Hi Everyone!
This is my first post here. I hope I'm doing this right (I'm not the most internet savvy person I know)
I have a problem and I was hoping to gain some insights into how I should go about handling it.
Let me start by saying, I'm not new to horses / horse training. I've grown up on a farm and I've had horses all my life. I was taught from the start by my parents to use a "gentle approach" when working with horses... and my whole life, it's served me and all the horses I've owned over the years just fine.
(I guess it would fall into the category of Natural Horsemanship? although I've never studied the methods of any particular Natural Horsemanship guru.)
Two things happened recently in my life that have put me in the position I find myself in today. 1. My horse which was a dear friend to me for many years was bitten by a poisonous snake and sadly died. 2. I took a promotion at work which required me to relocate. I've moved from my family house which had a lovely 2 horse barn and pasture out back to a home in the suburbs on the other side of the country.
Of course my life was empty without a horse in it, so as soon as I was settled I went searching for a new horse and a place to board it.
After a bit of searching I found the PERFECT horse. young, very very green but that's what I was after... and as a bonus the stable where he was being sold from was walking distance from my new home.
Unfortunately as I later found out. The owner and trainers at the new stable have very "different" ideas when it comes to horse training. Not that I mind... my horse my business... their horses their business. I have always been one of those people that is happy to "keep to themselves"... hence why I've always "ridden at home" and never boarded my horses at a equestrian facility
Now...If these people were just offering "friendly advice" it wouldn't be a problem... but they're perfectly happy to physically "punish" my horse for me whenever the horse has done something THEY believe warrants physical punishing.
The funny thing is... the horse only ever acts up when they're around (and I don't blame him, I would get antsy too considering they are always slapping / kicking / punching him for minor infractions
I've never had to deal with other people literally "looking over my shoulder" or constantly butting in with their own ideas about training... (maybe this comes with the territory of boarding a horse somewhere other than at home?) With that being said, I have no idea as to how to tactfully make them stop. I don't want to go to the barn everyday having to face an "atmosphere" because I upset the trainers that work there and I especially don't want to see my horse frightened and beaten (especially by someone other than me, his owner) when I KNOW there is a better way.
I'm working on finding a new home with enough land to keep a horse so I can move him, but in the mean time... this has to stop.
Thoughts or insights on how I should go about this would be very much appreciated.
Thanks for reading
Leighton
This is my first post here. I hope I'm doing this right (I'm not the most internet savvy person I know)
I have a problem and I was hoping to gain some insights into how I should go about handling it.
Let me start by saying, I'm not new to horses / horse training. I've grown up on a farm and I've had horses all my life. I was taught from the start by my parents to use a "gentle approach" when working with horses... and my whole life, it's served me and all the horses I've owned over the years just fine.
(I guess it would fall into the category of Natural Horsemanship? although I've never studied the methods of any particular Natural Horsemanship guru.)
Two things happened recently in my life that have put me in the position I find myself in today. 1. My horse which was a dear friend to me for many years was bitten by a poisonous snake and sadly died. 2. I took a promotion at work which required me to relocate. I've moved from my family house which had a lovely 2 horse barn and pasture out back to a home in the suburbs on the other side of the country.
Of course my life was empty without a horse in it, so as soon as I was settled I went searching for a new horse and a place to board it.
After a bit of searching I found the PERFECT horse. young, very very green but that's what I was after... and as a bonus the stable where he was being sold from was walking distance from my new home.
Unfortunately as I later found out. The owner and trainers at the new stable have very "different" ideas when it comes to horse training. Not that I mind... my horse my business... their horses their business. I have always been one of those people that is happy to "keep to themselves"... hence why I've always "ridden at home" and never boarded my horses at a equestrian facility
Now...If these people were just offering "friendly advice" it wouldn't be a problem... but they're perfectly happy to physically "punish" my horse for me whenever the horse has done something THEY believe warrants physical punishing.
The funny thing is... the horse only ever acts up when they're around (and I don't blame him, I would get antsy too considering they are always slapping / kicking / punching him for minor infractions
I've never had to deal with other people literally "looking over my shoulder" or constantly butting in with their own ideas about training... (maybe this comes with the territory of boarding a horse somewhere other than at home?) With that being said, I have no idea as to how to tactfully make them stop. I don't want to go to the barn everyday having to face an "atmosphere" because I upset the trainers that work there and I especially don't want to see my horse frightened and beaten (especially by someone other than me, his owner) when I KNOW there is a better way.
I'm working on finding a new home with enough land to keep a horse so I can move him, but in the mean time... this has to stop.
Thoughts or insights on how I should go about this would be very much appreciated.
Thanks for reading
Leighton