What have you changed your mind on?

Joyscarer

Active Member
Dec 30, 2006
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I'm always rethinking things, and then wondering why I've wasted my time!

I have been anti clipping in the past.

Joy is clipped every winter now but only a clip that I don't need to rug her with as I'm anti rugging.

However, all that's about to change as I'm having the lot whipped off her and will rug. This is because I can then rug to give less warmth than her fluff and she should lose weight. The clip and the rug are the lesser of 2 evils.


So, what have you been pretty anti on in the past and now find yourself doing an abrupt U turn on?
 
I tend to keep an open mind.

I am forever changing things to suit different horses/weather conditions/circumstances etc.

I usually clip and rug Evie in winter. Its so much easier to keep her clean and rideable. She didn't have a decent rug this winter (its on my wish list) so she has remained shaggy. Its been ok but now I can't wait for spring to have a good clean up:smile:
 
I used to be very pro treeless and bitless with Moët....but about 2 years ago I went back treed and bitted. Still keep her barefoot though hope to not have to change that.

I can't think of anything else that I have been very anti before and changed my mind....
 
rugging. I used to never rug Angel in the winter. then we moved here and I began to realise it's not always as simple as 'its an exmoor, it wont need to be rugged'. i learnt this the hard way when she dropped to skeletal within a week ... (with copious amounts of hay!). horses for courses and all that!
 
Shoeing. I initially thought when I got Flipo, that I would have to shoe him. I then realised that if he could handle it, barefoot would be fine. Turns out I was originally right after all but it still made me realise that barefoot was an option. Not all horses have to be shod if it suits them.

There's a couple of things that I never see me changing my mind about. I hate over rugging, I hate horses being stabled for long periods without turnout and explaining it away because of bad weather or keeping them 'cosy'. A stable is far smaller than any box we live in, i don't like it unless they are ill and need box rest (and even then I think some folk probably box rest for things they really don't need to). If the turnout is that bad then the yard needs to reconsider their strategy. We have one field. It gets trashed in the winter but it is absolutely fine once the weather dries up. Maybe I'm being narrow minded as there are probably good explanations but I think striving to let a horse be a horse as much as possible is the goal and sometimes folk lose sight of that, anthropomorphising for all their worth.
 
Stabling over night.I always kept my horses in over night over the winter as it was just normal practice and all were settled and happy in the routine but when I had mystique I wanted her out more due to her joints standing in for long periods caused her to be stiff.so I started only bringing In during the day and out over night.less time in the stable that way and more time in the field moving around.this has worked for malaika too so have carried on using this routine with success with her for our 3rd winter together.
If I ever had a horse that I couldn't use this routine with I'd quite happily change but its worked for malaika so will keep it this way.
 
I haven't changed my mind on anything really, I'll try things and if it doesn't work for us I'll try something else, horses at the end of the day are as individual as we are and what works for one won't necessarily work for another.
Bit like Tina really I'll just keep an open mind.
 
A hundred and one things.

Madams rules in life are if its conventional or the vet says its ok... I promise you I will hate it/react to it.

So I spend my life finding the opposite extreme of normal and it normally works for her!!

The only two prescription meds she doesn't react to are bute and flamazine. Everything else she has reacted too.

She is treeless and barefoot. She doesn't respond to physio or osteo - but responds amazingly well to Bowen.

Te only conventional things about her are she is bitted and she has a plain old cotton web girth!
 
My mind changes depending on what is in front of me, so I am not anti anything.
I had instructor who tried to instill all her anti views on me. There is no right or wrong there just is. I just am. She is not teaching me anymore.
 
Stabling. When we were on a yard I was adamant that ours would live out when they came home to live. Well, that one didn't pan out did it?! I also have changed my mind on winter turnout. After the first winter here when we had only the one field fenced I realise the mistakes I made................no, they do not enjoy living in a mud bath and would have much preferred to spend half the day in their shelter with a net and half outside instead of being forced to stay out........................
Well, you live and learn..............
 
Pelhams with roundings. Cracker came with a bit that was like a french link but gave a bit of poll pressure, and a pelham which he showed in or for 'in case he gets above himself'. The pelham was chucked in a bucket in the shed, with the thought 'I'm not using that, especially with roundings, they make it pointless'

Right, 12 months on, me with really weak left wrist following a fracture and a major confidence crises, and Cracker having caught on that I was unable to stop him doing pretty much what he wants. We have tried loads of permutations of bit that he would take notice of and I could be really soft and even handed with, he ignored every one. In the end, RI said we'll have to try him in a pelham. So with a heavy heart and feeling of failiure I fished it out of its bucket, dusted it off, bought new roundings and popped it on him.

It was like he gave a sigh of relief, at last he knew what I was trying to tell him. He is so good, I can be really light with him, I have never had to be hard handed in the least. Bless his little heart he wasnt naughty he was just used to his old pelham. And now I can ride for two hours and my wrist doesnt ache at all, and as he is responsive to me my confidence has come back a bit as well.

I still hate the thought of it though, I would like to use it with two reins if I have to use it at all, but my left hand is too crippled to hold two reins. I did try but I just dont have the dexterity any more. I also feel embarassed that the smallest equine on the yard has potentially the strongest bit, but I am trying to get my head round that it is just potential, and I have never had to use it to any where near its full extent. It just grates on me a bit still.
 
All sorts of things!!!

I went through a stage of thinking NH and rope reins and bitless and treeless were the answer to everything.

Then I thought they weren't! And now I know that NH halters and teaching a horse pressure and release is the best thing ever, but I also know that giving a good old BHS smack on the bum when being a prat over something is also good!!!

I thought getting off when I was frightened or he was frightened was good - now I feel a whole lot safer riding him through any issues!!!

For my TB bitless was fab, for Tobes, I know him so well, it would be an absolute disaster! Treeless didn't work so well for us, but a good well fitting saddle has been brilliant.

I don't think you can say with horses that xy or z works. All you can say is for MY horse xy and z works!
 
I've sort of changed by mind about horsewalkers. I had always been very against them as I didn't like the idea of my horse going round and round in a little circle and when one was first installed at our yard I didn't use it. Recently though I or my RI have on occasions put Mac in it for a short while if he can't be turned out. I don't do it very often as I am still not too keen but realise it might be useful at times.
 
I haven't changed my mind on anything really, I'll try things and if it doesn't work for us I'll try something else, horses at the end of the day are as individual as we are and what works for one won't necessarily work for another.
Bit like Tina really I'll just keep an open mind.

I'd agree with that sentiment, most things have at least some merit in some situations, and some have a lot of merit in others.
 
Some things we don't use simply because we don't need them. Should a horse come along who says they "need" a certain thing we will use it.

If a horse comes along and says he "needs" a poly pad under his saddle, a running martingale or a pat parelli gizmo, there are some things I will not change my mind over.!
 
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