Re: RE: Re: Re: crops and stuff...

["Tracey" <tracey@tbt.co.za>]

San wrote:
>yes - but never at the expense of safety - especially someone else's. We
don't expect other people to suck up the antics of our horses. It isn't
their  responsibility to put up with it.>


Sorry, gotta disagree.  I am competitive.  I take my very talented horses to
competitions.  I place red ribbons in Toc's tail and I use correct arena
etiquette.  I loudly warn people in the vicinity that he should be avoided,
and if I see someone is having a tough time controlling their mount, and is
likely not to be able to avoid colliding with mine, I leave the arena and
work in a quiet corner.


I still have idiot children careering around and running their ponies up my
horse's backside.  I still have idiot people parking their horse boxes next
to mine and unloading their horses up my horse's backside, after proper
warning has been given for them to wait while I move my horse.


I can not and will not take responsibility for the fact that these people,
or their horses, are kicked.  That is their stupidity.  They saw the signs
and ignored them : they endangered themselves.


>The problem is that many people don't KNOW how to finish a horse in a way
that makes him at LEAST less than a safety problem.  Kicking, striking, body
slamming - none of these things would be tolerated by ours. There is  a huge
difference between green silliness and a dangerous horse - or one who is
just plain mean or poorly managed. Some people cna put 5 YEARS into a horse
and still be clueless. Others can create a terrifically, socially pleasant
horse in 2 months. The bottom line OT us us that we don't take aggressive
horses out amongst the unsuspecting public and we don't expect it of
others.>

I have had my horse for five years.  I work with him daily.  He is not a
danger to people, but he is extremely aggressive towards other horses
(although the depo-Provera is, thank God, having a calming effect in that
regard).  The "unsuspecting public" you refer to are other riders at shows.
In my "perfect world" anyone who goes to a show should know enough about
horses to have a good idea what a red ribbon means, and have sufficient
arena etiquette not to barrel their fat pony up my horses arse.  If not,
then tough.  My "aggressive" horse has not once kicked a horse other than
one who ran up his backside, because I control him and the situation he is
in.  His aggression is a factor I could not (up until depo-Provera, bless
the makers thereof) control, but I could, and do control whether it becomes
a danger to others.  I don't need to keep him at home in order to do so.


>>OTOH, our horses, who DON'T kick out and behave aggressively are fully
entitled to take a swipe if they get rear-ended or bitten or kicked at. Goes
both ways. >.


The same applies to horses who ARE aggressive : they should also be entitled
to kick horses by whom they are rear-ended.


Tracey