Warning - mini rant!

bexcy-bee

bexcy-bee

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Just a brief bit of history first - I brought my pony last Jan, very skinny, lide ridden, just generally in a very poor condition. I believe he has been beaten, and 'scared' with a hose pipe (hes still terrified of it after a year, but much better!). He was just about to turn 4 when I got him. So, he had a few months to be 'loved' fed up etc, and then I started to break him etc. He was TERRIFIED of the lunge whip. So, until he fully trusted me, I didn't use one, as he was perfectly fine without one.

Fast forward to this year - pony turned away over winter, just being brought back into work. I was approacged by someone who lives opposite my yard, asking if she could help. I assessed her riding etc., and she was fine, as long as I was around. She got her instructor out, just to make sure she was doing everything correctly, which I was happy with. Instructor seemed lovely, professional, very very good. She was coming out once every 2 weeks to give me/lady riding a lesson.

Sat just gone, I was at work (damn the new job!) so lady wanted a lesson. I thought as she had been riding him for a while, it all would be ok, and there was instructor etc. there. Left lunging kit and tack for her to use.

I ask for a report back of the lesson, and hear my 4 yr old jumped out of the school, trying to get away from whip! Now, I had told them he's terrified of it, and that he doesn't need one. Instructor decided 'he needed to get used to it, as one day he would have one'. Now, im so pee'd off! He's been having a whip to ride (not used, just to get used to it), and I do occasionally have the lunge whip when lunging, hes fine with it for me.

Im thinking, A) what on earth did they do to scare him (he's never reacted in that way before), B), what did they use as a 'whip' (no lunge whip, school whip etc. at yard, must have used an actually 'stick' as in bit of wood!) and C) why the heck did they do it? Surely its my decision if he needs to get used to it or not?

Iv'e just started my new job, so am moving ponio closer to home, so i can ride in mornings before work. I dont want to seem nasty, as I havent told the woman yet, and I dont want to make it look like I moved him for that reason.

Ok, rant over, maybe not so mini!!

Am i over reacting? And what should I do? =/

wagon wheels and hot choccie for those who understood! ha

bexcy-bee x
 
firstly well done to get this far with him, I would also be furious with the other people by using the stick, especially as you had said no.....
Did you say anything at that point when they reported back to you?

You don't have to explain why you are moving to them he is your horse and do as you please, they didn't listen to your instruction with a horse that had been badly mistreated in the past...and your work may now have been undone...I do hope not!
Poor boy hope he is OK
 
You aren't over reacting at all - I would have gone up in flames!!! No more rides from her for sure - if you can't be 110% sure that the people around your boy can be trusted to be safe enough to gain his trust then I'd tell them to sling their hook. Get him moved and enjoy your boy well away from such meddlars!
 
I would be furious, but that's the bl00dy horse world for you, so many people who always think they know better :mad:

I let a lass look after Little Lad when we were at one yard. Horse mad, didn't have one of her own, very keen. So, I thought, well, see how you go with him and maybe I'll effectively give him to you to ride, etc., but I'll keep paying the bills. Let her use him for her lessons, etc. The only thing I told her was that he was not to jump more than eighteen inches. Absolutely not. No matter what. Not to jump more than eighteen inches. We knew he could, but he'd often throw in a wicked last stride stop, which going by the look on his face was fear, and I needed to find out what was causing it. She had a lesson - and jumped well over the eighteen inches because the instructor and she had decided he just needed 'their approach'. So angry :mad::mad:. We've retired that pony as he's older than we thought, he had muscle issues, the points of the saddle tree were digging into his shoulders on landing :(. Poor lad was trying to say "It hurts!". I was trying to listen and this stupid pair went and pushed him harder.

Sorry, that turned into a rant of my own! :eek::rolleyes::o
 
No you are not over-reacting. You asked them not to use a whip, you were doing them a favour allowing them to use your pony, they should have respected your wishes and not taking it upon themselves to introduce any new training against your instructions.

I am sorry your pony has had a scare, but I am sure he will get over it quickly but it might be best not to allow anyone else to ride/lunge him for a while.
 
I texted to say how digusted I was that they had used it. I'm not blaming the woman who rides him so much, purely because she doesn't really know any better! If a so called 'professional' says something to you, you generally go with it! She did apparently inform instructor that I dont use it, and the reaosns why, but obviously wasnt forceful!

Im just so upset, hes my baby, everything he knows is from me, and now he thinks that when he goes in the school, he gets a whip near him! The fact that he jumped out, and was then loose in an 8acre field, with other horses loose, AND the lunge line dangling between his feet is scary!!

I rode him yesterday, after lunging. He seemd ok, but that was without a stick! Was rather fast being ridden, but nothing major. Dreading having ot lunge him with the whip next time! =[

bexcy-bee x
 
Very unprofessional of the instructor, whether or not the pony needs to learn to get used to the whip is your decision to make, not hers. People always seem to think they know best don't they?

As for telling her you're moving just mention it next time you speak to her, say you've been wanting to do it for ages but couldn't for whatever reason. Are you still happy to let her ride (while you are there or with a different instructor at least!)? As you could make the offer that she can come and ride him occasionaly so she knows you're not moving him because of this incident.
 
i would be fuming, i would also speak to the instructor to find out what she had to say for herself and then remind her that it wasn't up to her to decide if he needed a whip or not. if she goes around taking the decisions out of owners hands then it will end up pretty nasty one day and she is lucky your pony isn't injured from jumping out.
 
I have seen this kind of thing so much ! These so called "proffessionals" ( and after all what does that mean apart from them charging money for something the rest of us do for free?) seem to insist on ignoring instructions from amateur owners in general and there is a distinct clique of individuals who make a point of disobeying direct orders if they appear at all "pussyfooted" - you ony have to mention Monty Roberts on here to get a bucketful of abuse!

My previous posts admitted that I grew up in the era of cowboys busting broncos and I actually felt quite hard done by that I couldn't find any suitably wild horses here to prove my undoubted skills upon and when I did at last find some difficult characters - I came to quite different conclusions - the first being that the most frightened animal will eventually calm down and come to you if you are prepared to wait him out so patience is the number one virtue - something that most proffessionals don't have.

The second thing I realised is that months of patient work can be undone by a moment's ill considered action. I've always reckoned that horses have a pretty well ingrained fear of whippy things - even if they've never been hit - because they think they are snakes and will think that of any loose line especially if it makes a sudden appearance. A bad reactor can hardily ever be changed as no matter how trust had been brought up in other areas - you will be blamed for bringing this terrible fear close again. So aviodance is best.
 
I backed Ice last summer with no lunge whip and never use one with Beau or the Shoe. If I need to push them on I flick the loose end of the rope in their direction.

Why does this person think your horse has to get used to the whip? I don't need one, my horses lunge well and do not need to be used to it. YO lunges hers with a whip, when I lunge it I don't use one and it junges equally well for both of us. If he's afraid, I wouldn't bother ever getting one near him. Unecessary terror for pony.
 
I would be furious too - no more rides for said helper. At the end of the day, its your decision - if you say no whips, then that should not be in question.

As for moving your horse = that's entirely your decision.

Good luck in the future with him!
 
i would be furious! I wouldn't let her ride my horse again.
Well done for getting this far with him, sounds like he has hit lucky getting you as an owner.
 
Thank you for the responses so far - I'm so pleased to see I am 'in the right' here!

He will be moving, this Sunday I hope, and the lady will be offered to ride when im there, but not the instructor! Not wasting my money on someone like that!!!

cai said:
I backed Ice last summer with no lunge whip and never use one with Beau or the Shoe. If I need to push them on I flick the loose end of the rope in their direction.

Why does this person think your horse has to get used to the whip? I don't need one, my horses lunge well and do not need to be used to it. YO lunges hers with a whip, when I lunge it I don't use one and it junges equally well for both of us. If he's afraid, I wouldn't bother ever getting one near him. Unecessary terror for pony.
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She wants him to get use to it 'because someone will have one oneday, so might as well get used to it now!'

I dont fully agree with this, my eent horse I believe to have been lunged over jumps with a whip, so is scared for life of it, and he lunges fine without!

The only reason I would like him not to be scared of it, is purely because he's a 14hh, so will be a childs pony one day. He may well (not through me) get sold onto a 'fashion child' who likes to 'look the part' Im worried they will want whip etc., and then him having it will scare him, therefore maybe resulting in being whipped? If that makes sense... lol

Just to point out, he is not for sale, but will be in the future, but I would only ever sell him to a child who 100% deserves him. Am, and wont be in the foreseeable future in a rush to sell him, so will only go to a 5* home!

bexcy-bee x
 
I'd be furious too. How dare they decide what your horse needs to get used to! My horse hasn't been ill treated that I know, but her nature is naturally spooky/wary and I've spent the last 2 years of owning her trying to build her confidence and I've taught her to jump when she used to be scared of poles just lying on the ground. The YO keeps asking me if she can use her in lessons for the more advanced riders but I refuse as I know exactly how to approach certain situations with her and I dread one wrong step undoing everything I've done.

Anyway, I certainly think you were in the right.
 
I would be hopping mad, How dare anyone decide what is best for your horse when it is you that knows him the best and there is a darn good reason wht you do the things you do.
I would have to speak to the instructor and clearly point out how disgusted you are at her 'i know better than anyone attitude'
Glad he was ok with you and good luck with your next lunge sesson
 
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