I was talking to a friend the other day who has had the dubious pleasure of working at a stable I worked at several years ago. Her comment was, "thank goodness I'm done there." Which led to our sharing stories.
For purposes of the Interwebz, I won't name names. Some of these things happened 20+ years ago, so there would be little point in calling people out now. But, I want to share for the sake of education, and for the sake of, yes, someone at some point really has done that.
1. Stable doesn't want to pay an actual farrier to shoe 22 horses, but one of the trail guides says he used to shoe. He goes down to Tractor Supply, buys some who-knows-what-size Diamond shoes and who-knows-what-size nails, and proceeds to shoe owner's three horses (using a hammer, nippers, no anvil, no shaping the shoes, no setting the clinches...) Yeah, thank goodness he started with the owners horses, or there would've been 19 trail horses lame and throwing shoes left and right.
2. One of the older, dead-broke, kid-safe horses starts colicking Saturday afternoon. Gosh, that would mean an emergency farm call on top of a large bill. Give him some Banamine (IM, by the way, since no one knew it should be given IV). Wait. Still wanting to roll three hours later. One of the trail guides says he knows how to tube a horse; he's tubed a cow. Enter a garden hose cut for the purpose and a gallon of oil. Everyone leaves for the night. Come to work at 7 a.m. to a dead horse. Big surprise.
3. Young thoroughbred has a frisky moment after 20 minutes of good lunging and another 15 of good riding and bucks off young apprentice. Barn manager says, let me have him and proceeds to lunge him until covered in foamy sweat. When barn manager moves out a year later, new owner finds all the empty vials and syringes in the loft ... from where so-called trainer was doping colts before riding them.
4. Stable hires third new manager of the year. (Ever heard, it's not you, it's me? In this case, it was THEM) ... New manager believes in Parelli Natural Horsemanship. Immediately transfers 19 trail string horses to rope halters and begins putting clients on them without re-schooling or test rides. I'm still amazed no one was injured from this ... only one horse took off back to the barn, and half a dozen realized they could stop and eat along the trail rather than go on.
5. Overweight draft-cross pony with feathers and mane that falls down both sides of her neck. Owner starts washing mane every other day. Pony starts rubbing mane out. Owner can't see the connection.
6. Conversation with a young horse's owner. Owner owned the filly's dam, hand-picked the sire, raised this filly. She was a young 2 year old at the time. "I have to have the farrier out to shoe Baby."
-- "Why?"
"Trainer won't take her unless she's shod."
Are you kidding me? Find a different trainer. Preferably one that doesn't think shoeing a growing baby is OK. (see previous blog)
7. Horse continually tosses his head while being ridden, but especially when evading contact. Owner/trainer's solution? Ride him in a tie down so he can't toss his head. (Nevermind checking teeth, chiropractor, backing training down to a very basic level and working back up.)
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