I seriously want to know this. Why are the most ignorant, idiotic horse owners in the world so attracted to gaited horses? It always seems that Rocky Mountain Horses and Tennessee Walkers are most often victimized by the scum-of-the-earth sector of the horse owning population.
Is that because they are so even tempered that any moron can ride them, or are there other factors at play? 
I mean, WTF????
This is a FOURTEEN MONTH OLD RMH.
"she is 14 months old,never been road much,barn keept,brown and white"
Look at him. You just know his name is Goober. (the poor critter is owned by "Tawynia." Of course it is.)
To borrow a term from COTH, I am aghasted.
So share your tales...why do you think the poor gaited horses have to deal with this, day in and day out? Do they simply need to learn to bolt like Thoroughbreds and buck like an Appy in a bad mood in order to protect themselves? How can we stop the insanity?
Thursday, January 10, 2008
Today's mystery: Gaited Horses + Idiots = Magnetic Attraction?
Posted by fuglyhorseoftheday at 8:44 AM
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I agree 100% with todays post! Every ad I see has some jackass that can't ride out of a paper bag racking the hell out of some poor Rocky Mountain Kentucky Racking Walker - it just makes me ill. I fear daily for our good gaited breeds!
I think they are just very unfortunate. 14 MONTHS OLD WITH A BIG SADDLE AND WHAT LOOKS LIKE A SHANKED BIT!!!!WTF!!!!!!
Humans did not understand the theory of leverage for a long time, but this poor critter is supposed to get it??? At 14 months old????
I am more than aghasted, I am totally underwhelmed.
"childs do learn"
nuff said.
out gaited horse in america mostly come from the south and deep south. having lived there myself and seen what often happens to these poor beasts i can say is an ignorance and education thing most of the time. the horses have also been breed to be non-comabtive and give up easly. you can see it in their eyes almost like they are trying to hide the fact that they hurt (not unlike a battered woman might) remember, this is often the part of country that bred gaited horses to work on slave plantations. people that had no ethic for the humane treatment of PEOPLE now many generations later seem to turn that torture to the next best thing, their horses.
i too dont understand why more horses dont fight back. reminds me of the attempts are non-combative demonstrations during the era of segragation and the fight for womans rights. but in the end that "peaceful nature" rarely wins out, it just results in acts of brutality against someone or something that wont fight back....
I think it's along the lines of these people wanted a horse, they don't show and can't ride well, so they got a trail horse -- low end and cheap to begin with. Since they're so comfy to ride, most likely that's why they picked them for trails. Then they're like, "Garsh! I cud mak muney off this heer feller!" and voila!
Fugs,
I think you hit the nail on the head. These breeds are so mild mannered that they are doomed.
While attending college, we hosted a Walking Horse show so I got to learn all about that world. I learned that the reason the TWH actually went through soring was because they were so tollerant of whatever their people would do to them, not matter how much it hurt. Which is quite sad, really.
One thing I walked away with was a great deal of respect for the kind-hearted animals. If I ever got a horse for my non-horsey husband to ride, it would be a Tennassee Walker.
That is SO sad! Poor little filly! Poor dear probably doesn't even have the strength yet to get that big asshat off her if she wanted to.
Maybe it's...erm... the area? You look at where these breeds originated..... it's redneck area :) (not 100%, not originated by rednecks, but you get what i mean)..
Maybe they tend to be quiet - I don't know, never known any. But I'd like to see those guys try to do that stuff on my hypersensitive full of himself Arabian....!!
Maybe it's cause they're *gasp* pretty?? But still have a quiet personality while many "pretty" breeds are a bit hyper? I'm thinking that poor poor Sonny vs my Arab.
I would definately think all those factors would come into play.
NC, USA
Not being a gaited horse person myself, I can only guess...
If stupid asshat's threw a honking huge saddle topped by a no-riding goober on a 14 mo desert bred filly, said goober would find himself in the ER with teeth marks covering his ass and face, just the way her momma taught her to treat stupid disrespecting humans. The filly would have called EMS for him, knowing that he is too stupid to have remembered the number to 9-1-1.
So you're right, the innocent gaited things just need to get tough and stand up for themsleves.
Yikes! what a mess of spelling errors on my last post! (I have a new keyboard and am not quite used to it, obviously.)
If the gaited horses would just learn to TROT they could save themselves. I think most of these yahoos go gaited so they won't get jostled around - so inconvenient to actually have to *ride* the horse!!
What I don't get about the subject ad is how could she be born in 2004 and be 14 months old? Well, no matter, she's small and she's got that big doofus on her.
Don't forget the Missouri Foxtrotters!
We have a dingbat that used to live next to us who BREEDS her yearling Foxtrotter mares.
Won't comment on her "training" methods.
Didn't gaited breeds come from the South?
South = lack of education.
Lack of education = ignorance.
No offense you southerners.
Morons! As a previous trainer and barn manager of a large Rocky Mountain breeder, all I can say is not everyone is like this! Though many are! Most people get a gaited horse because they dont want to be "bothered with" taking lessons! The breed associations of the registered horses dont help much either by having "certification" done at the age of 2 in this breed! But the Jockey Club is racing 2 year olds! Horrible!
fugly, you HAVE to check this site out, omg.. it embodies everything NOT to do!!
http://www.shadypinesstables.com/index.html
Be sure to check out "The Horse Stall" page, the stock they are breeding, the classic garbage in the background, and I just LOVE this description of the last skinny, fungus ridden mare on the page...
"Bug is the newest member of our family. We took her in on trade. We have been warned
that she likes to Buck like crazy. We will soon find out for ourselves. If nothing else she
will just be a brood mare and companion for our other horses."
Just wow.
I sort of like the name Goober... for lab puppy or a Mini, lol it's a bit cute. I think someone needs to explain to these people that the horse is still a baby. I mean lots of the things you post it seems that the person doesn't care, this one I'd swear the guy doesn't even know.
I'm sure the 50 inbred dogs that run all over the "farm" are at least old enough for a hard days work at 14 months.
as my name states... im from where the rednecks are.. and yes there are tons of gaited horses... i in fact own a paso fino. who is fat and happy and ridden by someone who knows how to ride- my better half.
but there are tons of poor innocent gaited horseys out there that are packing around MO-RONS. They are used a TON at field trails because they last for freaking ever...
Just want to let you know that not everyone that owns a gaited horse is an asshat- we rescued ours from though.
Can you tell me how a "Throughbred" mare can be registered AQHA?
http://www.shadypinesstables.com/15.html
"showchamp said...
fugly, you HAVE to check this site out, omg.. it embodies everything NOT to do!!
http://www.shadypinesstables.com/index.html"
Don't forget to ad that one of their broodmares is registered with the Blue Eyed Horse Association. Classic!
this is what i see here in Georgia ALL THE TIME!!!
i do think it's because the horses are too kind for their own good. or else they are so intimidated by the dumbass, that they are afraid to defend themselves!
the drunken idiots stay on by hanging off their mouths (wearing a HUGE bit, BTW... or the one that comes on those cheap bridles)and using a ginormous roping saddle.
i've seen it a million times. if i close my eyes right now i can see it: drunken idiot redneck scrabbling along the roadway in front of my house on an undersized puny, wormy-looking gaited horse wearing a big roping saddle with saddlebags probably stuffed with more beer. 'Tex' sees my horse in the pasture and me standing in the yard watching, and decides to 'show off', so he begins slapping the horse's ass with the ends of the tied-together reins, jerking on the mouth, and making the horse scrabble even harder, sliding all around on the pavement.
sickening.
there is an annual event here in my town called 'The John Wisdom Wagon Train' it is basically an all-day abuse event where all the 'cowboys' in the area come together and ride all day long on pavement, ending with a parade down our main street, celebrating the 'Confederate Paul Revere'. you see it all here, horses who haven't been ridden since last years wagon train, barefoot, cracked up feet, long overdue shoes which have somehow stayed on, kids with no helmets loose on the road on horses who are barely broke, teams of mules with bleeding mouths half dead pulling 20 people in a wagon, drunks barely able to stay upright in the saddle
i could go on and on...
i wish i had some pics of what takes place there...
Uhg, this is one of the worst areas of the horse industry if you ask me. The way the TWH and other gated breeds are treated in order to get them to step high is disgusting.
I watched this on YouTube and was disturbed by it.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wuqN9n4RF4Y
Those are just babies that they are riding, and look at their feet!
Here's another little tidbit to watch: http://www.walkinonranch.com/CNN.html
hg, makes me sick.
People get gaited horses because they cannot ride a trot, and they have embarrassed themselves so many times at dressage and H/J shows, they need an excuse to stop showing without admitting defeat.
Or lots say 'bad back'. Maybe true, maye a cop out. My back hurts, but I find trotting a useful excerise for flexibility and abdominal strenth that is GOOD for a bad back. Not knowing HOW to ride the trot is definately bad for both human, and horse backs.
Whats my favorite is the pictures of the new barn... look at the toddler, bare foot (well, one foot in a CAST), walking on top of the room with a board as big as he is and powertools and cords all over the place. Nice. http://www.shadypinesstables.com/13.html
no offense to southerners??
south= lack of education???
is that a compliment then? since im totally uneducated.
Yep... and check out the second horse on the page, the skinny stallion thing... and the other skinny stallion things that they have skinny mare things in foal to... yikes.
Don't be fooled into thinking that because their breed name has "Tennessee" in it that the predominant TWH abuse take place below the Mason-Dixon Line or in the junk-strewn BYB's excuse for a barn. EVERY state in the country has multi-million dollar TWH show facilities where inappropriately-early training, soring and cruel confinement is the accepted practice.
And, for the most part, these wonderfully kind horses just stoically take it, day after day, year after year.
Probably because people who don't know anything about horses think it will be easier to ride something with a smooth gait. Poor horses deserve better.
TNSteph said...
no offense to southerners??
south= lack of education???
is that a compliment then? since im totally uneducated.
Sorry Tnsteph
I didn't mean to imply that all southerners are idiots, but that south does have a reputation for not having the best education system, or maybe the people just don't take advantage of it.
Being a Yankee (I mean waaay up north) going to school in middle Georgia, I get to meet a bunch of really amazing southerners, some of whom are exceptionally 'country'. But some of my horsey friends, I will admit, while very smart and educated in school, are very dumb and not educated (nor do they care for education) about horses. With them, horses are pretty and something to have because they have land to put them there. Gaited horses (funny, we just talked about this last night) are popular because any joe shmo can get on one, and theyre SMOOTH. Most of these people, it seems (from my experiences anyway), have never had any livestock except for cows, and they do not understand that horses are NOT cows, and are in fact much more delicate.
Its ignorance, and lack of resources for education. Pony Club, 4H, and even show associations don't seem to get out that far in the country (well, sometimes 4H, but I've never been impressed with their horse management teachings, when there are any)
The gaited horse world has confused me for as long as I've been around horses and knew it existed. I also have yet to see any examples of a well-trained (ie not abused or over-bitted into behaving), pleasant, agreeable picture of someone riding one. I went to the Jr. League saddlebred show last summer and the vast majority of those horses wouldn't even WALK, they were so excited. I see the videos on youtube of the poor wierd-looking twh's. Can someone find an example of what gaited horses SHOULD be? Please?
its ok.. being born and raised in the south... im kinda used to it..
http://www1.romenews-tribune.com/snapHappy/
index.php?oursnap=866
our newspaper has some pics of it...
these people are crazy. They have the year of birth and age screwed up with an over inflated price and they've done the same with their ad for a mustang. They want $9000 for a 2004 (?) mustang that is "9.3hh" What???
Another vote for the regional aspect. Not to get southern knickers in a twist, but there are some obvious differences between regions of the US when it comes to animal abuse and neglect. My impression is that in the south and more rural areas, there's a big element of belligerent indifference defended by that tired old song and dance about "that's how we do X here in God's Country, you effeminate weirdo." In the north, that's not as common; abuse and neglect are usually more secretive (in cases of direct, pointed abuse) and more often a clear case of reasonable ignorance (newbies to horses, etc.) or poverty (hoarders).
I don't know what the attraction is for idiots to glom onto color and gaits, though. If anyone figures it out, could they get to work on the attraction between pitbulls and idiots, too? That's another perennial mystery to me.
i rescue pit bulls from the idiots... it is very sad work, too :(
abuse,neglect, stupidity, poverty are everywhere in every part of the country. I think in the south it is more visible because there are so many VERY rural areas that are VERY close to metro areas..
i live 10 miles outside of Memphis in the 'burbs.. about three miles from my house is THE COUNTRY where electricity is scarce as are people with teeth.
I've been waiting for Fearless Leader to post on this topic -- I have Paso Finos myself. You would not believe how many are ruined through early mishandling. Not just physically -- they are exceptionally tough little horses -- but also mentally. I guess they aren't as laid back as the TWH and RMs, plus some traditional ways of 'breaking' Pasos are truly evil (I always wondered why so many of the promising colts in this breed got put down due to 'training injuries'.)Pasos fight back, or become clinical nervous wrecks that take YEARS of gentle handling to develop trust. Believe me, 'rednecks' come in all colors and locations when it comes to gaited horses...
Not all of us who ride Gaited Horses can't ride. My husband rides very well BUT he was shot in the back in the Marine Corp. It is physically painful for him to ride my Quarter Horse.
It's a shame so many people will instantly turn their nose up at the gaited breeds... and it's ALL because of asshats and inbreds like this guy on today's blog. But Fugs, you hit it right on the head. They can get away with it because most of the gaited breeds are so damn mild and easy going. That temperment and nature makes them GREAT horses for trail riders, novice owners and those who want something low-maintanence. People like asshat here, and the rest of his ilk, give the gaited breeds a bad name and turn away potiental good homes, leaving only more mentally deficient buyers.
However, the more some of these popular magazines like trail riders, Horse illustrated, etc, tout the easy, smooth rides, and laid-back temperment of the naturally going gaited horse to the public, especially as the boomers are starting to feel their age, the better reputation the breeds will gain. Been a long time comming, but there's a bit of glimmer...
AMEN...
our paso was a mental nightmare... you couldnt touch his ears, barely could touch his head. would bolt from anyone in the pasture and would tremble while being tacked up until he realized you werent ging to hurt him. he with time and love has turned out to be a real sweetheart. loves to be scratched and rubbed. and he has awesome gaits. and is a dream to ride.
Don't even get me started on the assholes riding gaited horses at our state park.
**Not ALL of them are assholes, but we have our fair share.
In response to the videos:
The "Big Lick" is the most appalling travesty of a gait that I've ever seen. How can ANYONE see beauty in an animal being forced into such a hideously unnatural way of going??
These horses are either saints or brain-dead.
Ignorance and morons exist EVERYWHERE, not just the South. Here in Washington State, I temporarily boarded a horse for a gal who was the classic example of "You can take the girl out of the trailer park, but you can't take the trailer park out of the girl". She was a red-neck and hick as I've ever seen. Her idea of hoof care - ride a couple hours down the road, they'll wear right off. Her idea of dental care - throw his grain in the sand. the sand will wear them down. naturally, her boy was proud cut. THANK GOD she sold him to some folks who own a ranch and used him for working cows.
As for TWH and abuse, I've seen it in other breeds/shows as well. I went to a Regional QH show and one stall had curtains across the front. I peeked inside and they had the poor horse strung up from the barn trusses to where his feet were barely touch the ground. The owner busted me and I asked about it. She said, "So he'll carry his head low."
Excuse me while I go throw up...
I own a Kentucky Mountain Saddle Horse, and from what I did to my amazing horse, I'm not really surprised what these idiots are getting away with. I never rode my Mountain Horse with a bit. Hell, I hardly ever rode her with a saddle. She was the best horse I've ever been on. She never offered a buck, I'm not even sure she is mentally capable of doing anything but giving me looks of disdain when she's upset.
From my experience, there is no other horse that I would use for a beginner rider or an inexperienced child. She's so damn safe, it's unbelievable.
One time, I was riding down the dirt road behind my property, sans saddle with only a halter on her head and a lead rope to guide her. Then, off to our right, some red-neck hicks decided to light up a bon fire with copious amounts of gasoline (even now I'm stunned with the stupidity of people). When someone threw the match, I nearly jumped out of my skin! But my mare took one casual step to the side and just stood to look at the 10 foot tall blaze. I was dumbfounded. Any other horse, and I would have been on the ground, or a mile and a half away hanging on for dear life.
These poor creatures have been bred in a way that they're such willing a giving partners. However, there's always someone out there willing to take advantage of that trust.
OH yea...and to Goober! come on over to my house and I'll put you on my Music Mount mare. Let me get the camera though. It's been a while since I've been to a good row-DAY-O.
Posters are quiet correct about the temperament of TWHs. They tolerate anything and are as mild as puppies. I have known owners to declare that certain horses wouldn’t tolerate soring, and would even “kill” anyone who tried it on them. But IMO many TWH owners don’t really have any idea about horse behavior and temperament outside of their Bred-To-Tolerate-Torture breed. What they ‘think’ is a spirited, hot, or unwilling horse, is really quite average to mild, and simply smarter than the average owner.
Gaited horses also seem to be more often imposed on by grossly over-weight riders who can’t balance properly on a regular horse (or are just too lazy to actually ride). Being naturally inclined to sway-backs, this is another area where TWH’s must suffer. S-t-r-e-t-c-hing them out in the halter class hides (a bit) the poor toplines. Even the ‘natural’ or non-soring TWH people have no trouble riding in 10” shanks and believe the double twisted-wire snaffles and huge gag (BARF) bits are perfectly appropriate for trail riding. WTF?
Hey Fugly, I know this isn't on topic or anything, but it was a choice between clogging up your inbox with yet another request, or clogging up this comments page...
Two topics I'd recommend for your blog:
1)Standardbreds. I live in the middle of harness racing country, and yes, there are some good, responsible breeders out there, far too many seem to subscribe to the theory that spitting out as many fuglies as possible in a given year will guarantee a winning horse.
2) The no kill owner. As in will not put a horse down for any bloody reason. Someone I know had a horse founder severely. Instead of doing the humane thing, she decides that it needs to live on for god knows what reason, and long story short, one day the horse's hoof capsule detaches. Completely. The vet was livid. Same owner has another one. 29, crippled, rolls and can't get up on a routine basis and bone thin. She basically just looks like a corpse that won't lie down. Owner insists that she's happy. Horse can barely walk.
And that's my rant. I apologize for the run on sentences and probable spelling errors.
Well, the good news USED to be that Pasos were too expensive for the average yahoo, but with the market dropping I'm guessing I'm going to start seeing more desperate rescues stories showing up on the paso chatboards. There are already a bunch of us trying to figure out who sold Michael Vicks his pasos and where they went after he got locked up (God bless our legal system for FINALLY doing the right thing). I heard on the news that the pitbulls went en mass to a rescue group. Anyone know what happened to the Paso Finos??
Sadly, on one of the cable channels they had a documentary type show about celebrities and their horses.
Sheryl Crow stated a trainer told her "If you want a horse anyone can ride, get a gaited horse." She has four horses, two of which are gaited.
I had a guy (who knew soooo much about the breed) tell my friend her Tenn. Walker wouldn't gait properly in a hackamore. (This was just before a class at the local Hill-Billy run Horse show.)
Well for riding the horse only the second time, I took him in the class wearing the hackamore (Hey I said it was a hillbilly show didn't I?) and placed 2nd out of 9. He was somewhere around 7th or 8th? Even my friend said, "Well now. I guess he doesn't seem to know as much as he thinks he does. Does he?"
She also had several people at another farm tell her her horses were 'off'in their gaits, and they walked funny. When she tried to explain that they are bred to 'walk' that way, they gave her the dumbest blank stares. She gave up.
She also went as far as to bet them her horses could outwalk their 'cowponies' any day of the week. Unfortunatly nothing ever came of that. We could've made a ton of money off their ignorance.
Riding a 14 month old of any breed is just a proud display of ignorance all around.
On the part of the owner-for letting it happen
On the part of the wannabe 'trainer'- for doing it and thinking it is ok, (I mean really. WTF?)
And on the part of the rider- for also thinking it is ok.
I don't care how much money is to be won in any futurity class or horserace. I would think you could win more money by waiting until the horse is a bit more grown up, both physically and mentally, and cleaning up at the 3 & 4 y/o futurities and the 5 & 6 y/o maturities and still have a horse to compete on down the road who will still be around for the long haul.
Besides the entry numbers in these classes should be down since most of those yearling & 2 y/o's will most likely be to crippled or mentally fucked up to compete.
In turn, their owners are probably pissed off that they will have to wait until they are at least 3 to breed. Oh I forgot, they won't wait. There's money to be had in the breeding shed. Silly Me!
These people need to meet up with a TWH mare I met one time while looking at a barn. She spent all of her unridden time in her stall and as a consequence was so nasty she would try to attack you even though there was a wall in the way. She would even go after the people trying to feed her. I wonder if she heard about these idiots and is now trying to get revenge one person at a time.
(I should mention that she and the other horses were in good condition and in a decent facility, and that she was a paid boarding horse - not owned by the person who owned the barn. When I asked about why she was kept in her stall all the time since it seemed to be the main reason why she was so, ahem, grumpy, I was told that that was how her owner insisted that her horse be kept. Sigh.)
izze90 said...
Didn't gaited breeds come from the South?
South = lack of education.
Lack of education = ignorance.
No offense you southerners.
So are their no idiots in the North then? Dang! I should not have gotten a masters degree because apparently since I am from the south I am ignorant no matter what. No offense? What is there about your statement that is not offensive?
I'm an unabashed TWH fan, I love my Walkers and I seethe at these shitheads that ride their babies and sore their show horses.
I love the feel of gliding along...if you think it requires no skill or knowledge to cue and ride the gait, you're mistaken. It isn't better or worse than trotting, just different.
I DO have chronic back problems and permanent nerve damage which limits the mobility of one of my legs. Sitting in a carefully fitted saddle with my damaged leg in a certain position actually stretches some muscle in my hip area and helps my mobility on the ground.
I can ride a trotting horse and...but not nearly as long as I can my Walker.
They are popular in part because of stuff like this. This mare is less than $3K. From a still shot, this gal is 1) a popular color, 2) has a cute little head 3)seems to move well, nice overstride
http://www.dreamhorse.com/show_horse.php?form_horse_id=1115825
This guy is the son of a WGC for 2500...yes, he is a short horse, but in the trail world that's not such a bad thing...
http://www.dreamhorse.com/show_horse.php?form_horse_id=1126099
The big draw for most of the bottom feeders is PRICE. TWH stud fees are embarrassingly low. In my opinion, the best thing the TWHBEA could do for its reputation AFTER it grows some balls and throws the soring bastards out would be to offer incentives to stallion owners to limit their books and charge a higher reg fee to make up for the difference in revenue. You can breed to many CHAMPION TWH stallions for under $1000. We've created a BYB cess pool with such bargain basement standards and THAT is a big reason why there is so many stupid, greedy hilljack TWH owners.
http://www.walking-horse.com/showcase/index.html
I see some very nice gaited horses here in WI, with well-educated horse owners who treat them very well. I'm sure we have our share of abusers also, it's everywhere, sadly. About the Shady Pines website, holy cow!! I just can't BELIEVE they have this site on the internet for all to see. Poor spelling, terrible looking horses and they seem so proud of it! They mention how one of the horses LOVES to rub his butt on the gate, hence the VERY bent gate. After looking at the horses I'd say his problem might be worms or some kind of itchy fungus. The 11 year old gelding has better conformation than the stallions, all of which are not even close to stallion quality. And why pose a horse for a picture when it is an unbrushed, filthy, skinny mess? Yikes.
wow aint that the truth.
I know a really nice lady, really new to horses but tries really hard and works to expand her knowledge, She takes lessons, reads a ton and is generally doing a great job with her two trail horses, She saved up for a long time to get a Rocky Mountain, she had looked into it thought it would be a nice horse for trail riding and found a breeder.
she got sooo screwed. The "breeder" told her that the filly she bought was a "windfall foal" and thats why it had a messed up back, they told her it would even out as she matured, she had the filly vet checked(by the breeders vet, she didnt know any better and it was the only vet in town)
so now she has a sweet three year old with the worst roached back I have ever seen, a neck so short she has to bend her front legs to eat and a young animal in constant pain that will never be rideable.
She has had a massage person come out to work on her who suggested swimming, so she takes her swimming every other day. She had a vet come out and try chiropraction on her, the vet couldnt do anything with her and said she would never be rideable, some of her spine was fused. The vet also said that the condition might not be herditary so my friend might as well just breed the filly, a VET said that, I was shocked.
Clydesdalesocks said:
"Can you tell me how a "Throughbred" mare can be registered AQHA?"
Funny, I was thinking the same thing. I have a TB gelding and I'm pretty sure the AQHA wants nothing to do with him.
Also, what is with the piss poor horrible hunch back riding on those poor Walkers? Is this how they do it in the gatied world??? My equitation coach would have a freaking heart attack! I'm not sure which looks more stupid, the horses gaits or the riders!!!!
I think it's their even-temper. Altho I've never been in a TWH show barn, I've read/heard enough horror stories to realize that few other breeds would tolerate this kind of abuse without either becoming totally wacko or simply giving up. I don't know how the TWH can deal with abuse, sore feet, padded shoes, etc. And I ESPECIALLY can't see how breeders and trainers can look like such COMPLETE IDIOTS riding in the ridiculous style that they do--hunched over like a turtle, legs stuck out in front of them, with the horse doing this horrible, ugly high step forced on him by 5 inch high blocks stuck on his feet. And I can't understand how any human can treat another being with such incredible disrespect and lack of compassion.
It's all about money. Every sick bit of it. Sadly, there is a LOT of money in TWH show horses. And just like with H/N halter horses, it's difficult to win in a TWH competition without soring.
I suggest it has more to do with the easy gait than anything else. They don't have to learn how to ride a trot, and so they don't get their family jewels (!!) injured by them bouncy horses.
It is, however, true, that TWH in particular are amazingly tolerant of human foibles -- what's interesting is that they have the rep of being not so great to other horses! I used to scoff at this, then encountered, in various situations, quite a number of *pleasure* TWH -- never having experienced the tortures of soring -- who were indeed, very gentle to handle but h*ll on wheels in the pasture.
The poor baby needs to be upgraded and turned out for about 4 years in hopes her spine will recover ...
Nicole said...
"Also, what is with the piss poor horrible hunch back riding on those poor Walkers? Is this how they do it in the gatied world???"
Yes, that feet-forward, shoulders back look is the way it's done.
I call it "laxative equitation" because it irritates the shit out of me.
That guy looks like a complete asshat, and I would like to see the horse turn around and sit on him.
What planet do these people hail from?
oh, lol.. if y'all leave comments on the walker vids be prepared, 'hog guide' will ATTACK! he is an uber moron, who claims he is a shoer and hunts hogs with dogs.
unless he has been kicked off for the terrible videos of him and his dogs graphically killing pigs...
Morgan_Horse_Queen said...
"If the gaited horses would just learn to TROT they could save themselves. I think most of these yahoos go gaited so they won't get jostled around - so inconvenient to actually have to *ride* the horse!!"
I think you're spot on!
My mother and I rescued a mare from a horse sale in central WV... This poor mare would have scored a 1 on the body condition scale.. she was so thin that she wobbled when she walked..
They'd been riding her the whole day before the sale.. up and down and up and down and up and down this long stretch of asphalt. They then rode her into the ring and started talking about..
"Now, lookee at this heer mair! Lookit that shuffle she does! Now, she can do that shuffle damn NEER all day!!!"
I'd been checking her out the entire time she was at the sale, thinking that she was the wrong sort of horse to be there. And as they're riding her in the ring like that.. my mother and I look at each other and go.."That's a Paso!" I'm 16, I can't bid, so I get my mother to start bidding on her and we end up dropping 500 bucks on this emaciated mare that we're not sure will make it through the night..
We get her home, get ahold of the APFHA and check out the brand she has on her and her description.. turns out she was a quality Fino mare imported to the US from Puerto Rico.. she'd disappeared off the map several years before.
Mare was 15 when we found her.. had a dent in her face where someone had hit her with a hammer, her hind legs were covered with rope burns and lumps and scars and she was less than a month from dying. She was too hot for the hillbillies to handle so they'd beat her, hogtied her, tried to run it out of her and then tried to starve it out of her.
Not all gaited horses put up with it.. but when it comes to dealing with assholes it will often come to the same end.
I wish I knew because this craziness has been freaking me out for awhile.They really don't know anything about horses,someone needs to get it through their heads that no self respecting horseman wants to buy a horse thats been ruined by riding it so young
"showchamp said...
fugly, you HAVE to check this site out, omg.. it embodies everything NOT to do!!
http://www.shadypinesstables.com/index.html"
If you check out their "The Horse Stall" pages you'll see that probably the nicest of the horses on their farm are the geldings!!
And this is a disaster waiting to happen:http://ShadyPinesStables.com/album/3/5335495.jpg
spotsforme said...
Don't forget the Missouri Foxtrotters!
We have a dingbat that used to live next to us who BREEDS her yearling Foxtrotter mares.
Won't comment on her "training" methods.
My whole body twitched when I read this. I learned about the cruel techniques of the TWH circuit several years ago and was disgusted with what I found. I've recently started considering as we begin our horse search to get a TWH or RMH for my boyfriend but I've realized I have to be very careful if I actually follow through with who I go to.
I agree with what so many people have said - their naturally trusting, loving nature just makes them easier targets for jackasses. They know they couldn't pull that without taking advantage of that.
It's sad that it's generalized to the South. Having visited and lived there, while it's perhaps more noticeable and accepted part of the culture there, travel around Washington, Oregon and Idaho and you will definitely realize there are plenty of rednecks and white trash up here!
South =/= uneducated trash. That happens everywhere. In my opinion, it's like I said - this whole horse culture that always follows the species around (the BYB breeder/idiot who shouldn't ride a horse without a trainer watching him/her) is just generally more accepted there so you hear about it more. Everywhere else still has their fair share of bad!
izze90 said...
Didn't gaited breeds come from the South?
South = lack of education.
Lack of education = ignorance.
No offense you southerners.
Many people are upset by this and in defense of izze (and izzie please correct me if I'm wrong and trying to put words in your mouth!!) I think izzie was trying to say what I said. Where these gaited breeds originated are where they are more common (or at least I believe that, there arn't many in NE)
So RMH, TWH.... look at the poverty and "redneck" people in this country.... If you live in the Rocky Mountains, ooh a pretty chocolate horse, and it's smmooth! Tennesse ooh a pretty yellow horse, and it's smooth!
The poverty and lack of education can be grouped into certain areas, the rural mountains are your usual place for finding these people. not that there arn't any uneducated people in NYC, but look up a map of poverty, and lack of education. then remember where these horses are found.
Sorry for the long post I just wanted to make myself clear...hope it worked. And hope I was correct in saying izzie was saying the same thing! lol
beautiful morgan said...
So are their no idiots in the North then? Dang! I should not have gotten a masters degree because apparently since I am from the south I am ignorant no matter what. No offense? What is there about your statement that is not offensive?
Sorry beautiful morgan; quite to the contrary, there are plenty of idiots in the North.However, like I said to tnsteph, the South has a reputation for having a poor education system or people who don't take advantage of education.Is my assumption wrong?
Before I forget...
My Walker owning friend (who bought her two from a guy who used them for field trials) said she was once told by a show barn that "A really GOOD Walker can pull you UP, OUT of the saddle with the reins. Even with a snaffle bit."
Why would you want a horse THAT hard mouthed? I can't imagine the pressure on their jaw from hauling their rider out of the saddle, let alone with a shanked bit.
And while I'm at it...
What is up with the Icy's all shown tolting away with people iron fisted and pulling on them the same way? I imagine they could go much faster if you would quit hanging on them.
galen: These horses are either saints or brain-dead.
Both??
Uh oh, looks like I am going straight to hell...
-I live in the south.
-I own gaited horses.
-I don't like shows.
-I like endurance riding.
-I have been on a wagontrain.
-I have been to Love Valley NC.
Maybe I should sell my horses, buy some tall boots, polo shirts and tan breeches so I can go learn how to ride a proper horse at the local h/j barn.
Nah. ;-)
niki
The poverty and lack of education can be grouped into certain areas, the rural mountains are your usual place for finding these people.
I take some offense at that. I'm from rural Appalachia.
I'm neither a yahoo, nor an uneducated "git-r-done" hick.
I found this comment very offensive. "If the gaited horses would just learn to TROT they could save themselves. I think most of these yahoos go gaited so they won't get jostled around - so inconvenient to actually have to *ride* the horse!!"
Um first of all, it's PEOPLE who who made them this way. All horses can trot, gaited breeds have been bred to not trot, it is NOT their fault in any sort of way. And that is not true for the riding part, everyone I've known who has a gaited breed got them because their mild mannered docile temperaments. I don't know about you guys but I hate horses like Thoroughbreds and Arabians that are full of spirit, I am a timid rider with no confidence, I need a nice gentle horse to ride on, not some freak who is going to bolt on me. I have considered getting a gaited horse many times, but I also have a fear of heights and anything over 14.3 hands is too big for me, and most TWH's are about 16 hands. If I could find a nice small gaited gelding, I'd snatch it up in a heartbeat.
As for this post, that's terrible. That man should be so glad he is too heavy for that too-young-to-ride yearling to buck off. What a jerk.
izze90 said...
the South has a reputation for having a poor education system or people who don't take advantage of education.Is my assumption wrong?
I would say that the South has a great education system (I maybe partial however as I am a part of it ;)), as you say, for those who take advantage of it. The system may be lacking in some of the more rural areas, but I would imagine that the situation is the same in the North. More than likely, however, there are more rural areas in the South.
Crunch... your stories made me simultaneously sad and sick to my stomach :(
RandomConfusion,
I'm talking about poverty (which can be associated with rednecks and the like, so let just say poverty) and where it's found. The poorer parts of the country are deep in the mountains, people are impoverished....no nutrition, inbreeding, lack of hygeine, not educated. This is a fact, there are people in the US like this. Now you can find people like this anywhere, I'm just saying (yes the Appalacians) are your typical place for finding them. Obviously you are not one of those people, I'm not saying every single person in that area is. I'm simply saying the concentrated group of "impoverished rednecks" lives in that area.
Sorry for the confusion, since you are from that area I'm sure you understand me (I hpoe, lol)
:)
An addition to my prior statement:
Rural or not I think the key to lack of education is "those who take advantage of it".
Graciela said...
Uh oh, looks like I am going straight to hell...
-I live in the south.
-I own gaited horses.
-I don't like shows.
-I like endurance riding.
-I have been on a wagontrain.
-I have been to Love Valley NC.
Maybe I should sell my horses, buy some tall boots, polo shirts and tan breeches so I can go learn how to ride a proper horse at the local h/j barn.
Nah. ;-)
January 10, 2008 10:25 AM
perhaps i should have mentioned that some of the horses were in ok shape, with neatly shod feet, and had clearly been conditioned for the ride. BUT they were greatly outnumbered by the ones who were NOT in good condition.
and surprise surprise! the newspaper had no pics of the unfortunate ones... just some asshat with an unhelmeted baby, some ponies pulling a cart, and a few far off shots.
Graciela
Uh oh, looks like I am going straight to hell...
-I live in the south.
-I own gaited horses.
-I don't like shows.
-I like endurance riding.
-I have been on a wagontrain.
-I have been to Love Valley NC.
Are they dead broke as 2 year olds?
XD
I've been reading this blog for several months now, and this is the first time that I have felt in any way insulted. Apparently some people believe that all gaited horse owners are ass hat rednecks who abuse their animals, ride while intoxicated, have no education, and can't ride worth shit so they have gaited horses.
To all of you people out there with that opinion I fell that I have to tell you to go and fuck yourselves. My wife and I have four TWH mares and all are fat and happy. They have their feet trimmed, all their vet care, feed, and pretty much anything else you can think of for good horse health. All but one of them is barefoot, and the one that has shoes only has them because she has soft feet. We only ride them with plain snaffle bits, no curb bits and for God's sake no leverage bits or western saddles.
My wife is a very good rider; she has taken dressage and jumping lessons for some time. We just like the Walking horse personality and movement. We only get to ride them every couple of months (they are at her parent’s farm in Louisiana) and they are only used for trail riding.
In short I'm offended that there is no mention of anybody being responsible owners with gaited breeds. Usually Fugly is very careful to post a bad example of a breed and a good one for comparison. She didn't do that this time and people automatically went for the throat of all gaited horse owners. While there are a large number of asshatted fucktards out there, there are also a large number of well taken care of animals that are perfectly healthy and happy.
izze90:
You know what happens when you assume things don't you?
I am an Army Brat, traveled all over this country as well as overseas. The South has some poor school systems as does every part of this Country. We also have some very good ones. Generalizing the South in such a way is what we ignorant, uneducated Southerners call Stereotyping.
In my area of the South, many people use TWH's and other gaited horses for Fox Hunting. They are very good at it, comfortable on a hunt that can last 3-4 hours and very level-headed about the whole thing. But hell, we are just uneducated hicks, what do we know?
Kathryn said... "People get gaited horses because they cannot ride a trot, and they have embarrassed themselves so many times at dressage and H/J shows, they need an excuse to stop showing without admitting defeat."
You know--I admit that since I've ridden gaited horses over the past 8 years, I'm not as good at posting a trot as I once was, but that is NOT why I got a gaited horse (and I do have two trotting horses, as well). I have three TWHs, because you have no idea how fabulous it is to ride the mountains in Utah on a smooth-gaited, ground-covering TWH. For hours and hours. You don't get tired, the horse doesn't get tired... the QHs, Arabians, appys and paints can't keep up and their riders are exhausted at the end of the ride. I like trotting and gaited breeds--but it's not at all true that people only buy them because they "can't ride" or have a bad back or are old. However, those ARE all reasons some people do buy them. And frankly--who cares? So long as they treat them right. Unfortunately, there are dumbcraps out there who don't treat them right... which is true of all breeds.
As for temperaments--TWHs (and other gaited breeds?) do tend to tolerate more than other breeds, although I have one firecracker of a TWH mare who's 20 years old... most people can't, won't and don't want to ride her. I adore her. Best mountain horse ever. My palomino TWH gelding isn't particularly mellow, either... he is a huge, freight train of a horse with a bit of an attitude, but he is an awful lot of fun to ride.
paul_the_small,
I think most of us realize that there are good, conscientious owners of gaited breeds out there, including people who ride them for what are basically medical reasons. Unfortunately, however, there appear to be a lot more of the other kind of owner, or at least it appears so when taking a big picture view.
Tiffany,
It's hard to do tongue in cheek on the internet. My point is just what quite a few others have already said - people who don't know how to ride very well or guys who don't want to smash the family jewels are often the ones who buy gaited horses. Unfortunately this same group often (but not always) never tries to learn more about horses, tends to hang out with other people who don't know very much, and follows their often faulty intuition about handling the horse. The horse's suffer as a result.
I know it's not the horse's fault - far from it.
Clearly, there is enough 'blame' to go around. There are asshat owners/riders/trainers in every region of the world, in every breed, and at every level of competition.
You don't have to be poor, uneducated or speak with a drawl to be stupid (or inhumane).
Sorry about the bad grammar and punctuation...have to go back to work!
http://www.equinehits.com/horses-for-sale/horse-107830
Their other ad
What a fuckin asshole. And $9000 for a MUSTANG? 9.1 hands too. Born 2004 2years old.
And these jackasses are reproducing, evidantly by the very young chittlin sitting on the saddle for said mustang, proving she "loves kids"
I just wanna pin this guy down, geld him with my kitchen shears, then hack off both his legs so he couldn't ride a damn thing, equine or otherwise, ever again.
Years ago when I lived out in BF Egypt (see..you're not safe anywhere!) a young teenager came up my driveway in tears..."Please help me" she begged. "My horse fell down and she won't get up" We ran down the road to where a tiny sorry looking WEANLING quarter horse filly lay on her side in the road (deserted) FULLY SADDLED with a steel bit in her mouth, and looking purely terrified as I encouraged her to get to her feet..."How old is this horse?" I asked the girl, who was about as tall as me and a few lbs lighter..."She is almost a year old" she replied, petting the tiny mare..."But Dad said I could ride her since he finished teaching her." "Your DAD rode her?" I asked, totally AGASSED (lol yeah yeah I know how to spell) and the girl nodded...I helped her get the horse
steadied, and told her to just PLEASE walk her home and to get that huge saddle off as soon as she got there...
Later that night here comes a shitty pick up truck up my driveway and some nasty looking hick stomps up and starts yelling at me that HE is perfectly capable of breaking horses and some high n mighty rich woman (yeah we lived in a double wide trailer, as opposed to his single wide) stuck her big nose is HIS business yada yada yada...I was mortified; the guy was a full size man and at the time remembered thinking "I betcha he also sleeps in the same bed as his daughter since, much like that horse, she has all the equipment HE needs for his lifestyle...
Yes, I think most gaited horses are too gentle for their own goods; especially the TWH. I have a 2 year old MFT/TWH cross, and he put up with a bad, abusive trainer for six months and acted like an abused child who always runs to the abuser for comfort. It took us a long time to figure out what was going on for that reason.
He is slowly learning he doesn't need to put up with crap from idiots, but it's hard for him. He isn't wired to disobey.
Even Cookies, who comes from a long line of very tractable, cooperative Quarter Horses, will put on the brakes when she thinks humans are being unfair or abusive. And, as for the old ones -- Rusty and Tilly -- they learned long ago they don't need to put up with stupidity and let the human in question know in no uncertain terms they don't suffer fools.
Anyway, because many gaited breeds WILL put up with abuse, of course morons tend to abuse them more. If these fools know their horse won't kill them, their thinking is probably along the lines of "Why not abuse them?"
Jazz has several lovely gaits, including the running walk, foxtrot and something that looks a lot like a Paso Fino corto but with lift like a Peruvian. I'm glad he's going to be smooth under saddle when he's old enough -- but we do worry that someone will try to steal him and he'll just go along with the thief, right into their trailer.
Rita
Niki said...
"Are they dead broke as 2 year olds?"
Nah, worse than that. Since I don't show and am in no hurry to get them under saddle, I wait until they are 3.5-4 years old to start their training.
Oh, the horror of it all! Wait, it gets worse! I am such a lazy redneck asshat that I purchased a pellon and ez-ride stirrups for my saddle. I plan to get some ez-rides with safety cages so I can ride in running shoes. Heck, I am so low class that I tent camp at endurance rides.
Tiffany-
Um first of all, it's PEOPLE who who made them this way.
Tiffany-
I don't know about you guys but I hate horses like Thoroughbreds and Arabians that are full of spirit, I am a timid rider with no confidence, I need a nice gentle horse to ride on, not some freak
who is going to bolt on me.
Seems a little, ummm, self explanitory there.
I have both a TB and an Arab who you can ride without fear of either one bolting on you. No matter what your confidence level. If they do in fact bolt- it would be because of something you, as their rider, did. Pilot Error. It is the cause of a lot of accidents. Horse related or not.
A riders confidence level can affect the horses confidence levels. If you are asking them to do something you aren't sure they will do and you aren't confident in your own capabilities to get them through it, it's an accident waiting to happen.
Please don't lump all breeds into the ruined by bad handling category. That's a broad brush.
Back to snarking everyone...
from that shadypines site:
"Cassie is registered with the Blue Eyed House Association.
She is in foal for march 23rd 2008 to Majics Tuff Dee Light"
My Walker, bless his heart, is a tolerant soul. While he has his moments of attitude, they're nothing in comparison to some I've seen. Just about any novice can handle your average Walker. That plus the fact that they tend to be cheap, comfy to ride for the idiot, and come in OMG SHINY colors, and you have something that'll attract morons for miles.
A shame people feel compelled to shove "Walking Horse Bits" into their mouths because of their breed, too. Bleh.
Blogger HorseNoir said...
paul_the_small,
I think most of us realize that there are good, conscientious owners of gaited breeds out there, including people who ride them for what are basically medical reasons. Unfortunately, however, there appear to be a lot more of the other kind of owner, or at least it appears so when taking a big picture view.
January 10, 2008 10:42 AM
i agree
and i did put a disclaimer at a later point... not all the horses were even gaited!
the one i mentioned 1st was gaited and ridden by an asshat, though. they live over the hill from me. and i found out later, that was a stud, and 'Tex' asked me if i wanted to breed 'that big red mare' to him. he is why i am so fanatical about fence management!
i saw plenty of half dead horses from all breeds on that wagon train! when i mentioned the wagon train, that had to do with the redneck/drunken behavior the 'Goober' on the main post is exhibiting. and make no mistake, the people in that wagon pulled by the bloody-mouthed half-dead mules were drunk!
i meant no disrespect to anyone from the south... heck, I'M southern! Kentucky mom and Georgia dad! :)
barnibus, if you are going to quote Our Lord President Bush, The Great, at least get the quote right:
"Childrens do learn"
Years ago when I lived out in BF Egypt (see..you're not safe anywhere!) a young teenager came up my driveway in tears..."Please help me" she begged. "My horse fell down and she won't get up" We ran down the road to where a tiny sorry looking WEANLING quarter horse filly lay on her side in the road (deserted) FULLY SADDLED with a steel bit in her mouth, and looking purely terrified as I encouraged her to get to her feet..."How old is this horse?" I asked the girl, who was about as tall as me and a few lbs lighter..."She is almost a year old" she replied, petting the tiny mare..."But Dad said I could ride her since he finished teaching her." "Your DAD rode her?" I asked, totally AGASSED (lol yeah yeah I know how to spell) and the girl nodded...I helped her get the horse
steadied, and told her to just PLEASE walk her home and to get that huge saddle off as soon as she got there...
Later that night here comes a shitty pick up truck up my driveway and some nasty looking hick stomps up and starts yelling at me that HE is perfectly capable of breaking horses and some high n mighty rich woman (yeah we lived in a double wide trailer, as opposed to his single wide) stuck her big nose is HIS business yada yada yada...I was mortified; the guy was a full size man and at the time remembered thinking "I betcha he also sleeps in the same bed as his daughter since, much like that horse, she has all the equipment HE needs for his lifestyle...
HorseNoir said...
"Unfortunately, however, there appear to be a lot more of the other kind of owner, or at least it appears so when taking a big picture view."
Perhaps a big picture view from a poor vantage point. As a trail rider, gaited horse owner/rider who takes care of my horses and runs with people who do the same, I don't see a dramatic difference in asshatopia between the gaited and stock worlds.
People whose experience and perspective comes primarily from the dressage/eventer/h/j world have some limitation because let's face it. These disciplines attract a more affluent following. Not a lot of "Uncle Daddies" in these circles, and I've yet to watch Dressage performed to the beat of "All My Rowdy Friends are Coming Over Tonight."
The other thing is not only are they mild mannered and even tempered, they're a smooth ride. As in, anybody can stay on without riding lessons.
Back Yard Breeder takes on a whole 'nother meaning sometimes!
OMG the baby is named "killer" and i think they must use the Sarah Stetner method of horse measurement:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l3wtq7SVwEw
I checked out the link (http://www.shadypinesstables.com/index.html) as someone mentioned here and I found it disturbing they use barbed wire fencing and they are raising foals. I saw a horse so mangled up from a barbed wire fence it was totally disgusting.
Also, just because someone doesn't ride or show their horses doesn't mean they are ignorant or uneducated. We have two that are just pets. Neither of us ride but our horses are happy, well taken cared of, and get to be simply horses living the retired life a bit early.
CutNJump,
"If they do in fact bolt- it would be because of something you, as their rider, did. Pilot Error. It is the cause of a lot of accidents. Horse related or not."
I've had 1 horse on me, and it was my Paint horse, and it was not by my error. I consider myself a very advanced rider because I know how to ride, I ride well, do everything great riding wise, but I have no confidence after my first horse was killed. The reason he bolted was by his OWN fault, he decided he didn't like dogs that day and ran me into oncoming traffic. Yes, my fault for riding a show horse on trail that spooks at whatever he feels like depending on the day, but it was not my fault he bolted on me.
"Please don't lump all breeds into the ruined by bad handling category. That's a broad brush."
I'm not lumping anything into a category except for being spirited. I've been to a lot of stables, met loads of horses, and go to the Arabian show every year in Scottsdale. Every single Thoroughbred and Arabian I have met is extremely spirited, and their owners generally have a complaint about them is all I am saying. I'm not a fan of them, maybe that has shone through in my comment, I didn't intend for it to be that way. Through my own personal experiences watching the Arab show each year, loads of them wig out. Whether it be bucking, rearing, kicking, bolting, or whatever, they've done it and I've witnessed it. I haven't witnessed that kind of behavior is such an obscene amount at stock breed shows or gaited shows is what I am saying.
Graciela,
Oh no!! I can just imagine what your horses are like!!!
Running around GROWING as babies... geez they must be hard to ride since they arn't stunted and I'im sure you FEED them!!
I plan to get some ez-rides with safety cages so I can ride in running shoes
Wow!!!... I can't believe it!
Not such a bad idea.....!
*one horse bolt on me
I don't care where one is born or lives now, an asshat is an asshat is an asshat.
Of course the nonsense in the South, especially regarding fundy religion and Draconian politics, offends me, but since I don't choose to live there, how they miseducate their children is really none of my business. If you don't like an area, don't live there.
As many bigoted, stupid, abusive and uneducated people live in other areas of the country, and it's getting worse, so the South is going to be competing in the dumb and dumber olympics very soon with other parts of the USA and the world.
The entire US is something like 85th in education worldwide. Even places like Africa are ahead of us in education. It is NOT just the South.
Rita
As the proud keeper of two Walkers, I'm tickled to see FHOD go after these morons. Riding babies is freaking criminal. I feel the same about the Big Lick crap. It should be outlawed. It makes me sick. The soring and devices used to get these horses to preform like that is inhumane.
To those of you that are making the blanket statement, regarding people that ride easy gaited horses don't know how to ride.
I know you didn't really mean ALL people, so I won't go into a 3 paragraph rant. No matter how tempted.......
Blogger RDM said...
I don't care where one is born or lives now, an asshat is an asshat is an asshat.
Of course the nonsense in the South, especially regarding fundy religion and Draconian politics, offends me, but since I don't choose to live there, how they miseducate their children is really none of my business. If you don't like an area, don't live there.
OT, but wanna know how bad it is here? the churchies obviously protested, and caused our local theaters to not show the movie Sweeney Todd! (this is what i heard... i do KNOW that they won't show it here, ever!)
i swear, if i didn't own my land outright i would move far far away...
First off, I take offence that because I have gaited horses, it is implied that I cannot ride as well as someome with a trotting horse - Just because I have chosen not to post does not make my riding/balance/hands any worse than anyone else!
That being said, I have 6 gaited horses, and you are correct in your assesment, they want to please, it is born and bred into who they are. I personally feel that is is a good thing, No a great thing - why I chose to stay in this breed. And enjoy showing - trail riding - feild trialing - working cattle - etc on my smooth horses, I simply do not want to trot!
Many times in the horse industy as a whole the process of training is rushed - for every young gaited horse, I am sure that you can find another stock horse that was started just as young. Maybe the rednecks just post pictures more often!
And finally I can't beleive that no one has picked up on the Blue eyed HOUSE assoc. on that web site
In answer to Paul the Small,
I live in the UK and have no experience of gaited breeds so all this stuff is new to me. However, having read the comments I did not jump to the conclusion that ALL gaited horse owners were morons. I felt that the posters were making a generalisation that these breeds were open to abuse due to their good natures and pleasant gaits.
If you are going to be so 'touchy' you'd be better reading something less like to offend your sensitive nature.
I'm just waiting for the 'all friesian owners are wealthy fantasists with unicorns and fairies on their websites' posts. I won't recognise myself though!!
LOL@ blue-eyed house!
Damn! That poor horse has been squished into submission.
There is no geographic lock on ignorance. There are fucktards everywhere.
Hi there beautiful-morgan and everybody,
Ahem, having met beautiful-morgan in person in Oklahoma City last October I can attest that she is not only lovely butpoised, charming, well-spoken, and obviously educated (didn't see her spit tabackky juice once during our visit).
I'll bet we can all point to our own stereotyped version of a redneck-hillbilly-mountain man-drifter-hobo-tramp in our own neck of the woods. Heck, out here in the Pacific Northwest some folk believe we wear cedar bark skirts and Haidu masks to the grocery store.....
"Rural" seems to be the key, as no one can afford a herd of fuglies in the 'burbs or city, but unless you live between Spindletop Farm and Keeneland with miles of board fences, I reckon each of us can point to a single strand of rusty barbed wire holding back a scruffy mutt of a pony within a mile or two if not directly next door.
And on that note, I fretted on Christmas morning that our neighbor across the road got a new white mutt of a horse from Santa Claus but I was wrong---they got TWO new white mutt horses from that jolly ol' elf, and trust me, they'll never make a driving team. Can't (wouldn't dare) get close enough to tell gender, but from the posturing & snortin' & blowin' my guess is STALLIONs. Hate to geld the poor things with a shotgun but if they get across the road all bets are off.
So walk proud, beautiful-morgan, I'm glad to know ya!
"I also have yet to see any examples of a well-trained (ie not abused or over-bitted into behaving), pleasant, agreeable picture of someone riding one."
Go to FOSH (Friends of Sound Horses). Lee Ziegler's Book, Easy Gaited Horses. Brenda Imus. Liz Graves. The National Walking Horse Association.
There are even plans to start the approval process for a "Three-Phase Event," which will be a gaited version of Three Day Eventing.
Look, what pisses me off the most, as a gaited horse rider, is the fact that some folks equate the STOOPID, UNSKILLED ASSHAT things that are DONE TO THE HORSES, with the breed of horse itself.
That is just totally irrational to me. That is akin to hating TBs because they are raced at age two. To hating QHs because they are bred to be HYPP positive. To hating Warmbloods because you don't know how to ride Dressage.
Just because you don't know the proper way to ride a gaited horse--and have had some egregious examples of BAD riders come across your radar, does not mean the horses themselves are the problem.
Here is why they unfortunately attract yeehaw idiots:
1. The easy gait means most can stick on, if not actually "ride."
2. The wonderful, tolerant temperament
3. The wonderful, tolerant temperament
4. The cheap price, both of young stock, and of stud fees.
5. The *INSTANT GRATIFICATION* of being able to profoundly affect gait and way of going by paying somebody else to meddle with feet, hoof angle, and bitting. No need to train, condition, WORK for easy gait--just do what BillyTom the farr-ee-er said ta do.
And no, whoever said it--the "natural gaited horse people" do NOT think it is "okay" to ride in a 10" shank bit. No.
Kudos to whoever pointed out it takes just as much skill to cue and properly school and condition these animals as it does the trotting breeds.
I do not think it takes quite so much *balance,* granted, which makes them excellent mounts for folks with neurological conditions, spinal or otherwise.
But it takes every single bit as much horsemanship, emotional and intellectual integrity to do a fine job with a gaited horse as with one who is not capable of performing intermediate gaits.
Coming from one who has schooled to Prix St. Georges in the past on Arabians--I kinda think I am an okay rider. Not world class, just okay--and I find myself challenged every time I do a schooling session on one of the gaited horses. Never boring, tons of "gears" to work with.
Don't equate the horses with the ignorant things they tolerate from humans! Bah and shame on the poster who suggested the TWH's were "brain-dead." Use your own brain before being so quick to criticize that of another species.
Thank you for posting this, Fug. While we don't agree on many things, I'm glad you brought this to light. The more people know about it, the more can be done.
Good LORD, people, let's drop the horrible stereotypes. If I hated everyone with a pink hat, that would make just as much sense as a blanket statement like "Most people get a gaited horse because they dont want to be "bothered with" taking lessons!"
You're kidding, right?
Maybe some people do, but I love my TWHs, their heart, their temperament, and their willingness. I've worked with quite a few, and to be honest, I've known some rather hot-headed ones that wouldn't tolerate much at all. You had to work with them gently for weeks just to get a bit in to their mouths. (I know that some of you probably believe in just putting the dang thing in, but not me. I train the horse in such a way that it opens its mouth willingly and lowers its head. It takes time and effort, but it's worth it.)
Anyway, I don't ride gaited horses because I'm lazy. I ride them because I like the gait. It's a preference, just like western pleasure or equitation. I don't ride dressage and am not likely to because I don't like it - but at least I respect that it takes a lot of hard work and collection, and I also respect that it takes skill. You think it's because of a lack of skill that I ride a gaited horse? I think the same about the western pleasure horses that lope around half dead, but I'm not going to blanket judge everyone that does it. That's narrow minded and shows a lack of respect. I may not like the way you ride, but if you're good to your horses and take care of them, then great!
Not all of us are "hick rednecks". Not everyone in the south rides that way. Not everyone in the north treats their gaited horses well. I attended enough TWH shows in Oregon/Washington a few years back to know that the soring and crap is done up there, too.
No, I do NOT plan to break my horse when she's two! Good GOD, I'm not that dim.
My training is progressing as follows:
First year, ground manners.
Leading quietly at the shoulder, check.
Picking up all four feet quietly, in progress.
Backing on command, check.
Standing quietly to be groomed, check.
Stepping back and waiting when grain is put in her bucket or when hay is brought in, check. (I make her wait until I could to ten, then walk away. Only then can she have it.)
Moving away her hips when asked, in progress.
Quietly accepting the halter and lowering her head in to it, check.
Quietly moving out of the halter, in progress. (She still panics when the halter comes back over her ears, so I stand quietly until she calms down, and slide it off.)
Year Two, Reinforce basic ground work, expose her to all possible stimulus for work on trails. (I plan to join the Equisearch equivalent here when she's trained to ride.) Lots of walks, responding to pressure quietly from head to tail, more thorough grooming and trimming, more ground work.
Year Three, Learning to drive in a circingle, introduction to the bit. I'll drive her until she's soft on the bit and comfortable, and drive her everywhere. Notice, there is NO plan to break her at 3.
Year Four, breaking to saddle. Work on smooth gaits, moving on verbal cue, responding to slight bit pressure. I want to ride my mare with just a touch on the rein.
So... laugh all you want and poke fun of awful rednecks all you want, not all of us are this way. Many of us want to stop the cruelty that is so prevalent in the gaited horse world. I've started a club for it on my favorite art site (I'm a professional artist) and get flamed for being against it regularly. Just last night someone was trying to convince me that "ankle chains don't hurt a horse and they strengthen the horse's muscles and movement." I challenged her to walk around in chains for a few weeks and see how it felt.
Here are a few links to organizations against what is being done, including a registry that doesn't allow padded TWHs:
NWHA
http://www.nwha.com/main.html
Friends of Sound Horses
http://www.fosh.info/
Not all of us believe in this abuse and torture. Most of us that don't support it get hate mail on a regular basis from the big breeders - but it hasn't stopped us yet.
A few years back, a non-padded horse also competed in the world nationals, and there was a huge fuss about it. The stallion's name was Champagne Watchout.
I have a TWH mare and I just love her to death! She is super sweet and will go anywhere I ask her to (we trail ride), BUT she is a VERY spooky horse. (I know, I know doesn’t make sense right? Well, she’s an enigma, hence the screen name.) As spooky as she is I would still bet that she would let some moron sore her and do all sorts of horrible thing to her because all she wants is a pat and a “good girl” and she’s in heaven, as most gaited horses are. They have been bred for years and years to be the perfect family horse and they are because they put up with all sorts of SHIT.
I don’t know why so many are broke so young, it makes no sense. Just because the horse lets you mount it doesn’t mean it should be ridden. I know a dealer that brings them up from the Carolinas to the northeast by the dozens as 2 and 3 year olds that are DEAD BROKE and all VERY UNDER WEIGHT. (Of course the jack asses are clueless and riding them at 3 so of course they have no idea how to actually FEED them properly.) WTF? They have been ridden extensively on the trails and in field trials for hours and hours on end at 2 years old!
TWH shows have always made me sick! As for TWHBEA, they need to grow the balls and say NO MORE big lick classes, PERIOD! There is no reason to have a horse shown like EVER. Even flat shod is deceiving. Have you ever seen a flat shod show horse? (I will post a link when I find it.) That’s not natural either, they leave their toes extremely long and cut the heals to enhance their gait.
Any by the way I can ride a trotting horse. I rode hunters and jumpers for um-teen years and have a very impressive show record. I have also had a back surgery (spondylolisthesis, google it) and am having hip arthroscopy in March (torn labrum and cyst in the joint) but I don’t have to ride a gaited horse, it’s just sooo much more comfortable. Since I’ve retired from the show ring it’s all about the comfort!
I was wondering a few months back why some of the wonderful duncecap morons I've met frequently have gaited horses.
It's perfectly clear now.
But man, I'd love to throw some of those people on a mule and watch them get worked over for a while.
OMG!!! Some of you posters are SO over the top!!! Waaa! Waaa! Good Lord, some of you (and you know who you are) are all kinds of defensive and arguementitive. You one called you out by name! No one made vague implications that would lead us all to KNOW that it's you! Good grief! Be thankful that you can voice an opinion, cuss, swear, point fingers, etc, etc, without being censored or banned. If you want a kinder, gentler blog spot, go somewhere else where every lies and replies "Oooh your horse has PERFECT confirmation." "You should breed!" blah, blah blah! Abuse, stupidity, and ignornace is EVERYWHERE! No one is point at finger at YOU! Sheesh! Grow up! PLEEEEZE!!!!!!
"count to ten", not "could to ten". I was trying to say too much at once.
And by the way if you think people buy gaited horses so they don’t have to take lessons I invite you to *try* to come ride my THW. While I think there is some truth to that statement and a lot of gaited horses get the shity end of the stick because along with riding lessons comes basic horse care, not all gaited horses are just lounge chairs.
I think their quiet dispositions have a huge amount to do with why asshats get and wreck them. Even with their super smooth gaits, no fuckhead is gonna want one if they were hot and flighty.
As to people riding them too young, there is a girl near here who has a coming 2 year old. She started him LAST MAY. According to his papers, he was born in June of '06. Which made him a whole 11 months old. To make it worse, her fucking mother was bragging about how much further along her daughter's yearling was than ours. my son, then ten, was start enough to know that we would still have a good, sound horse left in a few years, who'll be behind then? I feel so sorry for the poor bugger. And he's fugly too. So liable to break down anyhow. Who lets people like this own horses. We should start a firing squad.
Tiffany- I forgot in my last post the mare in my little picture is the TB mare you could ride. She's taller than I am so the height issue shakes people up sometimes, but she is as sweet as the day is long.
I think the problem with gaited horses is that there is a broader variety of bad riders.
The "good shwo horses" are abused and mistreated and ridden by bad rider (I'm not talking BIG shows, and I admit I know nothing about gaited horse, just the stereotypical everyone knows)
On the other end, the "redneck horses" are abused and mistreated.
Granted this goes on in any discipline/breed. I'm just saying that I think poor training methods are more widespread in gaited horses than in other breeds (just a generalization).
Granted the low end is low in any breed, but usually by that point it's not even recognizable as the breed, but a low end gaited horse is still "gaited" making it "recognizable" which makes it seem worse.
Unfortunately the middle of the road folk who breed nice quality horses and train using gentle and natural methods get over looked by the BIG high end and BIG low end....
In other breeds it's more evened out.
Now I may be wrong, I may be spot on, this is just what I feel is the problem. i'm young, and never known any gaited hroses annd there arn't too many in this area. Please don't hate me!!
:)
BAH!! I should not post when I'm cranky! Someone pass me a beer! I gotta yearling to go start... hick, hick (Oh and just in case anyone takes offense, that was a joke)
I just bought a Tennessee Walker after much debate with myself as to whether I wanted to give up trotting or not. From what I have experienced owning him, I can see why they get stuck with asshats that break horses after they are barely 1. Such sweet, tolerant horses. I had to rehabilitate mine a bit, he was bred for showing so his training was pretty much: "ok, your 14-18 months old, here's a huge shank, a saddle, now GO!" I have had to take off his weighted shoes, actually feed him (he was amazed at this... someone feeding him...), and teach him to turn and slow down, and at almost 5 years old, yep, teach him to canter.
Now, for those lucky few that get a gaited horse that is truly naturally gaited, those are unfortunately the ones that tend to go to the idiots, like the beer cooler strapped to the saddle folk at the local riding club. Ones like my Walker have to be trained not to pace. and for those of us who have ridden a hard pace before... its not pleasant. I'm MUCH rather trot.
But yea. These guys need to learn to buck or something so they stop getting so victimized. I have to be careful with my guy. I just pulled his shoes and he refuses to admit he's sore.
"BlueWillow said
Bah and shame on the poster who suggested the TWH's were "brain-dead." Use your own brain before being so quick to criticize that of another species."
Regardless of what term you prefer for animals abused to the point of mindless submission, the poor creatures on those videos qualify.
Oops, I forgot one.
I ride a gaited horse and I am in perfectly good health with no injuries to prevent me from riding a trotting horse.
Yup, I am a lazy redneck asshat.
Oh and Niki, I torture my horses by feeding them controlled starch feed and Black Oil Sunflower seeds. How dare I not give them the yummy molasses stuff.
This is my first post. I am posting in response to some erroneous information. Some gaited breeds do trot. Icelandics are bred to walk, tolt, trot, and canter. Some can do a 5th gait or flying pace which is a smooth gait up to 30 miles an hour for short periods. Some Icelandics can't trot and some can't tolt. Legitimate breeding tries for all 4gaits including a good trot.
I am almost a total beginner rider and got my first horse at age 50. I got an Icelandic because of their mellow personality and their gait. However my instructor was very smart. She made me learn how to ride a balanced trot before she would offer instruction on how to tolt--otherwise I would just be hanging on the reins for balance all the time at trot or tolt. I ride about an equal amount of time now at trot and tolt.
Here is a link to a friend riding my Icelandic Blessi at a slow tolt for the first time. He is riding in my typical 3-piece egg butt 3/8 (1/2?) inch snaffle bit. There is a loosely fitted dropped nose band. Please note that my friend is riding leaning backwards--he usually rides a Tennessee Walker. A more upright, centered position is preferred if riding Icelandics in either English or Western.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jKq3df3cgTo
Farewell, I'm off to go ride my "hyper crazy insane, etc, etc" Arab. (K those arab stereotypes really really piss me off!!)
XD
I'll be on later to obsessively read all the posts i've misesed!
Geez I can't type today - apologies.
After 15 years of raising and showing arabs, then working with OTTB's, soured hunter/jumper types, and all along chasing cows when I could...I moved to Tennessee, where I rode my first gaited breed 3 years ago...
I now only own TWH's. A well bred and PROPERLY trained walker is the smooth driving cadillac of the horse world. After half a lifetime of riding around on Fiats and Ferrari's, a Cadillac is WELCOME! Easy to train, easy to ride, easy to get along with. Which is exactly their downfall...
When I moved here, with my Ay-rabs, Mr.Redneck from across the street sauntered over and asked how many horses I owned. I answered, to which he then replied, puffing his chest out - I own 16! What breed? asked I...."Racking" he says.....
(which isn't a breed.)
None of his horses were over 14.2, most under 14, none had seen a good meal, all had ribs and backbones sticking out. All were ridden at a hard rack, only on pavement, and with giant saddles with big men. I was horrified, and thus started my first war with "gaited horse people" in the south.
The downfall of the gaited horse is its temperment, and its smooth gait. You need very little balance and absolutely no skill to stay on most gaited horses, even when they make sudden moves, it's generally quite smooth. I can count on one hand and have fingers left to spare the number of riders on gaited horses with actual riding ability that I have met here in the South.
And most do not want to be educated. The myth that gaited horses need all sorts of different things than trotting horses, from bits, to saddles, to training, to shoes is something that is so strongly ingrained that it's almost as firm as toilet training in the minds of southerners.
Further, the concept of horses as work animals - similar to a tractor- is only one generation removed in the rural areas of the South. My significant other, when he was a teenager, still logged timber in the mountains of Tennessee with mules - it wasn't until he was in his 20's that his family got their first tractor. He's 50 now, and still has difficulty separating the needs of an animal like a horse, to that of a tractor or cow.
I haunt internet forums trying to dispel the gaited horse myths as much as I can. It's not easy. Most folks from outside the South buy their horses from the South, and get their heads filled with all sorts of nonsense in the meantime. Additionally, some southerners have actually learned to use the computer, and when not taking and posting pictures of dead animals, guns, and big tits, they occasionally try to defend their myths. You'll see that on some of the Big Lick youtube videos and occasionally on forums as well.
If more NON GAITED horse people stood up for the injustices done to gaited horses (soring, heavy and inappropriate shoes, seriously bad bit inflation) it might help. Somewhat.
Icelandics seem to attract a lot of loonies. In particular, there is a cult of clicker-trainers with this breed. (No offense to -good- clicker trainer people).
With Icelandics, I'm fairly sure this is due to the fact that Icelandics are really sweet on the ground, by and large. They're generally unflappable and respectful of space. However, most of them are quite responsive and 'goey' under saddle. They were intentionally bred to go-fast, and people mistake 'calm' for deadhead, and get scared of riding the widdle fluffy pony.
At which point they breed it.
I have been a lurker for a long time, but felt the urge to post a comment to this one for sure. I have 2 Missouri Fox Trotters and just lost my 27 year old TWH. He could have been considered fugly (he was a gelding though!), but he was the sweetest horse I have ever met. He came from a place with conditions much like today's post and was headed for a killer buyer if my friend would have have bought him. I showed him for years in my local fun show circuit and he did really well, but he was mostly a trail horse ( he was FLAT SHOD and NATURALLY gaited. None of that artificial stuff. He was also the sweetest, most laid back horse I have ever met. I agree 100% with Fugly - these horses are so gentle that they do not fight back. The gentle temperament of the breed is one reason I like them so well and yet stupid people have to exploit it. Typical. People, for the most part, suck.
JSommer, thank you so much for posting that. I get so tired of hearing people say that they do not like the TWH because of the soring that occurs in the industry. When are people going to realize it is NOT THE HORSE"S FAULT! These are wonderful horses and it is a shame that *SOME* people do what they do to them. It is also worthwhile pointing out that NOT EVERYONE who rides gaited horses does this kind of thing. I, for one, think it is absolutely horrible. Soring SUCKS. Naturally gaited horses are fantastic!
Enigma said...
"I have also had a back surgery (spondylolisthesis, google it) and am having hip arthroscopy in March (torn labrum and cyst in the joint)"
I am beside myself. First, I found a flock of fellow Fugly Fan Bloomingtonians yesterday...
Then Fugs posted on a subject near and dear to my heart...gaited horses.
And now I find a person who shares one of my back issues. How has it affected your riding?
Someone ought to see how he would like seeing his toddler ridden around by a load of bricks! ASSHOLE!
I feel that this statement: "Most people get a gaited horse because they dont want to be "bothered with" taking lessons!" is probably meant to say something like this: "Most ASSHATS get a gaited horse because they dont want to be "bothered with" taking lessons!"
I never got the impression that ALL gaited horse owners were being bashed, just the bastard ones, but that impression just comes from reading this blog often.
My uncle is currently looking for a TWH. He's getting older and doesn't want to be jostled as much at the trot anymore. I just hope he gets a good horse because his usual method of getting a horse is to just buy the first one he sees. I've hooked him up with a TWH trainer I know that is a good guy and they're going to look at a gelding this weekend. My uncle called and asked why the trainer was so interested in finding out about the horse's bloodlines. Ha, well I told him that it's a good way to tell if the horse in question has actually been bred to do what you're looking to do with a horse! I also told him that before he buys, he needs to go see the horse, ride the horse, then have a pre-purchase vet exam on the horse. It will be interesting to see if he actually does all that.
How about these beautiful animals. I think I may want a breeding to my Painted Morabawalkaloosafresian for a spotted big licker.
http://www.buggybobs.com/index.htm
Kathryn - get over yourself. Seriously. Have you ever even ridden a gaited horse? I didn't think so. IF you had you would know that just because they gait smoothly does NOT mean they are easy to ride. Some riders only like to trail ride (such as myself). I used to show (at little fun shows) but found that I enjoyed myself much more while out on the trail. And, in my opinion, there is no horse better for trail riding than a gaited horse. It does not mean I am lazy, stupid, or don't know how to ride anything else, it simply means that I chose a breed that is best suited to what I want to use it for. Think before you type next time, ok?
cnsdubie...my 16 year old daughter was just diagnosed with spondylolisthesis and she was told she had to give up the volleyball team and no riding for 6 weeks, then we have to go back for a recheck. What has been your experience with the issue? Do all people with it eventually have to have surgery? She's so young and I hate that she has this problem already.
As a follow up to the Icelandic post saying that Icelandics do trot...
So do some ARH/TWH horses. It's rare that one is foaled naturally gaited. They're usually either "pacey" or "trotty" and are trained under saddle to gait properly. The Big Lick people really like a pacey horse, because once it's padded up, it squares up the gait and the horse will do the running walk.
As a general rule of thumb (as an ex-trainer in many TWH barns), the trotty horse is extended to gait, while the pacey one is collected.
wow... checked out that Shady Pine Stables link someone posted. um... hopefully those stallions have some mysterious injury that causes damage only to reproductive organs... same with the mares. I'm sure those people will hold onto them and continue to breed... AHH!
"cnsdubie said...
Yes, that feet-forward, shoulders back look is the way it's done.
I call it "laxative equitation" because it irritates the shit out of me."
cnsdubie, you made me laugh, that's the funniest thing I've read all day :)
Oh yeah, and gaited horse breeds do trot, if they're not extremely lateral. If their gaits are extremely lateral - they'll mostly pace, which is worse than a trot. A horse that scales a bit towards the diagonal in his gaits will perform the runwalk and foxtrot better, which are the best gaits for distance riding. Many folks like to ride a rack, which is a faster gait, generally done with the horse ventroflexed, but is much more strenuous on the horse, and more lateral.
The smoothest gaits tend to come from horses who do trot at liberty. I prefer a gaited horse with a trot, and will train at the trot as well as the smoother gaits. To me, having the extra gears is a luxury.
You always know the folks who never learned to ride a trot - they're the ones who swear a gaited horse should never trot under saddle.
Horsejunkie said...
How about these beautiful animals. I think I may want a breeding to my Painted Morabawalkaloosafresian for a spotted big licker.
http://www.buggybobs.com/index.htm
January 10, 2008 11:39 AM
OMG! I'm afraid now. I had to leave that place. Gaaaaa!
Oh and you forgot the twinkly sparkly shit warning! LOL
Ouch, that poor, poor filly. I am SO tepmted to go "upgrade" her... she can grow up here.
Blogger Soli said...
When I moved here, with my Ay-rabs, Mr.Redneck from across the street sauntered over and asked how many horses I owned. I answered, to which he then replied, puffing his chest out - I own 16! What breed? asked I...."Racking" he says.....
(which isn't a breed.)
None of his horses were over 14.2, most under 14, none had seen a good meal, all had ribs and backbones sticking out. All were ridden at a hard rack, only on pavement, and with giant saddles with big men. I was horrified, and thus started my first war with "gaited horse people" in the south.
HOLY SHIT!!!! do you live near me???
cnsdubie – my fellow spondy! (How exciting since I have found NO ONE who knows that it is except my surgeon!) Basically I had wicked back pain since I was ~12, but it never stopped me from riding (I started riding at 10 or so and learned to ride and showed hunters and jumpers). I use to take loads and loads of Advil because they thought the pain was spasms (no x-rays). Finally had an x-ray late 2001 and found the spondy. Form what my surgeon said I should have been paralyzed 1000 times over by now from falls and other back wrenching situations, like throwing hay! I had a fusion of L5/S1 in 2002 and feel like a million bucks (of course after months of excruciating pain from recovery). And now I can do hay and get out of bed in the morning! (at 33) Woo Hoo! No more problems riding! Have you had yours fixed?
OMG, cnsdubie....
If I ever have the opportunity to compete in a frestlye to music I'm so gonna use "all my rowdy friends.." just for you. Of course, I'm also one of those people who got a blanket Appy with no mane to do hunters and dressage. What can I say, around here that's still a rarity and the looks I get just make me laugh. Then my "western horse" moves better than all their TB-types. =)
Horrible horsemanship and trading isn't unique to the south. We are a couple hours from Canada (via Detroit anyway) and it's just as bad up here - not TWH's so much, but QH's, Arabians, mini's and Paints.
I think it's prevailant wherever people want to make money on something other than a decent regular paying job that requires getting up in the morning and putting on shoes and poaaibly drug testing. Breeding dogs, and horses has sadly turned into one of those "Make Money at Home" concepts that attracts the same kind of people who will send $49.95 off in the mail in hopes of recieving a list of all the secrets to making thousands from their sofa on the porch. When that doesn't pan-out they see some guy in the Wal Mart parking lot selling Wolf hybrids and a light bulb goes off.
And for what it's worth - I really have seen Wolf hybrids being sold at Wal Mart parking lots. Once in Gulfport Mississippi, and once in Northern Indiana. That mentality is as American as, well Mountain Dew.
Sorry, I forgot about the glitter, I was just so thrilled to finally find a stallion for my perfect in every way mare! NOT!! I wonder what happened to some of the horses- it seems they have lost half their butts and the slope seems way too drastic. Are they cheaper to feed if parts of them are missing?
OMG people, chill the fuck out.
Nobody said ALL gaited horse owners are like Goober.
My question was, why are gaited horses MOST LIKELY to be victimized by the lowest levels of horse owners, like Goober?
Sometimes I feel like I have to add Venn diagrams to my posts for clarity!
read this please...
http://www.iwhba.org/TIMING%20AND%20RATE%20OF%20SKELETAL%20MATURATION%20IN%20HORSES.pdf
the last gaited horse (RMH) I saw personally had the straightest shoulders and shortest hips. This horse was so narrow that a feared a breeze could knock it over THe rider was about 55-ish, male with the ZZ Top beard , over-alls and a srtiped conductors hat. The other gentleman had a VERY nice senior horse...totally buffed (the horse) NICE conformation. But I can't remember what breed his horse was.
secondwindacres said...
"16 year old daughter was just diagnosed with spondylolisthesis...Do all people with it eventually have to have surgery?"
I had a laminectomy at L-5 in 2000. I held to the old belief that you put off back surgery until you basically can't function, which is exactly what I did. The Lami brought IMMEDIATE relief...but the nerve damage created by the spondy was already done.
Had I opted for surgery sooner, I would not have the limits with my right hip/leg/foot.
SO...I would definitely see a good Orthopedic surgeon and get a sound opinion, if just for a consult to help decide under what conditions specific to your daughter's condition surgery may be needed.
A good Physical Therapist is also beneficial. I have learned so many excercises that have helped me strengthen the muscles to relieve pressure on joints...and to stretch before riding and such.
Horsejunkie said...
Are they cheaper to feed if parts of them are missing?
January 10, 2008 11:52 AM
____________________
Like I said, pretty damn scary. LOL Certain scenes from Deliverance keep playing over and over in my head. Make it stop!!!
*headdesk*
Okay, here is a farm that has some very pretty, well cared for, gaited horses. Mostly RMH. The worst that I could see was one two year old being ridden. Mostly they are older horses in good shape and doing well in shows.
There are some lovely RMH up at the arena from this farm. I haven't had much to do with them personally but they seem to really accept training.
At any rate check out some of these horses and see a nice gaited horse farm.
http://www.vanbertfarms.com/
cnsdubie – my fellow spondy! (How exciting since I have found NO ONE who knows that it is except my surgeon!) Basically I had wicked back pain since I was ~12, but it never stopped me from riding (I started riding at 10 or so and learned to ride and showed hunters and jumpers). I use to take loads and loads of Advil because they thought the pain was spasms (no x-rays). Finally had an x-ray late 2001 and found the spondy. Form what my surgeon said I should have been paralyzed 1000 times over by now from falls and other back wrenching situations, like throwing hay! I had a fusion of L5/S1 in 2002 and feel like a million bucks (of course after months of excruciating pain from recovery). And now I can do hay and get out of bed in the morning! (at 33) Woo Hoo! No more problems riding! Have you had yours fixed?
secondwindacres - from what I was told and what I’ve read there are a lot of people who have spondy but don’t ever have an issue with it. Definitely get the opinion of a very good orthopedic surgeon and keep an eye on your daughter’s activities. You do not want long them effects like cnsdubie has. I do not wish the pain and fusion surgery I had on my worst enemy!
twhequ said:
wow... checked out that Shady Pine Stables link someone posted. um... hopefully those stallions have some mysterious injury that causes damage only to reproductive organs... same with the mares. I'm sure those people will hold onto them and continue to breed... AHH!
----
Ditto to that! She couldn't even spell Blue Eyed HoRse Association right. Makes my head hurt. And did anyone notice the rain rot on the bucking mare's butt? Poor baby.
I double-dog dare ANYONE to try this abusing any of my TWHs! They will find themselves on the ground (perhaps with said horse on top of them) in a nanosecond!
I am from the South (I am also paul_the_small's wife) and see things like this all the time. It is pure ignorance. I see it with gaited breeds, QHs, Thoroughbreds, you name it. It is not breed-specific. The local "cowboys" seem to think that training a horse is shoving a big leverage bit in it's mouth and riding it to exhaustion.
Oh, and I have Fibromyalgia, I had QH and TB horses for years, but it got to where it hurt too bad to ride something that trotted for long periods of time.
"If you don't like an area, don't live there."
*sigh* if only. Parents transferred down here to Georgia when I was in high school, I can't afford to move back to Pennsylvania, and even if I could I'd have custody complications on my hands.
Must be nice to have such a simple life.
btw, if I ever do become financially capable of keeping a horse, it'll probably be a TWH. I broke my kneecap last year and posting is pretty painful for me.
Enigma said...
cnsdubie – my fellow spondy! (How exciting since I have found NO ONE who knows that it is except my surgeon!) No more problems riding! Have you had yours fixed?
I did the Laminectomy...but what used to be concentrated at L-5 has progressed all the way up to the cervical vertebra now. Eventually I will have another surgery but PT has helped, as has getting some of my weight off. I won't make a final decision until I'm at my goal weight, which if I keep on like am now, should be next fall.
My back hurt like a BITCH. I took a fall off a skateboard when I was about 15, before leaving for Haiti and what should have been a few days of discomfort was weeks of a numb, virtually paralyzed leg.
I think its the location too, like in West Virginia trail riding is big, and they want gaited horses for trail riding. Consider the location, and backwoods West Virginians and there ya go.
Blogger scaequestrian said...
It is not breed-specific. The local "cowboys" seem to think that training a horse is shoving a big leverage bit in it's mouth and riding it to exhaustion.
January 10, 2008 12:02 PM
YES!!! and don't forget the rein-slap to the ass repeatedly,it's the 'cowboy' trademark when showing off for a female
*gag*
I think the most plausible explanation why these nice, quiet horses wind up in shitty homes is because they appeal to trail riding hillbillies. In fact, the whole marketing ploy caters to hillbilly trail riders. The fact many of these breeds are more popular in the South doesn't improve their chances in life.
It's a very small percentage of these horses out in the general population wind up as show horses. The rest are doomed to a live of obedient servitude, homed in shitty fencing behind some fucking hillbilly's shitty mobile home, surrounded by dead appliances and worn out Camaros with their original 8-track players intact, and probably unraveled Lynyrd Skynyrd tapes stuffed in the glove box next to an overdue child support summons, sporting the remnants of a Confederate flag bumper sticker.
Yes, these are the people who typically own these horses, and that's why they don't stand a chance in life. It isn't that they aren't as good as another breed of horses at all, because they are just as good or better; it's because their market is dominated by idiot asshat hillbillies.
crunchberry's mom said...
"HOLY SHIT!!!! do you live near me???"
I don't know =)
I live right next to Big South Fork near Jamestown, TN. I spend a lot of time there, and at East Fork Stables.
I think this next year I will carry a digital camera and photograph the riders I meet on the trail. I can almost always tell vacationers or transplants from the locals simply based on their horses and riding. Maybe I should make a blog featuring the photos and descriptions =)
Blogger Soli said...
crunchberry's mom said...
"HOLY SHIT!!!! do you live near me???"
I don't know =)
I live right next to Big South Fork near Jamestown, TN. I spend a lot of time there, and at East Fork Stables.
I think this next year I will carry a digital camera and photograph the riders I meet on the trail. I can almost always tell vacationers or transplants from the locals simply based on their horses and riding. Maybe I should make a blog featuring the photos and descriptions =)
January 10, 2008 12:08 PM
i'm in north Georgia, asshat capital of the world i think... anyway, make the blog, i'll read it! :)
oh gees, I've been waiting for this.
Tenn Walkers are the most gentle, sweet horse you will find. I have all breeds and love each for their strengths, but the Walker is a very special animal for sure.
About stereotypes, folks..My husband got dragged to one QH show with me and left believing that all show QH women had big asses and were obese!
After 5 years, he still tells people that!
Anyone see that Tenn Walker magazine? Anything more bazare then those men riding with their necks stuck out, toes down and stupid looks on their faces? The horses have those huge blocks on their feet to make them lift their legs high.. why is this still going on?? WHY?? I just don't get it?? It's 2008 for Christ Sake!
We went to one Tenn Walker show in Wisconsin and I have to say we saw none of these high shoed horses, so
we also came to the conclusion that this only goes on in the south where it's tolerated or encouraged.
Randomconfusion--
that story gave me tears. Thank you for sharing and saving the old gal.
One more comment.. if you haven't ridden a good walker, don't knock it. And it takes skill to ride, not as easy as it looks folks.
cnsdubie said...
I did the Laminectomy...but what used to be concentrated at L-5 has progressed all the way up to the cervical vertebra now. Eventually I will have another surgery but PT has helped, as has getting some of my weight off. I won't make a final decision until I'm at my goal weight, which if I keep on like am now, should be next fall.
I'm so sorry to hear about your on-going pain, I know how much it SUCKS! I'm not a size 6 either, but there was no amount of weight loss or PT that would have helped me, it really was THAT BAD. Best of luck to you!
behindthebarn said...
"It's a very small percentage of these horses out in the general population wind up as show horses."
And do you have ANY idea how much worse it is to be a TWH show horse in the heavy shod divisions?
It's horrible, and the only thing that compares is the throwaway mentality of the TB race industry. The shoeing and training and sometimes soring done to show horses is bad enough, but when they are shod with the big pads (aka stacks) they cannot be turned out - at all - and must live in a stall. The shoes aren't easily put on or taken off, and without going into the gory details, which you can find elsewhere, they simply aren't good for the soundness of the horse, in the long OR short term.
Being a show horse is a pretty awful lot for a TWH. So is being owned by dumbasses, but my point is that a show horse in most classes do not have good lives, as they might in other breeds.
You hit it right on. I live smack dab in the middle of TN. I see it EVERY day. They RIDE 18 month olds all the time. As long as it will "hit a lick" they breed it too- no matter how horrable the conformation is. TWH's are used to putting up with a lot of pain so maybe that has to do with it... I could go on and on about the Shit that goes on around here. My county has to be grade-piece-of-shit-gaited-horse capitol of the World.
NO ONE here knows what basic horsemanship is. THe life of a horse up here pretty much goes like this: If its a colt, it stays a stallion. Bubba does NOT want to ride a gelding. If its a mare it gets bred every year... (One man brags about his grade mare being 22having 20 foals) They live in a T-post and barb wired pasture. If they live in a barn its probably because they have weighted shoes and bands on and cant be turned out. IF so they get rode HARD one hour a day and back in the stall for the other 23. You break them with a shanked bit (usually at about 18 months old) because you arent going to teach them to bend or anything.. the faster you get their nose to their chest and them gaiting the Better RIGHT? (For real.. these horses are sooo STIFF!) PLUS everyone knows a gaited horse will not gait in a snaffle. The vet is never called, after all Bacon grease or Turpentine will fix anything. They feed Corn Glutten.. or maybe a cheap sweet feed... wormed with chewing tobacco. I know one man up here who only cleans stalls on saturday... Oh, and no one pays over $300 for a saddle... Yes, I could go on and on. I made the mistake of riding my horse in the Parade last year. My horse was the only one out of 12 that didnt have bones showing though its skin!!! Its totally acceptable around here for horses to be underweight. Like only "thoes big fat QH's" can gain weight! Oh, and I have an appaloosa.. ALL I HEAR is how he is going to GO NUTS ON ME one day and KILL ME! "Them appamaloosers are crazy Injun Hosses!"
BLEAH!
N said...
"I think its the location too, like in West Virginia trail riding is big, and they want gaited horses for trail riding. Consider the location, and backwoods West Virginians and there ya go."
Oh, I don't know about that...we were riding in the midwest. A faction of the "Boone's Farm Gang" came pounding up behind us. Rough looking fellers...and rougher looking (I cringe) racking horses.
My husband the novice, on the only long trail ride I've ever managed to get him on, took one look at these guys and said, "If I hear banjo music, I'm getting the fuck out of here."
FHOTD
Ya got to the logic problem before me!
Assertion 1: some people who buy gaited horses don't know how to ride or don't want to take lessons
Assertion 2: People ride gaited horses
These do not equal "all people who ride gaited horses don't know how to ride or don't want to take lessons"
Are you having a flashback to the LSAT yet?
:-)
************
It's a very small percentage of these horses out in the general population wind up as show horses. The rest are doomed to a live of obedient servitude, homed in shitty fencing behind some fucking hillbilly's shitty mobile home, surrounded by dead appliances and worn out Camaros with their original 8-track players intact, and probably unraveled Lynyrd Skynyrd tapes stuffed in the glove box next to an overdue child support summons, sporting the remnants of a Confederate flag bumper sticker.
*******************
HOLY SHIT! You just described Grundy County TN!!!!!
Maybe some gaited horse owners don't actually know these horses have great temperments. maybe THATS why they feed them so little and they look like racks of ribs. Maybe it's a whole different kind of stupidity. They think they'll have super duper quiet horses and lower feed bills.
cnsdubie said... "Oh, I don't know about that...we were riding in the midwest. A faction of the "Boone's Farm Gang" came pounding up behind us. Rough looking fellers...and rougher looking (I cringe) racking horses."
________________________
Hey we have those too! LOL
Tracy Hutchins, I think I know where you saw the wolf-hybrid being sold at Wal-Mart. It was my wal-mart if it is the one I am thinking. We saw it (me and my friend) and animal control and the HS wouldn't do anything about it :(
As for the subject at hand :-P I don't think Southerners are less educated. I just find that most southern males are more outspoken than northerners. In some cases, this is good. However, in your case, not so good. It's the idiots that won't shut up that make EVERYONE look dumb. And I know lots of SMART southerners, so I know they aren't dumb. LOL
I think it is these rebel-flag-wavin, yearling-riding, and not-learned guys that make you people look bad. Do both of us a favor and kick them off the island, okay? Just send them a case of mountain dew and a new Wii with some games in exchange for the horses.
As for the Pine Hollow people... that place looks like a mess. ANNND... did anyone realize that 90% of those horses were wearing ill-fitting halters. Ugh! Why can't you just get a halter that FITS?! The stallion practically could have slipped out of his.
Buggy Bobs... that has *got* to be the LOOOOOONGEST back I have ever seen on a horse! Who put him together?
Ok I haven't read all the comments yet, but Y'all in MY back yard now!
I agree TWH and other gaited breeds are popular because they are smoother to ride, and are more likely to get poor riders who don't want to improve (so must have a smooth tolerant horse).
Yes, TWH are darned cheap, and thanks to shipped semen and breed promotion, every byb with a mare thinks he will breed the next Champion.
I agree with the temperament statement with a caveat, because there is a flood of really horrble gaited horses on the market right now, bad feet, bad conformation, bad gait, and scary tempraments. Now surely some of that is from cruel training practices, but they are deliberately breeding pacey hot horses for the Big Lick ring. Used to be, a guy could pick up a horse at auction in spring, sore em, work em, show em a bit, then sell them for big money right before Sept as a 'Celebration' horse. There was a lot of money in that. Now you can include Racking horses (where it's OK to be a wild eyed speed demon with your nose in the air) Spotted Saddle Horses, etc. and new gaited registry du jour.
But I think the biggest draw, is they specifically target beginners (who know nothing about horses) to sell their horses to. They are an easy market, they don't know any better. And look how smooth they are! Anyone can ride! So whether they are playing cowboy on the trails, or paying some trainer to 'train' (sore) the horse so they can show in padded classes, or thinking their blue eyed spotted buckskin stud colt is going to grow up and make them rich (hey, spots are in! and he has color!), they have all been fed a bill of goods. The majority never realize it, they don't want to.
I was at a show once where they had padded horses, I was watching them and wincing, and next to me a bright eyed lady with her kids was saying, 'look how pretty they are, just like on the merry go round!'
Because she hadn't watched real live horses move before, she thought it was 'pretty' not the gut wrenching travesity that I, who know how a horse should move, thought it was.
This just occured to me.
Everyone keeps talking about what easygoing personalities gaited horses have.
How come Paso Finos get such a bad rep for being too hot, crazy, etc? They are gaited horses too. I had a man tell me that a Paso Fino is just an Arab that moves its legs funny.
Maybe we are just talking about the appalachian bred type of gaited horses? You know, TWH and the various offshoots. Those are the ones that have been historically tortured, maimed, altered and abused in the name of "showmanship."
It is really hard to find a TWH that actually has a proper gait. So many of them have been bred to be pacey so they can be big lick horses. Oh, and don't forget the morons that make sure and breed horses with crooked front legs so they won't hit themselves when they are padded up.
In third world countries its very common to see yearlings bearing loads that should be reserved for a TEAM , not just one..
Rather sad in a country such as ours that such things occur..
Gracie,
I just recently went to a Paso Fino farm around here. there are some GAWG-ous horses there. a few were definitely hot, others were puppies. Our paso CAN be hot if he wants to.. on the trails he is pretty cool as long as you let him go fast sometimes! but heaven forbid you ride him in a parade... he wants to lead the WHOLE ENTIRE THING! he seemed to know peeople were looking at him and he was just strutting his stuff... typical man... and he is small... short man syndrome too!!
Blogger tydyecowgirl said...
************
It's a very small percentage of these horses out in the general population wind up as show horses. The rest are doomed to a live of obedient servitude, homed in shitty fencing behind some fucking hillbilly's shitty mobile home, surrounded by dead appliances and worn out Camaros with their original 8-track players intact, and probably unraveled Lynyrd Skynyrd tapes stuffed in the glove box next to an overdue child support summons, sporting the remnants of a Confederate flag bumper sticker.
*******************
HOLY SHIT! You just described Grundy County TN!!!!!
January 10, 2008 12:27 PM
LOL and Floyd County Georgia!
Graciela,
A lot of that is training, but the spanish-bred gaiteds are known for their "brio" which makes them have such animation etc. I rode a Paso for years that was great, and made an awesome easy going trail horse, but at times he had his "brio" moments! lol. Same goes for TWH, there are a ton of hot TWH here, but I think about who's riding them and that answers my questioning. lol.
I had to train my TWH that it was OK to relax.
Crunchberry's mom said...
"I live right next to Big South Fork near Jamestown, TN. I spend a lot of time there, and at East Fork Stables."
That place is on my to do list.
I may have to buy a turquoise saddle and a confederate flag print saddle pad to throw you off track.
I find it amusing that so many of the fans of the gaited breeds, and I myself am one, complained that there were no decent farms or good looking horses posted. But it seems no one went to the site that I put up showing people that actually take care of their RMH and do train them.
Okay, I admit the website has music and a bit of sparkle but I liked the look of a lot of the horses on there and also see some stock from them up at the arena. They are nice, friendly, and intelligent horses.
"Kristen said...
I went to the Jr. League saddlebred show last summer and the vast majority of those horses wouldn't even WALK, they were so excited."
Unless the class is specified as a pleasure class (this includes the country pleasure classes), the 5-gaited Saddlebreds are not required to flat walk, and they are often encouraged to jog.
When I saw the Title of todays post I laughed aloud!
Now I mean no disrespect to the natural horsemanship crowd....
but...there are true horsepeople and wanna bes' I find the wanna be horse people flock towards the "pareli or what ever is the current great trainer thing AND a gaited horse! REGARDLESS of their experience!
AND often its a disaster, a friend of mine was Convinced she should have an ICELANDIC horse....
UM she is a beginer rider who happens to be a big tall strong person.
The poor beastie it was soooo wrong thankfully we talked her into getting a halflinger which is a mini draft horse but I vey!
Spoty!
TWHequ said...
"A lot of that is training, but the spanish-bred gaiteds are known for their "brio" which makes them have such animation etc."
I have two Peruvian Pasos...the gelding is a dorkfish horse and the mare acts like she Sees Dead People.
Ok, two things I've never understood about TWH riders....
1. What's the sense of all that gawd awful annoying whooping and screaming on the rail? ASB people do it to and I just want to smack 'em.
2. Why do all TWH riders, especially the men, ride in that hunched up, Monkey-boffing-a-football pose. SIT UP! Jeez....
The yak is back! www.jtperformancehorses.com
A good friend of mine has a wonderful Icey gelding. He's actually the first horse I rode when I was starting to ride again after a 25 year break. Stjarni is adorable and takes care of his rider.
I tried him at the tolt for the first time about a year ago. OMG what an experience! Smooth as silk and at least as fast as many horses' canter.
I've gone in an eventing direction, so the typical Icey isn't really suitable in conformation, but if I ever have to back off and ride only "smooth" gaits, I'll want an Icey.
That said, my friend does ride Stjarni in low level 2 and 3 phase events. There's a saying that Iceys look at a jump and say, "Why jump that when I can just go right through it?" but Stjarni did learn how to jump. At the events, we get hoards of little girls swarming around him because he really does look like a big stuffed toy horse.
There's a photo of him at http://annsrats.com/horses/stjarni.jpg
The aids for the tolt (at least the ones this horse understands) *do* encourage a hollow-backed head-up position. He tolts when one sits back, lifts up one's hands, and keeps a lot of contact with the bit. I'm not sure why these aids are used, and IMHO it makes the Iceys look strange.
Right now, Iceys are still expensive enough that the low end of the horse market doesn't have much access to them. I hope things stay that way... Poor TWHs!
I'm not the kind to get all whiny, but I kind of resent the slight attack on the south just a bit. I'm southern, born and bred. I bow hunt, go mudding, line dance, wear camo, love big trucks and go to rodeos. I also ride hunter/jumpers on the A-circuit up and down the east coast quite successfully (until college got in the way...) and I can regularly be seen walking around the show grounds of WEF wearing Der Daus, Tailored Sportsmans and a Mossy Oak camo hat.
Now that the south is being over run by Yankees, I can fully attest to the fact that they have just as many stupid, ignorant morons in their populace as we do. They come down here, buy a buch of land and decide the most obvious thing in the world to do with it is start breeding horses! So half of the ads you see from the south aren't even real southerners.
Obviously I'm not implying that everyone in the south is perfect and not at all to blame, because I know my fair share of homegrown dumbasses (I've been to my family reunions!) but I think stupidity is pretty equally spread through out the country.
Soli said...
It's horrible, and the only thing that compares is the throwaway mentality of the TB race industry.
And I've seen similarly horrible practices in other breeds and other disciplines... at ALL levels. I don't think TWH and TBs have the corner on the market on abusive training and care...
Ever worked in a H/J barn? How about dressage (rollkur anyone??). Hey, I even know QH trainers that (seriously!) said that they hit their horses on the poll with a big rock to teach them to set their head properly. Then when you take them into the ring, you just have to bend down like you are going to pick up something off the ground, and *BOOM* the horse sets it's head. (It would be funny if it wasn't so freaking sick...)
OutRiding01 said...
Obviously I'm not implying that everyone in the south is perfect and not at all to blame, because I know my fair share of homegrown dumbasses (I've been to my family reunions!) but I think stupidity is pretty equally spread through out the country.
HA! Are we related??
I think you're absolutely correct - asshats seem to be proportionally distributed. As Forrest woul say "Stupid is as stupid does..."
Oy. I board at a barn that breeds and shows Rocky Mountain horses, and while they have a fugly stallion that REALLY should be gelded, they love their horses, take good care of them, and they have no problem finding buyers for their horses.
However, one of their boarders is a snobby older man and his wife is an absolute bitch. They bought this runty looking yearling stud colt (a Rocky) and were bragging about how awesome he was going to be at halter. I guess they're choosing to ignore the fact he's fugly and cow-hocked, among other things. I mean, my own horse is fugly but I'm not delusional and brag that he's gonna be an amazing halter or show horse. These same people have a former show mare who had a baby (appropriately named Diablo) who is an absolute demon from being spoiled rotten.
These poor horses put up with a lot of crap, and they are amazingly sweet-tempered -- the former trainer/farrier (who got fired, thank God) was also sort of the barn manager for a while because the owners trusted him while they were away. That ended when the wife caught him on one of their best show mares who was obviously sore (turns out she had thrush in all 4 feet). Plus he rode almost all the horses in bits with 8" shanks, did crappy shoeing jobs, and put chain boots on a freaked out 3 year old stallion because he apparently didn't have enough action in his front end.
People say stock horses are mellow, but man, most of these Rockies at the barn put my Paint gelding to shame. Only a couple horses in that barn are sour -- one's a typical mare, one's the fugly stallion, and the rest are mares with foals, and the latter are only that way towards other horses.
tydyecowgirl:
Hey now, easy on Skynyrd.
Loved them then, love em now and I'm not even close to Redneck.
In response to:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wuqN9n4RF4Y
What are the positions the riders are in? I didn't see a one that wasn't hunched over like Quasimodo. Ick. And all of them looked way way way too big for their mounts- who are of course only two, so that explains some. I don't know much about the gaited horse world, so maybe this is what riders are supposed to look like?
Kay- I went and looked at the site- VERY nice horses. They look like they should, elegant with presence, and full butts. I also like that they have natural hooves. My first ride was a Missouri Fox Trotter(I know different breed) at the age of 10- rode her for a year and she was the best teacher. My first horse at the age of 12 was a 2 month old Saddlebred (old style-big)He is still in my backyard at the age of 23 and still going strong. My next was an Arab bought from a dealer-best horse in the world. He passed at 32. I now have a paint- Miss I'll get there eventually. I think there is the best in all breeds and devils in all breeds, but if I had to settle for a breed- it would be a hotblood. They are the best teachers, you will expierence it ALL with them, they can run you through the ringer one day and save your life the next. I am very glad I started with my Saddlebred- if I had started with a mellow fellow, I would not be the rider I am today.
Tiffany- I meant if one of OUR horses bolted it would be from pilot error. Sorry for not clarifying earlier. My Bad! Not attacking, just saying...
Ahhhh the Snottsdale show! The Event of the year & Multi-Ring Circus de Jour. It seems to showcase the height of stupidity, ignorance and arrogance in the Arabian horseworld. Will you be in attendance next month? If so we could/should meet up for drinks.
Plenty of bad behaviour on the human part to behold there. I am not suprised you have witnessed such 'wigging out' by horses there. It would be extremely difficult NOT to. In all seriousness, we are in the process of writing a book about it.
A few year back Did you happen to catch __________'s (insert Big Name here- hint his initials are BP) asst. trainer in the warmup arena one night riding a chestnut stallion with a whip, spurs, draw reins and a martingale? He was on the horse for a good couple of hours, the horse was drenched, shaking, trying to run off, rear, buck, rub him off on the fence and a huge danger to everyone else trying to work their horses.
Every single Thoroughbred and Arabian I have met is extremely spirited, and their owners generally have a complaint about them is all I am saying.
The only thing I can gather from this is that if owners are complaining about their horse, their chosen breed or the way they behave, maybe their feed or the way they are handled (by their trainer, groom or barn help) is adding an outside influence. Not all but some horses react- this does make a difference.
I have an OTTB mare who is sweet and gentle as can be. She is patient, willing and tolerant. She was that way when I got her. If she was all amped up on feed and running every day- she would most likely be a different horse, and probably a pain in the ass. In which case, I too would probably complain and do something about it.
The mistake we generally see a lot of Arab folks make is they do not teach or wait for their horse to relax. This is where we see or hear about, people who take their horse to a show, where they proceed to longe, ride or gallop them for 4 hours so they can show in one class. We have no use for that behaviour, our horses do not behave that way and there's no reason for that to be 'the norm'.
You are right- this type of behaviour is not as rampant at the stock breed type shows, but there are still other abuses going on there as well.
Shall we get back to the gaited horses and their two legged asshats now?
This guy riding the yearling is an idiot, plain and simple. But the breed of horse has nothing to do with that. Heck, look how many other breeds have been shown on this very blog that have ignorant owners.
But damn the stereotyping, classism, racism, and bigotry in the comments here is enough to turn anyone off. Unfortunately I'm afraid you'll lose lots of readers over this thread. I've lost a lot of respect for some of the posters now.
Guess here in the south, we don't have schools, universities, or even community colleges. What a shame. Maybe if all the asshats would stay out of our colleges, it would leave more room for instate residents. As it is, the dormitories remain full, as well as the classes. Damn those outta state fools wanting to get a southern education. Guess they must all be redneck fools.
Good thing my TWH never knew the type people posting here. I had him put down this past summer, in his favorite spot in the pasture. 42 yrs old. Guess I did something right with him. And he didn't have arthritis, and NEVER a lame day! Wasn't sored, no biglicks, wasn't stalled, wasn't abused. Sadly, his heart and digestive system gave out on him though.
Didn't need a bit to ride him. But you better know leg aides. He taught so many people to ride. They had to earn the right to ride in a bit. If you couldn't do with it leg aides, you didn't deserve a bit.
I pray we'll find another TWH like him! Best horse I ever owned!
tiffany said...
I'm not lumping anything into a category except for being spirited. I've been to a lot of stables, met loads of horses, and go to the Arabian show every year in Scottsdale.
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That is not a good show to judge all Arabians by. Most of the "spirited" horses at those big shows are that way due to the trainers/owners making them that way.
The Arabs that I trained and have owned have never "wigged" out. The two horses that have "wigged" out on me have been a lil Paint mare and an Appendix QH. Both of them had been abused for many yrs before I got them.
For the TB registered AQHA comments- appendix quarter horses can produce offspring that are ultimately 15/16 TB, yet can be registered under certain conditions with the AQHA. It IS possible to technically be TB (but not a purebred!) and registered AQHA.
Soli, Crunchberry's Mom, Tydyecowgirl, & anyone else from Tennessee: OT, but could you all please vent to me about where you live? We're actually considering a move to TN from CA, and I want all the input I can get about which areas are TOO full of asshats! My email is jkponies -at- hotmail.com. Seriously, please complain about everything in your area that bugs you! Thanks!!
Blogger jkponies said...
Soli, Crunchberry's Mom, Tydyecowgirl, & anyone else from Tennessee: OT, but could you all please vent to me about where you live? We're actually considering a move to TN from CA, and I want all the input I can get about which areas are TOO full of asshats! My email is jkponies -at- hotmail.com. Seriously, please complain about everything in your area that bugs you! Thanks!!
January 10, 2008 1:50 PM
i'm in north Georgia
Like Fugly said, chill the fuck out people.
If you're not a dumbfuck redneck riding around on a yearling, we're not talking about you.
We KNOW there are educated people in the south and responsible animal owners too.
Jeebus, if Fugly features the midwest or Missouri in one of her blogs, I'm not going to get my panties in a twist about it. Hell I'll be the first to admit there are some seriously fucked up people around here. LOL
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