I adopted two retired show Siamese when their owner entered a nursing home. A startling number of people mistook them for ferrets. They were tiny, though! Much smaller than the Italian Greyhounds I’ve met.
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I recently saw a FB post asking if it was normal that her hay was warm and smelly in the middle.
Then again, I recently discovered I had put my pony’s halter on like this:
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Before I moved to horse property I boarded my horses at a place where a man who was new to horses bought a Friesian filly for his 10 year old daughter so they could grow up together. He bought a truck and trailer for the trip out of state to pick up the yearling. Before going to get her he loaded up on cases of Evian bottled water, because she was 'imported so she’d need to drink imported water".
I’m not kidding.
Of course, it didn’t go well. Horse ended up terrifying both father and daughter, and after a couple of years he gave her to a Friesian breeder.
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My husband said this about an old western saddle he used to have. The thing is his horse would come up with a sore back after a day trail riding. I had a hard time convincing him that if the saddle fit the horse, his back wouldn’t be sore.
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I once hacked home from a hunter pace.
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The analogy I usually use is how runners typically get their shoes professionally fitted! It’s harder to run when shoes don’t fit properly, just like how a well fitted saddle helps the horse
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It’s 5F outside and what does Eastern European man with the 2 year old saddlebred show up to the barn in?
That’s right! His standard-issue leather jacket and leather “cowboy” hat! Why be comfortable and warm, when instead of you can fill the stereotype of being a chauvinistic moron?
Anyways, it sounded like Christmas while he was working with his horse. HO! HO! HO! HO! HO! without actually enforcing it, each command less than a second apart.
And how do we “desensitize” our horse? By swinging the end of the rope at him of course. Unfortunately, Eastern European Man must have missed the memo that if you’re swinging it hard enough to actually hurt the horse, that expecting the horse to stand still while you smack it is not an acceptable ask.
Headphones. Where the hell are my headphones?
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I had the utter misfortune to have a similar yahoo as a fellow boarder once. He was attempting to train the reliable lesson pony he had bought for his daughter.
I ended up telling him quite firmly that it wasn’t acceptable to start trying to DS the poor horse to a gd cracking bull whip near the arena where we were riding horses.
Horse was a sweet soul but finally lost his cool dumping the poor kid and sending her to the ER via ambulance. Parents sold horse. Never saw them after that
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That’s so sad. For the pony and the girl. What could have been a life long passion is now over and that poor horse who was pushed to his breaking point.
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It was a bad business all the way around.
ok, despite the situation being unsafe and not funny, I cracked up at the "sounded like Christmas
line.
Our own walking disaster boarder has finally decided to sell the young OTTB that she is very much not prepared to handle. After turning down any offer for help and not taking any of the (asked for) advice, this “3rd generation horseman” decided she just doesn’t have the time to train a baby.
After seeing her ride and attempt to lunge said poor horse, I’m pretty sure the school of ‘horsemanship’ her family attended is the “stand on your old nag’s back while overbitted and trim your own horse’s feet with no education” type of “country horsemanship.” Throw in some parelli youtube videos and you get this dangerous disaster. Poor horse almost ran through the arena fence multiple times and dumps her weekly. I really hope this horse gets a suitable new home with someone who knows how to work with sensitive, forward horses.
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I feel like I’ve witnessed that exact story many times.
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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.
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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.
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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)
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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.
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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.
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.
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What does this man’s national origin have to do with his poor horsemanship? 
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