I currently ride at a barn that houses 70+ horses, some stalled and some who live outside (with run in sheds of course.) I’ve been riding there for 16(?) years. I can think of one colic.
This is not a 4* barn, but we have two going I and a wide variety of eventers at the LLs, plus fox hunters, lesson program, etc.
I am not going into the ‘we have never had a colic here’ thing because my personal experience on that front is you can do everything right (mutliple water sources, free choice hay, etc) and some horses still like giving their humans extra stress of colic.
It does seem like this particular barn has their fair share of issues, but I just can not start the ‘we have never had a colic here’ thing.
Some horses are just prone to colic (and cellulitis). Get a few of those in the barn and you’ll have a LOT of colics. Even if the care is great.
[QUOTE=trubandloki;9012764]
I am not going into the ‘we have never had a colic here’ thing because my personal experience on that front is you can do everything right (mutliple water sources, free choice hay, etc) and some horses still like giving their humans extra stress of colic.
It does seem like this particular barn has their fair share of issues, but I just can not start the ‘we have never had a colic here’ thing.[/QUOTE]
For sure…and didn’t want to start that. Was just curious how common it is to have vet required issues so often at a barn of this type.
Colic happens. Cellulitis happens. I think the issue is not that these things happened but that they were wildly mishandled. If you never have a single colic you are lucky, nothing more.
[QUOTE=Wally;9012898]
Colic happens. Cellulitis happens. I think the issue is not that these things happened but that they were wildly mishandled. If you never have a single colic you are lucky, nothing more.[/QUOTE]
I totally agree!!!
agreed! And honestly I’m not sure it is wildly out of the norm for some full care places to give IV banamine if a horse has mild symptoms of colic, but in that instance I would expect they do as I do a) notify the owner (that would be me, so I I skip that step), b) call the vet, explain the issue ask if the vet would prefer you give banamine IV. Over 30 years do you know how many vets have turned me down on this offer? That would be ZERO - they know me and they trust me.
If there is no more problems, I typically put them back on hay after 6-8 hours and keep a close eye on them and return to full feed the next day. If symptoms return or they blow through banamine, the vet comes out. At that point they are probably going to the clinic. In fact the number of times they have NOT gone to the clinic would be zero if 10cc of banamine wasn’t a magic cure would also be zero, except I’m old enough to remember when “going to the clinic” just wasn’t an option on the table.
If a vet can be called on to testify that they recommended the horse be referred to the clinic/surgery center and it wasn’t, AND the owner was never told that, there would not be enough lawyers on the planet to save that trainer from my legal wrath.
Purely as an aside, I think all the people who come on to defend the trainer might have figured out by now there is a fairly good social media record to rebut their claims.
Helping HDM: yer doin it wrong.
There is no measuring one facility against another in terms of incidents. Some horses are born prone, some are more prone in certain climates or situations, others can digest rusty nails and never colic. The type of horses, what they do (heavy competition vs pasture vs trail riding, etc), the climate, the local forage, and a host of other factors make the incidents not comparable from one facility to another.
The same general principals are true of lameness and other horse ills as well.
Just means that some horse folk end up with more experience of these things than others.
I don’t think the question is “how often”. It’s what decisions are made by management once it does. In my mind, anyway.
I’m posting this so people can see how Ellen Doughty-Hume chose to respond to her “free publicity.” You can also read it on Stormy’s facebook page.
For someone who claims to be taking the high road, texting this to Stormy does not exactly qualify.
How disappointing.
[QUOTE=CrankyOldWoman;9013406]
I’m posting this so people can see how Ellen Doughty-Hume chose to respond to her “free publicity.” You can also read it on Stormy’s facebook page.
For someone who claims to be taking the high road, texting this to Stormy does not exactly qualify.
How disappointing.
I’m honestly still so shocked by this, and I’ve had a few hours to mull it over. This text was out of the blue, and so unbelievably narcissistic and callus, I’m just floored. This shows absolutely ZERO remorse for dead and injured horses formerly in her care, and all of the harm she has done to so very many people. It’s appalling. I’d say I’m surprised, but in so many ways I’m not - this person has no empathy, and no class.
And to brag that you have to get trainers from out of state … well, yes, because no one in the area will work for you. Not a selling point.
[QUOTE=IrishWillow;9013467]
I’m honestly still so shocked by this, and I’ve had a few hours to mull it over. This text was out of the blue, and so unbelievably narcissistic and callus, I’m just floored. This shows absolutely ZERO remorse for dead and injured horses formerly in her care, and all of the harm she has done to so very many people. It’s appalling. I’d say I’m surprised, but in so many ways I’m not - this person has no empathy, and no class.
And to brag that you have to get trainers from out of state … well, yes, because no one in the area will work for you. Not a selling point.[/QUOTE]
Yeah, just when I think I’ve seen it all on this thread something new and entirely revolting shows up. 
And I want to remark on the posters that have said it’s not the number of incidents at a barn, it’s how they are handled. I agree on the handling part but disagree on incidents. A well run barn will not have weekly colicks, lacerations, thin edgy horses, rampant lameness, and an overall high rate of “accidents”. Do accidents occur? Sure. Are some horses prone to gas colic? Yes unfortunately. But should these things happen regularly? No.
A well run barn with a knowledgeable horseman in charge will keep areas clean and free of hazards (no tools strewn about, hoses dangling everywhere, board with nails exposed in stalls or pastures) they will be watchful of each horses condition, and they will have a procedure in place when an accident does happen. Slap dash barns always blame bad luck when a bit of house keeping might have prevented a horse injuries.
Yes Gestalt that was more what I was wondering, not to be saying anything about colics or injuries happening. Things happen. But it just seemed her number of events with one or two people alone is more than I have experienced in the last ten years.
Anywho - that text is borderline psychotic. I would never in a million years recommend or go to that person after seeing that text alone. How petty and immature.
[QUOTE=Jealoushe;9013772]
Anywho - that text is borderline psychotic. I would never in a million years recommend or go to that person after seeing that text alone. How petty and immature.[/QUOTE]
Isn’t it?
I am a big believer in the mantra of “given a chance, people will show you who they really are.”
And there you have it. Straight from the horse’s mouth.
This thread has gone to over 100k views in just under a month. Not sure what the COTH BB counts as a view, but by any method - and compared to other threads - that’s a lot.
As Gestalt noted, just when you think it can’t get any crazier, boom!
Sure hope those new folks heading into the fray come out intact.
It seems to me that EDH keeps digging that hole deeper and deeper as the days go by. This is about as far from professional as you can get. It’s rude, callous, and taunting. I really think there was more to that text than just gloating in some sort of sick and twisted way. She wanted Stormy to respond.
With that being said, I think EDH is giving us quite the glimpse into her true personality. While she might post happy-go-lucky, I’ll-come-out-on-top-because-I’m-awesome memes onto her Instagram account, I personally think she is anything but that. What kind of barn manager/URL texts a former client to gloat and taunt them? Who leaves a bullet on the counter for property owners to find? (I know, I still can’t get over that.) What trainer screams and berates clients, passersby, and show staff when they don’t get their way? Someone who has some serious deep-seeded issues, if you ask me. It’s practically psychopathic, and it makes me worry what she might be truly capable of under more duress than these posts have caused…
As for all of these new clients and the new trainer: I hope they know what they’re walking into, because if not, they’re going to be in for a rude awakening. (If they exist.) Jingles to you all…you’ll probably need them.
Nick peronance liked the free publicity too.
I think the “views” are individual IP addresses. It definitely doesn’t count each time one of us comes back to the thread. At least it doesn’t count mine
The counts do not show up after each view they tally for a while and then a higher number comes up.
Nick peronance liked the free publicity too.
Nick peronace is the Godwin"s law of COTH
To me, one of the more interesting aspects of this post is how it seems to reflect the current trend of people being sick of the status quo and letting shitty people get away with shitty behavior. As a person who recently broke ties with a super toxic and narcissistic trainer (who incidentally seems to share many of the same personality flaws described in this post), I applaud the OP for being brave enough to call out this person by name, particularly knowing full well that there could have been quite a bit of backlash. Between this and the crackdowns on drugging I’ve been reading about in the H/J board, I’m hopeful the tides are truly changing in horse sports for the overall welfare of the animals that make this all possible. Maybe that’s naive of me, but I choose to hang on to a little hope here.
Also, and maybe this is a topic for a new thread, but based on how often I hear about unethical and abusive practices from horse professionals, it seems there needs to be more measures available to ensure these people are no longer allowed to make a livelihood from horses. Aside from calling them out on social media, letting our feet do the talking and slapping them with some temporary show bans they can easily work around, what else can be done? I know from personal experience that going the legal route is often pointless because it isn’t all that punitive to tap a dry well, but something needs to give so these types of posts and the public outcry aren’t all in vain. If all of these allegations are true, is it enough to know her current students and staff will eventually figure it out and also walk? How many more people and horses will have to get hurt in the interim?
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