Thoughts on "The Traveling Horse Witch?"

[NerdyHorseLady]

@Alterration

I don’t mean to sound like a judgey-mcjudgey pants but are happy clients enough?

New ideas are ok. Bogus ideas can lead people down a rabbit hole and get them hurt, particularly around horses.

By the way, I like Wanless too, but she has plenty of credentials.

As someone who was extraordinarily happy in the early months of THW Masterclass, before it got all red-flaggery… I can vouch that being happy is not enough… as I watched my horse struggle with pain for 5 months after THW did her nerve release witchery.

Blissful ignorant happiness quickly turned into muddled confusion and a painful discourse with my own cognitive dissonance.

Being someone who experienced this first hand… I can vouch that no, happiness is not enough. Had I known back then she lied about her credentials, it would have saved a world of headache for myself and my horse.

So, I may not have been physically harmed, but my horse was harmed, and it caused some psychological harm to myself in the aftermath. Fortunately, given time, myself and my horse have healed as all things do with time.

For what it’s worth I am a fan of Wanless, Wanless and THW are not even close, there is zero comparison, zero similarity. I’m not entirely sure why she was brought up in the first place to be honest.

[Impractical_Horsewoman]

A quack with happy clients is still a quack.

Even if someone does no harm, taking someone’s money and time for healing with crystals/laying on of hands and such is still taking money away illegitimately, versus the person actually finding someone who could address the issue.

Not just with horses, but whenever someone has a lot of drama with multiple (as opposed to one or two) clients–even if there may be blame on both sides, that’s a red flag and I stay away. At minimum, it shows poor business sense in selecting who they do business with and poor use of their energy.

[Alterration]

@NerdyHorseLady

So, I may not have been physically harmed, but my horse was harmed, and it caused some psychological harm to myself in the aftermath. Fortunately, given time, myself and my horse have healed as all things do with time.

I am so sorry that your horse was harmed. I just had to say, we’ve all made these mistakes and believed the wrong person a time or two in our riding careers. It’s an unfortunate part of the process. I think that’s the other reason I despise some of these folks so badly. They are preying on the desire of horsepeople to do best by their horses.

[NerdyHorseLady]

@Alterration

@NerdyHorseLady

So, I may not have been physically harmed, but my horse was harmed, and it caused some psychological harm to myself in the aftermath. Fortunately, given time, myself and my horse have healed as all things do with time.

I am so sorry that your horse was harmed. I just had to say, we’ve all made these mistakes and believed the wrong person a time or two in our riding careers. It’s an unfortunate part of the process. I think that’s the other reason I despise some of these folks so badly. They are preying on the desire of horsepeople to do best by their horses.

Absolutely, one thing I am grateful for in this whole experience is that I have learned so much, mostly what not to do… That is a valuable lesson in itself.

Mostly, if something seems too good to be true, it probably is.

Be cautious about people who are over the top sweet and display Hun behavior. (I never knew that was a thing before learning about it here, thank you @Scribbler )

Be wary of my tendency to view everyone as well-intentioned… afterall, the trouble with rose colored glasses is that red flags tend to just look like flags.

Be wary of any business with a pay wall for access. If you don’t know what you’re buying before you fork generous sums of money over, red flag!

I have learned which of my friends have a good eye for recognizing these things and will be sure to take their advice into consideration in future endeavors prior to getting involved.

I have learned about Performative Vulnerability and now recognize this as a manipulation tactic, and will avoid.

There is so much more I have learned, but the best of all is right here! I have discovered COTH, and have found a wealth of information and a wonderful community, that which I likely would not have discovered had these events not unfolded the way they have.

In many ways, I am grateful for what has arisen from the ashes of the aftermath of this nightmare of a year.

[Unfforgettable]

My veterinary friends are getting a good laugh at these pics from one of her accolytes of an instant adjustment to bring the horse from being downhill to balanced. One human Dr. commented that they could do that with a peppermint. LOL

[Scribbler]

When we were sticking my mare we found her withers were a full inch higher if you tickled her stomach

[sascha]

@Unfforgettable

My veterinary friends are getting a good laugh at these pics from one of her accolytes of an instant adjustment to bring the horse from being downhill to balanced. One human Dr. commented that they could do that with a peppermint. LOL

This is super hilarious. I’m tempted to waste time taking pix of my mare in full-on Mare Face, natural posture, and ab tuck posture. It could be a pictorial describing a 2-treatment makeover.

Hmm, although “natural posture” is actually developed posture. She didn’t stand as she does now when I first got her with zero training and zero supporting musculature. People don’t recognize her in her before picture, but the change was brought about by years of careful work developing her, not by standing around asking for her to lower her head for the magic to seep in and not riding her for fear of ‘ruining’ her when she needed such a huge amount of ‘rehab.’

[Sticky_Situation]

@Unfforgettable

My veterinary friends are getting a good laugh at these pics from one of her accolytes of an instant adjustment to bring the horse from being downhill to balanced. One human Dr. commented that they could do that with a peppermint. LOL

LMAO … probably don’t even need a peppermint if the horse will drop its head on cue. Just hold the camera a little lower and closer to the front end of the horse.

I feel like the only thing all these Celestites’ photos demonstrate is how deceptive photos can be. It’s a good primer for anyone buying or selling horses based on photos.

[NerdyHorseLady]

@Sticky_Situation

I feel like the only thing all these Celestites’ photos demonstrate is how deceptive photos can be. It’s a good primer for anyone buying or selling horses based on photos.

Exactly.

Not to mention, it is very telling when you ask for video and all you get is crickets…

Anyone can stage a conformation photo. Horse sales pages have been full of them for eons. If one has a hint of Halter Class knowledge, you can square up a horse with a few soft magical touches of the halter and voila, instant better posture!

Even correctly muscled and well developed horses can be spotted slouching on a hot day or while resting.

[Ghazzu]

Kinda ironic this new speshul course begins on April Fools’ Day.

[K_VanOlst]

@Ghazzu

Kinda ironic this new speshul course begins on April Fools’ Day.

A fool and their money are soon parted

[Ghazzu]

@roseymare

And seemingly more and more of them. I no longer am in equine practice because of all of the rank unmannerly horses.

When I first went into practice, I could be resaonably sure that there would be a competent horseman at a barn to restrain/assist me.
By the time I left active practice, I frequently brought my own help.
If I ever went back to ambulatory work, I would 100% have a tech riding with me.

I still do a little work here and therre for friends/neighbors, but I am thankfully free to step away from dangerous situations.

[Ghazzu]

@anon68314200

Definitely one of the most important components. Take the time it takes. The only ‘pressure’ is artificial pressure we create to conform to expectations. It took a month for my guy to get comfortable going from the barn to the indoor. So what. He’s pretty rock solid now and the difference it makes in his mind between the experience of me letting him move at his own pace versus me trying to ‘make’ it happen faster is transformational.

“Festina lente” as the Romans would say.

[Ghazzu]

I hereby take this opportunity to offer a service I originally proffered on rec.equestrian some eons ago:

For a one-time payment of $10, I will send you instructions on how to pour water out of a boot.

[Unfforgettable]

If we already paid once but forgot how, do we have to pay again?

[roseymare]

And for another $10 I will then tell you how to not get water into your boot.

[anon67413619]

@Ghazzu

For a one-time payment of $10, I will send you instructions on how to pour water out of a boot.

This is one of my favorite things I’ve read on here.

[outerbanks77]

@Ghazzu

For a one-time payment of $10, I will send you instructions on how to pour water out of a boot.

A few weeks ago, someone at my barn was mucking about in the grain room, and comes over and says “Oh, I poured my new bag of grain in over the feed scoop! How do I get it out?!”

So I may have your first client over here.

[atr]

Wait, what?

[sascha]

@roseymare

And for another $10 I will then tell you how to not get water into your boot.

This is worth a lot more than a measley 10 bucks! We (yes, I just inserted myself into your money-making scheme) could provide videos and webinars on correct techniques for getting all the shit out of the treads of barn boots while remaining dry AND not getting muscle cramps from doing contortions to get the sprayer angled just right to blast the shit right out.