Comment

Comment by wildehex on May 3, 2012 at 3:26pm

What I would like to know is how ya all load a horse that is refusing (lack of previous training IS problematic...and lack of basic horsemanship).  I know my method works easily, but no one has offered other options. (And I hate step ups.)

(Played 'baseball' with those plastic bats, they don't hurt at all (that's why they are for munckins). Those kiddy bats are impossible to do much than make noise.)

Comment by Maureen Wallace on May 3, 2012 at 3:16pm

What in God's name is she trying to do? This is NOT a horse-person. This is an abuser and should be charged. Disgusting!!

Comment by Barbara F. on May 3, 2012 at 2:15pm

Well said, Marlene.

 

Since I have never been hit with a plastic bat by someone using all their strength, I can only guess that, yes, it would hurt. Even if something is plastic, if it comes at you at quite a speed and force, it can hurt.

 

And as for an industry standard, yes, there has to be something in place, but beyond that, how about a human standard? I mean, how low will humans sink in order to get horses to do what we want them to do? By any stretch of the imagination, wacking a horse with a plastic bat is unjustifiable. and if we try to justify it, our standard of acceptable treatment of horses just gets lower and lower.

Comment by Marlene Thoms on May 3, 2012 at 11:08am

People on some sites are debating whether it's cruelty (duh) because she didn't use a sledge hammer. And obviously she doesn't think it's cruelty, based on her years of experience and "professionalism". So again, there has to be some industry standard better identified and stated. To my mind this is cruelty because it is inflicting fear in the horse and UNTRAINING him. As previously stated, someone is going to have to spend hours/days undoing what she has done, and if they break down and resort to cruelty, eventually the horse becomes unworkable or hates everyone so badly that he is on a very short road to the pet food factory. Even if the horse gets retrained, much more likely to snap some time in the future as soon as they sense the handler is getting frustrated. If an ordinary idiot did this, it would be bad enough, but being executed by a supposedly professional, who is the model for young riders she is teaching, that's criminal. Having the bat "handy" ahead of time, meaning she planned to use it, says this is probably not an uncommon tactic, premeditated aggravated assault.

Comment by Geoffrey Pannell on May 3, 2012 at 8:30am

Clearly this is a person not capable of holding their temper. The way she is swinging that bat, such violence! NO HORSEMANSHIP HERE!!

Comment by MATaman on May 2, 2012 at 8:34pm

Beyond sad, and she will get a 'cruelty citation'.  If people see this going on 'we' as horsemen need to step up and say something on the spot.  She is a trainer, I hope the owner sees this video of how the trainer treated their horse - I'd lose my mind!  Good luck loading this horse the next time... it is going to take a lot of work to undo the damage thats been done.

Comment by Marlene Thoms on May 2, 2012 at 3:45pm

I couldn't figure out why she was hitting the horse, I thought she wanted him to stand still, then he stood still and she still hit him. I guess the horse was suffering the same confusion, wondering why he was still being "desensitized" when he was already standing still. Looks like a good way to teach your horse not to tie or enter a trailer. Horses (and any animals) are always learning, they just aren't always learning what humans think they are teaching them.

Comment by FFS on May 2, 2012 at 3:24pm

wildehex, good idea using the driving lines, never thought of that.  I'll add that to my training in the future.  We also feed and hay in the trailer from a very young age.

Comment by wildehex on May 2, 2012 at 3:03pm

Have ya' all tried to hit someone/yourself with the kids plastic bat??  It is all sound and not much else, and sound is a powerful motivator.  I would be way more worried about getting kicked.

MANY use whips, pull on the head, try to feed them, etc.

Would I use it?  First, my horses are fed/watered/hayed in a trailer ahead of time.  And, I just put up too lines, and drive the horse on (NOT behind the tail nor pulling) swing the lines toward the horse alternating sides so they cannot vary r or l, and any release of pressure comes when they step forward (no pulling them in either), standing well back.  Never had it take more than five minutes in 50+years.

Comment by Barbara F. on May 2, 2012 at 10:33am

Hey, Wildhex, I usually agree with you, but I have to say that this "trainer" is swinging and hitting the horse and that is the slapping noise we are hearing. What trainer worth their salt hits a horse with a plastic bat to get him on a trailer?? Or with a whip, for that matter??!

 

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