Swinging

[Laafet]

I am sad to say that on the stud I worked at in Australia - which is a part of one of the largest Thoroughbred companies, they did this with their foals at weaning. The staff all seemed to think it was normal and while I worked with yearling so never saw it, they did admit that occaisionally they lost one or two due to injury. The horses were never then tied up after this until they were sold and as some may know in Australia they don't have stables at the racecourses so all horses are cross tied in stalls. I never saw any that wouldn't tie up and it leaves you wondering how they managed it. They did quite a lot of cruel stuff by UK standards out there though.

 

[alleycat]

Would like to say I think it was very honest & brave of Bonny, in warning the rest of us, to admit she'd tried this & regretted it.

I've never seen this myself but I think there must be a few things like this that we've (thankfully) almost forgotten. When I was about to back my first youngster (a little Anglo Arab) an old man who lived near my parents (S. Lincolnshire) started to give me some advice: to back this little filly I apparently needed a ploughed field and a few railway sleepers; the idea seemed to be similar; tie the sleepers to the horse, let it struggle in the heavy plough until exhausted- then you can sit on it....

 

[pinktiger]

'foxfolly' ones terrified and in fear of breaking his neck(rightly so) and ones still retained his spirit (needs more training there are plenty of alternative ways (humane) to teach horses manners without risking them) !!! i dont understand this, y take the time and trouble to breed these horses to then stand by and watch them riggle,struggle, and fight for all their worth (potentially fatally), to make sure they 'tie up' would rather have a healthy horse that needs time and training than a horse with a twisted back that i cant ride/sell but stands 'tied up' !!!think there is more important issues with young horses than this!!!

 

[peapod]

Sorry to say but this isn't an "outdated" practice at all - certainly within the Dales pony world I know of a few breeders who swing their foals (NOT us, I hasten to add!). Have never seen or heard of a pony that has been hurt by swinging, but equally it's not something I would feel comfortable doing.

 

[TarrSteps]

A version of it is "traditional" in ranch horse training and one of the reasons people obsessed with "cowboy" horse breakers make me nervous. It was pretty standard practice when I was a kid. I did ride for a QH place much more recently that tied all its weanlings, first in stalls, then to fixed posts in the arena - a common QH practice - both alone and when they rode other horses (made me plenty nervous, I can tell you) and I will admit all their horses tied well. HOWEVER in all these cases people did admit to "losing" one or two and I suspect there were more borderline cases than they liked to examine too closely. I might even agree that if it's going to be important to tie your horse for long periods ANYWHERE (it's also common practice for the worlds above to tie horses all day to the trailer, over night outside etc.) it's a necessary evil. BUT what sort of modern sport horse needs to do that? Is it really worth the risk to a horse you've spent £££ breeding? What is the "acceptable" attrition rate? Knowing the risks and how they can easily be avoided I can't see the sense in taking them.

 

[appyjude]

[ QUOTE ]
They did quite a lot of cruel stuff by UK standards out there though.

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Sadly, the assumption that what is done in other countries is cruel and what you do here isn't contributes to the problem.

Horse owners over here seem to think it is fine to fill their horses full of grain and starch, leave them in stables for hours on end, day and night (keeps the flys off you know) with shavings or hemp bedding and a net of hay - not even straw so that if they want to they can pick......never considering that their horse is going hungry for hours at a time. The intestinal damage that does in horrendous - most aussies wouldn't dream of stabling their horses for any length of time at all - out with shelter is the norm - even for the top competition horses....sure there are yards in every country where they do things YOU might not like but it is only by education that these sort of practices will stop.

Swinging is an outdated practice that most people have seen the light, hopefully by having open forum discussions others will be similarly enlightened. Why simply jump on people for allowing it to be done, Arwen has already said she would have preferred it wasn't done but took them at their word based on their experience - it seems it wouldn't be something she would do again.

 

[Foxfolly]

[ QUOTE ]
'foxfolly' ones terrified and in fear of breaking his neck(rightly so) and ones still retained his spirit (needs more training there are plenty of alternative ways (humane) to teach horses manners without risking them) !!!

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To assume you know what my horses are thinking I find rather rude.. and uncalled for!!

I at no point condoned the practice of swinging I mearly commented on the 2 youngsters we have which gives a view from both sides!!

As a small foal surely the best way of learning to lead / be tied up is with Mum by your side but also a strong person to hang on and teach foalie that pulling back does not mean that they get away? Is this still swinging??

Charlie (The one who was swung!!

) is far from terrified, he is a very well behaved if somewhat sharp and spirited little chap, he loves attention and is responding well to all that is asked of him, in fact he is braver at new situations than Ed.

Ed (The well handled one

can be quite nervous but can also be a bit of a git!! Sometimes when he pulls back slightly on his rope its because he's fightened, other times its just because he's a bit bored and its something to do......he then pulls harder and breaks things... not difficult when you are over 17hh at only 3!!
I feel if he had been tied up more as a foal and taught those valuable lessons we might not have the problems we have today!!

Every horse is different, and some times uncoventional or old fashioned methods work well on some horses, and sometimes they don't..... If swinging is to be done it has to be in the safest possible environment for all involved!!

Each to their own.... Live and let live!!!

 

[jelibean]

I think people may have slightly interpreted the worst case senario here TBH. Swinging is not actually as barbaric as people are assuming, it is in fact an old fashioned method which was and still used in SOME places with great success however I honestly dont believe ANYONE ties theyre well bred expensive horses up to a steel ring in a brick wall and leaves it to injure itself!
I personally have never swung a youngster and ive not had the need to, however i know people who still believe in the method and know that no-one in the right mind would inflict the type of torture people are assuming is used.

 

[pinktiger]

Thought this forum was for people to AIR their views FOXFOLLY just coz you dont like what you read as posts doesnt mean to say is rude!! they are opinions gathered together by what you post!!!!!No assumption necessary as was all in black and white!! I hve a rising 3yold whos at least 17h in who is pure tb v sharp been on box rest for 7 weeks ties up beautifully !!! as do all my others, like i said before have had hundreds of youngsters through and have never had to use this method!!! Surely the whole point of the excersise is that they do pull back and feel resistance By nature of design young horses can be seriouly injured by this method, each young horse i have isnt woth risking!! This is only my opinion tho! Of course is deffo live and let live n what ever your happy doing!!