Things you've done that HHO members might not like....

echo that I was never proud of doing it but it what was required in the situations to prevent serious injury to the horse, myself or even both of us even at that point in time or in the future. I think that is the same situation with everyone in this thread.
 
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but some people here seem to be positively proud of the fact they lay into their horses (an example) and other things!

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The thread is about things that you have done that are frowned upon. I have never got up in the morning and thought "Oh yes, ill go and beat the living daylights out of the horse today" But I will not tollerate bad behavoir. I dont understand why so many owners let their horse kick/bite/be a general git, I think it totally ruins my horse. If a horse needs a good lacing, it needs a good lacing. Saying that I would never ever get after Oshk because he is such a problem horse, and Willow just doesnt react or learn from it, he likes mind games instead. Seriously though, I believe it is so much kinder to make your horse behave as it should, as opposed to letting things slip.
 
For all those pink haters here is a picture to make you cringe this is miffy (HHO member lydia who isnt on very often) he is gelding and this is him at the show also her position may also upset some members!
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Taken a stick to my little pony in his stable to make him pay after being an arse.....not proud of that but I've still got him today and we are the best of friends.

I dont clip my horses at all!
exercise my pony with a headcollar
i use a numnah
barely use boots on my older boys
i event a mare
i event a coloured horse

plenty more im sure lol
 
Oh dear ... how long have you got?

Change feeds suddenly if that's all I have
Lost temper and whacked stubborn (mickey-taking) horses
Broke finger trying to drag horse over tiny stream
Threw a bucket at a horse coming for me in the stable (cold shower sorted him out)
Rarely clean tack (but always wash bit)
Ride in pelham with roundings
Have horses shod after trying barefoot with disastrous results
Rarely worm but rely on worm counts
Never lunge in a hat (but always wear gloves)
Use a pessoa - and a cavesson
Never put brushing boots on even for lungeing
Put turnout rugs on wet horses
Keep horses out 24/7
Never soak hay

but I never trot on roads now out hacking - I do plenty of that in competition - and having one horse with navicular who did hours of trotting on the roads I'm not keen to have two ...
 
I have a bad feeling my list will be longer than most
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My OH bought my horse and pays for him for me.

I keep my horse on full livery despite not working - I do go up daily but I dont ever want his routine to be interfered with if something comes up that delays me and I dont feel that mucking out enhances ones experience of owning a horse (I did do DIY for 8 years in my teens)

Bought a PSG level dressage horse when Id never ridden a competitive test in my life because my trainer believed he would be a good teacher - and she was right.

One year later and I still havent competed said horse but don't believe he cries himself to sleep at night feeling "wasted"

I ride with spurs and a schooling whip and use both - something I consider to be less cruel than people who bang on their horses sides ineffectively for an hour at a time.

My horse isn't clipped yet but still has a relatively thick stable rug on because he feels the cold.

I dont like treeless saddles

My horse is shod every 6 weeks on the dot (arranged by my trainer who he's on livery with)

I dont hack out

I dont think my horse likes the rain

We will keep our horses in if the weather is so horrid that we a) dont think they will appreciate being out or b) think the ground is unsuitable

I do feed him treats by hand, cuddle him and coo over him like he's a baby

I have spent a fortune on my tack (bling included) but do clean it daily just because Im a bit obsessive about him looking pristine
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I do co-ordinate his bandages with his saddle cloths. His travelling kit matches also (Im not under any illusion that he remotely cares whether he matches or that it adds to his happiness - but it doesnt detract from it either, therefore its my perrogative)

I have been known to warm up / cool down in the school whilst on my mobile phone (although I do keep both hands free)

We do keep bute on the yard and will use it when necessary

Finally, I firmly believe that how other people choose to keep their horses is upto them and isn't something I should interfere with unless they EXPLICITLY ask for my opinion.

*Edit* p.s. I LOVE pink!
 
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I would reply, but don't give a damn what others think,forum members or otherwise If my methods work for MY pony does it really matter?

[/ QUOTE ] Well yes I do take that attitude. I got a lot of stick for certain ways I do things, on the forum and otherwise, but that wont stop me using those methods, and I think I can say the same for most of these people.
 
Urm..
~ Only stable my ponies in the winter if its snowy/frosty
~ Hardly ever hoof pick my ponies before they are ridden
~ Sat on my 11.2hh unbroken 3yo loose in the field, bareback
~ Ring/text people while riding
~ Only put rugs on my ponies in the winter if they are clipped. HELLO they have thick coats. (eventhough my 31yo pony has one on throughout winter)
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~ Hacked out using a market harborough, how is that bad???
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~ Smaked a horse accross the head when it used 2 NEVER have the bit in its mouth. always opens it now.
~ had my pony 11 months and only had his teeth and back checked once
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~ Trotted on the road
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~ Horse bucked me off 3 times in the space of 10 mins so cantered it round a ploughed field for an hour
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Urmmmm cant think of anymore
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Fab post DD and I could spend hours reading all replies but horsey in field fully clipped with no rug is calling me!!!
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Have not mucked out before just pulled clean banks down on top of old stuff
Have ridden to field bareback with no hat and no bridle!!
Have schooled in a pelham (the horse was a s*it!)
Have pulled a horse over when lunging (same horse being a s*it)
Have sat on horse in stable
Have taught a pony to rear (looks good when your 12)
Have ridden with a pelham grackle and standing martingale!!
Have ridden with 1 front and 1 back shoe on!!
The list is endless but at the end of the day my horses have always been happy!!
 
Lunge with no hat and no gloves,
Lunge off the bit
Have used a numnah because of a badly fitting saddle (or even a sponge) in the past (THAT I am ashamed of!)
Don't feed pony anything but a token amount of chaff and hay in the coldet weather...he doesnt need it.
Plan to winter him out with no rugs.
I'm a full grown adult and don't want a horse. Nope. Something about 13.hh and hairy will do me!
Trot on the roads.
Ride in jeans
Think that some of the cheap saddles off "that" auction site are actually quite okay.
 
I have:-

Stood on up on my horse bareback with no shoes and socks on!- Feels lovley by the way!
Ride my horse in a Standing Martingale some times
Have ridden with 2 schooling whips
Lunge without a hat on (and have ridden once or twice)_would never go without gloves due to loosing the skin on my hands with gloves on!!!!!!!!!
Ridden a horse on bute ( and horse much happier)
Left my TB x out 25/7 all year with no rug on (he was fine!)
I use the following 'gadgets'- draw reins, side reins, pessoa, chambon, vienna reins and de gouge as and when needed
Used a pelham with a flash and a gag with one rein!
 
weeellllll.......
*trot on roads fair bit - unless any horse has had tendon problems.
* ride and lead a horse with a headcollar to the field.
* taken a pony to the field bareback and no hat.
* have chased a horse ragged round the field because she refused to be caught, so I used reverse psychology and sent her away, until she was shagged and wanted to be caught.
* ridden in fluffy wuffy boots and not riding/heeled boots.
* looped a leadrope round horses neck to get from field to yard (even though he is a bugger for nipping...but no way was I taking fluffy wuffy boots in thick mud!)
* love coloured bridles (red leather/purple/blue etc) and would love a pink leather saddle.
* colour coordinate ponies headcollars and leadropes and get mad if anyone swaps them.
* ********
 
Bought a 16.2hh 3 year old when I was 15/16.

Put an earnet on my horse (reasonably legitimate reason...flys in ears during summer).
Owned said earnet.

Spoken (albeit briefly) on the phone while riding on the road.
Frequently use 'dressage diva' bandages...but again reason - horse's legs fill in boots but not bandages.

Trot on the roads - unsure who has an issue with this and why?

Own sheepskin half pad.

Clean my tack before shows and if not rarely more than once a month.

Quite frankly I don't really care if anyone has issues with what I do with my horse - i've had to deal with it in the past face to face, so over the internet seems petty in comparison. That and I don't think I do/have done anything awful!
 
Fully intend to buy a near enough 'ready made' horse rather than bring on a youngster and keep it on full livery during the winter because I would rather ride than spend my time shovelling sh*t!!!
 
Have given my horse time to develop his stamina and agility at his own pace
Have kept him barefoot
Refused to use a whip at all
Hugged him lots
Never clipped him, just cooled him off and dried him up
Ride in a very very odd looking saddle
Failed to school because time was limited and a brief consultaiton with horsey revealed both of us would perfer a gallop on the beach!
Failed to trot on his weak side because his strong side is quicker and I had to bet home so as not to be late to work (OK, a bit sheepish about that!)
 
oh this looks like fun!
i school and ride out without a hat, and this includes young horses and stallions
if it doesnt go off the leg, it gets smacked
and if it doesnt stop when i asked it to it gets a sock in the mouth (within reason)
my horses dont barge/bite/kick/bang etc because i demand good manners from them and they respect that
i feed bute if i think anything looks like it could do with some, and ridden horses on bute
if im in a rush i only brush where the tack goes (or not at all if they look cleanish)
if they're wet they dont get brushed
im sure theres more i cant think of right now...
ETS if i need to make a call/text i use hacking out time to do so
i do trot on the roads (dont quite get the problem with this?)
most of them wear shoes, apart from the retired one purely to save money
if they rear, they get a smack on top of the head
i have used gadgets if ive needed them
 
i jump in a 3 ring gag on the bottom with one rein.
i have a sheepskin half pad and the fluff is puple!
talk and text when riding
always trot on the roads always have done.
everything for my horse is puple!!
ride in martingale and do most of the work in breaking bit and mare is 21 years old!
lung with no hat horse always in side reins
mare is only fed pony cubes,apple chaff and sugarbeet most expensive thing is the top spec anti-lam
ride in jeans
and she is fully clipped and does'nt do many shows at all. but she does jog everywhere so cant be doing with head to toe sweaty horse and she has mud fever so clip her legs.
i'm sure theres loads more but cant think of them all.
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oh yes theres more!!!
do not like bad manners!!! horses must have manners
if i've done jumping or fast ride with my mare she always get's a bute in the evening she is getting on a bit now so just takes the edge of things!
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This is cathartic! I think I'll join in....

- ride every day in smooth roweled spurs and schooling whip.
- Match my bandages and saddlecloths - always!
- I have a pair of sheepskin lined over reach boots.
- I use a sheepskin girth sleeve.
- Have a diamonte browband and crank flash bridle.
- own three pairs of Pikeur breeches (ebay.....) as well as my competition ones!
- Bought a "fancy" warmblood with trendy bloodlines - but he moves like a dream, which is all that matters to me!
- worm, vaccinate and shoe "by the book".
- compete in a Beagler and school in a baseball cap (slap wrist big time).
- Have decided that I do, after all, fancy Spencer Wilton.....
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Oooooooooo I love this post!! Makes me feel a lot more 'normal'....oh dear the list is probably rather long.

Never where hat/gloves when lunging/groundwork.

Have been known to school hatless on my boy.

Ride him up the field bareback/hatless/headcollar.

Lunge in sidereins.

Own a sheepskin halfpad

Had my boy out 24/7 last year.

Barely ever clean my tack but when i do I go a bit crazy clean and go the whole hog.

Had my boys vaccs and teeth checked only yesterday and had him over a year. (teeth were perfect just to add!)

Ride in jeans and wellys sometimes

Fix my own rugs!

Have been known to smoke riding/text/talk on phone.

Trot on roads.

I feed the old fashioned (chaff,bran,barley,nuts) way. Loads of people think I'm mad.

Ridden in spurs with my youngster (he needed them for support)

Sat on pony in stable with no hat/headcollar.

Been witness to an evil horse having a (well deserved) smack with branch.

Don't tolerate bad/rude/evil/nappy behaviour so taken action.

Lunged my first horse till he was knackered (instructions of trainer) as he was pure evil and his one intent was to get whoever was on his back off and trampled(his tack/back/teeth were fine)

Ive never had the back man out and had my lad over a year and half, never needed to.

ooooooooooooops....
 
I brought a just backed youngster without really having the experience or knowledge to deal with him. However I wasn’t silly enough to not have fantastic support around me and we are doing good now, after a few tears and ‘ I can’t do its’ anyway!

Stabled my horse on rubber matting without any bedding on it.

I'm not that bad really!
 
When I was a kid, in the middle of winter, when it was really cold and back then we had proper winters, and I had to wait for a lift home I used to climb on my pony backwards and lie underneath his rugs to keep warm....

We also used to stand in the muck heap when it was burning to thaw our toes out.
 
ok here goes...

ride in draw reins at least twice a day
neva lunge with a hat
make spur marks
whack accoss the face
ride babies in spurs
very intolerant of bad behaviour from any aged horse
adminster bute / aNti biotics with out vet advice
dont pick out feet

we all have our own way of dealing with horses and thats my way
 
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