What would you do- rumours about my stables

[bravelittletiger]

I'm an adult returning rider although was never a particularly good rider as a kid. I've started lessons at a local trekking centre. It's all a bit rough and ready- the owner is the only one who teaches and there isn't a huge amount of money sloshing around- only an outdoor arena for example which isn't lit and doesn't drain well. Other than that you're in the field. She has about 20 horses and ponies and she has a few women who help out and a few people she teaches. She does horse holiday weekends away quite a lot too.

I'm really loving my lessons there- she is really enthusiastic and very good at teaching and I've loved the horse I ride. She's cheaper than the other local stable I've been to and she doesn't clock watch so I always get a full lesson. I also really like the woman from what I know of her so far. My other local stable I've been for lessons and you get a strict 30 minutes on a docile rocking horse often taught by very young girls who really aren't as detailed or instructive.

Anyway- I know another lady (not very well) and she has told me to be careful of this woman and her stables. She has a horse of her own at a different yard. She won't tell me all the details because she says she doesn't want to gossip but she says that she's known people to buy horses from the stables and they have been riddled with worms. There was also an incident a few years ago with a child who got bitten at these stables- I said I knew about it and she said "yes and a few other things have happened like that" and didn't elaborate. She just told me to be careful a few times.

What do I do?! Do I abandon my lessons at the stables I really enjoy or keep going and just "be careful" whatever that means?

We kept ours , we don’t sell on , she died with us and I had her cremated .

I suppose it depends on lots of factors - age, overall health etc. as well as temperament.

She could have re-homed to a experienced owner with private land, for example.

The other woman is shit stirring (poorly). Stay alert but make up your own mind. A vague tale of worms and one bite isn’t exactly damning anyway.
as for the poster who asked what happens to horses who bite, usually not much ime. I had one who’d bite sometimes, I still have a scar on my back, the temperamental old sod. I adored him and kept him until he had to be put down due to old age, having spent years being a little hooligan around the farm.

Our yard been the victim of untrue rumours in the horsey community I'd smile politely and make my own mind up. I had a real WTF moment when someone told me the rumours about my yard not realising I'd just moved there and it was my horses they were talking about! Rumours had a grain of truth. Yes my horse did have strangles but as they had been in isolation none of the other horses on the yard had it and of my 2 one had symptoms so slight the vetwas surprised the test was positive (only tested because he was just over from an Irish sale) and the other was completely asymptomatic. By coincidence none of the others had been out competing between us arriving and the diagnosis. Rumour was every horse on the yard was seriously ill apart from 1 who was still out competing (he was actually on box rest for an injury) and that the 2 new horses would be lucky to survive!
So yeah, I take rumours with a whole bucketful of salt these days.

For the moment enjoy what you’re doing. In time, you’ll gain experience and learn what’s “off” and what’s ok.

the only part of your post which concerns me is you say she’s “strict” wrt manners. One YO’s strict is quiet and firm - another’s will be a punch to the face and yelling.

bitchy yards are a given though.

Nothing happens to horses that bite. I used to work on a racing yard in my 20s and a few of us had chunks taken out of us (by poor frustrated things that were probably desperate for turnout and socialisation with other horses) and it never even registered! One girl needed stitches and her attitude was “well it’ll teach me to turn my back on this mare” it’s not like dogs biting

Usually nothing happens to the horse as 99% of the time it is handler error by not reading the body language of the horse. Kids get bitten all the time and it is viewed as a learning curve. My DD was bitten at 4 yrs old because despite me telling her 100s of times to keel her hand flat when giving a carrot, she chose to curl her fingers up and subsequently got bitten. Lesson learned! She has also been knocked over, feet trodden on etc but again all due to her not acting correctly around a horse and therefore it has always been her fault.
Horses aren't aggressive as they are prey animals, if they show aggression it is usually a last resort or because they are stressed/have been abused or mistreated in some way in their past. These type of horses should only be handled by experienced people.

Just for riding lessons, so long as the horses seem happy and in good condition I wouldn't worry. Different if you're looking for a livery yard.

Thank you. They are all in such lovely condition as far as this novice can see anyway. Glossy coats, well fed, have access to hay when they are waiting to be ridden and have been brought in, smartly clipped etc.

Maybe I'm overstating that- I've never seen her punch or hurt a horse only sharply "smack" (on the body not on the face) or nudge one. I can't remember the first time but the second time was when I was on my horse and she was sort of pulling/dipping her head down. Instructor sharply pulled her up by the bit as she termed it as being bad manners. To be honest it makes good sense to me to be firm with horses (even though I'm naturally soft with them because I think they are so gorgeous!) because obviously they are massive and so need a firm hand and need to be taught in the same way another horse would react eg with a nudge.

I’m soft as shite with mine and don’t mind someone being firm with manners- ie giving them a sharp shove, it’s no different to what another horse would do if he thought a field mate had got in his face

Putting their head down when ridden can be a problem, especially with a newer rider who may lack the strength or balance not to fall off over their head! I personally wouldn't yank on the bit but get the rider to pick up the reins and move the horse forward a couple of steps to get them to pick their head up. Can also lead to snatching grass and hedges while out hacking which can be quite dangerous.

A firm smack isn't the worst thing in the world depending on the behaviour and how it's done - a quick reaction to punish a bad behaviour is okay, slapping out of annoyance or repeated hits is not. Again, not how I'd personally do it but as long as it's done in a fair and unemotional way can be fine.

They're so big it's more unfair to let them be unruly because it quickly gets dangerous and then they get sent down the road.