What do you wish horse people knew about horses?

One thing that irritates me is breed bashing. I live in western South Dakota and around here, people absolutely hate Arabians. I don't understand why. A horse is a horse to me. I buy on personality. I have a Arabian and get made fun of constantly. I also have 4 Quarterhorses too. They are all nice horses and I don't see a difference in them besides their looks.

I am one of those people who has the ugliest horse and trailer setups...people do look down on me too. Sorry people...I'm not going to go out and spend 10's of thousands of dollars for a trailer that I only use to take my horse to the vet or to go camping in hills...lol. The floor the trailer is safe, there is nothing for my horses to get hurt on in it and the truck runs great. And I don't plan on sleeping in it or living in it. People that do sports with their horses...I can understand the bigger fancier trailers, they practically live in them. But knock me because I don't go out and buy one just because.

Horse people who think that the only horses that matter are the ones who are papered. I only have one registered QH and he's not any better than my other QH's that aren't registered. And he's a gelding so it doesn't make him worth anymore if I was to sell him. His training is what would make him valuable. But with today's horse market it doesn't matter anyways.

Horse people who think that orphan foals are not worth saving. And can never grow up to be a good horse. I completely disagree with that! It's all on if how you treat him. If you don't let him act like a horse, of course he won't be any good....let him act like a horse and treat him like one, and he'll be great.

People who think that you have to have every horse supply out on the market and if you don't have it, then you aren't taking care of your horse. Me...I have 3 brushes and a hoof pick. I have a halter for each one of my horses. I have a saddle blanket for each horse. And one saddle...and yes, it fits both of my riding horses. And I use one bridle for both horses. That is it. What else do I need? I have a cabinet full of vet supplies and a I have bute and antibiotics in my fridge. And hay and grain. Oh yea...each horse has a heated water bucket. That is it. I don't do sports on my horses...so why do I need all the other crap? A lot of people I see around here have everything under the sun made for a horse...even if their horse is just a ranch/pleasure horse like mine. What a waste of money.

And I agree with you, I ride both english and western and out here in South Dakota, people think you are a loser if you ride english. They think you don't know how to ride...lol...I would like to see one of their butts ride english and then tell me how easy it is. Personally I think that everyone should learn the basics of riding through english then move on to western if they want to. It would improve a lot of peoples balance. Around here a lot of people ride with their elbows stuck out like they are about to take flight...lol. I like western too. That is what I have been riding for years now. But I credit my balance to learning english first. I plan on training my colt to a english saddle before a western one.

Another thing, people cowboy their horses a lot around here. They will leave a horse out to pasture from the day it's born until it's 4 years old, bring it in, force a halter on it and call it halterbroke. Then for riding, they think that 30 days of riding is dead broke...lol. And then trash me because I mess with mine from the day they are born. I'll tell you what...right now, my colt spooks at nothing.

Anyways...enough complaining...good question though =)

Edit....Trolls are out...don't they have anything better to do? Wish they would stand for one second behind this one horse I have...lol

Went and gave almost everyone a thumbs up...the only reason I didn't give some is because they already have a couple...sorry.

Hang on, I have a list *reaches in back pocket*

Champions are not always bought. The last horse I placed at Congress with I bought for 4-H 5 years prior and cost me 2k.

Horses are prey animals. Humans are predators. Ever seen a lion give a zebra a head-hug? Did it end well for the Zebra? Quit trying to give new or strange horses head hugs.

Spurs and bits are not torture devices any more than a car is homicide on wheels. It is all in how they are used.

Horses aren't big dogs and mini's are not living My Little Ponies.

No, training horses is NOTHING like the movie "The Horse Whisperer" and showing them is not like the show Rodeo Girls.

Horses are more like a lifestyle than a hobby.

Having horses for a long time doesn't make you an expert. Plenty of old uneducated horsefolk

True horsemanship begins on the ground

Don't take yourself too seriously. Loads in the horseworld do. Pride cometh before the epic eff up.

And when ya do goof, laugh and keep drivin'

1. I wish they knew something about equine anatomy and physiology. 2. I wish they knew the impact and function of every tool they use in training and riding horses before using any of it. 3. I wish they knew that home remedies and voo doo don't replace medical attention from qualified, educated veterinarians 4. I wish they cared as much about caring for horses as they do about riding them. 5.I wish they knew how to use their computers to access the tons of scientific research available to inform them of what makes sense, and what is nonsense, and what is a sales job and what actually is proven fact. 6. I wish they knew that horses are completely dependent on them to use some degree of intelligence in planning and managing their lives. 7. I wish they knew how much more there is to know, since a little bit of knowledge can be a very dangerous thing. 8. I wish they knew when to change their minds and do something differently, no matter how long they did it before, if it turns out that there is a better way, or a smarter way, or a more humane way. 9. I wish they knew how to ask questions and refuse to continue paying instructors and trainers who can't explain what they are doing and why it is done, or paying barn owners for lousy care. 10. I wish they knew how to handle the competition that inevitably develops and interferes with the pure pleasure of horsemanship..

Man everything you have said is dead on. Something else I wish horse people knew was the proper nutrition guidelines for horses. I cannot express eneough how much proper nutrition is to a horse. As the equien manager at a co-op i see idiota on a daily basis who have no idea about horse nutrition. These are the horse owners who have NO business owning horses. Don't get me wrong I know most folks that have horses either know about it or atleast have a clue , but you wouldn't believe how man folks are out there that really have no sense and should not be allowed ot won a horse. It makes me wish there was some sort of test you had to take and get 100% correct answers on before purchaing an equine. The color issue bugs me too just as it does you. That goes for color of horses and color of tack! lol I see soo many ads for saddles that are a "tanish brownish" color with a "whitesh" horn and cantle. Ok leather colors are , natural , light oil , dark oil , pecan , havanna , ...etc etc not tanish brownish. And what exactly is a orange horse? Do you mean chestnut , sorrel or a deep palomino? lol these are things i wanna ask people when they use regular basic colors to describe horses.

That veterinarians don't have crystal balls, and they can't necessarily tell you what's wrong with a horse just by a quick conversation over the phone.

Not every horse that has an accident or injury out trail riding/horse camping needs every person within a 5 mile radius running over there with a bottle of banamine, bute, drug of choice and sticking needles in it. (Is this just a regional thing in my area??? OMG....saw a horse get a small laceration one night. Pretty spectacular, bled a bit, it needed wrapped and a VET to suture it....I swear, while I was standing there, well meaning strangers shot that horse up with banamine, bute, and at least 3 different antibiotics while I was watching. It's a wonder it didn't die. Of course, it didn't say much for the owners that they allowed all of this to happen.....)

That in most cases horses learn quicker and have more respect for people who train with rewards rather than punishment!

That whips are to be used as an aid, not a weapon.

People with very expensive top horses are not neccessarily good riders.

That putting a saddle on a horse and riding them is one of the most unnatural things you can do to their back so they should be checked regularly.

And STULISA42: I wish people wouldn't SLATE other people's discliplines! I am personally not a fan of western (never tried it so wouldn't know) and even if I had tried it and didn't like it I wouldn't go round saying things like you said about english showing! Show horses have to be some of the best looked after horses and so what if it's competitive and full of people who are proud of their work; they should be!

Good question by the way :D

I wish some people on here would figure out that getting a little "manure" in their mouth isn't going to kill them. Another words, get out there and learn. The people on here who answer "call a vet" or "hire a trainer" sometimes are right but there is so much an owner can do on their own. Ask your vet questions, and watch and learn from other riders. Learn to do things for yourself and your horse, because sometimes there just isn't a vet or trainer a phone call away.

I ride western too, my neck being white these days.

A lot of good comments in these answers. I'll add that I wish horse owners wouldn't allow their horse to walk all over them and everyone else, and then think nothing of it. I wish boarders would get a new halter when their foal outgrows the one it has. I wish people who blanket their horses in the winter would take them off occasionally and make sure the horse underneath is OK. I wish owners would make sure their horse has the necessities (like a salt brick) before they buy it something else they don't need.

That English show jumping isnt just for snobby people that dont do any of their own horse work and chores. Ive always been around big show barns and eventers that dont do their own work and someone else tacks up their horse and does all the work, but now that that is my hobby, i make a big deal about doing my own work...and caring for my own horse. I HATE people like that. Who think the more expensive your horse is, the better it is....i HATE it....i saved my horse, and only paid about 1000 dollars for him and now he is a GREAT eventer. I also have NOTHING against western riders. I learned on Western and most of my friends do western. Both disiplines need lots of talent and skill, just in different ways.

The breed thing, overgeneralizing. I live half of the year in a cowboy community. If your horse isn't a QH or a paint or Mustang, he/she's no good. I was talking to someone and mentioned that i own an Arab and he just said "Oh, Arabs are terrible! Spook at everything. Never learn." My Arab is smart and earnsso fast it's scary. Also they think English riders are sissies.

Well, I wish that all people knew that horses have feelings too. If I had a horse, I wouldn't whip the horse all the time like some people do. And I wouldn't take the horse to horse slaughter!

And I wish that all people knew that horses were not things; they are one of the best kind of animals on the earth to me.