Rules you never break?

I think everything has been covered, all these things just get absorbed over time. The one thing I will never do is leave any tack on in the stable unless the horse is tied up, and never leave a headcollar on in the stable, and again, something breakable in the field.
I am often surprised to see headcollars on stabled horses where I think they should know better! And I once saw a valuable show jumper get caught on the outside of the stable door. Avoidable accident.

Never leave a headcollar dangling, always, always pick them up out of reach of a horse's feet.

Also I will never leave an implement in the stable, even for an instance, I always put them away - in case I get run over by a bus and someone has to put my horse in and he could get tangled up in a broom.

Before leaving for home after a show, I always have one last walk round the back of the trailer to make sure everything is fastened correctly, the jockey wheel is up and I haven't left anything behind.

I wash feed bowls and drinking buckets every day.
 
Always have a length of bailing twine and a hoofpick on you when hacking out. This was instilled into me many years ago, and after coming off a spooking pony who jumped over me (eeek) and snapped her reins I was glad of the twine!
 
Orangehorse said:
Also I will never leave an implement in the stable, even for an instance,
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Oooh this too! Was on a livery yard once renowned for 'borrowing' and so many people kept their mucking out tools in the stable even when the horse was in overnight! Worryingly it was and still is a BHS approved yard! :(
 
Mozzie said:
Thank you all for replying - I'm loving reading the replies. Some I am chuckling at and some I realise I do too.

One that hasn't been mentioned and not really a 'rule' just me being finickity - Bed and stable have to be neat after I've mucked out. The bed (excluding banks of course!) needs to be even all over and the edge needs to be straight. The uncovered matting has to be clean with no bits of hay or shavings. Completely pointless of course as as soon as E comes in everything gets scattered everywhere!
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Haha this is SO me - I take forever mucking out cos the banks have to be totally level with each other, and the front part swept to a totally straight line...until the horse drags it all about haha. I have been known to sweep it back behind him!!
 
tankgirl1 said:
Always have a length of bailing twine and a hoofpick on you when hacking out. This was instilled into me many years ago, and after coming off a spooking pony who jumped over me (eeek) and snapped her reins I was glad of the twine!
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I remember both these things from If Wishes Were Horses!! :D
 
I always take the girth off my saddle completely after riding rather than just flicking it over the saddle. Can't remember why though!

I pick out feet all on one side because it's quicker, that one comes from working in racing.

Always tie up with a breaking point, I always use equi pings. Someone on my yard ties up to their horses bit and another has a headcollar with a chain attached and sometimes their horse is tied up from the chain, both make me cringe!

Always use a dandy brush for manes and tails, never use thw hairbrush types as they pull the hair out.

I always try to give my horse a full brush before riding, if I'm in a rush then I brush her mane and tail and any mud patches she has.

I always wash her off after riding with shampoo abd then brush off any water marks.

Can't think of anymore at the mo but I do have loads!
 
Auslander said:
I don't think its a cultural difference - tying to twine is a fairly new fangled idea. The whole point of a quick release knot is that it can be undone with a quick tug, and if you tie direct to a ring, the rope will free instantly, where as to twine,and the horse pulls back, ore often than not, the rope gets welded to the twine before the twine breaks. I tie to twine if I don't have a decent, well attached ring to tie to, but given the choice, always tie direct to a ring. Im also loathe to let a horse learn that it can pull back an free itself, so unless its really panicking, I tend to let it pull, and learn that lifes' easier if you stand still tied up
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I've never come across anyone (other than online) who ties direct to the ring. My concern over tying directly to the ring is that if they pull back and panic they can do so much damage to their necks that I'd rather spend the time teaching them to tie up properly so they don't pull back.
 
Never get off by swinging your leg over the neck.
Never use your foot to push a gate open when mounted.
Always turn a horse to face you when letting go of them turning out.
 
Never leave leadropes trailing
Never leave headcollars on the ground
Never leave tools lying around
Be careful when walking behind horses

Must confess that I am guilty of wrapping leadropes round my hand, though I realise i've done it after about 30 seconds and conscientiously unwrap it. It also erks me to go away after RDA having untacked the ponies but not groomed them
 
Its amazing the things I just dont have time to do compared to soem of you guys...............and only worry about minimally - I must be a bit of a slob. I would love to have time to obsess over cleanliness, orderlyness and tidyness but just dont.However, never wrap a rope round my hand, never have a finger seperated from the others ie dont hang onto the headcoller by one finger, it has to be the whole hand, bucket handle facing the wall, turn out facing the gate, wear oodles of hi-viz and a hat.
 
Think mine are just similar ones.
Rinse the bit after every use
Ride with hat & gloves
Tie up to twine
Put tools away in tack room/out of bounds
Always wear Hi-Vis out hacking
Horses always have a clean bed
Never wrap a rope round your hand
 
mynutmeg said:
I've never come across anyone (other than online) who ties direct to the ring. My concern over tying directly to the ring is that if they pull back and panic they can do so much damage to their necks that I'd rather spend the time teaching them to tie up properly so they don't pull back.
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I'm not the only person I know who does it this way. A horse can do just as much damage with twine that doesn't snap - and the majority of twine lops, no matter what everyone says they do, are too thick, and will not snap.
I don't leave horses unattended whilst tied up, that's one of my little bugbears. I tie up to do something, do it, then untie and put away/out. I am always close enough to dive in and pull the quick release knot if a horse flips - and its far easier to release it from a ring than from twine when a horse is pulling back.
Your way works for you, and my way works for me = neither are wrong, just different!
 
Always fasten a rug from front to back and unfasten it from back to front - and when removing a rug, always clip the leg straps up and tie the surcingles together so there are no loose straps. Also, always start grooming on the left side of the horse.
 
mynutmeg said:
I've never come across anyone (other than online) who ties direct to the ring. My concern over tying directly to the ring is that if they pull back and panic they can do so much damage to their necks that I'd rather spend the time teaching them to tie up properly so they don't pull back.
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Me too, which is why my horses do not ever pull back; hence I can tie them to immovable objects (trees/posts/trailers etc) for hours and know they will not move :smile3:
 
I'm enjoying this - it is interesting to see the which ones most agree on and which divide people.

I've thought of a couple more of mine -

Never pulling things forward to adjust: if numnah, saddle, rug etc needs to come forward it comes off and goes back on again in the right place. Can't stand the thought of hairs lying incorrectly under things.

Always completely remove and brush out plats after competing. Really bugs me when I see horses with plats not properly taken out: I just think how lovely it feels letting my hair out of a tight plat or bun..!
 
Never pulling things forward to adjust: if numnah, saddle, rug etc needs to come forward it comes off and goes back on again in the right place. Can't stand the thought of hairs lying incorrectly under things.

This, definitely. Also, I'm on the always-tying-to-string side - and I have to put clean straw underneath the old, rather than adding it on top :)
 
Great thread, lots of good practice, all my important routines already mentioned, except one cannot understand why dismounted riders walk horses around with stirrups dangling, it is too easy for them to catch on something and cause an accident.
 
. Walk to warm up/cool down (girth out a hole or two on English saddles)
. Feed according to work DONE
. Don't feed by hand - EVER
. Bridle ON first, OFF last.
. Leave gates as you find them
. Never go fast through livestock preferably go round.
. Ride around headlands.
. Please and Thank you

On the OCD side.

. Halters have to be hung up with throat clips fastened and ropes rolled
. Keepers on bridles
. Gates/stable doors must be secured, either open or closed.
. Footwear. Has to be boots, I am a slob and live in my cheap knock off crocs except near the horses.
 
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One that bugs me at my yard is once everyone has groomed and tacked up they leave the headcollars tied to rings, with the headcollar trailing on the floor.

It was drummed into me as a kid this is an absolute no no, horse could get legs tangled up.

I'm to british to say anything though!
 
- Never leave the saddle unattended near the horse [/QUOTE said:
Wish certain others at my yard would follow this one. My stable is the one closest to the tie ups and someone keeps using my door as a saddle rack. If my horse knocks it off or damages it I will not be accepting responsibility.
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I never leave the yard gate open if there are horses on the yard.................................
Never wear lightweight shoes (or sandals!!!!) around beasts, usually boots with toe tectors but have yet to find comfy woman sized wellies with toe protection........ any ideas? Always leave the stables ready for the horse to be brought in - just in case someone else has to do it (and my kind YO does do it most days so we are ready to ride as early as possible)
 
I always hose lower legs off after being ridden in boots/bandages to help cool the legs and tendons again. Always have a quick flick and check before tacking up, and a proper full groom after riding to help the muscles not get stiff!
I always have been taught to put saddle on first, bridle last. Something I will never change! I like the saddle to warm to the horses back before anything! And will never tie up with bridle on.
Echo everyone else - feet picked out before and after ride, have to have a clean horse - can't leave her muddy! Will wash off if it's wet mud!
No sweat marks, and a proper cooling off! Cooling down properly has been drummed into me from when I first started riding! (And warming up too!)
 
clairebearnz said:
Always turn the horse back towards the gate when turning out.
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Personally I don't, but I do always walk 15 feet into the field, then ask for 'stand'. Headcollar only comes off if horse stands sensibly. As all mine know this routine they're safe for the children to turn out, standing quietly for the headcollar to be removed as a matter of habit.
 
Never take a horse away when someone is working with the horse next to it, unless permission granted. OH is a farrier and it is such a dangerous practice to move horses about without checking first as some will react to their friend arriving/leaving and that's not fun if you are working underneath it........

Always stand with your horse's rear end facing away from others as they pass, to avoid kicks.

Loosen the girth at end of ride or if resting between classes.

Wash the bit.

Run the stirrups up when leading-my kids always "forget" to do this!
 
What an OCD lot we are
I would personally murder anyone that brushed my horse,s mane or tail she is 18 now and in her entire life has had a brush on it twice both times as a concession to HOYS rounds and Kingsford finals.
I hate that the fashion/rule for washing bits doesnt seem to have reached my riders but I do it anyway when I get them home.
My pet hate is dirty numnahs and dirty horses going off the yard not easy with a grey so I have sometimes to close my eyes as she goes out. She is a hairy monster living out 24/7 unrugged so no option sometimes although she is always thoroughly groomed she still looks grubby
If I have a stabled horse I am OCD about the bed being clean and level and will do it over and over again while I am on the yard when they walk through their bedding and skip out every time they poo while I am there too.
Biggest rule I wont break is sugar in diet I hate it and hate the poison it is to horses
second one is wearing a hat but I am safety conscious so everyone has to be safe at all times I wont let anyone go in the field with my gelding as he is dangerous and that is another thing I am very cautious about no one goes near him without either knowing his habits or with me with them. He may be small but he is lethal.
 
I do most of the things mentioned already but a couple of things I don't.
Althought taught to turn the horse back to the gate when turning out, I think its a dangerous practice. If the horse dashes off to its friends, the handler could get knocked over or kicked as it swings its bum around.
I do the same as Pennyturner, walk into the field, ask for stand and only remove the headcollar when the horse is standing quietly.

The other things mentioned that I don't worry about, is leaving the yard with a muddy horse. As long as the bits covered by tack are clean, I couldn't give two hoots whether its got a bit of wet mud in its mane or tail. Time's better spent exercising the horse, than cleaning it for appearances.
 
Great reading all these!
I'm a bit slack on a few....:/

I always start grooming on the left
My horse has to be spotless before I ride, can't stand seeing people riding dirty horses!
Saddle on first to warm his back up
My bed is so clean and tidy, perfectly straight banks, for him to then come in and poo on the fresh straw!!
 
Never wrap the rope/lunge line round your hand
Ride with a hat on
Lunge with a hat and gloves on
Wear long sleeves when hacking out - even on a roasting hot day I melt in a lightweight jacket just so my arms are covered!
This is so weird but someone once told me that if you see a single magpie, something bad will happen so you should salute it.... I will admit that sometimes if I see a single magpie in the field I will school instead of going for a hack cos I am convinced something bad will happen! It is such a ridiculous thing but I cant help it!
Apparently if you see 2 magpies its good luck so if I see 2 magpies I secretly feel confident about our hack - haha!
 
I like to groom before I ride when horse has been out - mainly to check for injuries hiding under the mud. I'm not bothered about riding a muddy horse but if legs are caked and I can't check for cuts etc I make sure I get it all off!

I am also OCD when it comes to the bed .. perfect bankings, all swept neatly for horse to come in and poo then drag said poo through all my fresh shavings *sigh*
 
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