What would you have done? Was I being dangerous?

Gropony

Gropony

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On arriving at the yard today there were two guys up on scaffolding pressure washing and drilling the frontages of the brick stables (using the generator). They were right opposite the gate to my field, so I had to convince my pony, who is scared of his own farts, to exit the field into the maelstrom of noise and water spray (literally he had to pass within ten feet in an alley between the stables). Admittedly I only had a headcollar on, as I thought if I lost control it was better that he legged it in his field with that rather than a bridle.

He hesitated maybe 15 seconds about ten feet from the gate, then went through. The other ponies were there, including the bully, and it wasn't ideal because I didn't want to have an issue with them. Once through the gate he lost his s**t as I had to turn him towards it to close it (he doesn't see well from one eye). The guy saw and stopped the machine to let me past, which I was grateful for as I am not sure I could have got him past easily.

The yard owner comes charging over and tells him to restart, that I am wasting time desensitising my pony (which I wasn't, I was trying not to die). We passed and my pony was very stessed, so I didn't tie him straight away (he was 20m further down but still in earshot). The YO shouts at me to stop being dangerous and to tie him up because I won't be able to hold him.

Am I alone in thinking this is a ridiculous attitude? It is perfectly normal to me to ask someone to turn off a hammer drill or pressure washer to pass (which I didn't, the guy did it himself), let a horse take 15 seconds to look at something and to not tie a terrified horse to a wall. OK, I tied him and stayed with him and he calmed down after a while, but still.

I took him out for a walk and when we got back and he was calmer I took him up to the guys who were working and we watched the sprayer and compressor, and it took all of two minutes before he was quite happy to lunge in arena right next to them.

Was I being dangerous?

PS: I had to bring him in because he is gaining weight with the grass and needs to work. Otherwise I would have abandoned it before I started.
 
Bellaboo18 said:
To be honest I think where you went wrong was not asking the workmen to turn the machinery off *before* your pony lost his 💩
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I honestly didn't think he would come through the gate. And I knew that the YO would have an issue if I asked them to stop.

The YO is horsey but of the opinion that they should "obey" regardless of the situation and if I stopped "pandering" to him (I.e. letting him look) and "trained" him so that when I told him to walk, he did, regardless of the situation, I wouldn't be as "dangerous". So he starts the tractor deliberately next to me etc.

I get it, if I was crossing a road and my pony stopped in the middle and wouldn't walk, it is dangerous. He is absolutely right. But I don't see how I can force a terrified 400kg animal to move towards the thing that terrifies it in less than 15 seconds.
 
I am seriously thinking of moving, but it will mean accepting very poor turnout compared to what I have now.

Also, whilst I don't agree with the shouting etc, I often think that he is right. I see him with the horses and they will go anywhere with him, they love him to bits. He gives them confidence because he never falters - I say you pass, you pass - and they don't have to decide if it is safe, good etc. He makes the decision. Whereas I leave the space for doubt I think.
 
Is YO not horsey? I don’t think you were being dangerous. I’ve asked bike riders to use the designated path and not fly down the private lane to the field, bloke made ar&ey comments and I had to tell them that it would have been dangerous had he flown down the lane as Beau would have reacted badly (he was retired so unused to bikes).
 
If it was at my yard, I would have sent a message to everyone who uses it to let them know that the work was being done between x time and y time, and ask them not to bring horses or stock through the yard at that time or organise an alternative plan with me if they really need to move animals.

I would think it was dangerous and an unnecessary risk to mix animals and that level of noise and water. But that's why I would ask everyone not to ahead of time, and I certainly wouldn't shout at anyone. That's unacceptable.
 
Gropony said:
Also, whilst I don't agree with the shouting etc, I often think that he is right. I see him with the horses and they will go anywhere with him, they love him to bits. He gives them confidence because he never falters - I say you pass, you pass - and they don't have to decide if it is safe, good etc. He makes the decision.
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This doesn't work when the result is that you end up in a bog having over ridden the horse's better instincts
 
Gropony said:
I get it, if I was crossing a road and my pony stopped in the middle and wouldn't walk, it is dangerous. He is absolutely right. But I don't see how I can force a terrified 400kg animal to move towards the thing that terrifies it in less than 15 seconds.
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Your YO's training methods aren't my favourite. I suppose he traffic-proofs ponies by putting them into the middle of the road.
 
Gropony said:
Also, whilst I don't agree with the shouting etc, I often think that he is right. I see him with the horses and they will go anywhere with him, they love him to bits. He gives them confidence because he never falters - I say you pass, you pass - and they don't have to decide if it is safe, good etc. He makes the decision. Whereas I leave the space for doubt I think.
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Hmm. Sounds like he's better with horses than he is with people. i can understand that because people are more difficult.
:)
 
Gropony said:
I am seriously thinking of moving, but it will mean accepting very poor turnout compared to what I have now.

Also, whilst I don't agree with the shouting etc, I often think that he is right. I see him with the horses and they will go anywhere with him, they love him to bits. He gives them confidence because he never falters - I say you pass, you pass - and they don't have to decide if it is safe, good etc. He makes the decision. Whereas I leave the space for doubt I think.
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I think there are people like this, and whilst it usually works for them it could be really dangerous if it doesn’t. Also they are disinclined to accept it is their fault if something does go wrong. Furthermore they are incapable of seeing that other people are different and not everyone can be in command of any situation no matter what, which they can. Or think they can!
I don’t think I would let it worry me too much if I liked the yard in other ways.
 
Arzada said:
This doesn't work when the result is that you end up in a bog having over ridden the horse's better instincts
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Totally agree with this. There’s a big difference between giving a horse confident leadership and pushing it past its limit to the point where it shuts down or reacts dangerously. A lot of the time, a horse hesitating or reacting is just it trying to process something unfamiliar or scary, forcing it through that without acknowledgment can really backfire. I’ve seen horses lose confidence long-term because they were rushed too many times.
 
I would have told the YO to back off and mind his business, it’s your horse and what you were doing wasn’t dangerous.

I’m so lucky that while I have a bat sh*t crazy YO she isn’t based at the yard so we only have to deal with her via message
 
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