[AshsStorm]

Someone remind me why people abuse horses in the first place. Is it not to get complete and utter control? Because of all the rescue horses that I have been in contact with, actually become more out of control then they could have with a gentle hand. UGH! This makes me SOOO mad! Horse abusers actually make horses dangerous. Because of their fear of different circumstances, a horse could easily injure someone trying to remove itself from a situation! Then, if the new owner is another irresponsible person, they will disipline the horse in some other kind of harsh way which makes it even MORE frightened of the situation!

I just needed to get that out of my system. My horse Stormy was so dangerous when I met him but it wasn't because he would TRY to hurt someone. It was because he was honestly and truly AFRAID! He was so tense when he walked around people that he would scrunch up to make himself look smaller and if something so much as moved the wrong way, he would practically jump in my arms! Poor baby! Instead of beating him for it like some people would have because he "invaded" their space, I simply turned him around and let him walk past it until he figured out that it was NOT going to kill him. I watched his old owner try to beat the fear out of him and it made him get to the point to where he wouldn't let anyone touch him or even look at him or he would run away. After I bought him and started working with him he began to trust me a lot. Now, he is the most layed back, non spooky horse that I have ever met! He LOVES people because now he knows that they will pet him or give him treats instead of beating him.

Sorry that was so long but this is something I have been meaning to say for a long time!

[HappyJoy]

this is just something i was thinking about today. my rescue gelding is super spook happy because he is a mustang and whoever had him the first time was focusing on him being ridable, and so he wasn't "rounded out" training wise. you can ride him, but there are lots of little things no on ever took the time to teach him. today i was working on geting him used to people walking right up to him, and sometimes he would circle me a few times before coming over. a few times he got really scared and kicked out at me as he went past. he was well out of range though, and he knew it, but it was still a dangerous situation that had to be handled just right to calm him down. now he's a horse that unless you know him really well and how he needs to be handled, you can get yourself into a whole lot of trouble. it would have been so much easier to train him correctly from the start, but someone took short cuts instead...

[AshsStorm]

I like the way you said "short cuts"! That's exactly what it is! Some people are just too lazy to do things the correct way! When in the long run, the "short way" ends up being the long way!

[Lil.Red-Enza]

It's all so true..and so upsetting..if you don't have time to train a horse properly...why train it at all? Would they prefer their horse be scared out of their mind of them? I don't understand the point of them..I only wish i could get my hands on them =(...they should learn how it is when you don't understand and someone hurts you for it.

[Miss Thunder]

Unfortunately darling, you find that in every hobby animal

My old mare was nice and quiet when I bought her. Well, my green mother bought her. But she was ill and way under weight. Once the pounds were thrown on, she snapped. She'd kick and bite anything if she wasn't in her "bubble". If you got too close to her, she'd freak. She was a tough mare. For the first 3 minutes of a ride, she'd do her "happy dance" which consisted of many bucks, rears, spins, ect. Probably because whenever her rider would get on, they'd start right after her. So sad We had to sell her in the end, she was TOO dangerous.

But your right about the "short cuts". Funny thing about this story, her last owner (the guy we bought her from) was a volunteer at the Christian riding camp and was a major bible humper (sorry if that offends anyone, but he was hard-core Christian). Yet he treated this mare so baddly. Makes me sick

[paint*lvr]

It's the same with this x abused horse named Toby. You can read about him here: http://www.freewebs.com/allthehorses...ogresspage.htm

[dakota's_sable]

You're right about short cuts. Most people who want results want them yesterday. They do not have the patience to take things slowly and do it the right way. If more people would just take the time to understand how a horse thinks then they would understand why a horse reacts the way he does. I'm happy to hear that you have taken the time to understand your horse's fears and help him work through them, not punish him for being afraid. Your horse found a good friend in you. Keep up the good work.

[HappyJoy]

it's my dream to get a mustang fresh from the BLM someday, but unless i have a major personality change i don't know if i could let myself do it. i like results quick, and i think i might try to take short cuts, just like someone did with Cabeza(my gelding). i think i'm best off with green horses, because thats what i have the patience for. so even though i have things i want, i realize that for the good of the horse, i may have to lay those dreams aside. there would be a lot fewer screwed up horses out there if people were a little less selfish with them.

[AshsStorm]

I think that people use cruelty when to cover for their lack of knowledge about horses. I really do.

[*Cowgirl Up*]

I really think that people outta go to jail for abusing horses and stuff like that..even though they do, I think it is soooo not right to beat the heck outta a animal just bc they are too darn stupid to train them the right way..so wrong!!!!! that makes me mad just thinkin about it