Without being rude how do you tell someone their managment does not suit the horse ?

Gingerwitch

Gingerwitch

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Tell me how on earth do you tell someone that their horse just cannot cope without routine ? We have someone on our yard that thinks nothing of turning out at 7am, 8.30, 10.30 and 11 am, bring in at 2, 4, 6.30, 7 and 8 pm. The one horse seams totally unphased by this - but the other one, is constantly on edge, is box, and field walking, runs to everyone at what ever time of day - and I feel so so sorry for the poor thing.

I have tried to be diplomatic - but it has fell on deaf ears - I am gradually watching this horse becoming more and more distressed and is now starting to shut down.

What can you do? what more can you say?

Yesterday they went out at 8.30 am and were in for 3.30pm - finished fed and hay nets - today they went out at 10, were out till 5.30 and now they are going to come back after tea to feed them (around 9pm)

I know it is none of my buisness but it is destressing to watch and hear - suggestions welcomed

GW
x
 
Ooooh....hard one! Would it be feasible for you to offer to help - ie something along the lines of you'll turn out at 8am every day if they'll get them in between 4pm & 5pm?

Beyond that, I don't know - we are lucky in that our yard is full livery only, so they all go in/out together at the same time.

May sound silly, but do they know horses should have a routine? I know that sounds blatently obvious, but there are people out there who know very little about how they should be caring for their horses.

Good luck!
 
Speak to the YO or suggest to the woman/girl that you do her horses for her if you're that bothered :).

Honestly, I must say it's nothing to do with you and if some interfering do gooder told me how to look after my horse, they'd be getting short shrift in return!
Yes, I'd want to know if horse was unhappy/distressed at all but to be told when they should and shouldn't be turned out is nobodies business but my own :).
 
Hmm, no idea to be honest. Other than just telling them the above - ie the horse is getting very distressed and that this can affect a horse's health - one way to avoid this is to ensure horses have routine. Cab you say that to them? Otherwise, could you not come to some agreement on the yard (I assume is DIY?) that all horses go out at the same time and come in at the same time and, whoever is there does the bringing in/turning out and feeds? I don't know if this is practical as it depends on how many are on the yard - could the YO say anything? Could you maybe say that it is causing the other horses to be stressed?

Sorry, probably not much help as I've never experienced a similar situation. Our horses get routine as in they get fed, are turned out, come in and get fed. It's not always at the same time though - some days (mid week) it's 6am turnout but at the weekends we go down at maybe 8:30am. It's still the same routine though for them - I don't think the time is a factor so much but if say we brought the ones in that are stabled, fed them and didn't feed the ones outside I think they'd get upset which is similar to what is happening on your yard I guess.
 
May sound silly, but do they know horses should have a routine? I know that sounds blatently obvious, but there are people out there who know very little about how they should be caring for their horses.
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I think that sounds rather arrogant of you in presuming that you are right and that anyone who does not have a routine do not know how to care for a horse. Her horse may be distressed but it might not be for the reason you think it is :rolleyes: ..... maybe it has seperation issues with a field mate being taken out ..... maybe it does see other horses being fed and it isn't .... maybe its a nervous horse for some other reason.... or any other reason.

I suppose the only issue I can see that might be of a "welfare " issue relevant to a YO or someone relevant discussing the issue is if a horse is left in from 3pm to 10 am with insufficient hay or water.
 
To be honest mine do not have such a strict routine, sometimes they have to ridden in the morning, sometimes in the afternoon, sometimes they stay in overnight, sometimes they come in during the day...and I expect them to cope. It's not such a big deal and I think horses are more upset by changes in their herd than changes in the day's schedule. I would look for some other reason why the second horse is upset.
 
When they were out in the summer - they would go out between 8 and 10 am and were brought in between 6 and 8pm - its only since mid september when they have had this tipsey turvey routine and its only since September that the one horse has started to box walk, pace the fence and run to great everyone that walks past the field.

Yes its none of my buisness but when you hear the same horse call and be on alert looking for its owners from half four till gone 8pm when you go home - you do tend to make that assumption. Its tireing for me to listen too and the poor horse must be knackered. The owners think its because the horse loves and misses them.
 
I think unless the horse is suffering it's best to keep out of it! A lot of people see advise/suggestions as criticism. I work different shifts and sometimes the horses are done at 4 and sometimes at 7 the horses aren't worried. It is more tricky this time of the year when they are in but I'm very lucky to have help from a friend in return for doing her horse. We all have far to busy lives to have a strict routine.
 
To be honest, if you saw my TB mare at this time of the year just one hour after going out, she would be fence walking. She's with my gelding and only out for a maximum of 4 hours a day, for this very reason, but to those that don't know the inside story may well think she is neglected too. Although hopefully the glorious shine to her coat and sparkle in her eye would tell another story.
 
Gotta say sorry my advice would definetly be along the "keep your nose out" lines. Perhaps the second horse will settle with time... and at the end of the day, if the symptoms are not making it ill, then it comes down to personal choice about how to keep ones animal. If someone told me they thought my horse management was wrong I would be really annoyed and consider them so interfering! Everyone does things differently, not everyone is perfect.. if its making the horse ill then call the rspca for missmanagement, anything less... turn your eyes away and concentrate on your own equines, after all, there may be someone noseying after yours too and bitching to others about your methods. :rolleyes:

Harsh i know but I simply cannot stand the busybody mentality, it hurts peoples feelings and takes the fun out of what should be a really nice experience.
 
mmmmmm think you should be very careful-you could easily be labelled and no-one wants to be the yards pain in the butt! maybe they are not doing things the way you would but unless its a welfare issue id leave well alone!:eek:
 
EllieAA said:
If someone told me they thought my horse management was wrong I would be really annoyed and consider them so interfering!
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archiepoo said:
you should be very careful-you could easily be labelled and no-one wants to be the yards pain in the butt!
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I'm another one who thinks that unasked-for advice is rarely taken well. You can't prove the horse is affected by its varied routine, after all you say the other one's fine. Most people think horses respond well to routine, but it's not written in stone that they "need" it. I'd keep out of it.
 
I'm of the school of thought that it is bugger all to do with you and you should keep your nose out. You mention the change of routine between earlier in the summer and now - but have you ruled out this being a response to less turnout coupled to less grass in the field or some other change in management which you are either unaware of, or haven't considered in your little evaluation.

If it's behaving in a potentially dangerous manner, yes maybe have a word, but being unusually friendly and calling isn't the end of the world :rolleyes:
 
Chestnut mare said:
I think unless the horse is suffering it's best to keep out of it! A lot of people see advise/suggestions as criticism. I work different shifts and sometimes the horses are done at 4 and sometimes at 7 the horses aren't worried. It is more tricky this time of the year when they are in but I'm very lucky to have help from a friend in return for doing her horse. We all have far to busy lives to have a strict routine.
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^^ i agree with this

and how did i know how mine reacted when i was not there? simples! I arrived at different times of day/ night every day/ night and no matter what time i turned up my neddy was always settled.

I am my horse's routine, it is nothing to do with times i'm afraid, and they are all more than fine with this.

I'm afraid i'm with the keep your nose out team- it is really nothing to do with you, and personally i would be looking for something else which had upset the horse in question.
 
i'd be another one saying keep out of it. i'm self employed and sometimes you CAN'T keep a regular routine. if the horse is being fed and cared for then its none of your business to be passing judgements.

Even with a routine my lad can get stressy due to external factors (if his fieldmate is taken out to ride early). Some horses just are stressers
 
I think routine re turn in/out and feed times are important in horse management, especially for the stressy sort. Unfortunately, I also think if you were to mention this to the owner it would create a bit of a hoo-ha. Sometimes, you have to bite your tongue and just concentrate on your own animals.:(
 
I realise that some horses like routine - my horse is one of them. Breakfast and then turnout. If it doesn't happen she will weave and box walk. However in winter there will be days when she can't go out all day and she will be expected to cope - although she will always go out, even if it's just for half an hour to stretch her legs to try to minimise the stress to her.
I turnout at about 7.30am weekdays, but sometimes not til 9am at weekends. I don't see it as a problem as long as the actual ROUTINE stays the same - ie breakfast then turnout, bring in then tea - despite the time it actually happens at.
I think if I was the owner of the stressy horse I would want to know about it. It might be that the owner isn't aware that the horse is doing it. Although whether it's related to the actual routine or something more, I wouldn't like to comment.
 
Holly Hocks said:
I think if I was the owner of the stressy horse I would want to know about it. It might be that the owner isn't aware that the horse is doing it.
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I think they are aware Holly Hocks as the OP says:

Gingerwitch said:
I have tried to be diplomatic - but it has fell on deaf ears
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Most of us do turn "deaf ears" to unasked-for advice - usually because we don't agree with it!
 
EllieAA said:
Gotta say sorry my advice would definetly be along the "keep your nose out" lines. Perhaps the second horse will settle with time... and at the end of the day, if the symptoms are not making it ill, then it comes down to personal choice about how to keep ones animal. If someone told me they thought my horse management was wrong I would be really annoyed and consider them so interfering! Everyone does things differently, not everyone is perfect.. if its making the horse ill then call the rspca for missmanagement, anything less... turn your eyes away and concentrate on your own equines, after all, there may be someone noseying after yours too and bitching to others about your methods. :rolleyes:

Harsh i know but I simply cannot stand the busybody mentality, it hurts peoples feelings and takes the fun out of what should be a really nice experience.
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FionaM12 said:
I'm another one who thinks that unasked-for advice is rarely taken well. You can't prove the horse is affected by its varied routine, after all you say the other one's fine. Most people think horses respond well to routine, but it's not written in stone that they "need" it. I'd keep out of it.
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Cadfael&Coffee said:
^^ i agree with this

and how did i know how mine reacted when i was not there? simples! I arrived at different times of day/ night every day/ night and no matter what time i turned up my neddy was always settled.

I am my horse's routine, it is nothing to do with times i'm afraid, and they are all more than fine with this.

I'm afraid i'm with the keep your nose out team- it is really nothing to do with you, and personally i would be looking for something else which had upset the horse in question.
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paddi22 said:
i'd be another one saying keep out of it. i'm self employed and sometimes you CAN'T keep a regular routine. if the horse is being fed and cared for then its none of your business to be passing judgements.

Even with a routine my lad can get stressy due to external factors (if his fieldmate is taken out to ride early). Some horses just are stressers
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Agree with everything said above.
MIND YOUR OWN BUISINESS AND KEEP YOUR NOSE OUT OF IT!!! Maybe they dont like your way of doing things either.
KEEP YOUR NOSE OUT WHERE ITS NOT WANTED. Don't come crying when they give you a mouthful for interferring.
 
I have been asked for advice by the owner as to why the horse is stressing, sweating, has obvious signs of box walking in its stable and has come through a fence twice - and i have tired to be diplomatic in answering there questions. So the advice from me has not been just me sticking my nose in.

If i were posting about a horse being starved, or its cuts un attended too - you lot on here would be baying for the owners blood. - Mental cruetly to the animal is just as bad - if not worse.
 
Gingerwitch said:
I have been asked for advice by the owner as to why the horse is stressing, sweating, has obvious signs of box walking in its stable and has come through a fence twice - and i have tired to be diplomatic in answering there questions. So the advice from me has not been just me sticking my nose in.

If i were posting about a horse being starved, or its cuts un attended too - you lot on here would be baying for the owners blood. - Mental cruetly to the animal is just as bad - if not worse.
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Maybe you're trying to be too diplomatic?
 
Hummmmmm hard one to comment on, my horse has a good routine in the evenings ie I bring him in about 5pm but if I'm working late shift then someone else will bring him in about the same time but when I am days, he gets turned out at 7am before I go to work, when I am RDs it is about 8.30. Lie in? What's that? He seems quite acceptable to it. If you are that concerned, as someone else said, maybe if you offered to help them out diplomatically?
 
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