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"Rural Heritage" writes about how horses should be started

Driving
#1

This started with someone posting a youtube video on Facebook of some mules running away while being hitched (lots of dumb----mistakes). Here:
http://www.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3D5ehCA0bBu1c&h=f94a7
It got me to thinking about something I read last winter…

How many of you get Rural Heritage? Did you all see that article about starting a team last winter on page 50? Where the Dave Feltenberger (the author, who says he starts horses for a living) takes a totally green horse -harnessed, hooks it to a wagon neck yoke with wagon attached and then ties (snubs) horse up to a post with a rope around his nose! This “expert” then takes photos of the horse with his airways being cut off …from the rope around his nose tightening when the horse resists and photos of the wreck after -with the horse all tangled on the ground in harness, pole and lines, with comments about how this horse won’t do that again because now he had learned his lesson and that “in the process of starting draft animals, unexpected stuff happens.”

I was sickened and shocked that Rural heritage published the methods of this person as a way to break horses to drive. It has been eating at me ever since. When I scanned the photo page (educational purposes, of course) printed in the magazine for facebook, I thought I would post here too.

When our national magazines publish such crap, what do we expect from those that are trying to learn? I have attached a facebook image of the page (51) -for all of you who missed it.

http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=30874272&l=3a597b4132&id=1162523623

#2

Ugh. How nauseating. I don’t get Rural Heritage but have enjoyed looking through old issues in the past. I too find it hard to believe they would endorse this approach to training (or tacitly endorse it by publishing this). You say this was published last winter. What kind of feedback has the magazine received about it since then?

Ugh again. :no:

#3

I don’t have a clue.

I got the spring issue and there wasn’t a single letter printed that I remember but that means nothing…

#4

Get the newest issue. It is addressed at length and quite reasonably handled all the way 'round.

#5

I have seen basically the same type of scenario from a video I rented from Giddyupflix.net. “Jack Strode’s Mule School” shows training a virtually untouched team of molly mules in which one flips over the center pole AND the use of a tractor is involved in the training. All I could think was HOLY COW!:eek:

The philosophy was “They eventually learn not to do that.”:sadsmile:

#6

The philosophy was "They eventually learn not to do that.
Well, yeah–and you get used to hanging if you hang long enough, but what good does it do if you’re dead at the end of your “training”??? :confused:

I don’t get it–this is not my world anymore! I just woke up one morning and suddenly nothing made any sense anymore… Bad behavior is not only condoned nowadays, it’s being rewarded and common sense ain’t so common! :rolleyes:

Everybody seems to want to take shortcuts and hurry up an equine’s training without any thought to what’s going to happen down the line… This is how good horses and ponies end up at places like the New Holland horse auction… :frowning: :yes:

Sorry, I’m not changing my training practices–you get much further, faster if you don’t have to keep replacing equines whose brains you have fried, or maimed, or killed trying to prove you’re the boss… I’ve learned never to pick a fight with a horse/pony-- they’re much stronger than any man and generally much smarter… :wink: :lol:

#7

That is disgusting training methods. That is beyond old school.
Katerine, I would be curious what the newer issue addresses.

Beth Valentine DVM works or use to work for RUral heritage and had a website too thru rural heritage. I’d be embarrassed if I were in her shoes.

I’d like to hear their response and justification.

My response, I am sorry people read this and try it. Especially greenies who would not know what to do.
Horses getting this kind of training do not understand trust and working as a team, which is what I thought rural heritage was all about.

#8

[QUOTE=katarine;4916995]
Get the newest issue. It is addressed at length and quite reasonably handled all the way 'round.[/QUOTE]

I’m very curious to see the responses. I’ve read the magazine occasionally, and generally enjoyed it, but didn’t see the article the OP mentioned until now.

#9

Disgusting.

I sincerely hope that all of you who have access to the address of the publication will write to it and complain about the abuse and point out that THAT is not anything to do with training!

#10

Well, I’m sorry for any horse any beginner is trying to train to do anything…out of a magazine.

It’s a LONG letter and a LONG reply from the author. I won’t attempt to do it justice or selectively quote it. I picked up the mag at TSC so it’s readily available.

#11

That’s just plain stupid !! As the world has evolved so has our training of animals, or at least I thought so.

#12

Good gawd. between the asshats hitching the mules and this monstrosity, it’s a wonder we don’t eat our young…

There are no words to ask these horses and mules for their forgiveness of the stupidity that has been rained down upon them. like being sold into slavery to have to live amongst such treatment. honestly…so sad and disgusting.

#13

[QUOTE=katarine;4917956]
Well, I’m sorry for any horse any beginner is trying to train to do anything…out of a magazine.

It’s a LONG letter and a LONG reply from the author. I won’t attempt to do it justice or selectively quote it. I picked up the mag at TSC so it’s readily available.[/QUOTE]

Katarine…do you know what issue that article is in? And Jill, what issue is that disgusting mess of a so called training technique is that article in too?

That is what is wrong with society now a days. We see abuse, we walk away. We are told to turn a blind eye, or that it isn’t our problem. Those who do stand are gone after, sometimes viciously or threatened.

And people wonder why I prefer to stay on my own farm to work my team and have gotten out of the draft clubs. You will find this mind set still today with many draft and mule folks.

#14

I agree with you about the drafts smokenmirrors.

I have had many a farrier or trainer ‘manhandle’ my drafts.
In fact, I had one farrier who took the end of the nippers and pushed hard into my mare’s side to get her over.
I asked him what he was doing and he said getting her over…, so I said, this is how I do it, and said OVER, and touched her slightly on the side, and off she moved over.
I mean honestly, how am I going to ‘push’ over 2,000 pounds?
He mumbled, well, she’s a draft and they need manhandling since they aren’t as sensitive. Guess who never came back to my farm!

Lots of idiots out there. Unfortunately, many greenies and even myself after many years sometimes don’t stand up to manhandler’s. I intervene much more quickly now, but when I was younger, I acquiesced many times to ‘abuser’s’ in disguise as trainers.

I would love to know the articles the original was in and also the responses if someone could post.
Yes, I think its a good idea to write the mag…good point.
That should not be a model for training, unfortunately, now that person has the article to cite in his references at how ‘good’ a trainer he is. Which will make people doubt that they should question his tactics.
Aaahhh, poor animals.

#15

Wow. That’s really just appalling. :no:

#16

The original article is in the Winter issue of “Rural Heritage.”
on page 50.
Author: Dave Feltenberger
http://www.ruralheritage.com/

The rebuttal must be in the May/June issue -which I did not get. Has anyone else seen it, who can verify that?
http://digital.ipcprintservices.com/publication/?i=35509

I completely agree about writing/emailing and making this public. This is not ok. Not amount of pretty words/caveats can explain what those photos showed.

#17

It’s already quite public- the lengthy letter to the editor, and the trainer’s response to the letter… it’s in the current issue of the magazine, the issue also covers in detail how to train for WHOA with a running W, which in some circles is common, and in some circles is barbaric. the May/June issue- go pick it up and read it. I bought it at Tractor Supply. It’s pretty readily available, folks.

#18

[QUOTE=fivehorses;4919854]

That should not be a model for training, unfortunately, now that person has the article to cite in his references at how ‘good’ a trainer he is. Which will make people doubt that they should question his tactics.
Aaahhh, poor animals.[/QUOTE]

Absolutely agree. but anyone goofy enough to take a bio at face value is a fool. Cleve Wells has stacks and stacks of AQHA world champions, Congress champions, and books and videos to his name. Yet do a tiny bit of sleuthing and you’ll also easily found out what an owner found on an unscheduled visit to see her horse.

I’m NOT defending the driving trainer. I’m just saying that an owner impressed by laurels and articles rather than their own eyes and sense, is just waiting to be taken.

#19

My sentiments exactly!

#20

Update…the author of those photo’s responded on Rural Heritage about what he was trying to accomplish and gave his web site for anyone who has heartburn to contact him directly. Apparently he feels he was showing readers what could go wrong…he also explains the “rope” around the animals nose is actually a rope halter he made and is not cutting the air way off…

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