Frustrating horses at work...

They can get away with that? I'm sorry, but, the whole situation sounds harsh. I could never do research on animals, it harms them so much. The only thing I can see helping them is getting up to two hours, and work John Lyons methods of 'Round Pen Reasoning' but since they try to charge you, you can't let them turn into you. Do you have a round pen? This is also a exerscize where the horse lunges 'freely' no ropes or anything attatched to them.

But, pain is also an issue....(that method might not work unless they had no pain. They are upset cause they have to hurt, not your fault and it has to be done, by then know you are in a way hurting them) and putting them on medicine would defeat the purpose. It's just sad.... i know it's a hard situation to be in. Make a horse suffer so maybe there can be some medical advancement...

The stuff we are working on right now only makes them hurt for about 15 minutes so we can collect data. I know its not fun to make the horses hurt, but I have seen some of the hroses that it has already helped, and that does make it a little better.

The situation is really harsh, but I'm going to talk to the vet. They are doing this when there aren't other people around to see, and I am their equal or lesser work wise so I have to go talk to the vet that is in charge of them. I really hope that I can get something done about it. They seemed to think that it was a valid way to deal with the horse not wanting to stand still after being stalled. I know it is idiotic, dangerous, and plain old stupid to do things like that, but I have to have somone else talk to them because they think that they know best....

I don't understand why because most of the horses work pretty well when you just put a chain over their nose. There is NO reason to beat them like that. It's different if the horse is coming at you and you smack him t make him get back, but there was no reason to be like that with any of the horses.

P.S. sorry for the double post earlier.