Ignorance is no excuse

siennamum

siennamum

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Once upon a time you saw some horses which were ill treated through ignorance, and far more which were abused by cruel or uncaring owners.

I increasingly see horses abused/ill treated these days though by owners who are well intentioned, but it seems, ill advised.

These owners should be super horse owners, they spend lots of time with the horse, they research & they take advice. It just seems they take the wrong advice. Examples abound at local livery yards where barefoot horses stand crippled in their fields and others are parelli'd to the point where they are getting unrideable.

Who are the ignoramuses who advise these people, or are they coming on sites like this and getting bad advice...... I despair.
 
Could be many reasons. I think the fact that there are so few riding schools around now that the knowledge gained before buying a horse is so sadly lacking. As kids we used to spend whole days there just helping out and learning. Also the purchase price of a horses is relatively cheaper than it was 30/40 years ago and therefore those who don't have knowledge/experience can buy in to "the experience" of horse owning. You may be right about the sources that people use to "learn" we had the old fashioned riding instructor, manual of horsemanship and pony club now you have everything - I'm sure someone will invent an app if they haven't already.

Sound like an old fogey don't I?
 
I think internet sites play their part.

We (all!) offer our advice but who is to say that it's the right advice for that individual horse? 99% of horses may do on thing one way, what if your horse is that 1% that doesn't and needs a totally different approach to whatever the situation is? Following the advice for the other 99% may have unpleasant effects.

There are also lots of unqualified "instructors" who think that they know everything and can advise everyone else on how to do everything with their horse :rolleyes:

Lack of riding schools probably also plays its part.


ETA: just realised me and my mum posted at the exact same time! :p
 
I think the worst ones are those who know lickety spit from the outset and aren't the remotest bit interested in learning and improving their knowledge. They just want to hammer the poor animal into the ground, do the absolute bare minimum of work for it and then ultimately dump it in a field and ignore it because they know some other idiot will take pity on it and sort out any situations that arise. And I've known plenty like that :(
 
fatpiggy said:
I think the worst ones are those who know lickety spit from the outset and aren't the remotest bit interested in learning and improving their knowledge. They just want to hammer the poor animal into the ground, do the absolute bare minimum of work for it and then ultimately dump it in a field and ignore it because they know some other idiot will take pity on it and sort out any situations that arise. And I've known plenty like that :(
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In a way, although I too hate people who treat the horse like it's a machine, I dislike people who are misguided more. They frustrate me, you can't suggest an alternative to them and they have spent so long justifying their course of action to themselvees, they have a slick argument. You end up almost convinced yourself, till you look at the horse hobbling round a field/ unmountable/ desperately unhappy.
 
Dizzle said:
Have you been accosted by a Parelli-ite recently by any chance? :D
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Ah!! your psychic powers have not deserted you. I have been close to dunking my head in a water bucket yes. At the same time I was thinking "You are really nice and you clearly want what is best for your horse". It is SOO frustrating and I suspect that a knowledgeable Parelli practitioner would also have wanted to intervene.
 
Sadly everyone wants quick fixes these days, why spend weeks correcting something when the latest equipement will do it now. People also will spend ages deliberating over what colour rugs,bandages,saddle clothes instead of paying attention to what their horse really needs.

Im sorry to say I think it comes down to money as well, we have all seen the posts where people are asking advice about their horse when it is so obvious they should be having this conversation with their vet. But they are hoping someone will say you are over reacting or you need to buy cheepo something to fix it.

I also think a lot of the barefoot people(not all) have money as their prime motivator as it will save them the cost of shoeing but could ultimately cost their horse more.

Also horses are dirt cheap and people will jump straight in without consideration of the cost, whereas in the past people had riding lessons, went to pony club and learnt early on about care before purchasing a pony.
 
Dobiegirl said:
Also horses are dirt cheap and people will jump straight in without consideration of the cost, whereas in the past people had riding lessons, went to pony club and learnt early on about care before purchasing a pony.
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I think this is a real difference, and to be fair, there are no riding schools anymore so where can people learn. I suspect lots more people teach themselves, which in itself is no bad thing - we all do it, until they get bad advice!
 
siennamum said:
Ah!! your psychic powers have not deserted you. I have been close to dunking my head in a water bucket yes. At the same time I was thinking "You are really nice and you clearly want what is best for your horse". It is SOO frustrating and I suspect that a knowledgeable Parelli practitioner would also have wanted to intervene.
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Unfortunately, whatever method of horse training anyone adopts, not everyone is going to be good at what they do.
 
Dobiegirl, you are so right. I never had the benefit of riding lessons so am one of the guilty self-taught but as it took me until I was in my 30s to get a horse I had years of reading and watching other people. I learned bandaging on table legs and my own leg for getting the tension right! I have a huge library of books on every horse subject you can think of and have never ever been interested in "latest technology" so £200 for a super duper rug is never going to impress me. The horse will still trash it! I see plenty of people trying to do things on the cheap, (whereas I'm only concerned with best VALUE) and also going for short cuts, ie. gadgets which may benefit the rider but rarely do the horse.
 
Every horse owner is now an expert, and many of them are 'teaching' riding unqualified and uninsured.
I think they get away with it by shouting that BHS exams are rubbish. BHS exams aren't the be-all and end-all, but if you employ a registered instructor at least you know that they can ride to a certain standard, are insured for your protection, and have health and safety knowledge should the worst happen.
If you aren't going to use a BHS person as your expert, then make sure the person you do use is competing at a decent level and can actually do what they say they can (and check up on them).
I've known many students who couldn't rise to the trot declaring themselves 'eventers' shortly thereafter and taking money off people for lessons. :(
S :D
 
The demise of so many riding schools because of the litigation culture we now have has been a huge part of this I think. The proper old fashioned ones where they also taught stable management, grooming, tack, feed and such like.

Then there are those who read something on the Internet, spout it as truth and have people taking their word for it and not checking things out for themselves. That is not to say there are not some really experienced people on the internet, just that I think we owe it to ourselves and our horses to learn as much as we can.

The other side of the coin is that with so much information available at our fingertips there really is no excuse for ignorance.
 
Totally agree, we all grew up at either riding schools (do they exist any more)? Most of us also learnt our horsemanship at Pony Club, also horses are cheaper to buy (many owners don't do their sums when it comes to caring for their horses and run into trouble with bills and vets etc). Lots of people around where Iive have horses but no proper knowledge also if they get bored or don't gel with the horse within 2 weeks they "trade" them in for another one!!! Drives me nuts but I don't get involved
 
at our yard we have the novice(and i mean total novice parents and child) who after 6 months believe they know everything mmmmm enter one pony crippled with lami and one cob who basically takes piss then we have the novice( again parents and child all novice) who ask questions( our new hay is greener than last is it ok to feed or should we mix it ? not a stupid question at all) listen and are bringing the young pony on great. the child is amazing and so so so wants to learn and listens wide eyed and a pleasure to help and the pony is beautiful and chilled and doing great
 
As someone who came to horse ownership later in life I don't think looking after a horse is rocket science. You need common sense, a willingness to take advice and the ability to work out who to take advice from and who doesn't know their arse from their elbow!
Part of the problem for new owners is that there are so many ways of doing things and so many contradictions that it can be hard to work out what is good advice for your horse and what is not.
I helped on a livery yard for a couple of years before loaning a horse and eventually buying my own, and was fortunate to be surrounded by knowledgeable people who'se judgement I trusted and who were always willing to give advice when asked. There were a few nutters as well, but it wasn't hard to spot them!
The issue for me arises when novice horse owners try to keep a horse for the first time without this support and try to make it up as they go along rather than seek help.
 
I think the barefoot thing has a lot to answer for. I do sometimes ride my horses without shoes,usually mid-winter a short weekly hack just to keep their hand in so to speak. I have investigated the barefoot thing and even had a trimmer out once just to see what the difference in trims is. I think a lot of it is baloney. if a horse wears its feet quicker than growth then it needs shoes. end of story. the WHW and RSPCA really need to get involved with the barefoot brigade. I even know of a guy who does endurance who had to have his horse PTS,abcesses,poor feet,rode barefoot,I believe he over did it. A lot of it is kidology and moonshine.
 
Horsesforever1 said:
I think the barefoot thing has a lot to answer for. I do sometimes ride my horses without shoes,usually mid-winter a short weekly hack just to keep their hand in so to speak. I have investigated the barefoot thing and even had a trimmer out once just to see what the difference in trims is. I think a lot of it is baloney. if a horse wears its feet quicker than growth then it needs shoes. end of story. the WHW and RSPCA really need to get involved with the barefoot brigade. I even know of a guy who does endurance who had to have his horse PTS,abcesses,poor feet,rode barefoot,I believe he over did it. A lot of it is kidology and moonshine.
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Now you have investigated barefoot, I'll have mine shod straight away. In a pigs eye. This has got to be one of the most stupid posts on here for a while. Far more horses are put down because of the long term effect of shoeing, the medieval black art, currently in vogue.
 
Dobiegirl said:
Sadly everyone wants quick fixes these days, why spend weeks correcting something when the latest equipement will do it now. People also will spend ages deliberating over what colour rugs,bandages,saddle clothes instead of paying attention to what their horse really needs.

Im sorry to say I think it comes down to money as well, we have all seen the posts where people are asking advice about their horse when it is so obvious they should be having this conversation with their vet. But they are hoping someone will say you are over reacting or you need to buy cheepo something to fix it.

I also think a lot of the barefoot people(not all) have money as their prime motivator as it will save them the cost of shoeing but could ultimately cost their horse more.

Also horses are dirt cheap and people will jump straight in without consideration of the cost, whereas in the past people had riding lessons, went to pony club and learnt early on about care before purchasing a pony.
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Totally agree with all this!

Too many people have horses that shouldn't. Instruction has deteriorated everywhere, which just perpetuates the problem as the pupils soon become the teachers.

There has been a definite decline in standards and horsemanship in recent years :(
 
Horsesforever1 said:
I think the barefoot thing has a lot to answer for. I do sometimes ride my horses without shoes,usually mid-winter a short weekly hack just to keep their hand in so to speak. I have investigated the barefoot thing and even had a trimmer out once just to see what the difference in trims is. I think a lot of it is baloney. if a horse wears its feet quicker than growth then it needs shoes. end of story. the WHW and RSPCA really need to get involved with the barefoot brigade. I even know of a guy who does endurance who had to have his horse PTS,abcesses,poor feet,rode barefoot,I believe he over did it. A lot of it is kidology and moonshine.
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Lol shoes are there to protect the feet. OH is a farrier and would much prefer just to trim. But many horses are better off shod. We have several and there is a mixture of fully barefoot and fully shod, and just front shoes. it just depends on what is right for the horse.
 
horsemadmum1 said:
Lol shoes are there to protect the feet. OH is a farrier and would much prefer just to trim. But many horses are better off shod. We have several and there is a mixture of fully barefoot and fully shod, and just front shoes. it just depends on what is right for the horse.
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Shoes 'protecting' the feet is one opinion, and it is true that some horses are better off shod. This I feel is more because to be properly barefoot requires a higher level of all round management than just to shoe, and for a number and variety of reasons not just incompetance some horses are better off shod.
 
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