My horrible experiences with Texas horse trainer/instructor Ellen Doughty-Hume

[LemieuxTasteonaBarebackBudget]

My understanding is those two particular dogs are not on site for the most part. Apparently, this was the FOURTH large animal the dog had attacked. The first three attacks were on her boyfriend’s personal property with his livestock. Absolutely insane to me that they would bring dogs with a history of attacks to a facility with other people’s horses. They said they were going to put them down, but never did. Fun fact, Ellen originally told the owner the day of the attack that the horse was ok for her young daughter to ride the horse, but that she may consider using a hackamore bc of the skin torn off of his face. Although, by the time the girl got to the barn, her horses legs were so swollen it could barely walk out of its muddy run.

One time the dogs ran into the arena terrifying a horse and a little girl fell off and broke a limb. My understanding was that Ellen was not terribly concerned with the girls’ well being after the incident.

[Dr_Doolittle]

What a POS.

[Texarkana]

@OverandOnward

Why a vet gave her an endorsement is a story I’d like to hear more about.

Meh. Vets have to be non-partisan.

A few years ago my vet was contacted by the press about a high profile abuse case at a local barn. Now, I KNOW my vet did not approve of that trainer because he and I had discussed her in the past. But he also couldn’t say that to the press for several reasons. So it came across in the press like he was defending her in a way, when really he just said he never witnessed any abuse.

[Virginia_Horse_Mom]

@LemieuxTasteonaBarebackBudget

My understanding is those two particular dogs are not on site for the most part. Apparently, this was the FOURTH large animal the dog had attacked. The first three attacks were on her boyfriend’s personal property with his livestock. Absolutely insane to me that they would bring dogs with a history of attacks to a facility with other people’s horses. They said they were going to put them down, but never did. Fun fact, Ellen originally told the owner the day of the attack that the horse was ok for her young daughter to ride the horse, but that she may consider using a hackamore bc of the skin torn off of his face. Although, by the time the girl got to the barn, her horses legs were so swollen it could barely walk out of its muddy run.

One time the dogs ran into the arena terrifying a horse and a little girl fell off and broke a limb. My understanding was that Ellen was not terribly concerned with the girls’ well being after the incident.

Wow.

Aren’t the dogs pit mixes? I seem to recollect that. If that is the case… this is a very dangerous situation.

It’s terrible that a child has already been hurt as a result of this reckless situation.

[Impractical_Horsewoman]

On the other hand, the main selling point of the article about why EDH’s facility is acceptable is how “beautiful” it is. The arena, the stall walls behind the horses being shod, even the condition of some of the horses–for a lesson program or camp scraping by, let’s say those seem rather unexceptional. But for an upper-level eventing facility that caters to athletes aspiring for the top levels, and these are the curated pictures they offer?

I also thought the dog was an odd inclusion–even the flattering article couldn’t cover up how many complaints there were about the dogs! I can understand a dog occasionally getting loose at an event, but if that is your “signature” when you are coming that’s a whole 'nother thing.

[OverandOnward]

Word is that at horse trials the dogs are a) loose and b) unvaccinated. Remember the ‘no vets’ thing. And undisciplined, although ED insists that they will come if she calls them.

Her dogs are not the only issue organizers complain about, but they are a major organizer headache.

Part of her bad rep in Tx are the horse trials problems that continue. Problems that have nothing to do with Stormy Daniels. The article didn’t mention any of this.

[LemieuxTasteonaBarebackBudget]

One of them was a pit, the other a Cane Corso Put Mix.

[Virginia_Horse_Mom]

Powerful dogs. Responsible ownership is key.

[Ghazzu]

@Bluey

I thought it was illegal for anyone but a properly certified veterinarian to treat other’s horses?

The precise wording varies by state (sometimes, IIRC, it requires money changing hands) but typically it isn’t on any radar until an owner complains to the state board.

[OverandOnward]

@Ghazzu

The precise wording varies by state (sometimes, IIRC, it requires money changing hands) but typically it isn’t on any radar until an owner complains to the state board.

And an owner may not be aware of the law / regulation.

[sami-joe]

There is nothing helpful she could have said five minutes before Trump’s hush-money/fraud trial.

This story is a hit job, possibly orchestrated by someone in Trump’s stable.

[Old_Mac_Donald]

@LemieuxTasteonaBarebackBudget

When Ellens boyfriend’s dogs attacked another horse on property, she told the new horse owner everything was just a surface wound and the horse didn’t need to go to the vet. Ellen knew the novice horse owner did NOT have resources to take the horse to the vet: no trailer, no truck, no vet contact. Another boarder took the horse to the vet where they found deep lacerations in the legs, 1/4 of the skin ripped off of his face and cartilage chunks taken out of his ear. The vet commented that he should have been brought in within 4 hours of the attack. Ellen was present and witness to the attack around 6:30 that morning, 13 hours before the boarder was able to get him to the vet.

This, right here, to me, is unforgivable in a BO. As a horse owner, this would be an absolute “No way, never again” line in the sand. I’d be taking ED to civil court for all vet costs and having the dog declared a menacing dog. Imagine if it was a boarder’s child that had a chunk taken out of their ear?

[OverandOnward]

You think like Stormy Daniels.

Whose horse drowned in a known risky pasture during heavy rains, who had other horses with serious vet issues that ED refused to take to the clinic, with unfortunate results.

Part of the thread shock was the ED ‘supporters’ who came to COTH to explain how excellent the in-barn care was, only to clearly not understand that it was nothing of the kind – but they all thought so because they had all learned from the same source.

Too far upthread for me to find & link now … it’s an adventure in barn management concerns to find it.

[Old_Mac_Donald]

I’ve followed the thread from the beginning, but the stories never cease to surprise me.

[Bogey2]

Except when the horse is insured…insurance companies won’t pay out if a person who is not a vet gives an IV injection and the horse gets injured or dies.

[Ghazzu]

@Bogey2

Except when the horse is insured…insurance companies won’t pay out if a person who is not a vet gives an IV injection and the horse gets injured or dies.

ayuh.

[FjordBCRF]

I did it! I started reading Friday and made it through.

This is worse than a nightmare.

[OverandOnward]

@FjordBCRF

I did it! I started reading Friday and made it through.

I have to take a moment and congratulate you. For making it through, for taking the time … and for sticking out what is, at several points, a gruesome story.

I learned stuff from some of the posts about how terribly things could go wrong for horses when they need a vet, but don’t get one. It wasn’t a happy lesson, at all.

This thread is also where I learned the value of quoting posts to keep them from disappearing.

[FjordBCRF]

It’s a thinker for sure. I know people can be susceptible to being duped and taken advantage of but my gawd, it never ended with this no matter how much more worse it got! Makes me very thankful for the horse community I am a part of.

[OverandOnward]

As some who know more of the back story keep mentioning, there has been a lot more that never made it to this thread. Starting long, long before the SD saga. There are people who could tell their own russian novel of an ED story, but who will probably never post on COTH.