|
Post by specialsparkle3 on Dec 23, 2005 13:22:16 GMT 1
Whoops, so upset, I posted that twice!!! On a serious note, when a foal is born all you are interested in , is how soon it stands and has it's first vital drink, not putting it off by holding it down!!!!
|
|
|
Post by gem on Dec 23, 2005 13:45:56 GMT 1
OOh no I wouldnt Special Sparkle, Id be too worried about ruining the bonding with Sky and baby anyway, I hope to be watching by camera and be as unintrusive as possible
|
|
varkie
Grand Prix Poster
Grand Prix Poster
Posts: 4,913
|
Post by varkie on Dec 23, 2005 14:02:28 GMT 1
The idea of 'making' a horse lie down makes me exceptionally uncomfortable. It was suggested to me that one of my abused horses should be laid down to resolve his issues - if I hadn't been speechless, I would have turned the air blue! For this to be done to a horse, for me it would have to ba an absolute last, last resort - the last thing before PTS - and even then, I'm still not at all sure that I'd be happy to allow it.
On the other hand, training a horse to lie down is a different thing. If I wanted to do this for some reason, I think I'd use clicker training & teach it one step at a time. I would NOT want to use hobbles, ropes, or anything else which forced the horse towards this choice - it would have to be his/her decision to take the steps.
|
|
|
Post by holi on Dec 23, 2005 17:23:42 GMT 1
I agree I wouldn't make a horse lie down but my boy was standing free in his stable and just laid down as I stroked him. I'd never done it to any other horse before or since and it's one of those things that I'm not sure I like seeing in displays - the army tend to do this a lot and then stand on the horses but it makes me feel uneasy.
|
|
|
Post by jor on Dec 23, 2005 17:41:41 GMT 1
I have watched (in horror) someone 'lay down' a horse. As jo described his front leg was tied with rope to the pommel of the western saddle so he was stood on three legs, his heel almost touching his elbow. The 'trainer' then asked the horse to move backwards pulling on the rein on the side of the tied up leg until the horse went down on his other knee (it took almost an hour of continuously making the horse go backwards and bending his head right round) the 'trainer' then continued to bend the horses head round so that his nose was touching his saddle, he then used his foot to push the horses back end down (not harshly) so the horse was lying down. he then untied the horses foot and got him back up. The horse was displaying stress symptoms (pulling back his lips and opening his mouth slightly, sweating and breathing heavily) though the trainer said that the horse had proven 'easy and willing' I have also seen this same person try to do this with a 2 yr old and was so disgusted I stopped him. The 2yr old had tried to buck him off violently when he got on him for the first time and he was bolshy (hmm a 2yr old colt with an opinion...) and needed to be taught to submit properly, apparently. once the colts leg was tied up the guy sent him round a pen (doing join-up...no comment) the colt tried to buck and free himself, falling several times, once into the fencing and I thought he had broken his leg. After he fell for the third time I put a stop to it, I was thrown off the yard and told not to go back, fine by me but gods knows what the poor horses are subjected to.
Laying down a horse by force to make it 'submit' is wrong and cruel. Tieing a horses leg up is disgusting and I see many alternatives to doing it.
I have no problem with someone teaching a horse to lie down using non forceful methods, such as clicker training.
|
|
|
Post by lucitania on Dec 23, 2005 17:54:32 GMT 1
This is the first I have heard of making your horse lay down....I opened this topic thinking it would be full of lovely stories about kiddies cuddling down with their shetland ponies..... ;D I use to lay down with my Connemara when I was about 10 or so- he would lay down in the evening (in the stable) and I would go an sit with him by his head, sometimes rest my head on his shoulders. I don't know if this is safe or not, the pony was so gentle and quiet and often fell asleep- it made me feel very close to him. We had this special bond and understanding between us.
|
|
|
Post by Francis Burton on Dec 23, 2005 17:55:22 GMT 1
Jo R - Isn't the sort of abuse you describe illegal in this country?!
|
|
|
Post by jor on Dec 23, 2005 18:14:28 GMT 1
Who knows, doesnt stop people though does it? Wonder how many of the people who were at this place on the same day who went home and tried it with thier own horses. I was the only one who seemed to object
|
|