Update; girl hitting my horse rant

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Lucyann89

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The previous post got way out of hand. It was a simple rant about how mad I was and how wrong it was for a girl to hit my horse around the head when he had not bitten etc. (as I am sure you would all be by the understanding responses).

The girl was not frightened of horses, she was agressive and bad tempered. My horse does not bite and is not dominant about his stable. He just puts his ears back, he doesn't show his teeth or stretch his neck to try and grab you. Everyone on the yard knows what he is like, knows he is harmless and this girl knew aswell. Phew that was to clear up the 'maybe she is frightened or thought he would bite' thing. If she would have done it in defence, she would have admitted to it surely.

ALSO. My horse is NOT miserable in his stable - I am quite offended by this. In my original post I did say he hated being stabled becuase he has had bad experience in them, but that is simply compared to being in the field. He has 6months at home in the field 24/7 so it's not like he is locked in his stable! He does not look/act miserable in his stable..just grumpy which a lot of horses do. He has constant hay/water and toys to occupy him and is taken out of his stable twice a day. Once for an hour long hand graze if it is good weather, once to be ridden for an hour or so, and during the spring/summer he has 4hours turn out a day. So..can I just clear up that many horses prefer to be in the field, and many are grumpy in the stable. I am not being unfair or cruel to my horse by having him stabled when he is down at Uni as although he would probably rather be outside, he is happy inside and on days like today *raining* he would probably be happier inside than out.

Finally, the update. Appears the girl had a small informal meeting towards the end of last year. mainly concerning her lack of care for her horse, but the hitting of other horses - not just my own - was also brought into it and a severe warning issued. Three warning and you leave the yard.

Thanks to everyone who empathised with this issue, and I hope I cleared up anyone who felt my horse is misserable or unhappy stabled. He just gets grumpy when there is a lot of action at the yard, but now he has changed stables to the outside of the barn where less horses are kept..and he is looking outside..I am confident he will be just fab!
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Not to be mean, but saying he is grumpy when stabled does mean he is unhappy, slightly contradictory to say he is perfectly happy.
But glad some update
 
Oh for Petes sake!!

He is GRUMPY, put his ears back when it's busy; that is all. He is not aggressive or miserable. He does not stand there all day and look bored. He puts his ears forwards and whickers when I come down. I did not say he was 'perfectly happy' I just said happy. It is possible for a horse to get grumpy when it is busy an noisy because it's around dinner time..and still be happy to be fed, warm and attended to several times a day.
 
Well, I tried very hard not to offend you, but as said above, you gave a pretty clear indication that he's not very happy. We can only give answers based on what it posted.
 
Okay so if someone posted saying their horse was grumpy in his stable around dinner time and busy times, would you immediately assume 'oh right that means unhappy and it's not right to keep him in there'. No? I think people would probably say..that is normal for quite a few horses?

Eric's past was being locked up in a race stables all day. No turn out, being taken out a few times a week to have training (along the gallops) and I understand that he was roughly handled. As in, probably hit and shouted at, he was headshy.

Just becuase he was unhappy in stables then, does not mean he is unhappy in them now as he is not treated that way and is not locked in them.
If a horse was misstreated and unhappy in a field, hit, shouted at etc. would you not put him in a field again? Of course you would.
 
You said he loves it outside and hates the stable".
Sorry for trying to be helpful and supportive, now I suggest you get over it.
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Not to be mean, but saying he is grumpy when stabled does mean he is unhappy, slightly contradictory to say he is perfectly happy.
But glad some update

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agree
 
Does nobody understand where I am coming from then?

The point of this second post was to clear up the minority of people on Post1 which thought the girl did it as she was scared/in defence. And also to the few people who questioned my horse's happiness in his environment at Uni. Nobody has mentioned anything about the girl or how it is good that she got a warning; they have just said that my horse is unhappy.

I class an unhappy or miserable horse to look very bored despite food and toys, to be inside 24/7 and if they act unhappy then they act frightened or very agressive towards anyone or any horse.
I am boring myself repeating this. My horse is HAPPY. He never looks bored, is very friendly towards other horses next to his stables, pricks his ears forward and whickers when he see's his mum or food, spends very little time during the day in his stable, is treated and given a lot of attention when he is in the stable and people (visitors and my friends etc.) can go up to him and pat him or go in his stable without him being aggressive in anyway. He gets grumpy (ears back only) when god forbid, it is 5.01pm and he is not the first horse to be fed, or when it is 7am and the yard is busy with a lot of people running round to get finished in time for lectures. He puts his ears back for gods sake. He doesn't act like a loony, go mental, rush around his stable or try to bite/kick/attack anyone.

I have done my upmost to help him be happy in his stable and now he has moved so that he won't see or be in the middle of the busy rush.

CAN I CONVINCE YOU NOW
 
hang on, your story keeps changing, one minute he spends all his time except 2hrs int he stable, the next he is barely in his stable?
And you said yourself he is grumpy, which there will be a reason for.
 
Also - you said his past involved being stabled all the time except for the odd walk and work - umm isn't that what you're doing now? And 4hours in the spring is, IMO, not enough for any horse let alone a horse who has had past problems being stabled.

By the way i missed the original post about this but i would not tolerate under any circumstances ANYONE hitting my horse. You certainly have a right to be angry.
 
TripleSandH; I know you are not judging me. At Uni the times he spends in or out of his stable differs and maybe that is why you mistake me for contradicing. For about 8weeks there is no turn out, so I hand graze for an hour instead but still ride him for at least an hour. In Summer he gets ridden for the same amount of time and an additional minimum of 4hours turn-out. I was just explaining he is not locked in.

However, I meant and should have put it differently; that aside from turn-out (when possible), riding and hand-grazing, I am with him a lot. He's tied up outside to be groomed,tacked, to muck out etc. so I should have said that he is barely alone in his stable. Apologies for the mix up.

Thanks Asbo. I don't mind him being grumpy, as long as he is not dangerous. A lot of horses are when stabled. Hopefully the move will help him not be as grumpy around rush-hour times!
 
yes, lots of horses are, I think what people are saying is that he is grumpy for a reason so saying he is 100% happy is contradicting if you know what I mean?
 
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Also - you said his past involved being stabled all the time except for the odd walk and work - umm isn't that what you're doing now? And 4hours in the spring is, IMO, not enough for any horse let alone a horse who has had past problems being stabled.

By the way i missed the original post about this but i would not tolerate under any circumstances ANYONE hitting my horse. You certainly have a right to be angry.

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In his past he had not turn out. I think 4hours a day is a lot better than none. For 6months of the year he is out 24/7 anyway. Also, he was worked a FEW times a week and since it was galloping, not schooling or jumping, I doubt it was for very long. That is nothing like now. He is walked out (never happened before with him?) and ridden daily. As in proper schooling and jumping, long hacks and shows weekly. Totally different IMO.
He was, as far as I know, abused and handled rough in his stable. He doesn't have problems now as he is treated completely differently.
 
I think basically what people are saying the whole misunderstanding stems from the way you phrased it. You have to remember people can't tell tone of voice etc so its way easier to misread something
 
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yes, lots of horses are, I think what people are saying is that he is grumpy for a reason so saying he is 100% happy is contradicting if you know what I mean?

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Know what you mean and fully understand. I did not say he was 100% happy, perfectly happy or anything like that, as he would probably be HAPPIER in the field. He prefers the field, but does not mean he is unhappy when he's not in it. I am just saying he is happy in his stable.
The reason he is grumpy is becuase it gets very busy and noisy at 7am and he would probably rather be still sleeping. Or at dinner times when he sees other horses getting fed and he hasn't got his yet.
 
put a bar up nose height
then he isnt going to bother people - if he is grumpy
and will teach him to step back away from the door and if he happens to be ears back ro lunge frowards at meals times
then it will stop him--
and most of all no one will hit him , or accuse him of bitig or lunging as you have taken measures to make sure he doesnt

and also it will give you - better boundaires as when you enter horse will automaticlally back away from the door
as you have to take the bar out


its an illusion to the horse-- and then you wont get complaints
if true or not true-- its a cure for the problem
 
I'm a relative newbie here, and as such I don't really know anyone who posts regularly. I agree absolutely that there is absolutely no excuse whatsoever for anyone hitting a horse and I would likewise be absolutely livid if anyone hit my horse. However, I do see where some of the posts are coming from, as regards him being a little fed up with being stabled for so long.

Is there no provision, given his history, for him to have some turnout each day, even if it is an enclosed paddock, indoor/sand school? He may be suffering a little from lack of other equine contact? Could he not be turned out somewhere for a couple of hours with some other horses? I know that my lad, who is stabled during most of the winter, due to the fields at my yard getting so waterlogged that it isn't safe for them to be turned out due to injury risk, would go barmy if he didn't have a couple of hours in the indoor school with some of his friends?

Finally, if this is out of the question, I would suggest a sign on his door saying that he is grumpy, but that he is not dangerous and please could people approaching him who don't know him just give him a wide berth?

I hope it all works out well for you.
 
Thanks. He is fine with his dinner he doesn't lunge at it. There is a sand-school in which he can and does get turned out in from time to time. Unfortunately, we are not allowed to turn them out in this school with other horses, as it is very small and a lot of people worry about injuries with kicking etc. which is fair enough.

He would rather be outside because he prefers to eat grass all day. I think 99% of horses would if given the choice, haha. He doesn't play or gallop around in the field, and he is usually eating by himself while the others gallop around and play.

This isn't a 'grumpy horse' post. I know he is at certain times. I know hundreds which are. It's not dangerous or a 'problem'. It has been sorted now by changing stables etc. hopefully. I thank everyone understanding and giving advise on getting him less grumpy, but that is the way he is and I have no problem with that. I am damn grumpy when i am hungry too!
 
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Even if your horse WAS grumpy, there is absolutely no justification for someone hitting him. Especially if they're aware that he's not genuinely aggressive.
Honestly, some people just seem to enjoy picking holes in everything...

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Thank you
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I agree. I just cannot stand the thought of people thinking that my horse is unhappy. He is totally pampered, I get up at 6.30 for him and he always has a deep, clean bed, plenty of hay, plenty of water, more rugs than I have clothes, to keep him warm, daily riding and too much attention and affection. He looks and acts happy in his stable and field. He has a few temperment 'quirks' which are never dangerous and have never been a problem. My god if that is not a happy horse then what the hell is.
 
one turned out regularly or one who doesn't appear grumpy?
Sorry, I'm not one of those original ones who pmed you about it but your insistance that he is happy despite showing he's not really is bit blindfolded.
 
I'm glad it's all sorted for you. I do not think grumpy = unhappy, necessarily. You know him best, and I do not think it is fair for people to say that without personally knowing him - I am not surprised you were quite offended.
 
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one turned out regularly or one who doesn't appear grumpy?
Sorry, I'm not one of those original ones who pmed you about it but your insistance that he is happy despite showing he's not really is bit blindfolded.

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One of those original ones who pmed me? I have NO idea what you are on about..

Definately not the case. Besides, he gets 6months full turn out, and only 8weeks or so when he is not turned-out in a field, but turned out in a sand-paddock which he doesn't much enjoy as there is no grass, and hand-grazed daily for at least an hour

You seem to be very convieniently skipping over my earlier comments on how a grumpy horse does not always equal an unhappy horse. There are thousands of horses who get grumpy around dinner time. Doesn't mean they are not happy at all? That's quite a ridiculous thought.
 
no, but you yourself seem to be conveniently changing your comments, one moment he is grumpy in the stable then just grumpy around feed time. I give up.
 
Glad you give up because, in the most polite and proffesional way possible, I am fed up of your consistant comments about how my horse is unhappy and what I am doing is wrong when I have made it clear as crystal that he is happy in heis stable.

I mentioned a while ago it was only around dinner times and busy times but even if it was 24/7 grumpy..does not mean unhappy. I tried to answer all your comments about how happy horses need turn out and how happy horses aren't grumpy but feel myself repeating them as they seem to be in one ear-out the other.

You simply seem to be taking this post - not about grumpy horses - a bit too far in all attempts to make me look bad and my horse miserable, which is not what I would class as helpful advice to my original problem, the main reason of these posts.

I don't know if you do own a horse, but hell if mine is seen to and looked after the way it is and is STILL unhappy in your opinion, I would love to see how yours are cared for.
 
I assume from where you are training you intend to make a career with horses, in which case you are going to have to stop being so blinded by what a "happy" horse behaves like.
There are very few horses who don't relish freedom and turnout , and unless he is one of those he most certainly won't obtain his happiness from being pampered and kept stabled virtually all of his free time.
Horses don't get their enjoyment in life from being ridden or having a deep bed. they enjoy being with other horses, grooming each other and the freedom away from all humans at times!
He sounds fed up and not very happy living the lifestyle he does, and I agree you're giving him what you feel is the best possible care, but please don't pretend to know if he is happy when he is obviously not.
Our horses are kept in various ways, some actually relish being kept out 24/7, others wait at the gate to be brought inside every night. We judge their happiness by watching their body language, in a herd situation which around 20 plus of them live, they exhibit different body language to the horses in stables.
I think your horse isn't happy with the situation he's currently in, whether because he hates the atmosphere, his neighbours' or the fact some idiot can whack him when she feels in a bad mood.. (ermm she wouldn't lay a finger on my horse again if I were in your shoes believe me). But at the end of it all, he has a loving caring owner who can't give him any more turnout at the moment, so he has to lump it!
Accept that and you are half way to understanding their minds. No-one's life is 100% perfect so neither is his, but please don't say you know he's happy when he really doesn't sound it. the only time a horse in a herd pulls faces is either when it feels threatened, is doing the same ot someone lower in the pecking order, or a hunam attempts to do something to it.. That face pulling shows fear and agression.. It's his way of telling you he's cross so accept it.
just tell him he's bloody lucky not to be in a certain yard with no food/water or care, and ignore him, sooner or later you will be able to turn him out again.
lecture over, it's not meant to be nasty, more a "don't protest too much" comment
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