And in lighter news, a cat rides a pony. WHERE’S HIS HELMET???
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Sad that you dismiss and trivialize the importance of safety, both chains and helmets. I mean, come on already. It’s read internationally and people learn by what they read and see in articles.
Of course! Who in their right mind wouldn’t warn someone before they are about to get hurt?? You’d just ignore the situation and walk away as people get hurt or die from some explosion at a gas station? That’s sick.
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Unfortunately, I see this a lot in breed shows. Fortunately, I’ve not seen it result in an accident.
I’m guilty of looping the chain as in the OPs article in the exact same way after the halter or showmanship. The chain is used during warmups and during the class as standard tack. Once we’re finished, I always remove the chain as a reward to my horse and loop it back to walk back to our stalls (similar to loosening the girth after you’ve shown). Moving forward, I guess we should carry a spare lead rope.
It is not at all funny making light of a very serious issue. People die or get paralyzed from head injuries due to not wearing helmets. Horses get their legs caught in chain loop and break their necks, too. They rip their mouth and nose up. Handlers get their fingers or hands mangled. Do you think all of all funny, too?
I permanently injured two fingers as a child by doing something stupid with a lead rope. I was a child and didn’t know any better. Do I wish someone had warned me and explained why I shouldn’t do it? Yes, I do.
Strange that you object so much to safety.
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Rope halters for work in hand, leather for the trailer, old nylon with a breakaway clip for the washrack. I don’t tie up in a rope halter and I don’t leave any halter on in turnout.
I also thought that rope halters were wierd cheap stuff when I first saw them but now they just seem normal and indispensable.
You do need to make sure they fit, which could mean adjusting the knots. And you want one with softer rope as stiff rope is a PITA to tie up.
Obviously they only come into play if the horse is acting up. Otherwise the horse stops, turns, backs up, on body cues. It’s not like you ever tug on the halter unless pony is diving for dandelions or deciding to dance in circles.
COL, it’s a lifestyle piece, not a safety piece. Nowhere in any of these articles does anyone offer suggestions, advice, or messages around safety. They are lighthearted pieces about fancy horses and in one case, a pony with a pink forelock.
here’s an unsafe photo as a cover. eegads.Look at that chain!!! and if he shakes his head he’ll put his eye out.
http://www.chronofhorse.com/sites/de…over021615.jpg
Look! An unapproved helmet!!
http://www.chronofhorse.com/Director…s/Vol2Iss4.jpg
holy unsafe footwear, batman! and the outfit, so unsafe and impractical.
http://www.chronofhorse.com/Director…s/Vol3Iss2.jpg
See how easy it is to find fault? Like TMares said, these are fluff pieces not a Pony Club appendix.
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Make fun all you want, but the photo that caught my eye was on the opening page of the COTH website. If I saved one person from doing something stupid like using their leadshank in the manner shown, then I am happy. There are plenty of people who look at these articles and aspire to be just like the horsemen shown. They should be setting an example.
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I went to look at a video of this horse and am more bothered by the fact he shows in a tiedown, um, I mean a standing martingale, so tight it’s rarely has a loop in it… but wait, so do a lot of hunters. Dislike. :no:
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I see leather leads with split chains for shows (each end of the chain clips onto each side of the bit if that makes sense)… my first thought seeing them was that it might be dangerous because it creates a loop beneath the horse’s chin? Is it a better idea to clip a lead rope to the bit ring closest to the handler and risk pulling the bit through the mouth?
I don’t attach anything to a bit. If needed, put a halter on over top of the bridle
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An old supervisor put a long chain on a mare that was going to the breeding shed like that and handed her to me. That mare seen the van and got stupid. I hollered for my supervisor but she never came. My hand started to get tore up from trying to rein in that mare. So as she was dragging me through bushes and slamming me up against trees, I managed to take the chain off and loop it through the halter and over her nose. Once I gave it a pop she came back to reality. I ended up going to the breeding shed covered in cuts and blood.
I have used that method before on my own horses when I was in a pinch and couldn’t find my cotton lead, but after that situation, never again would I use a long chain like that.
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You’re putting words in my mouth. I’ll bring my own words to the party, if that’s all right with you.
I will repeat myself. Put your umbrage down for a second and read what I wrote earlier. “It’s one thing to say eek. It’s another to put yourself out there as the be all end all and now, pull a list of alllllll the horrid things you saw in the BTSD series before you grew weak with exhaustion.”
I did not say that you should say nothing. What I did say is that all of this hand wringing holier than thou stuff is over the top and diminishes your message. Please feel free to re-read my earlier posts.
And I’ll repeat my question to you, COL: If you see someone at a horse show who is hand-grazing their horse in an improperly arranged chain shank, while looking through their phone, in flip flops, standing at the end of the rope near their horse’s flank (IOW, doing several less than ideal things), do you:
A) swoop in and tell them all the things they are doing wrong
B) wince and think man I hope she doesn’t get hurt, that looks like a bad thing she’s got going on there., OR
C) do something else, that you’ll provide in your answer.
Moral of my posts: I personally think there’s room to speak up if it’s done kindly and respectfully, to better influence the ideal outcome, which is more safety. I don’t think there’s any room for snarky, ugly, holy tones as they are seriously offputting and primed for rejection by the listener. If I don’t know the girl holding the horse in my scenario, I better be prepared to build a little rapport with her before I tell her of my concerns.
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COTH is a not that widely circulated specialty publication devoted to the upper levels of showing Hunter Jumper, generally managed under a trainer and owned by folks who are not kids and not on their very first horse. It’s not a general Horse care magazine full of How To features nor, as noted, is it the Pony Club Manual.
Thats why most subscribers and frequent readers enjoy it, It’s a showcase of fancy show horses with some meaningful pieces and editorials for experienced owners and riders who show, its not not a textbook. Shame an increasing number of folks no longer care to do a little bragging on their successes and show of their wins due to not wanting to endure endless nitpicking and fault finding.
Nature of the Internet beast I suppose to trash things over minor issues.
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Common safetys are common sense - no need to get all bossy and Pony Club - but we do need the occasional reminder to watch our safetys and to always have them front and center.
Helmets - again common sense, and gloves.
I remember one long thread where people said they wore flip flops in the barn… that spooked me.
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I agree with everything you said and think your suggestion is very good. Unfortunately, not everyone takes kindly to even the gentle way you proposed bringing safety issues up. I did that with an individual once and the person got very angry, gave ME a lecture, and said several very unkind things. I determined they probably have a fragile ego, are narcissistic or simply can’t handle anything that even remotely might suggest something critical or wrong with their approach. Some people care more about their ego than actual safety.
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That shows a shocking lack of horsemanship and safety consciousness.
