Throwing brush at horse?

[Augustwine]

I’m not a horsey person but daughter has been riding for a little while. It seems like a very nice, quite posh stables and the horses seem well looked after. However today one of the staff threw a grooming brush at a horse in a stable because it was annoying her banging on the door she then waved her arms in the horses face. The brush didn’t hit the horse or go that close. Is this a normal way for horsey people to treat horses?

No, it isn't normal, and it isn't right. The stupid cow.

I think I will complain to the stables about it, it was one of the younger members of staff and I can’t imagine one of the senior instructors doing that. I don’t think they are abusing the horses exactly, and I think it was meant in a jokey lighthearted way but it didn’t sit right with me-the principle of it/lack of respect for the animal, and she was quite rude/snooty too. However I don’t want to make an idiot of myself complaining about nothing. I understand that sometimes you have to be firm and push horses around a bit/raise your voice a bit to get them to listen (when trying to move horses away from gates you’re opening to stop them escaping etc) but this seemed unnecessary.

Unfortunately there are yards where things like that go on and are seen as really normal. If you complained it might be greeted with, at best a shrug. If that’s what happens when clients are there I dread to think what goes on otherwise. Personally I’d vote with my feet/wallet and look elsewhere.

Your instincts that this is wrong are correct. You do not need to shout or push them around. That's a very outdated way of dealing with horses