and for I like to learn I also treat this forum as a debate room
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I think Tia made an interesting observation about 'boxing' people. In my opinion most of us is doing so (I am basing this on how people reply to certain people) and we will continue to do so whether we want to or not.
 
I'm afraid unless it is something that i have 1st hand experience or qualifications on i try and keep my opinions to myself.
Although like you i do read some comments and think what the hell.
We always take temps and check membranes then watch before calling vets out.
But dont you think that is down to experience.
Our vet bills are high enough without panic visits.
Actually our vets are always on the end of a mobile to talk to which helps.
 
Oh I do think people have speciality areas, it is only human to know a lot MORE about something you have had to deal with first hand (like Patches), and those that have tried and tested different methods to solve a certain prob/affliction are always a bonus (ESPM (or is that the sports channel!) springs to mind). I know my personal knowledge of veterinary procedure is limited to those normal day-to-day occurances that, I think, every horse owner should be knowledgable about (colic, coughing, lameness, feeding, vices, allergies, etc), so I never EVER give advice unless I have 100% courage in my convictions.

I do also feel that there can be different opinions and thatdoes make some people shout *what piffle* but it MAY have worked for them, I just like to see it backed up!
 
No, I would definitely not. HHO is more of a general thing, I would never come on, I don't get those posts 'Help quick, emergency, horse bleeding severely' sort of thing?
I think maybe that is not addicted to HHO, but, well, I don't know how to put it.
 
I very really give advice as I am relatively new to horse owning and really don't feel qualified. I do read and take on board most of what I read on here tho and don't hesitate when it comes to asking for help.
 
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Ditto Weezy by the way.

So in my "HHO overloaded mind" I wondered how others would have dealt with this on here? .....I wondered if others would just get on with it or if they would come onto HHO asking for help or support... or would they just get on with the job in-hand and not even think about telling HHO until the emergency was over.

Gosh I think I am waaaaay too philosophical today
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Ditti ditto Weezy!
I don't know much, everday is a learning curve. Not too proud to say I will ask advice, and take advice when needed, and tips etc.
I have learned stuff from experience and asking, and will do injuries and wounds and then ask here what other people would do or have done! Would never ask here first, don't take pc on field trips! Would wait for emergency to be over or at least controlled......

Was going to write a long reply but in a few seconds forgot what I was saying to myself........

I rarely post advice because I am not good enough to do so, usually will only say if it is something I have come across or experienced. if that makes sense.?
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Know what you are saying..I think I posted about my colicking pony after the event..
I did call a vet for her, she is on permanent loan to me so although the owner trusts my judgement totally, if something had gone wrong I would have been justifing my decision not to call the vet to the owner as well as beating myself up..easier to just call somebody out. If it had been my own horse I might have handled it differently.

Of course mine are at a yard, not at home, so I can't just look in on them and that does change how you deal with things. My only other vet call out has been for a mare that managed to stab herself on blackthorn quite deeply and required a local anesthetic to cut it out of her chest (we did the subsequent antibiotic jabs). If I had been somewhere very isolated of course I could have made a cut and done it myself..but suspect there may be rules about what degree of veterinary care can be undertaken by an unqualified person. In that case the mare was on trial with me, so again, not calling the vet was not an option any way.
 
Yes I often think the same as you with respects to people using this place as a sounding board. I just wonder about others who don't....because some of the responses seem totally contradictory....how would any new person know what is right and what is wrong unless they have heard about certain things being mentioned in real life?
 
I am one of those that I know the way I would do something but I find it interesting what other people would do in the same situation. Like mentioned there are so many ways of doing things. I learnt the basics at a BHS riding school before buying mine, others learnt through experience. Depending where you pick things up depends on your knowledge and the way you would do something. Vets can be the same, one would do one thing and another the other way but be treating exactly the same horse.

I think most of the time most members know the answer or even what to do but like me like to find out others opinions. Which in my eyes is what a forum is about.

It might be that by posting a question that they know the answer to they may find a different view and this would turn out to be more suitable for them and the animal in question.

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Hmm
Well I don't think that not many people would be able to deal with that situation as you did- maybe 50-100 people (active users) on here would - I don't know off by heart what all the 'normal' readings or rates would be but I'd have my book on the yard to refer to. I'd consider myself to 'know' my horse well enough to know when something is wrong with him and yes I may phone the vet if no-one else can help on the yard and if something troubles me enough. (ie My horse came up in lumps, I had a fair idea what might have brought it on, I asked at the yard, I asked on here, I watched the lumps for a week as they were not causing discomfort, they went down and i left it at that- they returned a week later, worse and more of them so I phoned the vet, 2 mins later I had more peace of mind and a call out avoided)

As for other people and my perceptions of them/putting them in boxes, well...
I've been on here for 18 months and I feel i've gained a fair idea of some peoples levels of knowledge. There is a degree of technicality and a personality that comes out in some posts and I generally trust that persons opinions based on this- ie X gives detailed and thought out advice which sounds as though it comes from someone who has a lot of experience. Some of the 'real life' posts provide an insight into X's horsemanship levels which backs up this idea for me.

For me, there are very few areas where I feel I could contribute with useful advice- I have about 2 specialist subjects- grazing muzzles and sweet itch
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and I can talk about these till the cows come home, but only from my own experience and nothing more.


I think Jade said it best up there somewhere, i'd only post what I actually know about! (which isn't much) In RL i'm always reading books and getting inspiration for schooling exercises and stuff so I would hope that I come across as someone who wants to learn as much as I can and I as someone who asks for help when I have a problem.
 
Yes I am more like you. I guess you have to be when you have a lot of horses. If you don't learn or know certain progressions of testing then it would cost a fortune! Mind you my vet is very very cheap so it's not really that which stops me calling him at the drop of a hat. I suppose I do all the necessary checks and then ....... wait.

With respects to the old horse yesterday; had he died, then once again we would call on experience on how to deal with the death, body etc. as we've done it before so many times.
 
very interesting post!! TBH i dont know what all of you think of me - im only 15, the more i know the more i realise i know nothing about horses
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i use this forum not only for the social side but also to get other views and opinions on things im not 100% sure on or if i think there is a better way to do something that i havent come across yet. im open minded about a lot of things and i dont think im in any position to class any of you as you are all older and wiser than i am!!

hmmm...
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Of course mine are at a yard, not at home, so I can't just look in on them and that does change how you deal with things.

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Yes you are right - that does make a big difference....I'd forgotten that one. You see I might have come on here yesterday, had I not been busy with other things, and mentioned to you all that I might have a horse dying, have no vet around etc. Difference is that I can sit on here and tell you what is going on and still check said horse out of the window as I type.

I often have things go on here which I never mention on HHO - only exciting things do I generally talk about.....or at least what I perceive as exciting - they might be dead boring to others LOL!!
 
Gosh this is an interesting post!
Whenever I ask for advice I will read it all and take it all in, but I recognise that some users have way more experience from the rest of us and I take advice from those certain few quite readily, whereas the "rest" of us I would take advice from only if a lot of people backed it up. So yes, I guess I do group people. As for giving advice, I only give advice on things I have had experience of or I pass on anecdotal experience from others I know, or things I have researched myself. However I do know that I probably give out a load of drivel from time to time, and although no-one has said anything to me I would hope that if I am way off the mark with something that someone would (publicly or via PM) point it out to me. I am willing to learn, which is why I am on here really, to socialise and to learn from everyone else.
Oh and as for those who would rather post on here that their horse is bleeding to death than call a vet, it quite annoys me tbh
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but then I am one of those annoying people who would rather call the vet for something trivial.
 
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