Post by galskap on Feb 17, 2009 15:01:57 GMT
This topic is not a nice one to bring up, as it is one that seem to be laden with mines. I do believe in leaving people alone with the training approaches and philosophies that suit them, and not bombard people with ideology unless they ask for it. But I can no longer keep my mouth shut.
Recently I moved my horses to a new livery yard. It's a well respected place with a riding school, livery, and stud with some magnificent stallions. They also recieve young horses for breaking and schooling. They have a broad customer base, including horse breeders, children, adult people who are learning to ride, and teenagers.
I have several times seen conflicts between horse and riders, that could easily have been avoided. I usually steer clear when this happens – as I don't like to be around that kind of energy, and I don't like my horses to be around it, either. But what I saw today shocked me.
When I came to the yard there was no one there, and I opened the tack room and prepared to set about my business, when I noticed there was a horse in the lorry. Curious, I peeked in. There stood a three-year old colt that currently is being broken. He was wearing a cavesson and a bridle, and they were tight. Even a strong man could not have tightened them any further. Noseband, cheekpieces, even the throatlash were as tight as you possibly could get them, making it difficult for him to breathe properly. He was wearing drawreins too, pulling his nose to his chest. His tounge was out between his teeth, swollen and going blue, and saliva was pouring from his mouth. The sides of his mouth were rubbed raw, his heart was pounding, and the whole horse was shaking. He had obviously been standing there for a long time.
I took of the equipment but his mouth was so cramped he could not let go of the bit. It took twenty minutes while I massaged his face before he could open his mouth enough for the bit to fall out. The colt, strong, sparky and beautiful, was reduced to a shivering piece of misery.
When the owner of the yard came I asked him if he was aware of the state of the horse. He was. He said the horse was “a pig”, that he was stubborn and would not yield to the right rein, and that a few hours spent like that would teach him. “Sometimes you have to be a bit cruel to them.”
This is the worst piece of abuse I have seen done to a horse, but by no means the only one. In the two and a half years I have lived in this country, I have seen a lot. I have seen farriers whipping the face of a horse when he would not stand still. I have seen a professional, competing yardowner whipping his customers young mare, who would not load, with a lunge whip until she reared over and fell on the ramp. I have seen a well respected horse dealer repeatedly whip a youngster while yanking on the reins, again and again, for no apparent reason. I have seen three grown men gathered around a pony, kicking her stomach with full force because she would not lift her leg up. There are plenty of examples. I could go on.
You find bad horsemen everywhere, but what gets to me is that this cruelty and ignorance does not limit itself to “rough” dealers and shady carachters, but you find it around serious horsemen, amongst well-respected dealers, trainers, and competitors. Having to resort to extreme violence – for that is what it is – on a frequent basis does not seem to lessen someones status as a horseman in other peoples eyes. If anything, the opposite. The people in the examples I mentioned have no lack of customers. I don't know what kind of people send their horses there, and make up their reputation. Are they really just ignorant of it? Or has this level of abuse become so normal that it's
taken for granted?
What exactly a horseman's reputation is built on I don't really know. But it has certainly more to do with interpersonal relationships rather than proper care and knowledge for the horse.
I am not one to try and “reform” everyone to do “natural horsemanship” and ride bitless. People choose the techniques that work for them. But this level of acceptance for cruelty is – I have no other word for it – insane. That people can do this kinds of things to a horse and still get away with their good name intact. I for one will remove my horse from there as soon as possible, and not recommend the place further. But what does it help? What can one do in the face of such cruelty? As I said I believe in sticking to my own business, making sure that I do what I see to be right, and leave everyone else to do what they see to be right. But how far can I justify that?
Recently I moved my horses to a new livery yard. It's a well respected place with a riding school, livery, and stud with some magnificent stallions. They also recieve young horses for breaking and schooling. They have a broad customer base, including horse breeders, children, adult people who are learning to ride, and teenagers.
I have several times seen conflicts between horse and riders, that could easily have been avoided. I usually steer clear when this happens – as I don't like to be around that kind of energy, and I don't like my horses to be around it, either. But what I saw today shocked me.
When I came to the yard there was no one there, and I opened the tack room and prepared to set about my business, when I noticed there was a horse in the lorry. Curious, I peeked in. There stood a three-year old colt that currently is being broken. He was wearing a cavesson and a bridle, and they were tight. Even a strong man could not have tightened them any further. Noseband, cheekpieces, even the throatlash were as tight as you possibly could get them, making it difficult for him to breathe properly. He was wearing drawreins too, pulling his nose to his chest. His tounge was out between his teeth, swollen and going blue, and saliva was pouring from his mouth. The sides of his mouth were rubbed raw, his heart was pounding, and the whole horse was shaking. He had obviously been standing there for a long time.
I took of the equipment but his mouth was so cramped he could not let go of the bit. It took twenty minutes while I massaged his face before he could open his mouth enough for the bit to fall out. The colt, strong, sparky and beautiful, was reduced to a shivering piece of misery.
When the owner of the yard came I asked him if he was aware of the state of the horse. He was. He said the horse was “a pig”, that he was stubborn and would not yield to the right rein, and that a few hours spent like that would teach him. “Sometimes you have to be a bit cruel to them.”
This is the worst piece of abuse I have seen done to a horse, but by no means the only one. In the two and a half years I have lived in this country, I have seen a lot. I have seen farriers whipping the face of a horse when he would not stand still. I have seen a professional, competing yardowner whipping his customers young mare, who would not load, with a lunge whip until she reared over and fell on the ramp. I have seen a well respected horse dealer repeatedly whip a youngster while yanking on the reins, again and again, for no apparent reason. I have seen three grown men gathered around a pony, kicking her stomach with full force because she would not lift her leg up. There are plenty of examples. I could go on.
You find bad horsemen everywhere, but what gets to me is that this cruelty and ignorance does not limit itself to “rough” dealers and shady carachters, but you find it around serious horsemen, amongst well-respected dealers, trainers, and competitors. Having to resort to extreme violence – for that is what it is – on a frequent basis does not seem to lessen someones status as a horseman in other peoples eyes. If anything, the opposite. The people in the examples I mentioned have no lack of customers. I don't know what kind of people send their horses there, and make up their reputation. Are they really just ignorant of it? Or has this level of abuse become so normal that it's
taken for granted?
What exactly a horseman's reputation is built on I don't really know. But it has certainly more to do with interpersonal relationships rather than proper care and knowledge for the horse.
I am not one to try and “reform” everyone to do “natural horsemanship” and ride bitless. People choose the techniques that work for them. But this level of acceptance for cruelty is – I have no other word for it – insane. That people can do this kinds of things to a horse and still get away with their good name intact. I for one will remove my horse from there as soon as possible, and not recommend the place further. But what does it help? What can one do in the face of such cruelty? As I said I believe in sticking to my own business, making sure that I do what I see to be right, and leave everyone else to do what they see to be right. But how far can I justify that?
