To all the bullsh*tters out there!

[newboult51]

Controversial post but in all my days I've never met so many 'experts' as in the horse world. I mean, EVERYONE you meet seems to be an expert. "Um, I'm not sure" doesn't seem to be in most people's vocabulary. For instance, you only have to see a horse being trotted up for soundness and half a dozen people flock up and give an opinion on which leg, and what must be wrong, when really, most of them haven't a clue!
It extends to everything, from boots, to feed, field management, you name it.

Sorry for the rant, out of my system now

 

[Madam_max]

*snigger* so true!

 

[golddustsara]

Hahaha

 

[yeeharider]

well said if more people accepted the fact they are not experts and dont know it all they could ask for help before its too far gone

 

[hadfos]

lmao....have seen it time and time again!!If it's in the foot,i usually give a(only if asked though) "it could be.....,but not sure,i would give farrier a ring and get him to check"

I work on the basis that if i have seen something over the yrs that resembles a problem then i will offer what knowledge i have,but always backed up by..."please get.....out to have a look",be it farrier,vet,saddler etc

On the horse feed,care,maintenance etc,i leave people alone unless they specifically ask me for my 10 pennies worth

 

[charlie55]

Sooo true!!
The most recent expert thats moved to our yard has only been riding for 9 months... Yet she Knows EVERYTHING!!!!

 

[lilym]

LOL!! I'm not that good with lameness so tend to say "i'm not sure" I always thought of myself as a bit of a numpty saying that - but rather that than a bullsh!tter!!

 

[dingle12]

You never stop learning. Well said

 

[trundle]

I'm sure i'm as much iof a bullsh*tter as the next person, but i never, EVER give opinions on things like lameness and unsoundness as 9 times out of 10 i honestly cant spot it unless its pointed out to me.

[ QUOTE ]

The most recent expert thats moved to our yard has only been riding for 9 months... Yet she Knows EVERYTHING!!!!

[/ QUOTE ]

I think you might be at my yard - we have just acquired one of those. She scares me, TBH.

 

[algy666]

Hehe, happened at our yard last week ...

Friend's horse unwilling to walk, not moving properly behind
"She's definitely tied up!"
(funny, it looked more like a sore back to me, but I kept my gob shut in case I was wrong)
"Oh, I wouldn't get ---- vets out to see her"
(odd, they've been my vets for 6 and a half years and I've never had a problem)

... They got ---- vets out and hey presto, mare with sore back.

I don't offer an opinion unless I'm asked for it, and even then I stress that it is an opinion and that I'm definitely no expert. I always recommend asking YM/farrier/vet.

 

[tasel]

Haha... but I think it is also because the proper experts (who do it for a living) are often quite clueless, too!

 

[Llwyncwn]

Do you feel better now?

 

[newboult51]

Thanks everyone, feel much better now !

 

[Rouletterose]

Couldn't agree more! as long as I can tell it's nothing serious I keep my mouth shut, don't offer any opinion whatsoever and just carry on with my own horse and what I'm doing.

People in general, in livery yards especially, seem to feel they have something to prove to everyone else!!!

when who cares who is right with the bloody diagnosis as long as the horse in question is ok.

 

[Chavhorse]

[ QUOTE ]
"Oh, I wouldn't get ---- vets out to see her"
(odd, they've been my vets for 6 and a half years and I've never had a problem)

[/ QUOTE ]

I last had this with a saddle fitter I wanted to come out to me......."ohhh no don't use them they just want to sell you the most expensieve saddle and their customer service is terrible'

Turns out she had bought a pair of Breeches from them and the seam had spilt after 3 months and the saddler refused to change them!

I now mostly ignore people unless they are in the limited circle of very experienced or professionals who have proved they know what they are talking about.

 

[Kenzo]

Knowledge comes from experience in that particular area and only then is someone's advice or two pence worth, is worth listening to.

What tickles me is if you not sure about something and you ask about it, everyone and their dog has suddenly become an expert on it over night and you immediately don't know anything, so they then try to give you a lesson in everything you do with your horse and your suddenly incapable of making any decisions.... just because you asked a little question or wanted someone else's opinion about something.

In the end it turns out (after all their bragging of knowledge) they have not actually had hands on experience about (what ever it is your asking about) because it was a friend of a friends wife's cousin's step daughters horse and its just what they heard about on the grape vine.

It's true you never stop learning, you learn something new with every horse you ever own until the day you hang your boots up, because their so individual.

 

[Fransurrey]

[ QUOTE ]
In the end it turns out (after all their bragging of knowledge) they have not actually had hands on experience about (what ever it is your asking about) because it was a friend of a friends wife's cousin's step daughters horse


[/ QUOTE ]

More sniggering. I'm sure I've been guilty of producing copious amounts of BS myself - it's just a by-product of enthusiasm when you learn something new. I've learnt to listen, but not act on anything until I've researched it myself.

 

[jenmac_85]

Well said.

The only thing I could claim to be an expert on was dialing my vets phone number

 

[algy666]

Hehe, my specialist subject is texting the farrier, usually something along the lines of "Pleeeeeeease can you look at/put a shoe on/reattach a leg to Dylan today ..."

 

[Zippydoodles]

You are so right - all yards are becoming infested with them, it drives me up the wall!

Our latest 'newbie' arrived 2 years ago with an ex-racehorse two months off the track. He'd always wanted to 'rescue' a retired racer apparently. It was a 16.3 wall of muscle, truly stunning animal and fabulous paces. Could have had an amazing 2nd career in dressage. It soon became apparent he couldn't even put on a headcollar. Oh dear. 2 years down the line I still hide when I see him coming

and he is a definate BS'er. I've been working around horses for nearly 18 years and have a fairly good idea of what im doing (though i certainly don't claim to be an expert) but it really makes me cross when I get told I am cruel for twitching my horse for 10 mins to do the top 6 inches of his tracer clip! My horse is my baby, I love him to bits and would never ever hurt him!! How dare this muppet say these things

Sorry about the rant, going to sit in a darkened room for a bit now

 

[NeilM]

Ha ha, well said.

Unfortunately it is not confined to horses.

As well as riding, I am an archer. I was recently told exactly how to hold my bow and nock my arrow by a chap who had bought his first bow about three weeks before. I politely accepted his help, pointed out I had been an archer for over 25 years and carried on coaching the three new archers I was instructing when interrupted. Oh and his advice was wrong for the type of bow I shoot.

I found long ago, it is a lot less grief to keep my mouth shut and let them BS, whatever the subject.

 

[M_G]

And the ones who shout the loudest know the least

 

[Shilasdair]

I have found that the way to dispel would-be advisors is to agree enthusiastically with them.
Then ignore.

The trouble in my experience is with YOs: as soon as someone buys a few acres and has just one grass/DIY livery, they consider themselves an instant expert, even if they are only trained as hairdressers, for example.
S

 

[yeeharider]

I tend to agree with you ignoring them is best I do not do horses for a living but have 30+ years experience if someone asks me directly I will offer the best advice I can otherwise I tend to listen to what others are saying and so long as their advice is not dangerous/detrimental to the horse keep my thoughts to myself

 

[M_G]

[ QUOTE ]
I tend to agree with you ignoring them is best I do not do horses for a living but have 30+ years experience if someone asks me directly I will offer the best advice I can otherwise I tend to listen to what others are saying and so long as their advice is not dangerous/detrimental to the horse keep my thoughts to myself

[/ QUOTE ]

I found over the years its the ones (like yourself) who offer an occasional word of advice are the ones you need to listen to, I was very lucky when I got my first horse that I took the advice from someone who did just that and boy o boy did he know his stuff.. I will be eternally grateful to Pete

 

[newboult51]

[ QUOTE ]
even if they are only trained as hairdressers, for example.
S

[/ QUOTE ]

Funny you should say that, the hairdressers are the worst for bs in my opinion

Maybe its all that small talk they have to do !!

 

[diggerbez]

QR- I am so glad you said this! i've been wondering if i was the only one who thought this! whenever anyone asks me their opinion i ALWAYS say that i'm not sure unless i do really know the answer- which i often feel that i don't. i figure i'm not a professional and therefore not an expert...same goes for asking for advice- i will only ask people i consider to be proper experts and just ignore all the bullshitters!

 

[WishfulThinker]

If someone asks me something I will say what I know, but then say thats what I know and my opinion, but its your horse, so its up to you.

 

[perfect11s]

LOL folks I always remember the words of my instructor who says quote,, empty vessels make the most noise

 

[fornema]

I soooo know what you mean thats why i dont keep my guys on livery but our kind of livery who rents off us omg he thinks he knows like everything. I have never known so many know it alls as the equestrian world