[Daatje]

The Red Fox Friesians are gorgeous. It's my understanding that ages ago, Friesians also came in grey. All bred out of them, of course, along with white markings (for the most part). Black is rather boring.....if you ask me.

[summerhorse]

I don't know about grey but bay and silver were present. (Silver was "blue")

[Acertainsmile]

For the non believers, have you ever watched any youtube videos? There are some nasty young girls "training" horses. I had a real gem that worked for us a few years ago. I discovered that she had a severely starved Welsh pony. There was absoloutly zero remorse on her part, even when my vet said he probably wouldnt make the trailer ride back to my farm (I had offered to buy him on the spot). We kept her around long enough to make sure that she was feeding the pony, with our feed, and he had gained some weight.

This girl is now a "trainer" in the area, scary people out there for sure.

[sdlbredfan]

I wish you would 'out' her, Acertainsmile. If she has a website, you could always just post a link to it with a 'this is someone who formerly was but is no longer associated with us' comment.

[TBHunterJumper]

Two Words for you: Thank You.

Thank you SO Much for saving this poor horse! I grimace at the THOUGHT of what that girl would've done to the horse if you hadn't intervened!

[ddashaq]

Unfortunately it doesn't seem so "Insane" anymore, with posters chiming in about how they've seen it happen. I've never seen it before though, so it sure was insane to me!

The kind of crap going on really is heartbreaking.

It has been a few years, but at one of the last open shows I went to, I saw a girl riding her WP horse in a curb bit with tight side reins. Horse was apparently used to it as he just trucked along with his nose touching his chest. He was a lovely horse that definitely needed an upgrade.

[Cindyg]

I would not want to be reincarnated as a polo pony.

[californianinkansas]

Good morning! Is Mr. Saintly Warmblood recovering okay?
Warm Regards,
Amber

[LauraKY]

Speaking of draw reins and side reins at the same time, today I got a look at a Polo magazine. Can't remember which one it was exactly and can't find the cover online.
On the front cover was a nice pic of a player kissing the front of his pony's head. On the pony's head was a big old gag, and if I'm not mistaken draw reins. I was squinting at it and having a hard time making sense of all the leather going this way and that, not to mention the cord in the gag.

I guess the guy wanted some serious brakes.

Yes, you need a definite stop. Two sets of reins (one set is the draw rein) in one hand, mallet in the other. Polo riders do not yank on their ponies faces or give mixed signals...at least any with any skill set at all.

[Beethoven]

Just concurring that you do have all that tack on Polo ponies. When I first started playing polo, I was appalled at all the tack. You do need it though and you don't constantly pull on their mouths or anything, but you need a quick turn and stop in polo. Draw reins are also quite helpful in keeping the horses head straight so you don't accidentally hit it with the mallet. Its part of the game. But when polo ponies are exercised they usually just go in a snaffle or a plain gag and no tie down or at least our polo ponies. Some still needed all their tack minus the draw reins just depends on their personality and also how many horses you where ponying while exercising them. Nothing like riding 1 and ponying 3 to make you realize perhaps a snaffle may not be enough.


O and good for you OP, I totally believe your story.

[UlysMom]

Wow, well reading this thread certainly accounted for a couple hours lost of my time today... Linked over to the musical jumper stuff and was just sickened. Reality TV-ish before we all knew what Reality TV was.

BTW, the internet is a wonderous thing. Appears that this lovely (cough) young lady is currently or is attempting to be a police officer in Indianapolis. Funny how much info you can find out about some one through the 'googles'. And this is why I share with my friend's teenagers to be very careful what they put out there. Because it's there. Forever.

To the OP, I'm glad you intervened. Good for you. And how unfortunate that this horse now has to rebuild the trust he should never have taken away in the first place.

[cu.at.x]

A poster with relatively few posts who is the hero of her own, very unlikely, story. I call BS.

Why unlikely? Lots of people, unfortunately, ride this way.

Good for you, OP, for doing the right thing!

[Far_North_Equestrian]

Charming.

Nothing about this story surprises me. I have a very good friend who is the person who taught me how to break babies. She's good at this!

She's also a wannabe DQ that will snap to a double bridle or draw reins to rush a young horse into contact. Unfortunately this makes her horses worried messes (that "coiled spring" feeling I hate so much) She and I don't see eye to eye on training, so she doesn't ride my horses, and I only occasionally ride hers. I purposely board at a different barn so she doesn't have the option of trying to "help" me.

[cu.at.x]

Charming.

Nothing about this story surprises me. I have a very good friend who is the person who taught me how to break babies. She's good at this!

She's also a wannabe DQ that will snap to a double bridle or draw reins to rush a young horse into contact. Unfortunately this makes her horses worried messes (that "coiled spring" feeling I hate so much) She and I don't see eye to eye on training, so she doesn't ride my horses, and I only occasionally ride hers. I purposely board at a different barn so she doesn't have the option of trying to "help" me.

Such people should not be gratified by being called "dressage riders"...

[Arab_Mare]

Good morning! Is Mr. Saintly Warmblood recovering okay?
Warm Regards,
Amber

Chatted with the owner, horse is doing quite well. They're still going bitless but they've had some easy lessons and they've gone out on the trail. Yay!

[Jaegermonster]

OP thank you for not just standing there sucking your thumb watching this travesty and then posting here wondering what you should have done and oh the poor horsey as we have seen way too many times here on COTH.

Thank you for doing the right thing and intervening and stopping the abuse of this horse.

[Stushica]

So I had a lesson on monday with a beginner student and I took this thread as an opportunity to discuss training aids what their purpose and place is and how they should and shouldn't be used and who they should and shouldn't be used by. I never want to see any of my "kids" trying to pull this kind of crap.

[californianinkansas]

Chatted with the owner, horse is doing quite well. They're still going bitless but they've had some easy lessons and they've gone out on the trail. Yay!

Woo Hoo!

[Arab_Mare]

So I had a lesson on monday with a beginner student and I took this thread as an opportunity to discuss training aids what their purpose and place is and how they should and shouldn't be used and who they should and shouldn't be used by. I never want to see any of my "kids" trying to pull this kind of crap.

Seriously, that is fabulous. I always cringe a little when I say, "I never use draw reins" because there will always be that one horse who will NEED them for two lessons. However, people do tend to want the "support" of these aids to keep their horse behaving. Two many red flags in that one sentence.

It's just really, really frustrating that so many people try their hardest to train their horses correctly, but end up just being swamped by trainers who use shortcuts to "Finish" horses quickly. Life with horses.