Willow's Meadow :
I don't understand how hanging out with my horse is DANGEROUS.
Please try to read what we're actually saying, rather than getting defensive and skipping over the exact words. The exact words matter
Nobody is saying it is bad or dangerous to hang out with your horse. That is a GOOD thing to do... although in your case since you are interested in working on "bonding and attention" I would suggest DOING things with her, actually engaging her in an ongoing conversation, rather than just standing there and oogling and schnoogling a lot. Simply because it's more constructive.
What people are saying is dangerous is SITTING IN A CHAIR WITH A HORSE RIGHT THERE. *That* is whatcha described doing that has set off peoples' alarm bells... that plus then refusing to believe it could possibly go wrong.
Don't sit in chairs around horses, at least not around horses of the most impeccable proven track record of behavior. If you absolutely must sit, sit on a high kitchen stool (not barstool) or on the fence or 55-gal drum or something like that, so that you are still virtually standing and can very rapidly decamp if necessary. If you are sitting down in a regular chair, by the time you see the horse or any part thereof coming towards you there is NO chance you will be able to get up and out ofthe way in time. This is not theory, this is I have seen it multiple times.
That's *all*.
I don't understand how hanging out with my horse is DANGEROUS.
Please try to read what we're actually saying, rather than getting defensive and skipping over the exact words. The exact words matter
Nobody is saying it is bad or dangerous to hang out with your horse. That is a GOOD thing to do... although in your case since you are interested in working on "bonding and attention" I would suggest DOING things with her, actually engaging her in an ongoing conversation, rather than just standing there and oogling and schnoogling a lot. Simply because it's more constructive.
What people are saying is dangerous is SITTING IN A CHAIR WITH A HORSE RIGHT THERE. *That* is whatcha described doing that has set off peoples' alarm bells... that plus then refusing to believe it could possibly go wrong.
Don't sit in chairs around horses, at least not around horses of the most impeccable proven track record of behavior. If you absolutely must sit, sit on a high kitchen stool (not barstool) or on the fence or 55-gal drum or something like that, so that you are still virtually standing and can very rapidly decamp if necessary. If you are sitting down in a regular chair, by the time you see the horse or any part thereof coming towards you there is NO chance you will be able to get up and out ofthe way in time. This is not theory, this is I have seen it multiple times.
That's *all*.
I know people who have been is the horse business for over 40 years that will say they are like puppy dogs....not all horses but some. And trust me she WILL NOT spook at a plastic bag, or a jacket or something flapping around.
The number of years you've been in the horse business is not necessarily a reflection of how much you have learned over those years
-- and anyone who thinks that there is a horse alive that cannot be spooked in SOME circumstance by SOMEthing, well,
I mean, look -- POLICE horses sometimes spook.
Actually though, you know what, I was not personally talking about the horse spooking when you're in the chair. The most common scenario I've seen for people coming to grief that way is one of the two following:
-- horse is moseying along, standing there or looking around or getting his nosie rubbed by you or whatever, and decides he'd like to be six inches closer to you. Oops, thinks the horse, was the chair really that close to my leg? Huh. And was *that* the balance point of the chair? The chair mom was sitting in? How interesting. Hey, how come mom is on the ground swearing? (And you do say she has knocked over OTHER chairs, which btw it is also not real safe for her to be loose among chairs since that is another way horses get hurt, e.g. knocking one over then getting a foot through it)
-- horse is standing there or moseying along, and some portion of horse (or things attached to horse, such as a halter or lead, if horse is not nekkid) catches unexpectedly on a chair or other furniture. Horse pulls self free, then wonders what all the fuss is about and why mom's chair is now sideways on top of mom.
This sounds fairly harmless but I've seen ambulances involved and most certainly it is NOT a positive educational experience for the horse.
The number of years you've been in the horse business is not necessarily a reflection of how much you have learned over those years
I mean, look -- POLICE horses sometimes spook.
Actually though, you know what, I was not personally talking about the horse spooking when you're in the chair. The most common scenario I've seen for people coming to grief that way is one of the two following:
-- horse is moseying along, standing there or looking around or getting his nosie rubbed by you or whatever, and decides he'd like to be six inches closer to you. Oops, thinks the horse, was the chair really that close to my leg? Huh. And was *that* the balance point of the chair? The chair mom was sitting in? How interesting. Hey, how come mom is on the ground swearing? (And you do say she has knocked over OTHER chairs, which btw it is also not real safe for her to be loose among chairs since that is another way horses get hurt, e.g. knocking one over then getting a foot through it)
-- horse is standing there or moseying along, and some portion of horse (or things attached to horse, such as a halter or lead, if horse is not nekkid) catches unexpectedly on a chair or other furniture. Horse pulls self free, then wonders what all the fuss is about and why mom's chair is now sideways on top of mom.
This sounds fairly harmless but I've seen ambulances involved and most certainly it is NOT a positive educational experience for the horse.
I can garrentee that most of you have never jumped 4'0, worked at a barn every week, taken champion at many high level rated shows, done dressage, barrel raced, trail ridden, schooled and trained green horses, worked with babies or ridden off the track thourobreds.......all of which I have done!!!!!!!
Actually I think that many or most of us responding on this thread HAVE done that. And that's all I'm gonna say on *that* issue.
What you describe has nothing to do with the acquisition of common sense and a healthy desire not to get the horse or person scared.
We are telling you what tends to happen when horses are left wandering loose amongst chairs, and when a person sits in a chair next to said horse.
You can do as you wish with the information. But I for one feel that it's sort of my responsibility to at least point it out.
Again, your time would better be spent DOING things with the horse than just hanging out in hopes of "bonding"... not that the latter has no place, and it is of course just *fun* to stand watching your horse in turnout or patting her nosie, but it does not really do a lot for ya in terms of getting the two of you on the same wavelength or "getting her to focus" which you said is a goal here.
Pat
Actually I think that many or most of us responding on this thread HAVE done that. And that's all I'm gonna say on *that* issue.
What you describe has nothing to do with the acquisition of common sense and a healthy desire not to get the horse or person scared.
We are telling you what tends to happen when horses are left wandering loose amongst chairs, and when a person sits in a chair next to said horse.
You can do as you wish with the information. But I for one feel that it's sort of my responsibility to at least point it out.
Again, your time would better be spent DOING things with the horse than just hanging out in hopes of "bonding"... not that the latter has no place, and it is of course just *fun* to stand watching your horse in turnout or patting her nosie, but it does not really do a lot for ya in terms of getting the two of you on the same wavelength or "getting her to focus" which you said is a goal here.
Pat
