What indicates a 'good' owner?

**Vanner**

**Vanner**

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Was having a conversation with one of the other liveries and she said to me "I'm suprised you put your boys out naked; you don't seem to be that kind of owner!".

Cue my what the heck face, to which she replied "I mean the way you always groom, have clean tack and spotless beds just thought you'd rug your boys when they go out"

Bare in mind I have a super hot cob, who has to be clipped in summer or he sweats standing in his stable and a welsh section a I really don't worry that they will melt in a shower, they have turnouts and fly sheets and if necessary they have them on but I don't use them everyday, I like the to be horses and feel the sun on their backs.

So am I a bad owner because I don't Molly coddle my boys?

What do you think people see as signs of a 'good' owner?
 
Not going to be very helpful but she may well not have meant good/bad - maybe more fussy/less so?

As for good owner - minefield. Most briefly, one with a happy, healthy horse kept in a safe environment?
 
That's a difficult question , I think a good owner is one who knows their own horse well enough to know what they need and be able and willing to respond to those needs. It is too easy to judge other people's standard of care.
 
OMG, how stupid is that ? if i rugged Shy atm he'd die of heat exhaustion ! I think rugging restricts a horse a lot, and they are much happier to be in their natural state if they can be.

A good owner does what is right for their horse, to the best of their ability, but is never be afraid to ask for help. Just my view.
 
I dont' know what others see as signs of a good owner, but to me it's an owner who feeds,waters and does the everyday chores for their horse, gets the vet when necessary and is a sympathetic rider (if they ride of course - I appreciate that not all horse owners have to be riders)

I'm with you on rugs. I have a little NFx who hates rugs, even in winter and my TB thin skinned mare is happy without too. In fact in our mares field we have two TBs and an arab - they are usually the unrugged ones and the cobs are the ones which are rugged up to their ears!
 
My definition of a 'good owner' is someone who spends time bonding with their horse as well as riding it, has a good routine, is conscientious about things such as weight, feeding, a balanced diet, etc and shows respect to their horse.
 
Not at all! The only rug I've used on Foxy since I bought her is her fly rug! In winter of it's really cold I'll use her stable rug but that's probably it. Infact her and susie are out now (and will be all night) with no rugs on. It happened by accident That they stayed out last night and this morning they're still alive, so same again tonight :D
 
S is out and clipped out (needing done again soon really) no rigs nothing on a pretty bare field and this is maintaining her weight, she gets nowt other than a couple of cups of topspec turbo and some readigrass before going anywhere.

K is pretty good at the minute, hes 21 and not got a rug on despite the wet as its warm but if the temp drops he will have to be rugged as he does lose weight pretty rapidly with his age :)
 
tubby1 said:
That's a difficult question , I think a good owner is one who knows their own horse well enough to know what they need and be able and willing to respond to those needs. It is too easy to judge other people's standard of care.
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^^^ agree with this, but also think a good owner needs to educate themselves about horse care and update that knowledge base regularly
 
**Vanner** said:
Was having a conversation with one of the other liveries and she said to me "I'm suprised you put your boys out naked; you don't seem to be that kind of owner!".

Cue my what the heck face, to which she replied "I mean the way you always groom, have clean tack and spotless beds just thought you'd rug your boys when they go out"
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It never fails to surprise me that people can come out with such twoddle, how very naive to have said this to you! Honestly, some people...

Its hard question to answer, but I would say simply that the owner does the best for their horse as they all have different needs and requirements
 
I know some horses benefit from a light covering to prevent fly bother, or even being inside during the heat of the day, but yesterday it got to 32C over here - If you were a horse in a field can you imagine the discomfort of being rugged up in that heat?!!
 
Why on earth would you rug in this weather? Does she mean a fly rug?

never rugged my clipped all year round Clydesdale in the summer. It does make me laugh as I was once riding out my horse in winter I had just flicked over with a brush so still a bit muddy on the tail with another woman who hadn't ridden her horse for 2 weeks and she said that my horse was dirty. I pointed out he may be dirty but he gets exercised everyday.
 
To me, a good owner is one who is always seeking to increase their horse care knowledge and is confident enough in their choices to do what they feel is right for their horse regardless of fashion.
Despite the disgust of some horsey friends,I don't care a bit if the kit is neon pink as long as it is the right piece of kit fitted and used properly, but can't stand things being used simply because it can be.

So in short, anyone who does the best they can while trying to make that best better!
 
One that ensures their horse is the correct weight (i.e - not letting their horse become fat and unhealthy) and two, someone that allows the horse to be just that.
 
Some people confused a clean and tidy pony with being a 'good' owner.

There's a pair near us who feel they are far superior to everyone elses. Their VERY hardy natives (highland and cob) go out for a couple fo hours a day in a immaculate little paddock. Their bed is spotless, their single haynet is lined up to precision. Their ponies have a million different rugs and one for every conceviable condition and almost always wearing on: fly, turnout etc. They don't go ANYWHERE (inc field!) without their mane and tails plaited carefully out the way and thier hooves oiled.

Are the ponies happier than our scruffy muddy yaks living in a herd 24/7? No, probably not.

To me a good owner is someone who lets a horse be a horse as naturally as possible (friends, plenty of turnout) without molly coddling them but keeps them comfortbale as required: rug is they NEED it, stabled if they NEED it. An owner that keeps their horses as the HORSE would choose to live, not for the owners convenience.
 
Kallibear said:
Some people confused a clean and tidy pony with being a 'good' owner.

There's a pair near us who feel they are far superior to everyone elses. Their VERY hardy natives (highland and cob) go out for a couple fo hours a day in a immaculate little paddock. Their bed is spotless, their single haynet is lined up to precision. Their ponies have a million different rugs and one for every conceviable condition and almost always wearing on: fly, turnout etc. They don't go ANYWHERE (inc field!) without their mane and tails plaited carefully out the way and thier hooves oiled.

Are the ponies happier than our scruffy muddy yaks living in a herd 24/7? No, probably not.

To me a good owner is someone who lets a horse be a horse as naturally as possible (friends, plenty of turnout) without molly coddling them but keeps them comfortbale as required: rug is they NEED it, stabled if they NEED it. An owner that keeps their horses as the HORSE would choose to live, not for the owners convenience.
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Tbh i find yours a very judgemental post, how do you know the horses arent on short turnout for medical reasons, the fly rugs on because they react badly to fly bites. The horses sound well cared for all be it differently from yours.
 
That would have got my back up a little too! I was called cruel last winter because my TB only had one heavy turn out on and i......put him out in SNOW Heaven forbid poor thing froze and his legs all snapped off- wish id listened ;-p
 
Kallibear said:
Some people confused a clean and tidy pony with being a 'good' owner.

There's a pair near us who feel they are far superior to everyone elses. Their VERY hardy natives (highland and cob) go out for a couple fo hours a day in a immaculate little paddock. Their bed is spotless, their single haynet is lined up to precision. Their ponies have a million different rugs and one for every conceviable condition and almost always wearing on: fly, turnout etc. They don't go ANYWHERE (inc field!) without their mane and tails plaited carefully out the way and thier hooves oiled.

Are the ponies happier than our scruffy muddy yaks living in a herd 24/7? No, probably not.

To me a good owner is someone who lets a horse be a horse as naturally as possible (friends, plenty of turnout) without molly coddling them but keeps them comfortbale as required: rug is they NEED it, stabled if they NEED it. An owner that keeps their horses as the HORSE would choose to live, not for the owners convenience.
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If they're hardy native then they're probably really good doers hence the little paddock. As for spotless bed and neat haynet, good for them for keeping things tidy. I doubt having a pulled mane and tail is harming the horse. Maybe their horses react badly to flies hence the fly rugs?

I'm sorry but I find that post rather rude and judgemental!!
 
In summer my boy wears a flyrug religiously when out in the field, but that's because he can't cope with the flies at all! However he is naked in his stable.

I must admit though that in winter I do rug him ALL the time, although he has never once been sweaty. The only reason why I do this is that he has to be heavily sedated to be clipped (HATES clippers!) and because he is so hairy (native pony) he really does just look like a yak.
Which is no good when you are competing in dressage! Also he gets so hairy that he can't be ridden properly without sweating cobs! (Excuse the pun ;))
But in keeping him a tad overly rugged (like I say, he is never actually sweating, just warm like toast!) I manage to swerve having to get the vet out to sedate him for clipping :)
 
A good owner, imo, is one who has healthy happy horses and does their best to keep them that way, which does not necessarily mean spending silly money on them, but does mean thinking about and finding out about what each individual horse really needs.
 
Kallibear said:
Some people confused a clean and tidy pony with being a 'good' owner.

There's a pair near us who feel they are far superior to everyone elses. Their VERY hardy natives (highland and cob) go out for a couple fo hours a day in a immaculate little paddock. Their bed is spotless, their single haynet is lined up to precision. Their ponies have a million different rugs and one for every conceviable condition and almost always wearing on: fly, turnout etc. They don't go ANYWHERE (inc field!) without their mane and tails plaited carefully out the way and thier hooves oiled.

Are the ponies happier than our scruffy muddy yaks living in a herd 24/7? No, probably not.

To me a good owner is someone who lets a horse be a horse as naturally as possible (friends, plenty of turnout) without molly coddling them but keeps them comfortbale as required: rug is they NEED it, stabled if they NEED it. An owner that keeps their horses as the HORSE would choose to live, not for the owners convenience.
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I agree with the sentiment in your last paragraph . . . but how do you know what other people's horses do or don't NEED?

Kali is grey . . . I HATE seeing him covered in poo stains so he gets a good groom and sometimes a spot wash before he goes out in the field, along with a good spritz of fly spray . . . I keep his mane tidy, his tail brushed and trimmed, his rugs/numnahs/girth/sleeves/gamgee/bandages washed/cleaned and his bed as poo-free as I can given what a filthy pig he is. I wash/scrub his feed bowls every time they are used, ditto his water buckets and his bit gets rinsed after every use. I keep his tack clean and conditioned. You could argue that he doesn't NEED to be clean (not to mention his stuff) . . . and you might be right . . . but it doesn't do him any harm either.

Am I a worse or better owner than those at our yard who have a more "relaxed" attitude to cleanliness? The answer is it's neither my business or theirs to judge. All the horses on our yard are happy, healthy, regularly wormed, fed, watered, see the vet/farrier/dentist, etc. when required . . . doe sit matter if some horses are cleaner/tidier, etc. than others?

P
 
A rug? Are you having the same heat wave I'm having?! Maybe they just thought you are the sort of person to have a rug for every occasion inc fly rug etc. Nothing wrong with that! My loan horse's owner said 'i bet you're the sort of person to buy him a fly rug etc' and yes, yes I am! I generally advocate as natural as possible but he's much happier with fly mask ridden and not, plus with all his swollen bumps of course I would like him to be more comfortable!

I think that a good owner reads their horse's needs and is always willing to learn or accept they were wrong. Never taking advice from any one person on anything important! Have learnt the most experienced people whilst regularly providing golden advice can be the ones who come out with the most strange dated ideas!
 
Bloody Nora! I'm sat here sweltering, glad I'm not rugged! Which kind of leads how I'd answer the op question, knowledge. You can chuck a bucket load of sentiment at a horse, vac it, chip it, insure it to Hell and gone, but if it's bit is half an inch to low it still hurts, if it's bandages aren't even it still harms. I'm not against all the bangles of caring, like chipping, I'm for it and that with knowldge is the ideal. But if I had to live lifeas a horse and had to choose between real knowledge or all the extra stuff put together I'd pick knowledge every time.

BTW it upsets me to see more than a fly sheet on in the sun, horses too hot get themselves in bother, if someone wanted a horse tangled up in an implausible tree baking it would be a fine first step.
 
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