Louise Bell - Another Horse Lost

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Maybe it's just me but does anyone else think it's slightly odd that Louise Bell has had another horse die in the space of 18 months.

1 - Out of Sight
2 - Man on Fire
3 - Cruise Control
4 - Rocky???

For a top competition rider to lose 4 horses like this surely makes alarm bells ring?

I'm not up to speed with the showing world but do they get tested like showjumpers etc?
 
they are looked atfer better than most. they want for nothing. unfortunately high profile horses and riders make the news. go visit the yard if you fancy passing judgement. just very very unlucky.
 
And what alarm bells would they be?
I feel the poor lass has been desperately unlucky,and in the world of animals sadly these things happen...purely because she has high profile,prolific winners it hits the headlines :(
I know of people that have lost 3 of their horses within months,but because they were the family pets people dont get to here of it!
 
I'm not passing judgement at all, I'm simply saying that for a top rider to lose 4 fit, competition horses in such a short space of time seems odd.
As ofcourseyoucan said, they are no doubt looked after better than most horses which is why it seems odd to me that's all.
Indeed it is very very sad to lose any horse regardless if it's a top horse or a family pet.
 
you could put your horse there on full livery.he will be looked after and produced fantastically. he will have the best bed the best food and fantastic vets and farriers! it will cost in excess of 200 per week!
 
Bargain! But then I'd not have the fun of doing it myself! ;)
Besides, I think my 18 y/o much prefers his life of chilled out hacks and dressage!
 
It does seem a bit odd, if someone on here posted about having lost that number of horses in 18 months then im sure it would raise suspicions. Though, horses competing at the top level have a lot more strain put on their bodies than the average horse. I dont know what the 4 horses died of as i've only read about it in passing, but accidents happen and horses are born with genetic defects that arent found out until its too late, serious competing on a regular basis is more likely to lead to problems. Theres no doubt they are getting the best care possible and it must be devestating for her to have lost what must be pretty much her entire string of horses?
 
I have to say when I read about this I did have a similar reaction.

I don't know the lady in question, have never visited her yard to witness how her horses are looked after so the impression I have of her is soley from information posted on the internet - and quite a lot of that in her own words. I have the utmost sympathy for anyone who looses just one horse, never mind four - it must be devestating.

If you look at horse gossip, and the thread relating to the national hunter show results there are some surprising comments - which if you then read her blog does tie in.

Yes show horses are randomly dope tested and LB has stated on her blog that she was dope tested yet again at the NHS and found it insulting - why she is being dope tested regulary I have no idea - but it would only be fair to say that she confirmed the dope test was negative.

I think what has surprised me most is what she is writing on her blog in particular the public slating she gives her ex members of staff (there seems to be a high turnover), and not only once - I think the last time this was done it was quite frankley a step too far.

As i said the impression I have been given is only from what I have read - but 90% of that impression is from the blog she writes herself, and she has gone from someone who I liked to follow how she and her horses were doing and was pleased to see do well, and would study the turnout and condition of her horses (i show) to someone who the impression I now have of - is there really no smoke without fire and follow news about for other reasons

**runs and hides for having an opinion ! **
 
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I dont normally make comments on here but this situation has rung alarm bells with me as ell, it isnt right to judge someone without knowing the full set of circumstances but to loose 4 top horses like that in such a short space of time just make you wonder, its very tragic and the last thing this lady needs is critism BUT in my opinion coming from years and years of experience is that show horses and dressage horses alike are sometimes fed too much conditioning feed to keep them in top condition and because they are so valuable they dont get to live like a horse should, ie, access to freedom, so they dont get the chance to burn it off, the horses stomach is very sensitive.

I have studied and got qualifications in stable and field management and what I have learnt from these studies is that horses need to be horses they were not adapted to live in stables 24 hours a day and corned up to the eyeballs. Although I havent lost a horse I have made the same mistakes myself in the past.
 
I do hope Louise doesn't read this thread.

Man On Fire died through a ruptured intestine.

Out Of Sight died during surgery for a heart problem.

Cruise Control died during surgery..."for a strangulating lymphoma round his small intestine."

Rock Star became so unsound that he had to be PTS...stemming back from a fracture he had had as a 6 year old.

So sorry to all the conspiracy theorists out there, these things happen. Not one of them is dodgy at all.
 
Whilst not wanting to get into a row - your hope that person involved does not read this is exactly the same thought I had for their so called "friend" when her daughter that has learning difficulties was so horribly publicly described in the blog.

Not the sort of behaviour you expect from a professional.
 
I haven't seen her blog so cannot comment :)

I just think people should be very, very careful about casting suspicion on someone regarding the death of their horses on a public forum...As shown above, the horses were all PTS or died under veterinary care, so best people leave it like that rather than get into trouble with IPC or other!
 
I don't know LB or anyone connected with her but all I would say as a casual observer is that given her run of luck I wouldn't be placing any of my horses with her. Too lose one is tragic to lose four is unbelievable.
 
I find it very uncomfortable that people are voicing views like this on a public forum. This woman has lost 4 horses. Whether people think it is 'suspicious' or not is a matter of opinion, but without knowing the facts behind each case, I don't think it is right to say the things you are saying. Not to mention insensitive. Like Weezy, I hope LB doesn't read this.
 
I'd be the first to admit its totally illogical to think like this but....

if its a choice between a yard where horses have died and A N other producer whose don't thats where i'd be going.

I'm not saying for one minute this lady treats her horses badly and i'm sure she doesn't given the circumstances of these deaths.

Having said that I can't think of any other with such a bad run of luck in losing so many horses in quick succession.

So call me superstitious I still wouldn't send my horses there.
 
If some of you actually knew the care LB gives her horses and the quality of that care you really wouldnt even be speculating. It's just appalling bad luck and coindidence.

There are the reasons for their demise openly available and no cover ups, this lady is a true horse lover and adores her equines......

Cannot believe at a time like this you would dare judge and fantasize!
 
You have the advantage of knowing LB and know how her horses are cared for. Most of us don't have that knowledge and are just making observations based on the headlines of four deceased horses.

I'm sure someone highly regarded will bounce back with new rides and put all this behind her.
 
I dont think anyone is judging her at all, BUT, she is in the public eye to a certain degree and, from what I can tell, shares information about her horses and the details of their demise publically herself which opens her up for people to comment on that. Just like when people choose to post about injuries or losses of their horses on here, they can expect supportive/sympathetic posts, but they also will probably get some people wanting to know why and how it happened.

No one has said anything insensitive or judgmental or slanderous at all that I can see. I feel awful for her that she has lost her horses, i've had horses for over 20 years and have only lost one in that time thankfully but its still upsetting to think about. I cant imagine how she feels losing that many in such a short space of time and I really do feel for her.. But I have to agree, if I had a horse to place with a person like this (i dont of course, purely hypothetical), it is a bit off putting to have had so many losses even when you know the horses have the best of treatment. Right or wrong, it would raise alarm bells if it was something I was thinking about with regards to my own horses.
 
sometimes you get a run of bad luck, a friend of mine lost 3 of her horses within 6months last year and then bought a new one which subsequently had to be PTS within a week of her bringing him home. I know whilst this was all happening she got very mixed rections from the other liveries at her yard and more than once did she ring me in absolute tears saying she was selling her last horse and that she was never touching another horse again and it was desperately sad to hear from someone who is a very talented horsewoman, who has to work bloody hard to keep them in the first place.
Someone even had the audacity to gossip to me about it ''oh she definitely had to be doing something wrong for al that, noone has that much bad luck'' i was shocked, her last surviving horse is 24 and looks ot a day over 8 years old, no word of a lie, and she has owned him all her life, literally he was born 3 weeks before she was out of her mothers BM, you would think if it was a case of neglect he would have been the first to go.

Anyway im glad to say that she didnt give up, she bought a beautiful lad with the insurance money and he seems to be doing great.
 
I have to agree with UnaB I don't think anyone has been judgemental or slanderous, and I would repeat she must be devastated about the loss of four horses - this is not something I would wish on anyone.

However, when there is information put into the public domain (some by the lady herself and some not) it does make you think.

I'm afraid after what I have read it is impossible to not have some form of opinion, - rightly or wrongly that is just human nature
 
I was married to a show producer. All I have to say is, there is only so much food you can put into the guts of a horse.
 
Ah but someone who has lost 4 horses in a short period of time and whose job is producing horses I imagine would be very very careful not to loose a 5th, so the standard of care might actually be better than another producer, because they are so worried about loosing another horse they may be more cautious.

i don't know this lady at all but as a producer she must have had 100's of horses go through her yard so the chances of having a problem are higher with the higher numbers. other producers may not be so open about their losses, or perhaps the horses are returned to their owners when they have a problem to be treated?

Loosing 4 horses is either bad luck or bad management and as they say people should be presumed innocent until proven guilty.


BBH said:
I'd be the first to admit its totally illogical to think like this but....

if its a choice between a yard where horses have died and A N other producer whose don't thats where i'd be going.

I'm not saying for one minute this lady treats her horses badly and i'm sure she doesn't given the circumstances of these deaths.

Having said that I can't think of any other with such a bad run of luck in losing so many horses in quick succession.

So call me superstitious I still wouldn't send my horses there.
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i can tell you why she has a problem keeping staff lol she is an absolute nightmare to work for i know a groom who works for her and she is treated like a piece of s**t, i have also overheard her screaming blue murder at others at shows, at the hunter show she by no means hid the way she thought about the judges the word c**t was repeated not so quietly either. her hourses are fed an obscene amount of food and suppliments, the question i want to ask is why didnt she take man on fire home the moment he fell ill at lincon, i saw one groom waliking him around all morning, you could see something wasnt right the oyher i saw talking to a steward asking for a vet but still she didnt leave the show ground til latr afternoon??????
 
winnersfighters said:
i can tell you why she has a problem keeping staff lol she is an absolute nightmare to work for i know a groom who works for her and she is treated like a piece of s**t, i have also overheard her screaming blue murder at others at shows, at the hunter show she by no means hid the way she thought about the judges the word c**t was repeated not so quietly either. her hourses are fed an obscene amount of food and suppliments, the question i want to ask is why didnt she take man on fire home the moment he fell ill at lincon, i saw one groom waliking him around all morning, you could see something wasnt right the oyher i saw talking to a steward asking for a vet but still she didnt leave the show ground til latr afternoon??????
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Before anyone jumps on the above person for posting the above I think it is only fair to mention that there were a number of witness to the above incident at the Hunter Show and comments were made to directly to the judge and steward aswell
 
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