shoot me....im a NOVICE!!

S

Samantha008

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I just need to have a little rant on behalf of all us novices in the equine world and on this forum.

Ive been riding for over fifteen years, but only owned a horse for a little over a year and i must say how annoying it is when people jump on you. Well guess what, we all make mistakes. Ive seen some of the most experienced horse owners i know do things that they later regret. Just because youve owned a fat cob in a field for 10 years does NOT make you an expert!!

I actively seek out more knowledge about horses every single day. Everything i do i check with more experienced people and literature and just think that people on here really need to stop being so harsh just becasue someone hasnt had as much experience as you. We all have to start somewhere and i for one welcome any new horsey person as its one person less to be a n*b on the roads and one person more that we can ask for their experiences, as yes they might not have as many but what they do have might be more helpful than all of yours put together.

It really is sad that instead of helping someone out you jump down their throats and say they shouldnt have bought a horse etc. Well how else are they going to learn? Theres only so much sharing you can do and thats nothing compared to having your own. Well i bought a horse knowing nothing and shes one of the healthiest, glossiest, happiest horses on my yard.

Ekkk rant over!!! :)
 
Hear hear Samantha008, we've all had to start somewhere;) I agree, there are a few people on here who have a fairly high opinion of themselves and take pleasure in being rude and unpleasant:rolleyes:
 
I agree, I've only been riding 4 years and have owned for 3.5. I've learnt all I know from good friends I have made at various yards I've been on and advice from forums and other internet sources and I'll continue to learn this way.
No-one just knows it all automatically, every single person has had to learn from someone else.
 
It makes you wonder what these people are like in real life... .
like the horse experts who would have your newly bought bucking broncho sorted in five minutes. When you give them the head collar and tell them to feel free all you see is dust. Sound familiar to anyone else :-)?
 
Do you not realise that you are not ALLOWED to be a novice in the equine world and if you admit to it then that gives everyone else the right to berate you, be sarcastic and sometimes downright nasty, because they know better and were never novices, they were born know it alls.



Funiily enough, its the members with vast experience and understanding of horses that are the most helpful.
 
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Exactly! I have been around horses for 40 odd years, but I am still a novice. I have no equine qualifications. I am an expert on my 2 but a novice on anyone else's horse. If people tell you they know exactly what your horse needs/ doesn't need then they are either all knowing and seeing or they are deluded. All horses are individual, you can give general advice but just with people, one size does not fit all.

I hate people who make new owners/ riders feel bad, it is mean and unnecessary.:(

FDC
 
Yes you are right, everyone has to start somewhere, unless you have been brought up with horses.

To play Devil's Advocate, I would just like to state that imho people are not necessarily anti 'novice' on here, they are wary of trolls, there have been several come on and post ridiculous things guaranteed to wind people up, yesterday's poster was mistaken for a troll, nothing more than that. I seem to remember that the accuser subsequently apologised.

There is nothing wrong with being a novice but I have seen several novices post for advice, get given that advice and then completely ignore it, THIS is what winds people up, not the fact that they are novices.
 
I so agree with this post. I'm actually scared of ever getting my own horse not because of the responsibility I'd take on but from the know it alls out there. I wouldn't mind a bit of advice from more experienced people but they could do with not making you feel useless or that you are neglecting the horse. People who post on here asking for help seem to get a heap of abuse for no good reason other than a suspicion they are a troll. Why not just ignore the post if they think its a troll rather than risk making a person genuinely asking for help feel bad. I rarely ever post here because of the abuse certain types of posts seem to get and being a novice myself I need encouragement and confidence building and not put down for my lack of experience.
 
tinuviel said:
I so agree with this post. I'm actually scared of ever getting my own horse not because of the responsibility I'd take on but from the know it alls out there. I wouldn't mind a bit of advice from more experienced people but they could do with not making you feel useless or that you are neglecting the horse. People who post on here asking for help seem to get a heap of abuse for no good reason other than a suspicion they are a troll. Why not just ignore the post if they think its a troll rather than risk making a person genuinely asking for help feel bad. I rarely ever post here because of the abuse certain types of posts seem to get and being a novice myself I need encouragement and confidence building and not put down for my lack of experience.
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This ^^^ My loan horse is coming today and after yesterday and what was said i was all for ringing up and cancelling her coming. OH made me go to work with him so i couldnt, but the nasty comments really knock your confidence. I was in tears for ages and still feel rubbish today, silly really, that some idiot on here who doesnt know you can make you feel that way.

I dont like being watched by ''the experts'' and when i am it really puts me off because its like they are willing you to go wrong.
 
I heartily agree, like many I have been around horses for over 40 years, owned several over the years but not afraid to admit that my daughters 17.1hh dumbblood sometimes scares the bejasus out of me, not because she's dangerous or anything like that, because she is dumb (the horse not the daughter) and doesn't sometimes know her limits.
I have seen the way of doing things change over and over again. For example - 'join up' - I did that a couple of years ago with our pony - my daughter was amazed and wanted to know when I had been to a class - I laughed and calmly explained that we used to do that 40 years ago rounding up the ponies in the forest. Things and methods change - sometimes for the good, sometimes not - I would never claim to be an expert -far from it - everyone learns at a different pace and in a different way - the best way to learn is to ask questions and if not sure to ask again and again until you understand - it doesn't mean you're stupid - somethimes its the way something is explained.
 
i've had horses 45 years am still a novice!

every time i go near a horse i learn something, every time i ride the horse it teaches me something, every day i try to do things better, management, riding etc

its true humility is not something one finds often in the horse world, neither is a true and indepth knowledge, true horse people will always sympathise with novices and treat you respectfully, maybe because they also respect horses, look for people like this and ask for their help.

good luck
 
Oh, how disappointing.
I was loading my gun and everything.
Of course, an experienced horsey person wouldn't post such provocative thread titles, as they would be all too aware of the danger of forumites taking pot shots. :p
S :D
 
Samantha, you are a rarity! Majority of people rode for a while at a riding school, buy their own horse after a year or two, and within another year ARE by their standards, experts.

I try, on any forum, to be helpful. It might sometimes upset some people because I say it as I see it. I would also say that as a professional, having worked full time with horses for over 47 years and rode as a child prior to that, class myself as 'experienced'.

As said, I try to help people out whenever I can, either with their horse if they are local, or, via forums. I am tough, I insist on manners (from people, horses and dogs) and am quick to correct. With the horses this is automatic. If say I was holding your horse and it walked closer to me without being invited, I would just push it back to where it was. I wouldn't even think about it, I would just do it.

WHen a horse really misbehaves like kicking or being nappy, I will give a hard correction which will be a hard wallop which the horse will feel. Many of the less experienced will think this is terribly wrong and that the horse will not 'love' you for it so, you get slated and called all sorts of names - yet these people are the ones that reckon because they have seen Monty Roberts or Pareli and think that it is the way to go.

can promise you that anything they achieve with following those routines I can achieve in half the time with a calm confident horse at the end of it. Tell many of this and you again get slated.

I am willing to pass on my experiences of how I have managed to surmount problems - whether people agree or not doesn't matter to me, I know that for me they work but might not for someone else.

Experienced as I am, I am still learning and am open to other's point of view and also open to trying something new and never afraid to ask more questions.
 
Having been around horses for a very very long time, there is one absolute truth I have learnt - the ones who talk a lot and have very firm opinions are NEVER the people who actually know anything of any value. The ones with the knowledge are the ones who don't feel they have to prove anything and wait to be asked. I have - at times - interfered but only when something is causing the horse actual pain but other times leave well alone.

I am, however, very nosey so am always interested when the vet/saddler/physio comes out but I do ask before I go and watch

BTW- I do echo what Foxhunter said as well...!
 
I have been around horses for over 15yrs and worked on a busy livery/riding school yard for 7 yrs, but I never claim to know it all.

I only reply to posts on here if I have experienced the issue that the poster is asking about, but I would never say what I say is wrong or right.

Sam I agree with what you say and ir is sad when peoplw get so... Grr!
 
I am in my 50's and although I did not own my own pony as a child I had riding lessons and then at the age of 12 I rode for an old fashioned dealer. Most of my riding was learnt from books and I wondered why it didn't work on these rough ponies that were suposidly broken that came from Ireland. At 13 I was breaking ponies for the dealer, fell off a lot and was a very rough rider but a thinking rider. At 16 I left school and went to work on a quality stud and they taught me how to really ride, and tried to undo all the bad habits I had developed.
Basically I made all my mistakes on other peoples horses and made a lot when I was young when its allowed. There was very little formal training apart from you AI and there were only 2 magazines H&H and Pony and they were the bible. There was only one way to do it.
Now no one is allowed to learn in comfort, ask anyone how long it took before they felt on control in a car in all situations, weeks ,months, for some perhaps years? No one wants to ride badly, no one wants to do the wrong thing and, wearing the wrong clothes (god forebid cream jods in stead of white) is not a crime, there are so many ideas floating about that really feel sorry for new horse owners.The confusion with feeding caused by so many feeds, we just about had pony nuts barley and chaff.
Asking why someone does something in a certain way seems to be taken as either,
a) a theat or critisism
b) you must be really stupid to ask.
I have been lucky to have ridden some nice horses and seen some great teachers. If you can not afford regular lessons watching lecture demonstrations ( by the best) can shine a light, also the old riding books by great teachers which now appear so out of fashion are really the bread and butter that any one can use as they are not corrupted by what they needed to sell in the way of gadgets.
Good riding is straight forward but it takes work and time, working on yourself and then the horse, no gadgets, no XYZ feeds just putting in the hours. If you can not do that it does not make you a bad person, there is nothing wrong in getting on and having a potter, if the circle isn't round the horse will not care, and 'not forward enough' is the place most horses want to be.
 
honeypot is no doubt right when she says if the circle is not round the horse won't care and if its not forward enough it won't care.

but it is YOUR job op to care, and to know that in order to make progress from a novice point of view in your riding, and therefore your horses schooling, that if your circles ARE round and your horse does go FORWARD properly you are doing two very very important things to start you in the right direction, never forget that although you and your horse are a partnership you are in charge, a novice needs to gain experience in doing it correctly, from this will come self confidence for you, and will build trust in your horse.
 
Thepinkpony how horrible that some replies made you feel this way. I always say there is never a stupid question and infact always feel it is more stupid not to ask!!!!

I have had horses all my life, and god knows I ask many ' stupid' questions on here due to having different horses with their different needs..... I am always keen to learn.

Ask away and ignore the know it alls x
 
Agree with all that has been said so far! I've been working as a full-time groom for 6 years now in a variety of different yard types, but I still feel like I have a LOT to learn about horses and I'm still a "novice" in a lot of areas. No matter how long you have been around horses there is ALWAYS more to learn, you can NEVER know everything and have all the answers, and anyone who thinks they does is seriously misguided.

And I, personally, love learning new things about horses because every new discovery just adds to my passion... and so the great thing about being a real novice is that you have a longer journey of discovery ahead of you :)

I find it's quite common in forumland (not just on here) that many people with a lot of experience and knowledge, who could POTENTIALLY be very helpful and supportive to the more novice board members, never actually proffer that knowledge in order to be helpful but only seem to want to share it when they are correcting other people!!
 
I am what you would probably term as 'experienced' (over 30 years of owning and caring for horses), but I believe there are still things about horses that I am learning every day. I hate know it alls who jump down novices throats. I purposely have only novices on my livery yard as I feel the atomosphere is so much less bitchy and competitive. Everyone helps each other and laugh at mistakes together. It's just fun all the way! And I hope that I am able to guide and advise them in a non superior manner.
 
' getting a horse forward and round' could be a sign of improvement to some, haveing written an aweful lot of tests sheets not very many seem to atain it even at the higher levels.
I hate the thought that any horse or person is made to feel inadequate because they unable to atchieve this. Most of use want to do things well, why make someone feel bad while getting there.
On a different thought how has this person not been killed? Who sold her this?
http://www.preloved.co.uk/fuseaction-adverts.showadvert/index-1034073886/30832e0c.html
 
We were all novice once. However, some novices do their utmost to get as much information as they can and prepare themselves as much as possible for horse ownership... others don't. And some won't take criticism or advice with grace OR gratitude. These are the ones who rub everyone up the wrong way. Personally, I don't mind how little someone knows, I'm infuriated by those who think they know it all, and even MORE infuriated by those who think they're qualified to belittle everyone who asks a question. So basically I agree with you ;)
 
PapaFrita said:
We were all novice once. However, some novices do their utmost to get as much information as they can and prepare themselves as much as possible for horse ownership... others don't. And some won't take criticism or advice with grace OR gratitude. These are the ones who rub everyone up the wrong way. Personally, I don't mind how little someone knows, I'm infuriated by those who think they know it all, and even MORE infuriated by those who think they're qualified to belittle everyone who asks a question. So basically I agree with you ;)
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This exactly! I have no problem at all with people asking questions, no matter how silly they may seem. I do have a problem with those novices who think they already know all there is to know and can become quite rude when you don't answer the way they want you to, these same people then belittle others for fun. Hmmmmm on reflection these people don't think they are novices at all but class themselves as experienced :rolleyes:

As for Wagtail's yard full of novices, in my experience some novices can be extremely competitive with others, ie trying to prove they know more than all the others put together - it is human nature I am afraid.
 
Completely agree!! Well said! I don't ride, never have but have owned ponies for my daughter for 10years. I still say I'm a novice & its so downheartening when you ask advice & get shot down in flames! We all have to start somewhere xx
 
tinap555 said:
Completely agree!! Well said! I don't ride, never have but have owned ponies for my daughter for 10years. I still say I'm a novice & its so downheartening when you ask advice & get shot down in flames! We all have to start somewhere xx
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And then after you have been shot down in flames it is doubly hard to ask the next time tou have query. Thats what i find anyway.
 
This place is enough to put anyone off horses. When I do get my own, I will probably stop coming on here...

ETA actually, it doesn't put me off horses. Just horsey people!
 
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I am another that would call myself 'experienced' in some ways BUT, with horses, there is no such thing as an expert! every horse is very different, what works with one might not work with another, what causes one horse to react in one way may cause another to react in a totally different way. There are some on here that have a wealth of experience, you will usually find they are not the ones to make nasty or insulting comments. I only ever give advice if it is something I have experienced for myself and even then only as a suggestion for something to try. I have had so much help and advice on here on various topics, things I have never come across before or that my usual methods are not working for. I do agree that it is frustrating though when someone asks a question and then totally ignores suggestions put forward. Everyone has to start somewhere and everyone has something more to learn. In a way, every single person on here will be a novice in some area of horsemanship!
 
I feel so sorry for some of the newbies of H&H, I was reading a thread yesterday from a novice asking for advice and some of the responses were just pure evil!! I don't understand why people are so mean everyone makes mistakes and no one is perfect especially when it comes to horses, its just not possible to get it 100% right horses have a mind of their own and even the most predictable of horses can have slips ups. I'm only 22 but I was thrown in at the deep end as a child, I was the girl with the very naughty pony whilst all my friends had lovely push buttons. Looking back now I'm glad my mother made me work hard and learn to ride all kinds of ''interesting'' horses. Even now people either think I have a death wish or I'm just daft with the horses I choose.
 
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