Things That Make You Sad

[Cortez]

I'm not an average horse owner, I have been a professional horse person for 40+ years and I have probably broken at least 300 horses in that time, the vast majority of them at 3 years of age. Obviously I haven't seen all of their subsequent careers, but I can honestly say that they were not rushed, overburdened or pushed beyond their physical or mental abilities during the process and any I have kept tabs on have lived long and pretty successful (sound) lives. There are always those that were not mature enough; they were set aside for another 6mos, a year, whatever, until they were ready. Some horses will always break down no matter what you do (I also know of some that were left until 5,6 and broke down anyway), but generally most horses are ready to start the backing process in their 3 year old year.

 

[SadKen]

The key to longevity is probably not so much the age at which backing and breaking takes place (although going at the horse's pace is important) but the life the horse leads later. We broke several at 3 and they were ridden most days... however those rides were straight lines, steady pace and hacking to see stuff and build up supporting muscke. No issues with any, all fit, all had long careers into their 20s.

I would say the risk of a short career is heightened by schooling complex movements at a young age. The equivalent would be primary kids doing complex gymnastics. They can do it... but may pay a price when older.

Also horses who reach prelim might be as lame as those who reach PSG... but as the work is easier at prelim it's never picked up. At higher levels riders are expecting more of their horses and on the lookout for anything less than 100% in movement.

 

[ozpoz]

I felt sad watching pony club games in the summer. Mature 14 year olds, very underhorsed on 12.2ponies, booting and hauling them relentlessly. It wasn't pleasant at all to watch and I can't understand why the Pony Club doesn't make a stand. Times have changed, children sizes have changed too. Rules need to be changed to reflect this.

 

[hopscotch bandit]

I think he's extremely unethical.
I was watching an episode once where he put a dog through chemotherapy just to extend its life by a couple of months. It was terminally ill and he wouldn't advise it's owners to do the decent thing (presumably he wanted the money he'd get from treating it).

This happened to my friend and her partner whose 12 year old dog was very poorly. She hadn't eaten for a few days (as sick dogs do) and in the end wouldn't take water but on vets advice had waited for the results to come back to see if there was potentially any treatment - her condition didn't necessarily mean it was dying. Bloods came back as acute kidney failure. They booked the dog in that afternoon to be pts. When their girl sat on the floor in the treatment room looking very tired and poorly looking with barely the strength to sit up and waiting for her suffering to end the vet went through her history on the computer and suggested that they could try kidney dialysis. My friend and her partner were appalled and greatly saddened. Not only had they made their decision to put their precious dog down but they were actually being given a potential 'life line' (which some people would have taken up) which would have meant their dog going into the vets for two days a week to lie in a cage strapped up to a dialysis machine all day long to increase its life by a few days/weeks/months and at goodness knows what cost. Fortunately they were realistic and they wouldn't even consider it and she slipped peacefully away with them at its side. Just shows what dreadful lengths some vets will go to for a 12 year old dog - its got to be down to making money and not for the dog or owners sake. RIP Candy

 

[hopscotch bandit]

I think he's extremely unethical.
I was watching an episode once where he put a dog through chemotherapy just to extend its life by a couple of months. It was terminally ill and he wouldn't advise it's owners to do the decent thing (presumably he wanted the money he'd get from treating it).

I have to say I didn't watch this episode but i do think he is a very clever man who has given a lot to many owners and dogs (in return for taking a lot of money I expect). I don't see an issue with some of the things he does, seeing the dogs afterwards bounding around makes it all worth while but I have thought at times that he is treading on thin ice in terms of being ethical. I do think prosthetics on dogs can and do work and certainly amputation of one leg on a dog works very well in a huge proportion of dogs, but on horses its dreadful. Video on YouTube of someone with a horse with a prosthetic back leg - "People build mini horse a new leg so he can run again" courtesy of 3D modelling software from Colorado State Hospital. Some bloke running with this poor creature as it does a couple of steps, goes instantly lame, hollows its back and lifts its head in agony. But heh folks ..... at least it can 'run' again, if you call a fast hobble in agony 'running'. What kind of life is that for a horse????? Makes me VERY angry and saddened.

 

[Chianti]

People backing horse too young; racing is obviously the stand out for this hence why so many broken ex race horse but backing almost any horse before it's 4/5 is too young for me. I've seen too many retired in their early teen because they were worked/worked too hard before they had matured sufficiently. It's part of the impatience culture imo.

My second horse was an Argentinian Thoroughbred. Her first owner saw a polo yard advertising 4 year olds that obviously weren't going to make the grade in polo. She went and they were all in pretty poor condition. She asked to see one mare ridden - a chap stuck a gag bit in and proceeded to boot her round the school. The mare had a poor coat - was later found to have lice. She bought the mare and took her home- got the vet out to have a look generally and treat the lice. Vet's opinion was that the mare wasn't 3 yet so she had a year in the field before she was started again. I took her on loan when she was 9. She was such a sweet mare - I rode her for three years but she became increasingly pottery and after discussion with physio and vet I said I wouldn't ride her any more. I was initially going to be logical and give her back but couldn't and so kept her. She took early retirement and had 10 years as my pet and friend. I often wondered if she hadn't been treated so badly as a youngster if she would have been sound for longer.

 

[Cinnamontoast]

Non-horsey parents buying something that needs lots of work for their inexperienced kids who then lose interest after smacking the poor horse for no reason and endless jumping.

Using gadgets for no good reason. A mate uses a grackle because ‘it’s pretty’. Bloody depressing.

People giving hay nets overnight that are finished by 9pm then no more; the horse is in til 7am.

People who don’t call the vet when there’s a serious injury. Horse with a hole through his nostril never saw a vet.

Rescues (especially Romanian ones, ffs!) who import injured dogs and crowd fund to raise money or go to extremes to fix a dog which ought to have been PTS last year. Makes me cry.

Blimey, I could be here all night!

 

[silv]

This happened to my friend and her partner whose 12 year old dog was very poorly. She hadn't eaten for a few days (as sick dogs do) and in the end wouldn't take water but on vets advice had waited for the results to come back to see if there was potentially any treatment - her condition didn't necessarily mean it was dying. Bloods came back as acute kidney failure. They booked the dog in that afternoon to be pts. When their girl sat on the floor in the treatment room looking very tired and poorly looking with barely the strength to sit up and waiting for her suffering to end the vet went through her history on the computer and suggested that they could try kidney dialysis. My friend and her partner were appalled and greatly saddened. Not only had they made their decision to put their precious dog down but they were actually being given a potential 'life line' (which some people would have taken up) which would have meant their dog going into the vets for two days a week to lie in a cage strapped up to a dialysis machine all day long to increase its life by a few days/weeks/months and at goodness knows what cost. Fortunately they were realistic and they wouldn't even consider it and she slipped peacefully away with them at its side. Just shows what dreadful lengths some vets will go to for a 12 year old dog - its got to be down to making money and not for the dog or owners sake. RIP Candy

That is absolutely appalling! Many owners I fear would have felt guilt tripped into doing the dialysis, I am gobsmacked.

 

[windand rain]

All the above make me angry not sad what makes me sad is the impotence of not being able to do anything about them. I find cruelty and quantity over quality abhorrent. In horse management the thing that bugs me most is the fact that people think it is ok to keep a horse in a stable for over 16 hours a day in some cases 22 hours a day or more. Most horses are far too fat and I am certain there are not very many horses that are fed to the amount of work they do. Hard work is not a 30 minute pootle round the block three times a week nor is it cantering round a scchool for an hour three or four times a week or any combination of these. Hard work is a racing fit horse training in all paces, A hunter that hunts all day twice a week and does fittening work for three other days. I would guess that an unaffiliated dressage or showjumping horse may be in light to medium work. so overall only about 10% of horses fit in the hard work category and most of those will be being worked by professional horse trainers. Yet nearly every horse on the planet is fed as though it is in hard work and as a result it is not longer the norm to see slim shiny healthy horses but obese overtopped unfit ones puffing round arenas and show classes. About time the judges at shows didnt just kick out the fat riders but the fat unfit horses too. It will never change until the shop window of horses winning various classes puts its house in order