Stable management - where did you learn yours?

Where did you learn stable management

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JillA

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Not altogether on here but social media and other forums (?fora?) it does seem to me that there is a lack of knowledge, common sense and appreciation of the needs of equines. So who teaches it these days? Colleges? Riding schools? The local Expert? I know people who have kept horses for 10+ years and still overfeed/underfeed/have no routine/can't fit tack etc etc - is this normal or are they unusual?
Poor horses in this day and age.
 
What an interesting and vital question. Many years ago I learnt it through the Pony Club, there were special Stable Management sessions and rallies and the tests Inclured stable management and when all else failed there was, and I still have one the blue Manuel! My children learnt from me, family members and Pony Club.
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For most hobbies people will sign up for a course to learn and improve, do people do the same today with their horses go on stable management courses as well as ridding courses.
 
Sorry, just had a brainwave and added a poll! Include Pony Club with riding stables, as they both teach youngsters
 
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Started learning before I even had a horse, from an ancient pony club manual from a charity shop! 1976 perhaps, so 6 years older than me, lol. I used to devour those kinds of books when i was a kid.

Then some PC stable management lessons - easier for me to attend than mounted rallies as we had no transport. Later I started doing some BHS exams so had some formal lessons at my local training/exam centre. Other than that, mainly reading, chatting to experienced people etc. I love finding out new stuff and learning how to keep my horses 'better'.

I think it's incredibly common that people don't have a good grounding in this. just one example, I am slightly amazed at the number of people who get someone out to check their saddle hundreds of times - I was taught how to check saddles *reasonably* and would feel confident enough to check my own and adjust or change as necessary. Might ask a friend for a second opinion if I thought it was borderline, but usually the horse will tell you if you watch closely enough. However, better that people should get *someone* to check rather than carry on regardless :)

There's a related thing, which is people who learnt their stuff long long ago and haven't kept up to date with developments. e.g. I know a few people who insist on feeding their horses a lot of corn as standard, whereas most people would think now that you should base a horse's diet around fibre and then supplement with extras if necessary.

I think things like this forum are a great resource these days as there is usually some kind of sense check, and a huge variety of people with different experiences and ideas.
 
I picked Riding stables, but it was also my livery yard. I completed all my BHS Horse management 'levels' there, i think before i was 12 :) But you never stop learning :D
 
I learned the fundamentals of field, horse and stable management from My family, I expanded my knowledge with pony club and then working with horses and over the years I have been lucky enough to meet lovely people willing to share knowledge and experience with me :)

I do think that many people have horses without the adequate knowledge. However affordable lessons etc aren't as easily available now as they were when I was younger. I know of at least four big centres that have closed down since I was younger around here. It's a shame so many people are buying their own now.
 
Initially tonnes of reading. Usbornes 1970's version of horse and pony care which I loved and read to death in preparation for my dream of having a pony. I remember it having a step by step account of grooming starting with curry comb and ending with a stable rubber. Also had a massive great Encyclopedia of the horse, and every fictional pony book going, learnt a lot from the Pullein-thompsons and Ruby Ferguson. Anna Sewell also taught me how to put the horses needs before mine. Used to read Pony magazine as well.

I also had a much older horsey sister and later joined Pony Club. I always won or did really well with anything to do with horse knowledge and care simply because as a bit of a nerd and a stickler for following the "rules" I spent an awful lot of time thinking about it.
 
I learnt mostly from my big sister, but also learnt lots from pony care handbooks which I devoured from cover to cover several times and also from my local riding school, particularly on own a pony days.
 
Sussexbythesea said:
I also had a much older horsey sister and later joined Pony Club. I always won or did really well with anything to do with horse knowledge and care simply because as a bit of a nerd and a stickler for following the "rules" I spent an awful lot of time thinking about it.
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were you on the quiz team at PC? I remember winning a lot of lovely blue rosettes basically for being a horse geek :lol:
 
When I was a kid my instructor (he is a well known dressage judge and BHS examiner and had his own RS back then) had own a pony days-I either hired a school pony or took my own (we didn't always have transport) and I went to every single one. Then at 16 I was a WP at Patchetts EC (mid-late 80s) where I did my exams and looked after 4-5 school/livery horses (ie horses in pretty hard work) and two at grass. We had daily lectures and lessons. So, not recent!

When I freelanced about 10 years ago I was struck by the lack of knowledge from the college girls at one of the yards I worked at-none could lay a good straw bed, new much about safely handling a strange horse or were very observant. They simply hadn't been taught to assess for health/well being when they went into a stable. One girl memorably missed a gash on a horses chest despite having hosed its legs off and another didnt notice a slightly colicky horse.
 
as a kid I started in a riding stable that was run by someone who had learned from someone who taught the army way. this was in the days before horses had water buckets or drinkers so we had to make sure every horse had a drink at the trough at least 3 times a day in the week when they were in. and were offered a drink after every ride if they were used in lessons. then the pony club and after that working in different yards. in the early days vets were used less so I had to learn a lot about teeth. cuts. tendons. legs and keeping horses sound or treating colic with a drench so from that basic it was not hard to add things as improvements were made in treatments and drugs available. at 13 I understood the basics of getting a mare in foal and foaling. knew how to bandage and how to imobilise a leg in case a horse had broken it but thankfully I did not need to use it in practice until many years later. seems the clock has come a full circle with feeding as when I started we fed hay or straw and added oats and bran depending on the work they were doing. then feed went to the mixes and cubes with ever increasing suppliments. and now seems to be headed back to where I started from. oh and manure heaps were stepped and tidy no barrow loads just dumped until someone came along to push them up and that has stayed with me as well
 
Starting learning at a riding school, but it wasn't until i went to college that i learned it wouldn't have been enough. In college i learned to muck out properly, groom, show prep, strip and clean tack, fit tack and gadgets etc. Also learned by reading and forums such as this one.
 
I think the cheap purchase price of horses these days, plus tack and everything else combined with the internet, have contributed to a big increase in people knowing less. Some of the questions on here can be a bit surprising - the kind of stuff you'd know the answer to if you'd spent time learning the ropes properly.

I used to spend all my free time at the riding school as well as having lessons, and I read and read and read. Not coming from a horsey family it was the only way I could learn but I feel pretty confident about most things 30 odd years on.
 
Old school riding school as a kid. I spent all my weekends and holidays there. After that loaning and owning ponies on large livery yards with a big support network (my family arent horsey)

I speak to people now who have been keeping horses for their whole lives and they have not got a clue! Its quiet scary to be honest.
 
None of the options in the poll.

I learnt a lot from Pony Club: we'd go round to the yard of good old hunting types who were around in those days and who's hunters were always in tip-top condition, and see how their grooms did things and asked questions.

It gave us all a fantastic grounding for later on, and impeccably high standards of how things should be done.
 
For me it was stable management lessons when too wet to ride - my first riding school was pre-indoor and all weather schools being the norm; followed up by books and days mucking out, cleaning tack, prepping feeds etc at a local full livery yard in exchange for rides. Since then I've learnt loads more stuff simply by talking to other experienced people and magazine articles. I also did 4 correspondence courses to learn about feeding, vet care and first aid, pasture management and tack use and fitting.
 
I learned mostly through family, watching others and my job.

I judged the young handlers at a show recently - various ages between 9 and 15yo. The ponies that were plaited I asked the kid to pick up the near fore hoof. First kid thought about it for a second then did it not a problem. Next pony was also plaited so again I asked for the nf hoof. This kid was 15. She stared at me as if I was stupid so I repeated my request. A few more seconds of staring at me confused she figured she would do the same as the last kid. Hurrah!

The next 2 ponies were natives. I asked the kid to move the forelock out to the side so as to see the ponies head. She automatically went to the foot, half way through picking it up she realised I asked for something different and quickly changed and moved the forelock. Next one again moved the forelock not a problem. 3 plaited pony I asked for the hoof. Bless the kid, the pony kept putting it's head down to eat grass every time he put his reins in one hand - so he asked me to hold his pony whilst he picked up the foot. I did have a wee giggle to myself but he did the sensible thing so the pony remained under control.

The Last one was again a native so I asked for the forelock to be moved as per the others. After a few minutes of staring at me the 14yo said - I don't know what the forelock is, I just ride the pony, my mum does everything else.

It would seem that no one teaches kids anything these days other than to stay on as best they can! I highly doubt kids tack up themselves these days or know how to use a hoof pick!
 
My mum taught me all she knew, and I helped out at the yard in the school holidays. I was (still am) a bookworm - reading anything and everything horse related I could get my hands on. More recently I've done a couple of online courses, and would like to do more.

In addition I probably irritated the hell out of other liveries, but I was always interested in what they did with their horses that was different to us and why.
 
I learnt some of the basics from the lady I groomed for (unpaid) as a school kid. She had some show hunters so was very hot on turnout. I would go down after school, all weekend and school holidays. I then went and helped a local dealer who also did hunter livery. She was very old school and an absolute stickler for doing things the 'right' way. To this day I have to have every inch of the yard swept, lead ropes twisted up and rugs folded in a specific way and hung up. The one thing O don't do though is to shut the top door at night.
 
I put "family" even though mine is not particularly horsey, but I learned from the people I grew up around: country people, old nagsmen, local hunt.
 
I put 'family' too, but I was incredibly lucky. My Aunt had her own yard of 8 horses (all hers). She made her bread and butter by teaching riding (beginners to intermediate dressage) but was also sent horses for education. It could be backing or breaking, rehabbing newly ex-racers, taking dressage schooling a bit further or dealing with problem horses.

She taught me everything. Riding from age 6, along with grooming, how to feed (what and why to feed came later), how to tack up - even though I could only watch until I could reach high enough to put the saddle on. And then everything about stable management, over the years. Rugging. Cuts and bruises. Colic. Hygiene. Vermin management. Worming. You name it. And a huge emphasis on safety.

Of course there were also endless shows, dressage tests, dressage camp...

When I was older I started to help her with the horses sent to her for work. It was through that I've been introduced to many, many different horse quirks (and quirky horses) and learnt how to deal with a lot of problems. She was an incredibly talented and experienced horsewoman. Like I say, very lucky.
 
Mine - Riding School, Livery Yard where I also worked, books, Pony Club, two of my PC instructors lived nearby and would impart knowledge at any request - one was an ex cavalry officer - I learned lots from him, also borrowed his pony to go to rallies.
I was also fortunate to work for the legendary Pat Smallwood of Radnage House who fired us all with the desire to learn as much as we could. She was an amazing lady. Took my Stage exams, BHSAI, BHSI SM, & ABRS Grooms Diploma.

Horse Management still remains a passion, I teach HM to Pony Clubs all over the area - just had three sail through their B HM and are now starting on H. When the examiner walks into the clubhouse at the end of the exam and says “Wow that was easy” You know the kids have done you proud.

Its a subject that many young people find hard to learn and relate to so I try to make all my sessions hands on and fun. When you can get a sour faced teenager to smile and say "that was fun" you know you are getting there.
 
MotherOfChickens said:
When I was a kid my instructor (he is a well known dressage judge and BHS examiner and had his own RS back then) had own a pony days-I either hired a school pony or took my own (we didn't always have transport) and I went to every single one. Then at 16 I was a WP at Patchetts EC (mid-late 80s) where I did my exams and looked after 4-5 school/livery horses (ie horses in pretty hard work) and two at grass. We had daily lectures and lessons. So, not recent!

When I freelanced about 10 years ago I was struck by the lack of knowledge from the college girls at one of the yards I worked at-none could lay a good straw bed, new much about safely handling a strange horse or were very observant. They simply hadn't been taught to assess for health/well being when they went into a stable. One girl memorably missed a gash on a horses chest despite having hosed its legs off and another didnt notice a slightly colicky horse.
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Great place PAtchetts - I sent a few keen kids there as WP's. I did my ABRS Grooms Diploma there too. My niece is now riding at Snowball. Sad that Patchetts and Radnage have gone.
 
Tnavas said:
Great place PAtchetts - I sent a few keen kids there as WP's. I did my ABRS Grooms Diploma there too. My niece is now riding at Snowball. Sad that Patchetts and Radnage have gone.
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It was a great training centre, Wendy Hawkes was a legend. We had so many opportunities if we were hard-working. I did my stages and my grooms there-still the best job I ever had!Wasn't until I went to work for the 'Olympic' rider afterwards I truly realised how good a place it was.
 
In the 1980s, so from books, riding school, pony club and most importantly having to keep my first pony on working livery at a riding school even though we had stables at home, I spent every night after school, weekend and holidays helping in the riding school for the first year of ownership which meant the YO/instructor had control of basic welfare/tack/routine/feed of my pony, and I learnt a lot very quickly from the other liveries, stable helpers and total dragon of a riding instructor.

After the first year and after passing my BHS stable management stages I was allowed to move the pony home with Mum's.
 
In the 80's. I was a complete bookworm, so spent most days with my head in a book- Pony club manual, horse care books etc. I had pretty much memorised a complex veterinary manual by the time I was 10, and often amazed people at the yard with my ability to diagnose extremely obscure conditions!

Also spent time at the place I learnt to ride as a tot, did pony management days and then got first pony of my own at 10, who I was in sole charge of as parents weren't horsey. I used to listen in on conversations at the yard to learn as much as possible, followed the vets around if they were down treating a horse and asked a million questions (I was probably extremely irritating).

Continued to devour books on every horse topic possible at night, while being hands on with horses during the day.

Got stages and became an instructor, which i use to do a bit of freelance alongside my main job.

I was fortunate that I had an absolutely amazing instructor in the 80s and early 90s, who insisted on teaching us properly. I used to get thrown on the naughty ponies as I had a very good seat!
Instructor insisted on, not just teaching us how to ride, but why we do what we do. Same for yard work. I owe her a lot.
 
At the riding school.

From the age of about 12, I was a "Helper" - we mainly looked after the ponies (about 30 of them), so did the catching in, grooming, tacking up, sweeping, mucking out at the weekends. So all weekends and holidays were spent at the Stables.

As I got older, I was given more responsibility, so got to do the livery horses. I also rode the owners hunter - Raffles and I had great fun mooching around the Buckinghamshire countryside getting fit.

I learnt from the other helpers and from the staff - who, apart from a couple of WP's, were all really helpful and taught us how to do things properly. I learned to handle a great variety of horses and ponies: how to avoid getting kicked by Shandy, run over by Twinkle, how to catch Becky (you had to sit on the floor and wait for her to come to you!).

We also had lots of fun and got up to a bit of mischief!
 
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