Rant: Horses being treated like machines

[tallyho!]

Why don't you step in? What stops you?

I wholly agree that if more people had the balls to speak up/complain, it might ambarrass people enough not to do in the first place.

It ought to say on schedules and entry forms that this behaviour will result in elemination or banning from competition. It shouldn't be left to fester away at home.

 

[Tormenta]

Another thing that annoys me (Yes I am obviously in nitpicking mode tonight ) But if a neighbour or acquaintance were to kick, thump, yank, hit and drag their dog around because it pee'd them off, I would be reporting them. Think about it. If people were to complain more then surely less people would get off with this behaviour. I don't care if a Welsh section A is bigger than a German Shepherd, to me the abuse is the same.

 

[Bettyboo222]

A few days ago another liverys pony followed me out of the feild, I normally get this pony in so I tried to move her back into the field. Then another livery (15-ish) came over tried to drag pony into field, when she doesn't move boots her in the ribs/stomach area. This poor pony is only 4 and I felt really sorry for her. I told her owner because I that its unnecessary to treat a horse like that

 

[Archiesmummy]

A true rider, in my opinion, will not blame their horse for its shortfalls or mistakes but make allowances, teaching what needs to be taught, without fuss or chastisement or finding a root cause to a problem, perhaps pain or fright or perhaps just not being up to the job asked.

I have witnessed some disturbing scenes in the past and it appeared to be the riders who were at fault. To save face, or so it appeared, they made it look like their horses were to blame.

A bad craftsman will always blame his tools, isn't that the saying.

 

[dressedkez]

I watched someone at a recent BSJA continually yank and smack their horse because it kept lifting a leg whilst they tried to put on a boot. All it achieved was winding the horse up more. I also frequently see people in the warm up yanking their horse to a stand still because I guess the horse didn't listen to a transition aid immediately, and smacking it after a fence for tapping a pole. Again, watched someone the other day have a refusal half way round the course - after they'd finished their round she took the horse back to the front of the fence they'd refused at and proceeded to boot it in the ribs... what on earth is a horse meant to learn from that?!

Now, perhaps I let my horse walk all over me (which I doubt as my current horse has fantastic manners!) but I dont expect my horses to be machines. At the end of the day they are animals, they must be allowed to act like one sometimes! Bad behaviour isnt acceptable but most of the time what I see is not bad at all, its usually a misunderstanding or simply being a horse. Whilst I agree that boundaries need to be in place, do they have to be so strict?

I expect the owner was wound up and the horse (comp nerves.......) not an excuse, but it is not easy......we tack up 100% fit racehorses for point-to-points, even the most quiet horse at home, becomes a nightmare, when he knows in 20 mins or so he is going to gallop flat out over 18 fences.......Self preservation for all of us is the key - and it might involve a bit of yelling, and sometime a quick whack on the side to the horse, to bring him momentarily back to earth.......The said horse (quiet at home, V well mannered, but nightmare at racecourse) has won some V decent for us - so possibly forgave us one elbow in the ribs!
Please don't forget that the horse is so much bigger than us, and potentially V dangerous!

 

[thatsmygirl]

The worst iv seen was a girl get angry at her horse tripping over all the time and she actually got off and put the whip across the horses face. I neally cried and I know it's bad but I had to walk in the other direction. I know I should off said something but I got so angry I really don't know what I would do if I had faced her. Even my son got upset and he's 9 and was disgusted. What a life off fear that horse must live every day

 

[jodie3]

We had a case at one of our shows of a Mother who hit, kicked and swore at her young child after she had fallen off in the ring, was verbally very abusive to other competitors, staff and paramedic who went to help child then rode off on pony, kicking it hard as she went.

To cut a long story short, we thought long and hard about what we should do and as everyone who witnessed it was so appalled at her behaviour we reported her to the police, it came to court and she was prosecuted.