Why are horses so mollycoddled here?!

Little Squirrel

Little Squirrel

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After living and working in Ireland for the past 12 years or so I must say that it has been a bit of a culture shock to return back and see how much horses are treated like "babies" here in the UK. I have seven horses in my yard ranging from 2yo's to 12 yo TB's and not one of my horses bite, kick, or is ill mannered. The reason I bring this up is I went to a livery yard last week, the amount of nippy horses who wanted a polo was getting on my nerves! One horse nearly took a girls hand off and she just laughed and said "oh stop trying to give mummy a love bite!" Pure madness!! Not one of mine would know what to do with a polo if I gave them one! I expect my horses to go past anything, lorries, tractors, pigs, blowing bags, explosions!. I don't beat them to do it, they trust and respect me and this starts from the ground up. I don't let them push or be bolshy I am firm but fair maybe I am old fashioned in my views but I am a firm beleiver that a horse is a horse and not something to be spoilt rotten. As for this Pirelli rubbish (I had never witnessed anything to do with him when I was in Ireland) someone is gonna get seriously hurt in trying his circus tricks. People should be taught basic horsemanship not effing about trying to get your horse to be a muppet.
I don't call the vet everytime one has a scratch, I dress it myself but I doubt half the horse population would even know how to do that now and cry wolf at the sight of a trickle of blood!
Every single one of my horses look a million dollars they are fed to what work they are doing, dont get any fancy potions. They are all sound (even my pride and joy who fractured his cannon bone and severed his tendon when racing, who was given to me and I now compete)
So the moral of my story is this, because I deprive my horses of polo's, don't buy them every gadget under the sun or wrap them in cotton wool do I love my horses any less than those who treat their horses like human children?
Well no I can't say I do, and why you may ask? Well put it this way I have no problems, am not afraid of them and they will do anything and I mean anything for me, even if they aren't sure they trust me enough to go forward. They aren't robots either! Maybe if people knew how to handle a horse properly instead of fussing over them there would be a lot fewer "problem" horses in the UK?
 
I present you with an award for one of the best posts on horse management I have seen posted on here.

:D

I myself, have been reported to the RSPCA as a shetland didn't have a rug on in the snow.....I have had all sorts of people question what I do......and even someone at work tells me I am CRUEL for not putting my horses in the stable at night in winter.

Bizarre, huh?
 
DragonSlayer said:
I present you with an award for one of the best posts on horse management I have seen posted on here.

:D

I myself, have been reported to the RSPCA as a shetland didn't have a rug on in the snow.....I have had all sorts of people question what I do......and even someone at work tells me I am CRUEL for not putting my horses in the stable at night in winter.

Bizarre, huh?
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I will accept your award DragonSlayer although I may hold back on the speech!!!:D
You are joking about the rug on the shetland? Why can't people just mind their own! I'm waiting for the tree huggers to come out and attack me on my thread!
 
i was shocked the other day when a friend said she needed to put a raincoat on her horse as it was raining, this is a horse is no health issues in 20 degrees,

i am also glad that im not the only one who if the horse gets a scratch just wipes the drop of blood of and send them back out. i have has people question how i treat my horse before but she is happy, and has respect for me as i do her, she never begs for treats and she gets a little telling of when ever needed, clearly im a terrible mummy.

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this is my friend riding my un cared for horse who i should obviously mollicoddle more. my friend btw is scared of jumping and have never jumped even close to this hight, clearly i have one neglected horse lol,
she not btw, she is a very willful and stroppy mare who needs a firm and clear hand and gets one.
 
Nope, not joking..it kicked off with someone complaining about 'that poor little pony on -------- Lane....all this snow...no rug!'.......in the local shop.....

Didn't have to meet the inspector, just got a message to call them...and was reassured that they had instructed said person that the pony was in fact fine...!

Also been reported (old livery yard) for putting a fly-rug on our big 'oss..they only go on when the horse-flies come out, we were near a wood and they were horrid....

Got reported for 'starving' our horses when they were in the stable on rations to spare them from the spring grass! Because their rationed nets were empty, we were obviously 'starving' them....

Bizarre, huh?
 
I was extra nasty to my poor neddies today. :( I've turned them out with 28 horse-eating sheep because the filly is scared of them. However she's got to get over her fear because next year when she's backed, we'll be meeting lots of the fluffy, untrustworthy creatures as they always escape and run about the roads and bridleways.

*evil laugh*
 
Well I quite like dangling a carrot on a stick and clicking a device when I eventually teach my horse to sit and/or stand on a bucket. :D :D

Nice to hear OP! Everyone says how much my horses love me and follow me about like the pied piper and there is not one polo in sight!
 
Its mad isn't it. I had a 12yr break from horses, and couldn't believe the changes! We don't do titbits with our horses, but did DIY for a while, and the liveries gave ours treats as well as their own,despite us asking them not to, and the detriment to their manners was awful - especially the youngsters.

DS, I obviously did well not getting reported too - so many people complained that our section A was rugged in summer (sweet itch) and bare in winter (despite having a coat like a 15 tog duvet!).
 
My new mare was imported from Ireland, and she has impeccable manners - I can lead her across lush grass on a slack leadrope and she won't put her head down to eat, and she never mugs me for treats or attempts to barge or invade my space. However, she's liveried at a riding school and I've already caught several kids (and adults) feeding her treats, so I suppose it won't be long before she's nipping and rummaging through people's pockets. :( People look at me like I'm evil when I tell them not to give her treats...
 
Haha!

I do not mollycuddle ... obviously I am a terrible owner. No he does not need a rug on in the rain, he will not melt. No he does not need multiple rugs on in the winter, that's why they grow winter coats! Yes he can stay out 24/7 and live like a proper horse ... (jokes aside I did have to explain the no stable in winter thing to my mum today, I bluntly pointed out that all those horses in the wild do not have cosy stables to nip into, ha ha!). Yes I do expect manners, no I will no tolerate bad ones :p
 
Common sense ahoy! Yay :D Reg gets some potions (brewers yeast and marmite) and has a rug n when it rains (literally a waterproof sheet) as he will shiver and shiver- he strained a muscle in his back last time he went without because he is just that pathetic. But we just try and care for our horses in a way that leaves them healthy and happy, and if that means the pathetic horse gets his own way with the rain so be it! Our old boy lived til he was 27 (minimum) and competed and generally pratted about right until he died.
 
Lolo said:
Common sense ahoy! Yay :D Reg gets some potions (brewers yeast and marmite) and has a rug n when it rains (literally a waterproof sheet) as he will shiver and shiver- he strained a muscle in his back last time he went without because he is just that pathetic. But we just try and care for our horses in a way that leaves them healthy and happy, and if that means the pathetic horse gets his own way with the rain so be it! Our old boy lived til he was 27 (minimum) and competed and generally pratted about right until he died.
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aww bless lol dont get me rong i know there is a place for waterproof rug sheets but she brough it up and said it was just about keeping him cosy, if she doesnt want to get wet why would he want to get wet. i said o really thats interesting does anything happen if he doesnt have it on and she said no hes fine but he gets really wet. i mean ok if the have bad skin or they are just not very tolerant but horse in general can get wet and not die.
 
Ireland is not a "Welfare Backwater", with regards to welfare of horses, the welfare charities work very hard, with very little funding to help neglected horses in our country. Most of these poor creatures were bought in the so called boom times by a bunch of numpties who would not know one end of a horse from another. When they lost all their money the poor animals were abandoned. And for all the mollycoddeling that is claimed to be done to horses in England, your own horse welfare issues are not too clever either. The Irish do not run to the vet at every sniffle with our animals, thats just the way we are, but don't think for one moment that if an Irish person sees someone neglect a horse that it won't be reported. Even my husband who is English himself baulkes at the amount of money is spent by english people on vetinary services. :)
 
OP I think that it is because in Ireland you haven't had the influx of people who have little or no knowledge of horses, no conact with people who do and who think that they should be like Bayer models or those nasty pink and purple things. The demise of the true 'nagsmen' and good old fashioned riding schools here may well be part of the problem. Along with livery yards which are run by people with no knowlege or experience of livestock of any sort.
 
Oh dear. I'm a mollycoddler. Although I'm frequently accused of over working my horses. They both have manners though- wouldn't dream of nipping or biting despite being fed titbits! And I only keep rugs on when it's wet because I want to keep them dry to ride!! And fly rugs are because my mare gets lumps if she's bitten and my gelding is much happier with his on!!!
See, I have reasonable excuses:o
 
I so agree!!!!!!!! I could not have put it better but beware, if you correct your horses with anything but withdrawing a Polo then you are being abusive, according to many.
 
YorksG said:
OP I think that it is because in Ireland you haven't had the influx of people who have little or no knowledge of horses, no conact with people who do and who think that they should be like Bayer models or those nasty pink and purple things. The demise of the true 'nagsmen' and good old fashioned riding schools here may well be part of the problem. Along with livery yards which are run by people with no knowlege or experience of livestock of any sort.
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oo agreee mostly cept that ive been riding for years and got my collage courses and pony club stuff and the family rides so not exsectly clueless also i rode at weelsby park riding school which if you check their website is a good old fashioned riding school with pictures to prove it. but i LOVE the pink stuff she has pink everything apart from bridle and saddle. my horses matchy matchy is all pink but i still think shes a horse not a pet. i mean to her its just stuff its not pink she doesnt care so its pink. at shows we go in black and white old school tho
 
Leaveittothediva said:
Ireland is not a "Welfare Backwater", with regards to welfare of horses, the welfare charities work very hard, with very little funding to help neglected horses in our country. Most of these poor creatures were bought in the so called boom times by a bunch of numpties who would not know one end of a horse from another. When they lost all their money the poor animals were abandoned. And for all the mollycoddeling that is claimed to be done to horses in England, your own horse welfare issues are not too clever either. The Irish do not run to the vet at every sniffle with our animals, thats just the way we are, but don't think for one moment that if an Irish person sees someone neglect a horse that it won't be reported. Even my husband who is English himself baulkes at the amount of money is spent by english people on vetinary services. :)
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Oh I agree, but the way Ireland is talked about sometimes on here, you'd think it were a third world country, not less than an hour away on a plane.
You must have missed the 'all Irish horses are hit with brooms and taught how to take the bridle by being tacked up in a low-ceilinged-building' posts....
 
I've seen some serious mollycoddling here in Ireland too. I've had to work with some seriously spoilt little beasts around the place, with no manners, who got a serious shock when I didn't let them have their way.
My boy has good manners, which he has been taught to have without any roughness, just firm handling when he tried to act up, he occasionally wears a sheet in the summer if he needs to be kept dry/clean for a competition, cuts and scrapes are cleaned up, and have some aloe vera put on them to keep them clean, he doesn't get treats for every little thing, his feed is rationed as he's a good doer.
While he's not left to fend for himself, and he's well cared for, he's definitely not mollycoddled.
Aren't we all such terrible owners for not babying our horses? :D
 
Here! Here!
I have a fine bones ex racing TB who lives out 24/7 with no rugs now, just correct rugging in Autumn/winter she is fed simple systems but we stopped feeding about 6 weeks ago so now just has grass and salt licks! Only shod on the front, can get away with riding once a week if i have too and still have a sane horse! Easy and cheap life!
(but she does get polo’s when I need to catch her! ;))
 
Oh I must add that I remember the girl I used to hack with regularly told me I was cruel for not feeding my pony after riding him. I did inform her that he had breakfast and dinner at roughly the same times each day regardless of when he was ridden.
But oh foolish naive me, riding a pony 6/7 times a week, feeding it twice a day and giving it adlib haylage whenever it is in the stable, how could I not realise that I was overworking and underfeeding? What a welfare case. :rolleyes:

No as previously stated, I do mollycoddle my horses but I expect them to work and to have manners. I do use them heavily, I feed them accordingly. I expect them to work regardless of weather conditions, gales and torrential rain!! Am I soft on them in every other aspect? Yes. But they're safe, easy horses and they do exactly what I require of them and to me that's all that matters.
 
MaisieMooandCometToo said:
Oh dear. I'm a mollycoddler. Although I'm frequently accused of over working my horses. They both have manners though- wouldn't dream of nipping or biting despite being fed titbits! And I only keep rugs on when it's wet because I want to keep them dry to ride!! And fly rugs are because my mare gets lumps if she's bitten and my gelding is much happier with his on!!!
See, I have reasonable excuses:o
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You sound like you care for your horses well, and you dont need to justify rugging your horses to anybody, or giving the occassional titbit.
My horses are rugged up when i feel its appropriate, i dont approve of titbits but after work if i choose to reward with one its my choice, and if it became a problem i'd deal with it. Op you make a lot of good points in your post, but because folks dont care for there horses in the same way you do doesnt make them wrong, or any less of a person, everything in moderation ! I agree some take it to extremes and treat horses like surrogate kids which drives me nuts.
I'd much rather see someone get a vet out if theyre unsure of what to do with an injury or illness having seen some real messes due to piss poor wound care
But ive never seen a horse neglected through calling out a vet.:)
 
BlairandAzria said:
lolo- out of interest why do you feed marmite? I love it, but never heard of it being fed to horses?
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It started because we had a welsh cob who'd go nuts for it (literally climbing over stable doors to get at the jar...) and we noticed that it kept the flies off. Plus, it's got high salt content and Reg does a lot of high nergy work and sweats a lot, but won't eat food with electrolytes in. He eats marmite!

Okay, I admit, we pander to him because he's pathetic and lovely!

I'd also say when we started owning horses we'd only been learning to ride a year at a riding school. However, we were on a private yard with very pony club people who helped out and gave us lots of tips. People who go onto livery yards without this cameraderie really miss out on a hugely useful bit of owning, because so much is common sense rather than knowledge.
 
I seem to be one of those 'bad owners' as all I have going for me is that I don't really rug. I give my horse treats. I call the vet out if she gets injured rather than treating it myself. But hey, my horse, my bank account - the worst thing that can happen by me calling the vet is that I will have to pay the bill. So what?
Just because I give my horse treats and do Parelli with her - she has great manners, stays out of my space, backs up whenever she sees a feed bucket or you open the stable door, stands quietly to be mounted etc.
I think the funny thing about horse people is that YOU are the only person who knows the exact right way to do YOUR horse. I know I am with mine anyway, and by the sound of things you are all just as particular about yours, we just have a certain way of doing things that works for us. More than one way to skin a cat and all that.
 
HERE HERE!!!

Whats this about 5 Rugs in the winter mine get 1 and before I got them they never even had one on!!! I don't get it - I have 2 youngsters and you could put a rocket propelled grenade up there arse and they wouldn't bat an eyelid only because I have put them through every situation possible (people are scared of this) - however take them to a show and because there not robots they didn't stand still and were full of spirit (a few bucks later) we came about last not that I'm a fan of in hand showing but you gotta start somewhere to get some experience.

I wanna see peoples faces in the next show - there blatently gonna remember us ha ha ha ha ha ha

Totally agree with this post though - They live in the wild in so many places what the hell has this world come to????
 
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