i was volunteering at a show hosted as a fund raiser by our local hippotherapy center. i was working concessions when i saw a guy trying to lounge his horse. i watched as he tried w/o avail to get the animal moving. well, he got frustrated at the horse's uncooperativeness, he jerked the horse's lead short, and w/alot of, if not all of, his strength, took the lounge whip and waylaid the horse in the neck w/it! after i complained to several of the other eventers, i was taken aside by the center's barn manager n told that she didn't agree w/alot of what the eventers did, but i had no right to complain, as i was only volunteering, and in not so many words to 'bite my tongue'. i was never asked to volunteer at the center for any other activity. i admit, i don't own a horse. but i do know ur not supposed to use the lounge whip for actively punishing the horse. was i right to say something, or should i have been a good lil newbie n bit my tongue?
Answers:
I agree that without seeing what happened it would be hard to call it one way or the other. I, too, have seen a lot of people -both in real life and on here - call abuse where there really is none. What you described sounds to me like someone who had a horse that did not know how to lunge, and the guy wanted to follow the other riders and what they were doing. He figured the horse would just do it -like how hard could it be? - and when it did not work he tried to save face and force it.
In answer to your question - it is never wrong to speak up for another that cannot speak for himself -the horse,in this case. Sounds like the manager was taking the approach of the "customer is always right" - in this case the paying exhibitor. If you felt better for having spoken up, then you did the right thing.
There are 2 sides. You were right to say something. Unfortinitly no one can do anything about it so why say anything right? That is just part of showing, sometimes you do have to keep things to yourself. It disgusts me how some people abuse their horses. The horses have not done anything to them and they treat them like crap to show off and act like they have a misbehaving horse.
lunging whips are only SUPPOSED to be used to flick the ground behind the horse to get it going not to beat horses you were totally right by speaking up if everyone bit their tounge then almost every animal in the world would be beaten good for you for speaking up and dont let anyone tell you you cant complain its a free country you can complain until your blue in the face you might make some ppl mad but at least your point gets across and if noe one sayes anything then ppl would just keep doing it it doesnt matter where you are
Next time you see someone mistreating a horse like that you should go to the TD (technical delegate) of the show, they are in charge of enforcing the rules of the association putting on the show. That idiot obviously has no idea of how to properly lunge a horse, you never use the whip to beat the horse. Slightly brushing it at the hocks, or cracking the popper should be enough to get the horse to move. His actions demonstrate his inexperience. I think you were right to say something and I don't think the barn manager is very bright.
Most shows have rules against abuse, they usually make the guilty person leave. You where right, someone needed to speak up !
I think you were totally right to say something. It's just a pitty the barn management didn't have the guts to do the same!
There are rules of conduct for shows, and i know that with all the shows I've been to, this would not be tolerated!
Good on you for saying something - because the poor horse can't.
Most people use their lunge whips like that. It isn't really abuse, it is trying to get your horses attention. And if they are being lazy and uncooperative and choose not work for you, most horses understand that that is what will happen to them and start working. I know... I'm going to get yelled at for saying that. But I think everyone has done that at some point in their lives. I see my trainer do exactly that on a regular basis and she loves her horses and they love her. You can't tell me that it's so horrible, when she does it and they whinny every time they see her and gallop up to the gate. It's just a training method.
Of course you were right to say something. It was that man's fault the horse wasn't moving, and he had no right to hurt him.
I can't believe that someone told you to bite your tongue! Those people were obviously not responsible, you were.
If you had a dressage crop near by and a plastic bag, then go and give that to him. And tell him to just shake it by the horse's shoulder to get him to move. Moving away from a scary object.
But also when your working, you do have to bit your tongue and go over to him later when your done.
Good luck and I hope you don't have to see that again
As an owner of a formerly abused horse, thank you for saying somthing. If that moron didn't know how to lounge a horse than there was absolutly no reason to beat the crap out of the horse. The barn manager shouldn't have talked to you, but should have talked to the abusive owner. What you did was right whether you own a horse or not.
I will be blunt. I've been training show horses for almost 20 years. People without experience often see abuse where there is none. It is possible that this man was being too harsh on his horse. I don't know, I wasn't there. It is also quite possible that he was acting reasonably. Now, I can tell him where he went wrong. You are not going to get a horse to lunge around you by pulling their head up short and beating them around the neck. They need somewhere to go, some way to do it right and that doesn't allow that. But there is a big difference between poor training and abuse.
However, that does not mean you were wrong to speak up. You should not feel silenced. Those who you spoke to should have educated you on what was going on rather than telling you to shut up. Don't bite your tongue. The only way to learn is to speak up and ask questions.
You might want to go about it in a different way though. Instead of going up and saying "He is abusing this horse!" Try finding someone and saying something to the effect of "I saw a man trying to lunge his horse and when it didn't work, he pulled it in tight and smacked it on the neck. What was the purpose of that?" and maybe you'll get an answer and learn something about training. Or, you will have just alerted someone to an abusive situation without damaging your own reputation.
you shouldnt have kept your mouth shut, the show steward should have kicked they guy out. its folks like him that give show people a bad name. though it seems to be the prevailing thought, "if we all ignore it, it never really happened". i guess they think if its not reported then no one has to find out about it and it makes them look good. sad but that also happens with child abuse, in my opinion animal and child abuse is everyones business.
You did the right thing in saying something. Obviously the abuser needs some training in training. I feel for the abuser though. Sometimes you feel like doing that, although I have never done it. The guys needs to show a little more restraint in public.
I think you did the right thing.
Good for you speaking up. No one shud have the right to treat animals so badly and the barn owner is juz as screwed up 4 telling u to 'bite ur tongue'
u did the right thing by telling pep. about it i would have done the same thing. and if those pep. realy cared about horses they would have done something about it i know i would have
Unfortunately not everyone agrees on training methods-- if they did then life would be so much easier... The manager was right- you had no right to say anything about it as a volunteer only, especially to multiple eventers. You should have gone to a judge or TD..
But I do agree that his actions were wrong... If you are REALLY concerned why don't you take a look at the horse and watch how the rider rides him-- check out his stall and health-- if you can offer any proof of abuse and even get together some witnesses you may be able to consult the ASPCA. But If I were you I'd just leave it alone, you can't change the way someone deals with certain things and who knows if the ASPCA would even take action if the abuse proves to be only when lunging. It's a debateable topic though.
its 1 thing to tap on the shoulder, then a little harder on the but ,but if he hit the horse really hard out of no where shoulders and up,then you did the right thing.
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