Rant; someone else hitting MY horse?!

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Lucyann89

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Eric's at Hartpury with me and has no option but to stay in a stable pretty much 24/7, whereas at home, we have stables but he just loves it outside and hates the stable! He was pretty badly abused as a racer in his stable so I understand why he gets a bit grumpy. He pulls faces and acts 'scary' but he is really a wimp, he doesn't bite or kick and his grumpy strops are generally when he knows it feed time.

Anyway, he moved stables to be closer to the outside of the barn so he could see outside and be a bit happier. Soon after he moved, I noticed he didn't spend much time looking out his stable, but at the back of it, and he used to shy away a lot when I came in his stable, which was very weird! So I mentioned it to Yard Manager who acted a bit dodgey and said he'd better move again, she said she thinks someone may have hit him thinking he would bite when he is grumpy.

Mentioned this to my friends on the yard and turns out the girl in the stable next to him had wolloped him quite a few times around his head, with her hand..leadrope..and bridle. One of my friends had seen her do it twice that day and a few others had said they'd heard her. I was furrrrrrious. Poor Eric!! She hits her own horse pretty badly but everyone just turns a blind eye or tells her not to. I confronted her when she came down but she went bright red and denied it. I complained to the person incharge of the whole of the yards but nothing has happened. he has moved stable now but I am FUMING that nothing has been done, and found out she had hit a few other horses around the head the previous year when I was not there.

Anyway don't think there is much I can do..but felt like a rant about it as I am very mad about it!!
 
I would be fuming too, unless my horse was just being down right nasty or dangerous then no-one has any right to raise their hand to my horse (or anyone elses) imo!
I have no idea what you can do (apart from move stables which you have done) if you have already confronted her and the yard staff and nothing has been done.
 
I know. I was told she would have a serious warning or be asked to leave, as she doesn't look after her horse and it looks like an ILPH case half the time. A case of more money than sense I think!
 
That is wrong, however i have hit the horse in the stable next door to my mare but that was after the horse attacked me and ripped my coat! The owners answer was dnt walk so close! there is only one way to walk so unless u crawl past it would get you. After the horse did it to two other liveries and the YO she had bars out up!

Is out of order for no reason tho.
 
OMG i would actually get my horses bridle and smack her around the head with it if it was my horse.
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I would do time for someone if they layed a finger on jed.

When i worked for a riding school there was a girl like this. If a horse as much as moved a hoof when she was grooming she would wollop the poor thing. On one occasion she was pulling a horses main and he wouldnt stand still clearly he didnt like it and was getting upset so she drew back her whole leg and booted him as hard as she could in his belly TWICE!!!
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The YM caught her and more or less threw her out of the yard. I wouldnt stop until something had been done im affraid.

Hope your horse gets over this quickly bless him.
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That is bang out of order, as a former YM I dont mind a horse being 'squared up' by somebody who has to deal with it, but not to just walk past and wallop them! My youngest exracehorse is the same and I am the only person who does him, because he just doesnt like/trust other people. I would make a big song and dance about this!
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My yard owner would have hit the roof had she seen this behaviour - we've got a couple who pull faces and try to muzzle you when you walk past and once one of the liveries (ex now cause she got kicked out of the yard for it) took to walking with a schooling whip and flicking it in their faces as she was going past.

I dunno what else there is for you to do but I think it's totally unacceptable behaviour.
 
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I know. I was told she would have a serious warning or be asked to leave, as she doesn't look after her horse and it looks like an ILPH case half the time. A case of more money than sense I think!

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Certainly sounds like it.
Maybe she is afraid of horses which is why she hits them, or possibly has anger issues?
I really hope that it is taken seriously and something is done! As it has clearly made an impact on your horse, and may very well do to others.
 
Lucy, it very much sounds as if this should be taken further than the Yard Manager, and you should make a formal complaint to the Vice-Chancellor.

I would be absolutely incandecent with rage, and would make a very public and offical fuss.
 
I would be tempted to stick a sign on Erics stable saying "nervous horse please do not hit". Then if people ask you can inform them of the story. I would write a letter to the head of the department stating my concerns for the offender and the safety of my horse. Would be good if you have willing witnesses to back up your claims. If the head of the department doesnt reply, take your complain higher if necessary.

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This is wrong and im not condoning her behaviour at all but its something ive had a problem with before.

My first horse was a grumpy old sod. He'd never actually bite you, but he did act very threateningly over his stable door and he'd do a very good act of looking like he was going to bite you.

At my first yard, this wasnt a problem as he had a stable on the main yard to one side.. no one had to pass him to get anywhere else and everyone who handled him knew it wasnt genuine aggression.

When i left that yard, I had massive problems with people slapping him in defence thinking that he was going to hurt them. I hated it but on the other hand, for someone who didnt know him, he looked very intimidating.

In the end, while he remained at that yard I had bars put up on the front of the stable door. It sounds awful but it was more for his protection than anything else. It stopped him getting whacked about the head while i found a more suitable yard.

I moved him once more where he could again have a stable that didnt require people walking past to reach other horses.

ETS i probably didnt make it clear that i sympathise with you 100%. I actually found my horse with nicks on his face as someone had, like you mention, whacked him round the head with a bridle and the bit had cut him. I was completly mortified as he was in his 20s at this stage and really would never have made contact with anyone, he just looked like he would :*(
 
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Lucy, it very much sounds as if this should be taken further than the Yard Manager, and you should make a formal complaint to the Vice-Chancellor.

I would be absolutely incandecent with rage, and would make a very public and offical fuss.

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Much more succinct than my song and dance!!!
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Heaven help anyone if they decided to hit one of my horses! Mind you we are very lucky at our yard, noone would do that, nor would the YO. Unless someone's life was in danger then this kind of abuse is absolutely unforgiveable.

I feel really sorry for you OP, especially when you have no option but to stable your horse. That should be his sanctuary, not where some armhole thinks it is okay to treat him as fair game for pulling faces. Bless him, your poor boy must be feeling really miserable and confused now.
 
I'd go mental, and probably lump the girl one myself, not that that would help the situation very much
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. My girl is head shy for no reason at all (well not since I've had her anyway) and I have to make sure the first touch to her head is slow and gentle, then she's fine. I hate it when she does it, it really upsets me that she thinks that i would hurt her.

I hope that your boy relaxed again soon and the YM does something about it.
 
Thanks guys.

There is my YM who didn't actually see her hit him so can't do that much, but has swapped me her stable which faces the fields and is at the far end so nobody walks past him, which is very nice of her. Then there is the main YM (head of all 10 or so other YMs) who is the highest I can complain to, and that's who I did complain to, aswell as my own YM. Sorry didn't make that clear before.

My only fear is that he will START biting if he feels he has to defend himself, but hopefully changing stables will have sorted it now.

The girl is not scared of horses..she wollops her one with a metal shovel when it does anything wrong.

Poor Eric! but I will put up a sign saying he is grumpy, so anyone who does walk by and doesn't know him won't hit him thinking he is naughty (thanks for that idea).

I am surprised to hear how many people this has happened to. What are wrong with these people?!
 
I would be fuming too!! My horse lasted a week at Hartpury before I took her home again - she got so stressed I've never seen her like it.
 
Oh dear! Luckily I am on the Academy yard, so away from the hussle and bustle of the main yard, don't think I could cope with it up there to be honest!
 
Lucyanne, in addition to her hitting your horse, I'm gobsmacked that she gets away with hitting her horse with a metal shovel and doesn't get excluded from the yard - even in our (pretty chaotic) DIY farm livery, I think a livery would have been chucked out for this ... Doesn't do much for the reputation of the college, does it??!!!
 
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Then there is the main YM (head of all 10 or so other YMs) who is the highest I can complain to

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No it's not - the highest person you can complain to is the Vice Chancellor of the University of the West of England - of which Hartpury is an Associate Faculty.

Personally I wouldn't hesitate.
 
I know! I think a few people have compained, the YM took a photo of her stable - always covered in poo with no straw, just rubber matting - and took it to the main YM, and STILL nothing has been done?! Well not that I know of.

It's a £15k horse aswell. What a waste.
 
I had a similar issue about a month back with one of mine, we have indoor stables and the gangway is pretty narrow, and every horse goes past Beau to get into their stable, there is another door, but they dont use it as the one up my end is easier.

Beau will pull faces and pretend to bite a passing horse, he wont actually bite them though, and he only does it because he was half starved when I got him and worries another horse will steal his food.


I didnt mind people telling him to get back, or even shouting at him to get back, but one day someone decided to bring 2 horses in at once, and had one dangling outside Beau's stable for a good few minutes, this horse is a kicker and has already double barelled my horse and broken his stable door. so this other horse was placed outside my stable while the girl tried put the other horse away.

Beau got more and more aggitated, and went to do his fake bite thing, girl cracked him on the face.

I wasnt there and arrived at the stable that night to find him at the back of his stable, he is very nosey and ALWAYS has his nose over the door. He never forgets anyhing and it broke my heart to see him scared.

Trust me I know the anger you are feeling.


Why dont you go and smak her around the head with a bridle andsee how she likes it.


Pleased you have managed to move stables now!
 
Amy May; I think it's the highest I can go Hartpury-wise concerning DIY livery and Yard Management. I am going to wait and see until my horse is back at the yard, see if anything has happened with the situation and if not then take further action.

I might try going to UWE but feel they wouldn't be able to emphathise as I doubt they are horsey. But thanks for your suggestion, I will keep it an option, definately
 
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Amy May; I think it's the highest I can go Hartpury-wise concerning DIY livery and Yard Management. I am going to wait and see until my horse is back at the yard, see if anything has happened with the situation and if not then take further action.

I might try going to UWE but feel they wouldn't be able to emphathise as I doubt they are horsey. But thanks for your suggestion, I will keep it an option, definately

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The yard team are responsible to the manager - the manager will be responsible to the director of studies, the director of studies responsible to the VC.

And it doesn't matter what the complaint concerns, if it is made to the VC's office it must be fully investigated. It doesn't matter whether they sympathise or not.

I would just not be willing to let this go. Sorry.
 
Amy May; empathise not sympathise. I am not looking for sympathy, just action.

I have not let it go, I have complained to my YM and the main YM and I believe it is their responsibility although as neither of them SAW her do any of this, I understand it is hard for them to do anything extreme. I think if I did complain to the VC, they would be the same. If I didn't see it and neither did the YM..what can they do. There is evidence that she doe not look after her horse - photos etc. which could be taken up with the VC and something done as there is proof, but the care of her horse has nothing to do with me. But with nothing but one friends word about her SEEING her abuse my horse, I don't think the VC could do anymore than the yard managers could.
 
My ex-racehorse mare is like this...makes faces, grumpy with people near her box. She pulls a face so people dont go near due to being abused prior to my getting her. She makes a face which is a definite threat..if you dont get the message to give her a wide berth by that then you need some common sense put in to you...
Everyone knows at my yard that this face pulling is not her joking around and to not try to make a fuss of her over the door. If anyone actually hit her in her face for her face-pulling I would be fuming...this would have no positive effect. Act reponsibly and leave her alone and she will leave you alone..simple but some people just dont get it.
I found someone had hit my other horse, who I used to own when younger and was a cheerful mare always, in the face for fun (cos she felt like it and was a spoilt brat)...we hid to catch her doing it (my mare had suddenly become head shy so we knew something had happened)...we caught her and she got her just deserves..my best friend at the time was a lot bigger than her!
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Unfortunately there are people like this...
 
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Amy May; empathise not sympathise. I am not looking for sympathy, just action.

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Empathise, sympathise - whichever.

Once a complaint is made to the VC's office a full blown investigation must take place. If it does nothing more than ensure that there are tighter rules on the yard about how horses are treated and managed - then the outcome is successful.

I'm not in a very tollerant frame of mind today - this RSPCA fiasco has totally blown my mind - so appols if I come accross as brusque.

But never accept the abuse of your animal - one witness is all it takes to prove that your horse was hit.
 
No worries, you are not coming across badly
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and I understand you are trying to help by suggesting to go higher.

It really shocked me because, I spoke to this girl despite people telling me not to, and I never said or did anything wrong. She wasn't a 'friend' but I'd speak to her if I saw her, which is why I was so gobsmacked..I'd have been a littttle more understanding if she hated me!

I think I am just going to wait until I am back with Eric, in 2weeks, and see if anything has happened regarding warnings etc. I think she will learn one way or another some time soon but I feel sorry for her, she must be very low and insecure to carry on the way she is.
 
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