The Daily Dumb

[endlessclimb]

Eastern European man was back at it last night.

He had his wife’s (?) little walker on the line this time. Rope halter, heavy-type lunge line. He was trying to get the horse to back (I think). He had the stick, and was hitting the lunge line between him and the horse with it, rhythmically (I could hear him counting) - tap, tap, WHACK. Tap, tap, WHACK.

The horse was as confused as I was…

I’m not familiar with the various “natural horsemanship” methods. Does anyone know which one this guy is purporting to follow, based on his attempts to back the horse? I’m just curious.

Edited: Yeah, still in his leather jacket and leather cowboy hat. With the addition of nice pointy cowboy boots now too!

[Bluey]

@endlessclimb

Eastern European man was back at it last night.

He had his wife’s (?) little walker on the line this time. Rope halter, heavy-type lunge line. He was trying to get the horse to back (I think). He had the stick, and was hitting the lunge line between him and the horse with it, rhythmically (I could hear him counting) - tap, tap, WHACK. Tap, tap, WHACK.

The horse was as confused as I was…

I’m not familiar with the various “natural horsemanship” methods. Does anyone know which one this guy is purporting to follow, based on his attempts to back the horse? I’m just curious.

Edited: Yeah, still in his leather jacket and leather cowboy hat. With the addition of nice pointy cowboy boots now too!

Parelli used to do that, hit the lead rope with their carrot stick to … whatever.

[endlessclimb]

Excellent - thanks for clarifying which Snake Oil Salesman they prescribe to.

The guy was muttering the whole time “come on, come on” like he could just will the horse to back up. Meanwhile, I’m quietly working with my young TB, no muss no fuss - and no “carrot stick” lol.

[streamline]

I fortunately/maybe unfortunately keep my horses ‘at home’ so these make me chuckle.

I have a cute little tiny OTTB, hes maybe 15.2. I’m 5’7 and hefty so idk what I was thinking. Our farrier (also horse trainer, owns a nice barn down the road from us and has a fancy WB stud) always asks when I’m going to breed my mare (he’s a gelding)

[Sleipnir]

I just want to point out that I’m from Eastern Europe and we’re NOT all like that when it comes to horsemanship. Although I know one guy just like the one you describe… There are wackos everywhere, however.

[skydy]

Has this link been shared on this thread yet? From the H/J forum 2008 Top Ten Quotable Quotes from the brain dead at small shows.

[quietann]

@Bluey

I was mesmerized, what an extraordinary performance, when one of them said, “is she ever going to give him his head, he is so tense and not going anywhere!”

That is standard for cowboys teaching clinics to dressage people, IME. “Let go of that horse’s face! Now!” Also taking off flashes, sometimes taking off nosebands, etc. The horses usually get happier pretty quickly.

It’s too easy when “dressaging” a horse to pick-pick-pick at it.

[Libby2563]

@endlessclimb

Eastern European man was back at it last night.

What does this man’s national origin have to do with his poor horsemanship?

[endlessclimb]

Because I’ve worked with about a zillion of them. Every one of them fits the stereo type of leather jacket no matter the weather, machisimo and/or chauvinistic type. It’s ingrained in their culture. This guy does not disappoint.

It also translates to “will not listen to reason.”

Edit: This is the same guy who, when I asked him to remove his loose horses from the arena so I could ride, told me to just ride with them out there. He was actually mad at me when I said no. He couldn’t catch the horses for nearly 20 minutes after…

[Sleipnir]

Well, Eastern Europe consists of several countries with very different cultures and backgrounds. “It” is most definitely not ingrained in “their culture”, as there’s no such thing as “Eastern European” culture.

[endlessclimb]

I’ve worked with Bulgarians, Croatians, Russians, Serbs, Polish, Ukrainians and Romanians. I think that’s a pretty wide group of guys to have had sexist and patronizing comments from.

But I guess there’s no issue, since there is “no eastern european culture” to worry about.

Edit: Whoops, forgot the large group of Czechs I worked with in Turkey. They’re more central, I suppose.

[Bluey]

@Bluey

Then, some ranchers and roper friends were watching the Barcelona Olympics with me when Rembrandt was showing.
I was mesmerized, what an extraordinary performance, when one of them said, “is she ever going to give him his head, he is so tense and not going anywhere!”

@quietann

That is standard for cowboys teaching clinics to dressage people, IME. “Let go of that horse’s face! Now!” Also taking off flashes, sometimes taking off nosebands, etc. The horses usually get happier pretty quickly.

It’s too easy when “dressaging” a horse to pick-pick-pick at it.

My response makes more sense when the whole post is quoted, that about ranchers and ropers.
Was not referring to cowboy clinicians or other western type riders:

Team roping highlights of some of the best ropers around!! Watch these ropers go...

[TheDBYC]

@Bluey

Parelli used to do that, hit the lead rope with their carrot stick to … whatever.

Lordie. Considering the level of self-aggrandisement that is Parelli, I’m not even going to tell you where my mind went with that one!

[TheDBYC]

@quietann

That is standard for cowboys teaching clinics to dressage people, IME. “Let go of that horse’s face! Now!” Also taking off flashes, sometimes taking off nosebands, etc. The horses usually get happier pretty quickly.

It’s too easy when “dressaging” a horse to pick-pick-pick at it.

It’s hard for me not to clap back at them when I see some of the training methods used for Western Pleasure, especially.

[Spudsmyguy]

I was reading the other referenced thread about dumb things at small shows and there was a few posts about the wind, which reminded me of this:

A woman at a barn I used to board at had bought an OTTB from someone she knew at the track. Anyhow, the wind was blowing and the horse was hanging in his paddock acting all chill. Woman says to me “horses like the wind, it’s very natural to them.” I kid you not. I had to refrain from telling her that wind was natural to every living being on earth. I just walked away.

[sascha]

Total mini threadjack - cats are notorious for not loving wind (even though it’s totally natural lol) but I had one who LOVED to feel the wind in his hair. He had a long silky angora type coat that was not terribly thick so every breeze would part his hair to the skin. He would seek out the windiest spot (or fan indoors) to feel the wind in his hair. I think he might have been a hair model in a previous life, or perhaps a biker in a state with no helmet laws.

[shiloh]

He would have loved my kitty that adored being blow-dried. She would lean into it. Her nick name was either Cindy Mewford or Beauty School Drop out.

[endlessclimb]

From just seconds ago - horse is in the arena loose with owner. Horse is acting fresh, getting way too close to owner and threatening to kick her. Owner - “Horsie, stop that. Stop that now” while backing away and giving the mare what she wants, because she doesnt know how to get the horse to back off. My heart is in my throat, as this mare is just a nanosecond from firing a real one off. Finally I cant take it anymore and yell “grab a handful of arena dirt and throw it at her before you get your head taken off!” Amazingly the woman listened, Mare backed off after that. (Same mare pins her ears and grunts at the owner on a regular basis - it’s clear Mare thinks she rules the roost)

We have a barn full of walking liabilities. I will say, though, that whenever I go to a show my horses are super duper calm about a lot of dumb stuff because we get to practice it eeeevery day!

[atr]

I think I’d have to move, Endless.

[TheDBYC]

@sascha

Total mini threadjack - cats are notorious for not loving wind (even though it’s totally natural lol) but I had one who LOVED to feel the wind in his hair. He had a long silky angora type coat that was not terribly thick so every breeze would part his hair to the skin. He would seek out the windiest spot (or fan indoors) to feel the wind in his hair. I think he might have been a hair model in a previous life, or perhaps a biker in a state with no helmet laws.

Someone on the FB page This Cat Is Chonky once posted pics of her magnificently floofy Angora cat on a very Lord of the Rings-looking beach in NZ with her equally floofy dog; both luxuriating in the breeze with their floof blowing back out of their faces like they’re in a shampoo commercial

*Edited because I can’t spell