interferring neighbours anybody?

mrsjcmking

mrsjcmking

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I've just moved to a yard and generally everybody is really lovely, however a couple of people have been realy interferring. I don't mind people throwing carrots in his stable or giving him a cuddle, but the other day i had him tied up outside and was just giving him a groom (why did I buy a grey?!?!?) and a girl from the yard was asking me questions about him and telling me what I should and shouldn't be doing with him as of course she knew best *rolls eyes* -

And then she said his hooves are too long, which I know because I haven't managed to pick up his feet yet (he's a rescue). I explained this to her, telling her that i don't want to push him too quickly and she said "oh its easy he'll soon pick it up" before walking up to him and then trying to grab his leg to get him to pick it up. Now I'm the only person who has really worked with him, my husband has led him a couple of times and attempted to grom him, but other than that he's still a bit nervouse of other people so he of course freaked, trying to back off, ears flat back and lookign suitably petrified.

I didn't say anything because im new and didn't really want to cause trouble, but I wouldn't dream of just going up to someones horse, who is fairly nervous, and then trying to pick his feet up!

I was just wondering if anyone else has had experience of this and what they've done?
 
I shared a horse with a friend which was kept on a yard with a resident "interferer", but when I bought my own I'm afraid I took the cowards way out and went to a different yard, mainly because I knew this person would annoy me. Plus point was then I got to know new horsey friends from both yards!!


"I don't need anger management, I just need people to stop pi**ing me off!!!"
 
It's amazing how many 'horsey' people think they know best. For years as a teenager, I rode someone elses horse, and when I was finally able to buy my own horse, I kept her at their farm. Wrong decision. It felt as though this horse was another one of hers. In the end, I moved her to a yard. I don't know what gives people the right to tell others what to do & as it turns out, these people do not always know best anyway! Good Luck with your horse.
 
Do you think that some people think that just because you're new to a yard that you're new to horses or something?

I have never had this problem as OH is a grumpy, shouty old b*gger and nobody dares interfere.

Hmmmmmm, perhaps I should hire him out? :D
 
My pony rears in his stable, everyday without fail. A 'woman' keeps telling me remedies and things I should do.... One day I said could you show me - I will pay for your time. Lets just say 2 months on pony still rears and she finally has stopped shouting over to me telling what I shouldn't be doing etc! Guess he really showed her up to :)
 
I don't like people interfiering as such but I don't mind people commenting on things for examle if one of my two looked lame and I missed it and another livery pointed out they looked off I wouldn't mind or if I'm schooling and someone makes a helpfull remark again I do not mind. But I suppose I am lucky enough to be on a yard with some very good friends who I trust :)
 
I think you have come across that most dangerous of beings, the person who knows nothing, yet is confident in their own mind that they know everything.

Good thing your horse is so tolerant, a less forgiving horse would have kicked her in the chops.
 
As well as thism I had him tied up whilst I was mucking him out, and she came in and said to me "Samson has just nearly kicked one of the kids"

My reply was, "yeah he'll do that if they keep running around him like lunatics"

He's a nervous horse, and they were runnign around, with a football - what did she expect?!?!
 
Even worse than that - When i moved him, after I had bought him, he had never had a lead rope on him. I had to have him follow a feed bucket through 2 fields of pigs, and into a horse trailer. Well he did the fields fine, but he didn't like the trailer.

the trailer was parked on a bit of concrete that trhe field owners used as their car park. there was a space of about 4ft between either side of the trailer, then a space between trailer and gate where Sammy was. we were trying to encourage him in, but he was really not happy about it. I was stood in one gap and my husband int he other whilst the seller and her husband (lets call them Mr and Mrs A) tried to persuade him to go in.

Then Mrs A's sister arrived with her 4 kids, who all pile out of the jeep, running around shouting and all wanting to have a look at whats going on. I turn to Mrs A and say the kids might want to get back in the jeep, just in case he decideds to bolt (I wasn't going to stand in his way!) she agreed and said this to her sister. her brother in law then turned to me and said "If he kicks them he gets put down"

My first thought was, wow you're willing to risk your childs life on that?

they then blocekd the gaps with wood and after 30 mins he finally walked in.

I was so angry with him, I wouldn't have put him down even if he had kicked them, he's not aggressive he was just scared.

grrrrr
 
Two ways to deal with interfering busybodies - well, maybe three. 1. Ignore them. 2. Thank them for their help but explain you can manage quite well by yourself. 3. Try to come up with a reposte. I had a cob which I schooled regularly, with help from monthly lessons from a BHSI who is an excellent teacher, who I shall call Miss A. But of course, horses being horses, there were days when he would not listen to me at all. And there were people in the yard (usually people who knew much less than I did) who also had lessons with Miss A who would tell me what to do. I just said 'I didn't know your name was Miss A' or 'when did you change your name to Miss A?'.
 
That does sound really annoying, especially someone grabbing his feet to 'show' you humph.

However, I kind of like the approach better in some ways if YOU were the one doing it. Yes, we must go softly with a new horse, earn trust and build confidence but there does come a point where you HAVE to clean his feet to avoid thrush and trim his feet. Just has to be done whether he feels confident about it or not, and perhaps being very matter of fact about it and just having a try some time while grooming would be the best way, rather than letting him believe having his feet handled is scary by avoiding them altogether (not saying you do that, of course). He looks quite young too, and young ones need to learn to balance to have their feet done, so you've got his nerves and lack of balance to contend with, it will be better trying it yourself if you're confident enough rather then just hoping he decides to let the farrier have a look... iykwim
 
its also anoying when you have a friend who is completely clueless yet thinks she knows it all, and tries to talk with authority about feeding etc when you know she never opens a book/magazine or asks any advice from anyone who has more experience then her, and blames everyone but herself when her horse behaves dangerously.....! Hard to keep quiet, but definately for the best!
 
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