When husbands try to help with the horse

I work with animals and we have lots of students doing animal related degrees doing their work experience with us. I cannot believe the huge amount of them that put headcollars on just like that and then cannot understand why it's the wrong way. I would say its 8/10 that do it. They also like to undo ALL the buckles on the headcollar to take it off then put it back together all twisted and strange. Then the next one goes to use it and finds even more interesting ways to put them on.
I actually had the following conversation with one of them
"Do you think that looks comfortable for the pony?"
"Yes"
"What about this buckle that is sitting over her eye?"
"Isn't that to stop her seeing, like on cart horses?"
Drives me bonkers!

As for the OH he is not horsey at all and never got close enough to do anything so silly! Although once he was opening a gate into the field, one of the horses was stood at the gate and he didn't know what to do so I shouted over 'tell him to back up' I was rather distracted doing something else at the time but glanced over to see OH holding gate wide open and saying 'move back mate' and horse speeding off past him to have a mad run around the yard! Rather funny but OH was not amused and said obviously horses are stupid, I had to bite my lip to stop from saying I thought the horse was thinking the very same about him!
 
Lol I showed pic to my non horsey hubby who just tutted and laughed :-)

I'd be lost without mine, he hasn't the slightest interest in horses at all, but will quite happily go poo pick, take youngest daughter up to the yard to do bud when I'm working shifts, he will go and check him on a morning, will help out with general maintenance, picking up feed etc.

Although I had to laugh once, he'd watched me tack up numerous times and decided to take over from our daughter on this occasion, the end result, a nice bling bridle on back to front and the saddle facing the wrong way! He couldn't understand why when I asked "how many times have you seen me riding towards his tail" that he'd put it on wrong way round....cue his sheepish smile and re-tack up.
 
I'm taking hubby up tomorrow to teach him how to handle my stroppy Friesian mare on the dually halter in the school. He's quite good with animals, just no experience with horses, but I think she'll be fine with him.

I keep playing with the idea of him having riding lessons, but I wonder if he'd really enjoy it. But maybe I'll start with teaching him to lunge her.

Paula
 
Oh goodness me, I've had so many from my now horsey husband! (who actually now is amazingly brilliant at most things horse related). Saddle on wrong way, over-reach boots on knees and upside down, bits on upside down, tail bandages on the bottom of he tail, riding hat wrong way around, putting my best clothes in with saddle pads, using metal curry comb as body brush (eek), pooping dressage saddle on a youngster rather than racing saddle etc.

Nowadays he's fab, he'll trail around the country to shows, patiently have a bucket of warm water waiting, a coffee ready and tea cooking at home when I come back from hunting, muck out, poo-pick, hold breakers for us, sweeps the yard, mends fences, rides out the quieter horses and even washes down and cleans tack whilst we are greeted with a steaming mug of tea and sandwiches. The only thing he won't do is plait or lunge. Grrr. Hehe.
 
My other half doesn't really have much of an interest in horses, but will go down to the stables and feed him/put his rug on/bring him in and has picked it all up very quickly! Hes not too great at tacking up, and on the rare occasions he hacks out my TB (with me walking alongside) he tends to go "Ya! Ya! Giddy up! " and flap the reins around rather than kick him on, even though iv told him not to do this! He also pretends to be a cowboy and shouts to people "howdy ma'am" which can be quite embarrassing, but he thinks he's being hilarious!
Hes very helpful when I need him to be though and I'm lucky to have him around :)
 
That photo is so funny - and I dare say, typical of many a long suffering O/H's first attempt!

My Dad, when I was really ill once went to the yard to bring my horse in the afternoon and put him in the stable, take off rug and feed. Y/M was going to be at the yard, so all under supervision. It was all going so well as he had managed to catch, bring in, take rug off and put said horse in stable - until my Y/M who was running a bit late, turned up to find my horse still in the field and a fellow liveries horse in my stable :D

At least he tried I suppose!
 
I have had many a giggle watching hubby with a halter and a horse. The pony sorts herself by sticking her nose through the proper place for him! Nowt quite as confusing as a halter!!
He has got a lot better in the last year. We've only lived together with all the horses at home for 8.
 
Mine is ok, he has been trusted to do them alone sometimes and manages to put everything on properly etc...he enjoys doing a good shavings bed....but calls over-reach boots 'mudguards'! :rolleyes:
 
My very non-horsey dad has done exactly that! He came up to the field with me to catch whilst I poo-picked and after I filled the barrow wondered where he had gotten to...to find him trailing after me with the poor coblet wearing an upside down headcollar! When I asked dad if he had had any problems he replied "well, I didn't think it looked right but couldn't get it on any other way..." This on my cob that was still rather headshy at this point!

Bless - my family aren't really that horsey at all but they do come down sometimes and try. The horse is ever so patient and isn't headshy in the slightest round them however much they faff. Dad was ever so proud when he did his first rug change all by himself :D
 
My DH is far more used to handling cattle so treats our ponies the same he either 'herds' them or simply puts them in a headlock and walks with them. Amazingly they walk in great for him with just an arm round their necks and adore him. It could be the sheep nuts he keeps in his pockets though.....
 
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