Should I interfere? (uncomfortable watching training session)

D

daydreamer

Well-Known Member
Joined
15 January 2006
Messages
1,406
Location
East Anglia
Visit site
I'm after a bit of advice....

I keep my horse on a large (around 40 horse) livery yard. A new livery came a few months ago. I don't really know her although we've had the odd "your horse looks nice" type moment and I guess more of a chat when she first arrived. She has a nice cob who I understand she has spent quite a long time rehabbing although I can't remember why. I've seen her doing a lot of walking in hand with her horse and groundwork including walking over poles, work with a gym ball etc.

Anyway, yesterday I was in the yard tea room and saw she had got a visiting instructor in and was having a lesson. The instructor was riding the horse. The whole time I was watching (maybe 10 or 15 minutes) the only thing that was happening was the instructor trotting the horse around the outside of the arena, in sitting trot, with that looked like quite a strong contact, very rigid elbows. The horse was overbent and looked uncomfortable. It was a very slow shuffly trot, not tracking up at all. Every so often the horse did something the instructor didn't like (I didn't have a perfect view every time but think the horse may have tried to speed up or move it's head or turn) and she yanked the inside rein and turned it in small circles until it stopped and then off she went again. I saw her do that 3 or 4 times.

I'm familiar with disengaging the hind end to stop flight but this wasn't that, it looked more like a punishment than anything else. I didn't see any rest breaks or variations in pattern. I think I saw one pat and one 5 second give and retake. Quite a few people on the yard use this instructor (I have no idea why) and every horse she rides or teaches seems to be slow, overbent and tight. Other people have said they have seen her really whack other horses she has been riding.

In the end I couldn't watch any more as I felt so uncomfortable.

I'd really like to say something to the owner, who clearly loves her horse, but I'm not always great with people and don't want to create a nasty situation. On the whole it is a 'live and let live' yard but I do feel I should say something for the sake of the horse. My OH says I should have said something there and then but he works for himself and doesn't really understand yards or workplace diplomacy!

Am I over reacting? Would other people say anything?
 
There's a lot worse can happen for a horse than 15 minutes overbent trotting. Keep out of it.there could well have been a good reason for the instructor to ride the horse this way. Honestly I find this so petty. The horse wasn't being whipped or rapped or dug with spurs, dog,if people can't trot their horse not on the bit for a few minutes there's something wrong with the world. You'd be horrified at me and mine, I couldn't care less about tracking up or being over or under bent, I just jog along enjoying myself. Get a life op.
 
Backtoblack said:
There's a lot worse can happen for a horse than 15 minutes overbent trotting. Keep out of it.there could well have been a good reason for the instructor to ride the horse this way. Honestly I find this so petty. The horse wasn't being whipped or rapped or dug with spurs, dog,if people can't trot their horse not on the bit for a few minutes there's something wrong with the world. You'd be horrified at me and mine, I couldn't care less about tracking up or being over or under bent, I just jog along enjoying myself. Get a life op.
Click to expand...

That was a bit uncalled for.
 
I wouldn't dive in with both feet until you know her better. That might be exactly how she likes things done, or she might be a novice who doesn't know what she likes yet and would welcome advice.
If you feel you need to intervene, can you make friends & try to involve her in your own schooling sessions (maybe invent a need for someone on the ground to move poles or something)? That way you can show her another way of doing things that suits you & then see what she thinks of it.
 
Backtoblack said:
There's a lot worse can happen for a horse than 15 minutes overbent trotting. Keep out of it.there could well have been a good reason for the instructor to ride the horse this way. Honestly I find this so petty. The horse wasn't being whipped or rapped or dug with spurs, dog,if people can't trot their horse not on the bit for a few minutes there's something wrong with the world. You'd be horrified at me and mine, I couldn't care less about tracking up or being over or under bent, I just jog along enjoying myself. Get a life o
Click to expand...

Wow. I'm not sure I want to live in a world where it is only wrong if a horse is being whipped, rapped or dug with spurs.

To be petty is to "care too much about small, unimportant things", personally I don't think caring about horse welfare is petty.

If I had only seen 10 minute of this trainer riding then yes, perhaps there was a specific reason for that method but I have seen her riding multiple horses on multiple occasions and she always rides them in exactly that way. I actually would want to see the horse jogging along enjoying itself which was exactly what was not happening!!
 
Have you seen her ride? I'd say something positive like the horse is going so much better / looks so much more comfortable with her than with the instructor and they must have lovely relationship and hope she gets the message rather than saying anything directly.
 
Annagain said:
Have you seen her ride? I'd say something positive like the horse is going so much better / looks so much more comfortable with her than with the instructor and they must have lovely relationship and hope she gets the message rather than saying anything directly.
Click to expand...

That's a good idea but sadly I haven't seen her ride it at all.
 
daydreamer said:
I'm after a bit of advice....

I keep my horse on a large (around 40 horse) livery yard. A new livery came a few months ago. I don't really know her although we've had the odd "your horse looks nice" type moment and I guess more of a chat when she first arrived. She has a nice cob who I understand she has spent quite a long time rehabbing although I can't remember why. I've seen her doing a lot of walking in hand with her horse and groundwork including walking over poles, work with a gym ball etc.

Anyway, yesterday I was in the yard tea room and saw she had got a visiting instructor in and was having a lesson. The instructor was riding the horse. The whole time I was watching (maybe 10 or 15 minutes) the only thing that was happening was the instructor trotting the horse around the outside of the arena, in sitting trot, with that looked like quite a strong contact, very rigid elbows. The horse was overbent and looked uncomfortable. It was a very slow shuffly trot, not tracking up at all. Every so often the horse did something the instructor didn't like (I didn't have a perfect view every time but think the horse may have tried to speed up or move it's head or turn) and she yanked the inside rein and turned it in small circles until it stopped and then off she went again. I saw her do that 3 or 4 times.

I'm familiar with disengaging the hind end to stop flight but this wasn't that, it looked more like a punishment than anything else. I didn't see any rest breaks or variations in pattern. I think I saw one pat and one 5 second give and retake. Quite a few people on the yard use this instructor (I have no idea why) and every horse she rides or teaches seems to be slow, overbent and tight. Other people have said they have seen her really whack other horses she has been riding.

In the end I couldn't watch any more as I felt so uncomfortable.

I'd really like to say something to the owner, who clearly loves her horse, but I'm not always great with people and don't want to create a nasty situation. On the whole it is a 'live and let live' yard but I do feel I should say something for the sake of the horse. My OH says I should have said something there and then but he works for himself and doesn't really understand yards or workplace diplomacy!

Am I over reacting? Would other people say anything?
Click to expand...
Without seeing this instructor riding - or the horse being ridden, it is hard to assume that any wrong is being done. I have to turn my mare suddenly on 10 meter circles when she starts being stupid and spooky at something outside the arena, as it distracts her from what she is looking at. I know some trainers do have them overbent but again some horses go over bent and have to be made to go forward to get them pushing from behind.

I can only visualise what happened which everyone else can and some horses get very heavy in front and can lean on the bit, and as you say this is rehab so horse needs to be pushed on and can either be lazy and need to get them firmly ridden till they loosen up.

My mare is very lazy and you have to spend 10 minutes battle to get her to loosen up and soften in her mouth. When you are an instructor, you see reasons why a lot more than the average person. If you are worried speak to yard owner or if another instructor around ask their opinion.
 
Backtoblack said:
There's a lot worse can happen for a horse than 15 minutes overbent trotting. Keep out of it.there could well have been a good reason for the instructor to ride the horse this way. Honestly I find this so petty. The horse wasn't being whipped or rapped or dug with spurs, dog,if people can't trot their horse not on the bit for a few minutes there's something wrong with the world. You'd be horrified at me and mine, I couldn't care less about tracking up or being over or under bent, I just jog along enjoying myself. Get a life op.
Click to expand...
Really???

I'd want to know if my horse was being ridden badly - its just how / if its worth the OP approaching the owner
 
I had a similar situation recently. Person I know has an instructor who I suspect is a bit (lot) of a cowboy and they haven’t progressed beyond leading this horse around and getting on in walk, despite 3 years of lessons. I could rant all day about him but I won’t (or I won’t stop!)

However, a few weeks ago he was leading said horse on one of their in-hand lessons and horse appeared to just turn his head and cowboy yanked forcefully down on the leadrope attached to the bit and gobbed the horse several times in anger. The owner just stood there watching and didn’t seem bothered.
I just stared at him and shook my head, which he saw, but it is very tricky when the owner seems to be condoning the behaviour.

I decided not to say anything, but if the owner brings up any conversation about him or her lessons, and I feel there is the right moment, I will express my concerns about what I saw.
In this situation it is nervous/novice person hugely over-horsed and a chancer who has found an opportunity to milk every penny out of someone vulnerable and desperate for help.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top