What are your pet hates....

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with horses' appearance and turnout? For example...

I CAN'T BEAR:

- long, unpulled manes on anything other than M&M, traditional hairy cobs, and the odd Arab.

- hogged manes on anything other than polo ponies

- whiskery noses

- ridiculous amounts of gadgets on horses who don't need them

- hobbit ears

- broodmares left to turn into hairy yaks

- Prestige saddles (they make my bottom hurt!)

- bling bridles

- black tack

- unplaited horses out hunting (unless it's the resident hairy shetland!)


I ADORE:

- manes pulled nice and short

- pulled tails

- no whiskers in sight!

- fully clipped out ears

- broodmares with lovely pulled manes and sparkly, well groomed tails

- brown tack

- padded nosebands and browbands

- Albion saddles

- oiled feet

- small, neat mane plaits and beautiful mudtail plaits on horses out hunting

I'm sure there's a lot more... but I'm always interested in how opinions differ on things like this... go for it people!
 
I like my horses to have whiskers - can't bear to get rid of them!
I can't (and WILL NOT pull my manes), but I can pull the hunters as they are not my horses and Iam paid to do it!
I don't mind the colour of tack - long as it matches.
I don't like to see ladies long hair loose under a hat - a hair net is there for a reason. Or a neat plait of course.
I don't like a blanket or trace clip to go up along the side of the tail. I can't see the point of doing it and the horse doesn't sweat there.
I hate shaved tails (as apposed to pulled tails), if your horse doesn't like it pulled - leave it. A neat plait is just as nice.

I hate to see riders over warming their horses up at shows... jump after jump after jump is not needed.
I also hate it when its common to say people are too big for their ponies but no-one says people are too small for their horses.
 
My pet hates are:-

Horses that are overclipped when all they do is an hours hack on a weekend yet have to be rugged to the eyeballs as they've been fully clipped, I was always taught to clip to the work being done.

Overfeeding conccentrates.

Over/Under rugging, it isn't that hard to keep a horse comfortable:confused:

People who are all pro stabling and people who are all pro 24/7 turnout with no leeway for those who can't don't do either - sometimes compromise is good :)

Riders who like to think/make out that their horse is hard to handle to make them look good and stick a load of gadgets and severe bits on:rolleyes:

Hoof oil - hate the stuff!

Broodmares that aren't allowed to become hairy yaks - hair is natural protection :D

I have black tack :eek:

Crank nosebands pulled tight.

Anyone who is too evangelical in their beliefs on management/riding.

Other than those and probably a dozen more, I'm pretty tolerant really!
 
Hate...
Knotty manes
straggly thin tails that almost touch the ground
poo stains on white horses ( I know, impossible to cure 100% of the time but I hate it!)
synthetic and treeless saddles
webbing bridles unless on endurance horse
coloured rubber reins :P except orange on a racehorse
cotton padded girths soaked in sweat
martingales but dont know why, just think half the horses who have one dont need it
ditto shaved tails ick

love
classic leather tack
no gadgets
leather girths
properly neat tails, plaited not pulled
neat clips
hoof oil
shaved show horses whiskers, ears. looks fab. baby oiled, chalked, the lot!
 
I only really have 2 little ones,

Manes being laid on the wrong side..grr..

Over rugging.

But my TOP pet hate is horses being ridden with one rein when the bit they're using requires 2...GROWL. Saw someone hacking past the other day with a pelham and just one rein on the curb??!
 
HATE:
Furry fetlocks and beards (unless on traditionals/natives etc). Don't know why it bothers me so much but it drives me mad! Having said that, I've always left nose whiskers on, even on the 4 star eventers.

Shaved/over pulled tails. I've been known to wrestle the clippers off my old boss to prevent her from massacre-ing their tails!

Coloured saddle pads at shows - white or black only!

And that people give a stuff what side the mane is on - how many of us carry swords nowadays?! I scored top marks for turnout at the Taupo 3 star 3 day event in NZ for both horses, until they noticed that ones mane was on the 'wrong' side. So annoyed - if it is beautifully pulled, plaited and the horse looks a million dollars (and was the only 3* horse who didn't spend the night after x-c on a drip), who cares what side it's on...aaargh!!!!!

Oh, and plaited manes but forelock left unplaited - that's just lazy!

LOVE:
Perfect quarter markers
Gleaming coats and Tails
Tidy fetlocks
Sparkling clencher browbands on horses with dark heads
A rider who looks as smart as the stunningly turned out horse (sadly that is never me!)
 
i hate bridles used without nosebands,whiskers, unpulled manes, dirty tack, too many un-necessary gadgets on horses,clipped tails(yuck) untidy plaits done with elastic bands. i love hogged manes(where necessary) clipping, pulling manes,properly groomed horses, hoof oil,plaiting with cotton,clean beds with no poo!!!
 
hates:

people who think they have to ride all the time instead of spending quality time with their horses.

people who put other peoples horses down for their looks, my lad wasnt the prettiest in the stable but he would go anywhere do anything.

loves:

people who care about their animals.

people who help others instead of putting them down if they are introuble or dont understand.
 
Starzaan said:
with horses' appearance and turnout? For example...

I CAN'T BEAR:

- long, unpulled manes on anything other than M&M, traditional hairy cobs, and the odd Arab. Guilty:(

- hogged manes on anything other than polo ponies

- whiskery noses Guilty

- ridiculous amounts of gadgets on horses who don't need them

- hobbit ears What are Hobbit ears?

- broodmares left to turn into hairy yaksOh ****, guilty again

- Prestige saddles (they make my bottom hurt!)

- bling bridles Oh dear:(

- black tackAh ha. Haven't got any:D

- unplaited horses out hunting (unless it's the resident hairy shetland!)With you on that one


I ADORE:

- manes pulled nice and short

- pulled tails
- no whiskers in sight!

- fully clipped out ears

- broodmares with lovely pulled manes and sparkly, well groomed tails

- brown tack

- padded nosebands and browbands

- Albion saddles

- oiled feet

- small, neat mane plaits and beautiful mudtail plaits on horses out hunting

I'm sure there's a lot more... but I'm always interested in how opinions differ on things like this... go for it people!
Click to expand...

Fun thread :D:D

Yoiks! I have fields full of long manes and tails, nothing competes, and they help with the flies. My horses are hairy yaks in winter because they live out 24/7 and it gets a bit chilly.

When I competed and hunted then my horses were plucked, pulled, plaited and trimmed to within an inch of their lives, I like smart and tidy too. I am just not doing it without a reason.
 
Hates:

MAJOR pet hate is overweight horses. If people post on HHO 'is my horse overweight?' the answer will undoubtably be yes. Because 80% of horses in the UK are overweight. And I dont see any reason for it. Any other things that impair a horses heart, joints, respiratory system, reduce life expectancy are unacceptably cruel. But a fat horse is somehow justified???? Also, don't say my horses are 'skiny' when I take a baby into a local show class for experience. They are event fit. Everything else in the class is fat.

I hate the use of gagets when they are not needed or used as a quick fix. Do your horse a favour, take that hideous contraption out of its mouth and try a french link snaffle and alot of schooling.

Loves:

Expensive saddles!
Perfect turnout
Unusual / personalised quatermarks!
A beautiful lorry... *dream*....
 
My pet hate is riders on the roads who don't express their gratitude to drivers that slow down for them. Unless their horse is evidently being hard to handle then I don't think there's any excuse for not mustering a nod or a wave. I try my best to nod thanks to every driver, cyclist, pedestrian, dog walker etc. that goes by me as I think it helps to give riders a good reputation and will hopefully keep those people showing us their consideration. It does get tedious but in my view, must be done.

I personally don't much care what horses look like, whether their manes are pulled or plaited, whether they're clipped etc. I never pull manes and I can't see myself ever doing it, even if I wanted to compete, show etc. As long as horses are happy and healthy then I don't think they all need to look neat and tidy! It's nice when they're clean, shiny and impressive but I doubt they care much themselves. Having said that... tails dragging on the ground does aggravate me.

Also, I have a black saddle and brown bridle. *hides*
 
Hate
Mane's on the wrong side
Dirty tails and feathers
Shaved whiskers
Scruffy tack...clean it and use the keepers
Over use of gadgets
People who ride in tracksuit and wellies/ country boots
spurs on insecure lower legs....get more effective - This really makes me made when the poor horse getting stabbed constantly also has a huge strong bit in its mouth!!
Peer pressure...why does it all have to be a competition?

Love

Well turned out horses
people who love their horse's
watching horses play
A horse that moves well under a rider who is working hard to be the best rider they can.
having a laugh and not taking it too seriously.
Seeing a rider reward the horse and not blame it for their mistake.
 
Love
Well turned horse with smart turned out rider.
Tidy tack that matches
Well shod horses
Ponies in work and just not kept in the field
Well mannered horses
Horses having fun in the field
Well fitting saddlecloths
fit vets and farriers
A tidy stable

Hate
People riding lame horses
people not keeping up with reg teeth back vet checks
people not doing up tack correctly, like the billet hooks on reins on the out side
People that dont tuck the rein loop under the rein
over/under feeding
unplaited hunting, dressage and showing horses (not m&m)
lazy horse owners
dirty tack
lots and lots more
 
I am guilty of so many of these things so I feel extremely ashamed of myself.

Hates:
Snooty riders who think they are better than everyone
Bad ground manners
Horses who are bad in traffic (actually this isn't a hate, it's just something I would never put up with)
Horses that haven't been taught how to walk/trot/canter round a field without galloping off!
Horses that tuck their noses in instead of properly working through their backs (ie, I hate lazy riders who can't be bothered to teach them properly)

Loves:
Whiskers
Good manners
Non-judgemental (sp) riders
Good hackers
Big airy jumpers
Soft mouths (why do I have a cob? :D)
My one eyed tb :D
 
Hate
Mismatching tack
Sparkly Bridles etc
Riders that think they know everything
Horses with no whiskers
Muddy horses *i spend a while making Bella look clean before she goes anywhere haha*
Long tails that drag along the ground/nearly touch the ground

Love
Clean tack that matches in colour
Personalised saddlecloths, but not at shows
Shiny horses :D
People that do more with their horse than just ride it
People that give you constructive critisism, and that phrase it nicely
Pulled + Plaited manes + tails
Shiny hoof oiled feet
:D
 
People who have lost sight of the fact that a horse is a living breathing animal not just a machine for winning competitions with.
People who dont come up early in a moning to let their stabled horses out/feed them.
Folk with to many horses and not the time or money for them all.
Dangerous fencing.
careless breeding of ponies/horses that essentially have no future /unwanted only to end up in slaughter houses as yearlings.
People slagging off other peoples horse just simply because they are not what they like specifically, again they are living breathing animals and in my opinion are all beautiful.
Parents with very little/ no knowlege at all buying ponies for very young children.
Probably more but cant think right now.. :)
 
I hate those show classes in the US where the horses tails are so long that they drag on the ground, and when horses (especially Friesians) have ridiculously long hair. Ridiculously long forelocks, manes down to the knees, that kind of thing.
 
Hate people who cant pull a tail PROPERLY. If they want to leave it and plait it neatly, then thats fine, but if your gonna do a tail, do it properly!! Its not hard... Hate it when they're cut or raked, get your hands on it and do it properly :p

Love...
Good shiney coats
Neat plaits
Monoflap saddles
Clean shiney tack
 
I have to admit I don't ride my two much, and I didn't do the morning feed/turnout but then I worked nights and my friend did them so they got lots of turnout as they went out at 7/8 and got brought in at 11.30 pm.

Hates:
fat horses - especially when they owners say they aren't fat it's "show condition"
skinny horses - for gods sake how hard is it to see your horse is underweight and needs feeding!
not a horse one but a yard one - when tying haynets up people putting the knot on the rope through the haynet making it difficult to get it undone - NOT SAFE!!!
horses no being groomed - fair enough if your horse lives out so you just flick it off to leave the oils in the coat, but at least it's getting groomed.
Horses that bite/kick
over clipping
horses that spend 23 hours in a stable being oated up to the eyeballs

Likes:
Hairy shaggy natives!
horses living naturally in a herd
whiskers - they're there for a reason!
clean matching tack
treeless saddles! (mine look like normal saddles)
responsive horses - Apercrombie my cob has a gorgeous soft mouth!
 
Like -
People who let their horse be a horse and not a machine.
Courteous drivers
Positive people (few and far between in this game)
Happy contented horses with whiskers and mud and a big field.
Big cosy stables with deep bedding.
Rubber tyre chip arena surface.

Dislike -
People who blame their horses for their own shortcomings
People who put their own pleasures before their horses' (ie endless daily schooling when the horse just wants to go for a run in a field!)
Rude and negative people
People who think they know everything
Stables with scarcely any bedding
Waiting round for farriers
 
I don't really pay too much attention to what other people do or dont do with their horses! Provided they are looked after, I dont worry about what colour their tack is, what colour their saddlecloths are or whether they have their hair tied up or not.....
 
Hate

1/2 and 1/2 cobs -- eg hogged mane with feather -- All on or all off please
People in the show ring who haven't bothered to brush off the chalk properly
Bits and gadgets galore...
Rude riders esp on road.
People who expect to win
Synthetic tack (Altho I do own a synthetic saddle that is bringing me round a bit)
Bling tack --- keep it simple please
Riders that fiddle with the horses mouth all the time and say 'how do I get him round'

Love

Hairys and show cobs shown properly
Shiny, pig oiled to death show horses
French link loose ring snaffles (Why would anyone want to use anything else?)
Children with manners
Beautiful leather work
Quiet handed riders who use their legs
 
Hate:

- Pulled tails, I much prefer the natural look. Pulled or clipped tails just look odd and bony IMO. Hate long tails though, especially really long whispy ones - yeuch.

- Ridiculous amounts of gadgets on horses who don't need them, from stupidly strong bits to martingales to noseband attachments - 90% of them aren't necessary.

- People who beat their horses up over nothing and force them into things so the horse never learns to enjoy whats being asked. And people who have a refusal, get the horse to jump it and then smack it again AFTERWARDS (how to 100% confuse a horse!).

- People who stable their horse for no proper reason, and then dont turn the horse out unless the weather is perfect! Horses are designed to live out in any weather!

- Baby oiled eyes for the show ring, IMO it must feel so yucky for the horse! I know I wouldn't like the feeling of it... And it looks so false.

- Children using strong bits which aren't required and SPURS! AGH!!

- Dutch gags, horrible things and totally over-used (especially by children!).

Like:

- Whiskery noses, sorry but that's how they feel! I wouldn't ever take them off.

- Not having to plait! I much prefer to see a horse with a nice short mane all on one side, much nicer IMO than a plaited mane anyway.

- People who actually praise their horse often. I see so many who are so quick to tell their horse off but never actually tell them when they're good.

- People who turn out 24/7 and dont over-rug their horses.

- NOT immaculate horses. I LIKE that my grey turns up at BSJA with the odd grass stain, it means he actually goes outside unlike most of the other immaculate horses who clearly spend 90% of their time in the stable.

- Black tack, I actually prefer it to brown anyway (unless on a brown horse)! Just about to buy myself a new black saddle so will need to buy a black bridle to match :P
 
Last edited:
havent read all replies so if someone else has said this i apoligise
Im on a small diy yard and our block is very small and the horses are all out 24/7
i hate it when someone brings their horse in for a while - it does its poos in the stable, and said poo is left for weeks
drives me mad - encourages more flies and is just generally lazy
:mad:
 
I didn't realise how many riders are concerned with how horses are turned out, look of tack etc. Some of you would have a right giggle if you saw me out riding... ;)

Ooh, another pet hate. Personally, I hate to see horses in a field without any shade. I know that not everyone is fortunate enough to have a field shelter or trees in the right place but I just can't help but hate the idea of a horse left in the hot sun with no escape.
 
I'm 13 and wear spurs *hides* i do need them though. they are not to look good!

Hate:

People going into the warm up, usually little kids on small ponies, immediatly cantering and getting in the way of practise jumps and everyone else, then jump the jump wobbly and horse swerving - if you can't jump one fence straight how are you going to jump a course? :eek:

Instructors who tell everyone, not just 5 year old beginners, to 'kick kick kick' and let them flap with their legs, loks ugly and the horse must hate it

people on full livery, and not even coming to see their horse, especially if they're not busy. i once knew a girl who asked me 'who's grooming *her horse*?' when she was doing nothing - why not just do it yourself?! :mad:

people going to shows, falling off/getting eliminated because of refusals/crazy amount of knocked down jumps and not correcting it, going out to a show the next weekend with exactly the same result because of not trying to fix it!

Boiling hot arenas, makes you want to come out immediatly and makes you nd horse sweatier :mad:

small kids yanking and booting their ponies a lot
Love:

Responsive horses who don't lean on your hands

Horses who are good jumpers and dont require lots of leg and sometimes whip to get over a jump

good instructors!

goingto shows, doesn't happen often :(

matching, but not OTT, gear

little fast ponies!! :D

Shiny horses
 
i hate people who over work there horses
i hate horses with extra gadgets they dont even need
i hate manes what are not pulled correctley and look uneven
i hate people who spend more time riding then spending time with the horses!
---------------------------------
i love horse being traditional
i love black tack!
i love feathers
i love my horse having a beard and whiskers
i love bridles without nosebands even tho my horses have nosebands some horses suit it
i love cotton girths
i love bright coloured numnahs
......................................................
 
Wow, some of you would take one look at my pony at a show and think what a horrible person I must be! :o

He has whiskers, a long unpulled mane and tail even though he's not a registered M&M (no idea what he is)---though I always plait for shows (running or lattice), he's barefoot, and wears black tack, including a synthetic saddle. Oy. :o

Anyway:
Hates:
-people more concerned about appearances than health or schooling of the horse
-misused/overused gadgets
-unquestioning acceptance of tradition: though I'm a traditionalist in many ways, we should always be re-examining our assumptions in light of new findings
-rude/aggressive riding in warmup rings
-excessive feeding/clipping/rugging/shoeing

Likes:
-neat and simple turnout at shows
-tweed
-horses outside in all weather
-large neeps for 75p
-good ground manners

:D
 
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