A nice reining mare…sad story, and so unnecessary.
I don’t get it…what are they trying to teach a horse by doing this?
So sad 
I 've never understood this training method. Besides giving a horse a sore neck and mouth, what could possibly be gained ?
edited to add: was just sent a link to a Facebook page for this mare. Apparently animal control had been to this place before.
https://www.facebook.com/pages/RIP-Bella-Gunnabe-Gifted/652116531473236
They call this technique “biting up”? More like torturing up !!
Exactly.
The owner in the interview seems to have no remorse. Even though in interviews she is “heartbroken”. Just disgusting. And they took videos of her before she was PTS? Even more disgusting.
We all as horse people, need to stand up and say something when this type of “training” is going on.
There is a whole other thread about this trainer on COTH, and some stating that “tying around” is common practice in some circles.
I will FULLY admit, I am guilty of witnessing abusive training and not saying a peep (working student at a multi-discipline training center - witnessed the western pleasure trainer do many questionable things - including tying horses around and leaving them in round pens).
WE as horse owners need to run trainers like this out of the industry. We as horse owners need to stop accepting abuse as a means garner ribbons.
The horse industry needs to do a better job of self policing, too much training is taken to the extremes these days to get the show ring results. Too many judges are pinning extreme (and detrimental to the horse) ways of going.
Can any one explain how the horse was tied? The article wasn’t too clear. Was it a case that the horse was in a shanked bit with a super tight curb strap and the bit was then tied to the saddle/surcingle on one side to force a bend in the neck to that side?
I’ve seen this done in the past as well, though only with a snaffle bit. Honestly I’d never seen any wrecks from doing it either, though I am not defending the practice in any way.
did I hear them say he MIGHT be prosecuted? Might??? he better be prosecuted…so wrong!
Actually, today’s training methods are far more humane & kind than those practiced even 50 yrs ago, so many horses DO have it far better than their predecessors. But whenever “glory” and $$ is at stake (and those 50 cent ribbons are sure worth killing a horse over, aren’t they?), people tend to lose sight of things.
Simply human nature.
It’s also human nature to keep quiet even when cruelty is right in front of your face…or ignore it when a top trainer tells you “the horse doesn’t mind…everyone does it this way…”
I tend to squall like a monkey if I see someone doing this sort of thing. In fact I pulled one of my horses simply because the trainer was putting the side reins on too tight (IMHO)…but I am seldom rewarded for my efforts.
Most people think I’m a nosey busy-body…you just can’t win…poor horse…
Bad, aggressive training that results in horse’s deaths isn’t confined to the western world. Working at a vet clinic I took the local owners phone call when one of her horses died at a BNT farm back east. It is possible to ride a horse to death.
There is another thread on this topic: http://www.chronofhorse.com/forum/showthread.php?415997-Reining-Horse-death-caused-by-trainer
Update from Rate My Horse Pro 10/3
http://www.ratemyhorsepro.com/news/reining-horses-death-investigation-continues.aspx
Another update from Rate My Horse Pro - 10/21
http://www.ratemyhorsepro.com/news/mark-arballo-what-lies-beneath.aspx
That is so amazingly sad. Someone like that has absolutely no business being around horses or any other animal. I hope he is never allowed to work with horses or any other animals again (but of course that is probably highly doubtful).
Also what’s worrisome is that this trainer has been in business for many years and people knew what was going on, yet declined to step in, or stop it, or report it, or write a letter to authorities…it seems
that this trainer passed through many gates without being stopped.
I don’t blame those people and understand that it’s not easy to speak up - we think no one will believe us, or listen, or that we may be sued - but really, at some point, we must have the courage of our convictions to intervene on behalf of the horses. If not us, then who ?
This is just sickening.
I rode right past a rig with “Arballo Reining Horses” parked on a residential street in an OC equestrian community today. Made my stomach turn.
