The difference between English and French horses.

[niagaraduval]

I have lived in France for the past 3 years now, and have noticed so much in the ways we train and look after our horses. In France horses seem to be trained in quite a harsh way. I've also noticed how have never seen a 'manky' horse in England. Looking at everyones horses they all look beautiful,shiny and healthy. We obviously spoil our horses a lot more!
Of course, there are some people that spoil their horses in France as well, although i think every horse owner in England spoils their horses. The French seem to throw ''what ever fits'' on their horses, no matter what condition/colour.. Whilst we dress our horses accordingly. Our horses on the whole are in much better condition than all the horses i have met in France.
Does everyone agree? Why is this?
Is it because horses are so expensive to keep in England that only people who truly are willing to pay and look after their hoses buy one?
I pay 300€ a month full livery for my boy.
Are the livery prices possibly affecting this?

 

[ISHmad]

Maybe we treat our horses as much as pets as work animals here in the UK? Ours could certainly never describe themselves as overworked for sure.

Years ago I never had my pony's back checked, teeth done, saddle constantly re-flocked and the like and he was fine. But was he, or did he just put up with things? We know so much more now that sometimes it seems to create more confusion rather than less trying to do the right thing!

Maybe they are just more laid back in France...

 

[flohelf]

I agree with you on most observations ... Although it will vary greatly depending on where in France you are...
It IS cheaper to keep horses in France than it is in England but don't think that's what explains the differences in how horses are being treated and cared for.
More the horse culture which is so strong in England.
For me, the most frustrating here (at least in the south) is not being able to get better quality feed, not having the paddocks poo-picked (see thread on the subject), no rubber-matting, having to struggle to try and keep my boy in a dust-free environment, etc...
A lot of French owners regard their horses as "something" to have fun with, with little respect to the welfare and the well being any animal deserves.

Yet, I consider myself lucky as my yard is far better than most in my area !

 

[hellybelly6]

I think the difference is that we consider them as part of the family, a friend. In France they are considered a beast of burden, a work animal and food.

 

[Ezme]

horse cultures do vary dramatically and i always find it interesting working at a tourist attraction we get people from all over the world. If I mention scrooge was bred for meat the english are always horriefied but the continentals it flys right past. I do find myself in the minority alot of the time, although I think of horses as a pleasure and a luxury i understand a horse has alot of high quality lean meat and is bred like any other farm animal. Its the live transport I have issue with. Also I have been accused of cruelty a number of times when I explain the horses I look after are working animals and as such if they can't earn their own keep their out on thier ears. We always find them a good home as we generally have a bit of time to be fussy with our buyers/ retirement homes but they still have to go. I've been told that although i'm only 20 i am an old soul but its a mentality that works with horses.

 

[pelly]

Cant comment on the Livery/Pension costs as have horses at home.Although we do rent 10 hectacres for 25

Re horse feed, We go to pont vert and get "horsy granules" or they do a mix. In a big town Galliac, he does Suger beet, Mix, Alfa A. his called ALITARN or Sanders .
French People round here seem to think, If your horse is Obese, its healthy. Except fot the local Center Equestre, where they do SJ at Pro level, there horses are all fit and No different to Uk Horses.
Some of the Center Equestres are complete dives with ill bred, ill trained , ill mannered creatures (and thats just the riders!!) The Endurance crowd round here are all well turned out , well ridden and respect there horses. Theres a Lot WHO Do think their immortal and ride Hatless whilst duffing there poor GGs up. Like a Girl the other do who punched her horse in the face for shying at a Chicken

Or the poor Fjords down the road whos owners go away and leave NOTHING for them to eat or drink. My sister and i opened their electric fence and let them into the other bit of the field, then got moaned at by the owners. (who i hasten to add think its Ok to kick your horse in the chest) or, who dont go down and see there horses as its Xmas !!!!!
Trouble we have is explaining to them that our Horses are "Chevaux de Course" Ex racers and Wont be as Fat as a Fjord

 

[niagaraduval]

[ QUOTE ]
Cant comment on the Livery/Pension costs as have horses at home.Although we do rent 10 hectacres for 25

Re horse feed, We go to pont vert and get "horsy granules" or they do a mix. In a big town Galliac, he does Suger beet, Mix, Alfa A. his called ALITARN or Sanders .
French People round here seem to think, If your horse is Obese, its healthy. Except fot the local Center Equestre, where they do SJ at Pro level, there horses are all fit and No different to Uk Horses.
Some of the Center Equestres are complete dives with ill bred, ill trained , ill mannered creatures (and thats just the riders!!) The Endurance crowd round here are all well turned out , well ridden and respect there horses. Theres a Lot WHO Do think their immortal and ride Hatless whilst duffing there poor GGs up. Like a Girl the other do who punched her horse in the face for shying at a Chicken

Or the poor Fjords down the road whos owners go away and leave NOTHING for them to eat or drink. My sister and i opened their electric fence and let them into the other bit of the field, then got moaned at by the owners. (who i hasten to add think its Ok to kick your horse in the chest) or, who dont go down and see there horses as its Xmas !!!!!
Trouble we have is explaining to them that our Horses are "Chevaux de Course" Ex racers and Wont be as Fat as a Fjord

[/ QUOTE ]

It's nice to see someone else from across the border!
A little Shetland lives at the end of my drive, he lives out wind rain snow.. he had ice on his back, his owner gave him cake for his breakfast..
He's looked after like a dog, hooves like chinease slippers, never seen a farrier, vet, dentist and has no doubt never been wormed. He always has big sores on his back, his water trough has and inch or algae on the top, the field is weeds.. barbed wire loose and hanging about everywhere. He lives on his own..

I think the English love their animals more.

 

[flohelf]

Yep, have to buy my own horsey granule to complement my boy (Dynavena Plus) as they only get "traditionnel" here.

Sounds like you are in a truly rural area where the approach might be rougher and more rustic than where my yard is (just 15 min. from Toulouse).
Thank god, no punching and/or kicking horses here and a couple of times when YO had employees she caught not handling the horses in a civilized manner

, they were out the door immediately !

 

[niagaraduval]

I have also found how horses here (well at least in my area) are fed the minimum amount of food then the are given straw to ''fill up'' on.. I always thought straw caused colic.. hmmmm..

 

[pelly]

We use Royal Horsy Granules!! Were on a old railway track so, see it all as they ride pass !!
They feed Straw instead of Hay in spain an like niagaraduval, Say Staw causes Colic!!
although re abusing horses as i said at the Center Equestre, this girl yanked her horse in the gob and the owner had a right go at her (served her right, i always called her poncey pants!!)

 

[JCWHITE]

I'm glad I can have my horse at home here in France, and I have now found local forage to be more than adequate, I would have an issue with keeping her at a French yard. Its just the way I prefer to keep my horse.I do agree there are very good French horse owners, and then the very bad ones.I have been jumping today and the whole show and everyone there were exceedingly pleasant, that to me is the REAL difference.

 

[Willow1306]

I used to live in France for a year and took my horse with me. On arrival at the yard where we kept her (the local Center Equestre/ Poney Club) she stood out from the French horses by quite a lot, she was fit, shiney with a pulled mane and just had that extra quality about her. Their horses, although healthy, were a bit dull and untidy and clearly not used to the same conditions as my mare.
The pension was around 30 euros p/w for full livery (including shoeing!) This is obviously much,much cheaper than any full livery in England but then the standards of everything were no way near the standard of English yards. The feed was mixed on site in a rattly machine type thingy, the stables were only mucked out every other day and the muck went straight from the stables onto the fields. The shoeing was appauling and all of the horses dished with exactly the same hoof/leg.
All of the local kids used to have their lessons there and the training was also very different to English lessons, a lot more rough and tumble (though this is possibly not a bad thing judging by the way English riding lessons are heading thanks to legalities). Hacks often involved crossing all sorts of terrain, regardless of rider experience/capabilities - once we went down what i'm 99% sure was a near-vertical cliff, another time we went straight through a bog, other times we cantered through and around trees/woodland which you would never even walk through on horses in England due to fear of decapitation! It was all definately an experience ... there's nothing like going for a hack and having to be on guard 100% of the time for the next mad gallop across a field to make you learn French pretty quick to avoid accident/death by missing and details!
Once i left the Lycee i went to work at the yard and so experienced a lot of the goings on on the yard. As others have said, punching your horse in the face is not uncommon in France, the horses were not headshy though ?! Tack was ill-fitting, not cared for and some of the mouthpieces were rather questionable. There were no rugs (again, not a bad thing) and the only time i saw them being wormed they were given cow wormer ...
On the plus side, the riders , although not technically excellent, were very capable at staying on ! There were lots of organised group rides such as display teams and trips to show jumping competitions . There was a real community feel to it as everybody helped and shared everything and were all very friendly (which the French tend to be anyways).

After babbling on: the French do have a different,more rustic approach to horsemanship and whilst there are some fundamentals which i believe should be improved, there is also the element of letting horses be horses which the French do very well.

 

[pelly]

I wish the French would adopt the Uk way of competing in Getting schedules from Tack shops, filling in your forms and turning up on the day !!!!!!!