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Dani Waldman admits to never turning out horses

Well you had the benefit of seeing the entire back and forth @katherineyyyy . I’m just going by the little snippets posted here. It’s like walking in mid-conversation. I don’t follow this person and I wouldn’t characterize this discussion as newsworthy where you can expect the average rider to have seen it so we don’t all have the same context of knowing exactly what was/was not discussed (especially since now apparently posts are deleted).

No yeah totally that’s why I’m posting the screenshots now so people have some context. Somehow I had a feeling it would all end up getting deleted :joy::joy:

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In 30 years of horse ownership, my horses have been injured plenty of times. Maybe a few times as a result of turnout. All the rest have been in the stall, doing weird stuff in the crossties, from competition and the trailer. At home our horses go out in pairs or alone in medium to large grass fields, from small ponies to grand prix horses. They are lucky dogs, though they do not go out in wet weather or frozen ground, or when at regional shows. I always feel bad when our horses are on the road without their turnout, though when we travel to Florida for a couple months per year (not Wef) we make sure they go out for a couple hours in the crappy paddocks that are available.

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Maybe not, but she does have 51.1k Instagram followers. Many of whom are just your average rider (me, but I stopped following her).

Thank you to the other COTH member who provided screen shots. I went to her Instagram page and also saw the comments were deleted.

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Sadly I already knew this. One of the reasons I have no respect for her. Friend of mine’s trainer rented stalls from her in Welly world couple of years back and told me they were the only ones who used the (large, grassy, perfect fencing) paddocks. I know people say “there’s no turnout in Wellington” but for those of us used to CA style “turnout” there is TONS of turnout haha. I mean it’s one thing if there actually is no turnout, but to have it and not use it? Deplorable.

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It’s not unusual in the UK.

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I’ve raised bantam and large-fowl salmon Faverolles, bantam black and chocolate Wyandottes! What do you raise?

I realize that. I meant Carl and Charlotte were unusual amongst top international dressage riders for letting their competition horses live like horses.

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10516624_804658519566069_8768338804002623411_n Yes, I do. I tried to attach a pic of her for you on the previous post, but it didn’t go on, I don’t know why. Yes, barefoot for her showing career. Great traction in sand rings. If I was on grass over big jumps, she’d be shod with studs. I’m not stupid. I’ll try again for you with a picture. Registered, raced and shown as “Star Coral”. You can look up her pedigree. My name as breeder.

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Beautiful horse!!!

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Oh, Salmon Faverolles are so pretty!

For while, we had a lot of everything because I ran a farm to fork business. Now, we have a tiny (by my standards :joy:) breeding flock of Liege Fighters & Svart Hona. One of the little Svart Hona hens had gone broody & was likely setting on eggs when the coop went flying. Poor thing is ok, but met me at the gate looking extremely pissed off!

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Salmon Faverolles are supposed to be great dual-purpose birds, but I’m a wus about processing. Never done it.

Sorry about your little broody’s loss!

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Agreed with the comments above that one of the many reasons I love Carl Hester is that not only does he turn out his horses, but makes quite a point of it on his social media, to set an example.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CNPKhs7BuRh/

It’s not my discipline, but I also think not turning out is common in the saddleseat world, when the horses are actively competing (those with personal experience, feel free to comment).

Regardless, as well as the physical issues, I don’t think, psychologically for the horse that a treadmill and carefully supervised walking and handgrazing is comparable to freedom of motion, choice, and autonomy when turned out. I’m nobody, so I’m inviting myself up for the “unless you compete at x level, you can’t understand,” but my reaction would be to insure your horses, if you’re so worried they might hurt themselves, not stall them when they aren’t “in use.” The risk of injury to a valuable animal is sadly part of the risk of being in the business, not an excuse for cutting back on welfare.

Besides, many of these very posh barns have help all over the place to keep an eye on the horses, and manicured paddocks. It’s not like people are saying, “turn out Mr. Fancy Pants Show Horse in a mixed, crowded, unsupervised field full of barbed wire and stones.”

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I hate when people act like because something is normalized it’s somehow ok. Also it’s not “cyber hate” it’s called accountability. And the only reason this practice is so normalized is because in the past nobody has called out people for this practice.

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Very cool. Nice!! Not many OTTB’s out there jumping 5’ jumps these days.

:blush:

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For me not turning out at all and having them live most of their lives in a stall (barring time on a walker or whatever and riding) is akin to treating the horses as machines not a living, breathing animal with physical and psychological needs. Naturally they are herd animals, and I’m not saying that all horses have to be out 24/7- we all just do our best, but never being turned out is awful. I wonder if her horses are constantly on ulcer meds.

And I agree with @Moneypitt those feathers are for attention. They look ridiculous.

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It completely unacceptable. Horses need turnout and there is plenty of science it back this up. I don’t get the attitude of my horse might get hurt turned out. When horses who are stalled have such a higher risk of colic and that is the number one cause of untimely death in horses. There are also studies the link lower bone density, tendon injuries, etc in horses that are not turned out. Horses need to move, graze and socialize.

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Bay area of CA here. Turnout into small or medium paddocks for an hour a few days a week is common at the more densely packed training barns. Financially, this just is what it is - nobody is getting paid while the horse is turned out; they get paid when the horse is ridden, hand or hot walked, groomed, clipped, standing on the Theraplate, etc. Priorities for barn development, consequently, go to riding, convenience, and capacity to offer extra care services. Land is just too expensive to allocate much of it to turnout.

I also know of some barns/trainers who don’t use available turnout due to either not wanting to risk injury or for perceived lack of necessity. I think the fact that it isn’t abundant makes this an easy mental leap - some people can’t turn out and their horses are ok, so clearly it isn’t necessary, right? (I disagree with this, but I can see the logic here.)

Many horses seem fine. Yes, many of them are well acquainted with ulcer meds. (Though preventative Ulcergard has seemingly become the norm for showing, so maybe that isn’t about the turnout.) Some of them don’t do well, as evidenced by frequent stiffness/soundness issues, bucking antics, and spookiness. (I have one of these - he lives in a pasture now.)

Personally, I opt for barns with turnout because it makes my life easier not riding cooped-up dragons and I believe it makes my horses saner and sounder. But I do see people with horses that are, for the most part, healthy and competitive without a lot of turnout.

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Sad and abusive. Who trained her?

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Google is your friend

https://www.danigequestrian.com/about

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