Thank you for the suggestion. Because of your comment I just looked up 4h in my area, and there are a few groups, however the activities that they list don’t really include riding (more like sewing, poultry, cake decorating, shooting sports…a close one says “we are a city 4h”) My daughter is already in girl scouts and I don’t want to sign her up for another activity that is a broad topic club when she says she wants horseback riding.
I think we might just finish the lesson pack and see what happens, go from there. I think I might have just been surprised and confused, and maybe jumped to conclusions. She has been a patient teacher, from what I’ve seen. Thanks for listening.
Thanks for the compliment (?) :), I’ll take savvy. As for being a “complete non horse person”, I will admit that I once rode a horse on a guided thing for about a half hour in Central Park. I do know a little bit now from taking my daughter for lessons and reading up on what to buy for her etc. I do like animals in general, and more than anything I love my kid and want to support her interests in the best way that I can, whether these interests are just a temporary phase or something long term- who really knows. That is why I posted. Maybe I’m just being neurotic and overthinking it.
You should, and ask why it was given.
Just for the sake of knowing as you will most likely be confronted to « that » in the future. It’s actually a great knowledge to have; knowing about drugs, supplements, etc.
It could be anything.
My friend’s horse needed some B12 infections at some point. Nothing illegal and it boost the energy. I gave my mare Adequan, which helps her joints. Nothing illegal.
What kind of seringe? We often use bigger ones for oral uses. From omeorazole to electrolyte…
I don’t think you’re neurotic or over-thinking. Given public scandals about doping and such in sports, it doesn’t seem like a huge leap to wonder if it happens with horses too – I’ve had non-horse people ask me about that, just in general conversation, even when they haven’t shown any interest in horses otherwise. If an experienced horse person saw their trainer giving their horse an unauthorized injection, they’d probably question it too. Even if this situation turns out to be innocuous, I don’t think it’s a bad thing to ask so you know (doesn’t mean you’re accusing the trainer of anything if you ask tactfully). And, I mean, if you saw something that seemed iffy and didn’t question it, people would also wonder if you were trolling because you didn’t speak up, especially when dependents are involved.
I don’t think what was in the syringe matters that much. I would be more upset about young children being told the horse was getting a shot to wake it up. Do to really want your child to grow up with the idea that you use drugs to wake up/calm down or whatever? I would be more ok with a child being told the horse was old and needed a pain medication, or wasn’t feeling well (and assuming it wasn’t then ridden).
This is what bothered me- it seemed like a weird thing to tell a kid, if true or untrue. The child who came up to me was not my daughter, but the kid seemed nonchalant, like this was a normal thing to hear explained. Kids think that anything that a trusted adult tells them is reasonable.
4H can have generic home-ecy type clubs as well as more specific ones. You want to find a horse specific 4H club (you can go through your county extension office to see if there is one near you.) It can be a good introduction, although depending on the region can be more western heavy. Although, it is flexible, both the English and Western divisions were pretty full at my county and state shows in the 90s and early 2000s.
(I went through 4H and FFA, there really weren’t any PC chapters near me or I would have done that too, I wouldn’t say 4H and PC cancel each other out but it would be a big time commitment.)
Because the response is 9/10 a lie? I know a barn that did/does this and heard the response to the question “Oh its just vitamins” It was sedative, prior to leadline & w/t classes “because it was safer”, as stated to me directly by the person holding the needle. Not 2nd or supposition, direct personal experience. And yes, there was a strong drug culture there.
This is an early warning sign. Leave if you don’t want to be complicit, full stop.
Coincidentally, they have great success on the local circuit where there is no testing and much less on the rated circuit which includes a testing program.
Because until you ask you don’t know what they’re going to say. I think they deserve the opportunity to explain what was told second hand to OP by a child
I’m just saying… I’ve said things to kids and then later heard the kids repeat… totally not what I said The “Whisper Down the Lane” effect is reverse magnified by the age of the child too
Legend, another drug that is legal and related to making arthritic horses comfortable, is one that is commonly given at shows.
There really could be a legit explanation for this. If you ask in order to learn, as you have explained to us here, without any assumptions, I think you’ll have the best odds at getting an honest answer. I wouldn’t blow up the relationship over this, at least not yet and with the information you have in hand.
BTW, how did your daughter do? How did the horse look? Did he seem fine and did he behave more or less as he did at home and in lessons? At the end of the day, if your kid is happy, safe, learning and the horse is OK (plus you guys aren’t doing anything illegal (which you are not at an unregulated schooling show, regardless of what was in the syringe), you all are doing OK.
I don’t think there is enough information in your posts to determine whether or not what your trainer did was questionable.
There certainly are arthritic older ponies that benefit greatly from some pain relievers, similar to advil for people. In a horse, some of these medications are best given in an injection. For example, I had an old pony that got adequan injections and also needed some NSAIDs, and due to founder concerns I couldn’t give him enough grain to give him bute powder. He hated pastes and would hide in the corner of his stall. So, the best thing was some occasional banamine IV when he was stiff from being stabled at a competition. At recognized shows there are rules in place you must follow to medicate a horse legally, but at a local competition it may be +/- as to what rules apply, and certainly no one is drug testing so some people may bend the rules. And no, it’s not unusual for a horse or pony to sleep deeply at a show. And yes, kids can repeat misinterpreted things quite frequently.
OTOH, There ARE indeed plenty of trainers out there in all disciplines that use drugs and medications inappropriately. Or that do other inappropriate things.
However, keep in mind that it’s probably not a good idea to overly compare horses and dogs. Horses think and operate very differently than dogs. Riding and handling horses requires empathy and feel, but also a certain amount of toughness and leadership. Horses are also so big and strong and the stakes are much higher than a dog misbehaving. Appropriate management or discipline of a horse might not relate to what would be appropriate for a dog.
Definitely do some investigating regarding the opportunities for your child in your area for her equestrian education. Not everyone finds the right barn or the right discipline on the first try, so this is just some general advice. Pony Club is excellent, but it isn’t the right fit for everyone. Some areas do not have a good 4-H equestrian program. In your area, saddleseat may be a good place to start, but there are also disciplines like hunter/jumper and eventing that are a lot of fun. Even if this barn is a great fit for now, it may not be forever. Kids can outgrown trainers. Also, never let yourself feel that a particular trainer “owns” you.
I don’t see any reason you have to leave your current barn. Finish out your lessons as scheduled. And honestly, I don’t see any problem with asking the trainer about the injection. No customer should ever feel uncomfortable asking about a trainer’s drug/medication policies. If a trainer makes you feel funny for asking about prices/billing, drugs/medications, or any type of safety concern, then that’s a red flag. It may not be appropriate for you to ask about what medications someone else’s horse is getting, but you should be able to ask any trainer what drugs/medications a horse is receiving that your child is riding. And if someone is walking around openly with a syringe at a show, I’d say that asking questions is fair game.
I hope you hear back from your local Pony Club and the leader can steer you in the right direction. She will know if your current barn has a reputation, other barns that you might want to try, and maybe a path that leads to Pony Club membership when you’re ready. We can only guess at what is really going on, but someone local and in the know might really be able to help you decide.
Yeah. I should have asked on the spot there and then instead of going home wondering. It was kind of a situation where everyone including us was busy getting ready and i just didnt know what to say, how to say it, etc especially while still trying to get my daughter from playing in the dirt with her black gloves etc. Also feeling worried about bringing it up.
There are no lessons this week so i wont see her again until about week and a half…It almost makes asking feel weirder, since it’s not a fresh new thing and no matter how I ask, it will be transparent that ive been stewing on it.
I did ask my daughter last night about maybe trying out a different barn somewhere, just to see what ots like. Looked up different styles of riding and showed thrm to her…this is the only barn ive ever been to (only one she’s been to as well)…she says no. She loves the teacher and the lesson horse.
As far as how the horse did, i have no idea. Everyone in leadline got a blue ribbon. All they had to do was sit in the position nd jold their hands the waytthey were taught. I dont know how to tell if something looks good or bad, or if the horses look healthy.
Thank you for this post. In the future im going to ask questions instead of thinking it’s not my place. As for jumping being lots of fun, this is a kid who is the opposite of a daredevil. She thinks that most things are too dangerous.
Does saddleseat help prepare for other things should it turn out that she wants to stick with it for a while? Kind of like being good at ice skating helps with roller skating? Or do you start from square one, or behind square one to unlearn what ypu have learned?
Riding is riding. Good quality instruction can be found across all disciplines. You can find good and bad in all of them. Ask questions, the response will tell you what you need to know about the barn.
The “Whisper Down the Lane” effect is reverse magnified by the age of the child too 