# Strangest things people have tried to convince you about your horse?



## ButtInTheDirt (Jan 16, 2011)

I was curious about the strangest/dumbest thing or things people have tried to convince you about your horse. I feel like this would make for some interesting stories... :lol: I don't have any right this moment but I'm sure to think of some when I read other stories. I'm looking forward to your replies!


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## aldebono (Mar 15, 2012)

One "trainer" said my mare looked like she is greying out. I politely informed her that she is 9 years old and is a rabicano.


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## DraftyAiresMum (Jun 1, 2011)

A fellow boarder at my old barn tried to convince me to keep Aires a stallion and not geld him. She wanted to breed her awful fugly mare to him (not exaggerating...her mare has horrible conformation and just a bad attitude). She didn't care that Aires is grade (Percheron/paint cross) because her "mare is registered, so it's okay" (her logic, not mine). She kept telling me I could stud him out for $500 a pop just because "he's so pretty." 

She stopped speaking to me entirely after Aires was gelded.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## cowgirl928 (Feb 4, 2012)

someone tried to convince me that my horse had a serious leg problem when she started gaiting once ahahahahaha. After I told her that she was gaited she told me that there was no way I would ever get her trained properly because I didn't know anything about gaited horses. At this moment in time I have done abundant research and happen to have a mare that gaits well and consistently. So that lady can just shove it!  because I win


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## GamingGrrl (Jan 16, 2013)

I had a guy tell me that my horse needed a tie-down, after he saw him pop up in a small rear in a parking lot at a show. He does tiny rears to protest, and because someone must've got off of him whenever he did it in the past. Nope, he doesn't need a tie down quick fix, he needs more experience leaving home and leaving his buddys. A few shows later and he's almost 100% calm and no more rearing!
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## Delfina (Feb 12, 2010)

The supposed "Large Animal Vet" who kept asking repeatedly if my horse was REALLY a Morgan and was I sure his papers weren't forged?!

Nah... he MUST be a QH, they all prance around with their knees hitting their chest, their tail a billion miles in the air, have a very refined build, tiny, lil butts, refined heads and are 14hh. No wait.... maybe he's a Clydesdale...


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## ButtInTheDirt (Jan 16, 2011)

Great, keep them coming! :lol: 

I had an older vet who thought my mare was a Quarter horse and was just very sweaty. When I told him she was a Bashkir Curly he just rolled his eyes and looked at me like 'okay'. Also had a few people tell me my other Curly mare who has a thicker coat has Cushings real bad. She is perfectly healthy and sheds just fine, but they would fight to the death, I swear.


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## DancingArabian (Jul 15, 2011)

Someone asked me if my horse really was full blooded Arabian and not just a pretty part bred. Why? Because he's "too well mannered to be an Arabian" - they thought all Arabs were snort n blow all the time like in the pictures!
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## faye (Oct 13, 2010)

Probably not what you are after but i've had several "proffessionals" tell me to have Reeco Shot (those exact words). 
Reeco was scared and in pain and letting me know in the only way he knew how (bolting), he has had a horrific past and at the time had an undiagnosed fractured pelvis! 12 months later and I have a very sweet pony who will hopefully be doing his first ridden show in the next few weeks


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## DraftyAiresMum (Jun 1, 2011)

Thought of another one...

Guy at work very rudely told me not to train Aires English because English is for losers who can't ride horses and if I train him English, I'll ruin him.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## cowgirl928 (Feb 4, 2012)

DraftyAiresMum said:


> Thought of another one...
> 
> Guy at work very rudely told me not to train Aires English because English is for losers who can't ride horses and if I train him English, I'll ruin him.
> _Posted via Mobile Device_


wow really? That's dumb. I used to get made fun of constantly at my old stable for riding English. They told me I'm a pansy and that only pansies ride English. I asked them if they could do it and they said no because the saddles look uncomfortable. I've come to the conclusion that they won't leave the comfort of a western saddle. And they suck at riding.


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## PaintHorseMares (Apr 19, 2008)

A (horse) lady tried to convince me that our two blue eyed tobiano had cataracts.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## BornToRun (Sep 18, 2011)

"You shouldn't hold a western saddle by the horn, it could break." 

o.o Excuse me?


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## cowgirl928 (Feb 4, 2012)

haha! The horn is made for use. Think roping saddle....if the saddle of a roping saddle was fragile do you think it would be used for roping a heavy calf? uh no.


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## Sweeney Road (Feb 12, 2012)

BornToRun said:


> "You shouldn't hold a western saddle by the horn, it could break."
> 
> o.o Excuse me?


Then wouldn't it be better to find that out on the ground and off the horse before you try roping something?


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## BornToRun (Sep 18, 2011)

Sweeney Road said:


> Then wouldn't it be better to find that out on the ground and off the horse before you try roping something?


It's not even a roping saddle o.o I was holding the horn while swinging the saddle onto my mare's back!


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## Saddlebag (Jan 17, 2011)

A Level 3 Parelli told me my twh needs someone like Parelli himself to work with him. I guess I made a big mistake. I started the horse at liberty with no halter or rope on him. It's funny how well this has worked out for doing it all wrong.


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## Roadyy (Feb 9, 2013)

I showed a pic of the English saddle, I got for my daughter, to a co- worker who tried to convince me it was an unsafe saddle because she could slide off the front of it since it didn't have that handle stopper thingy to keep her in the saddle....


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## wausuaw (Apr 15, 2011)

I had someone tell that I shouldn't go not the pasture with my gelding if I was having "girly times" because he'd try to mount me.


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## cowgirl928 (Feb 4, 2012)

wausuaw said:


> I had someone tell that I shouldn't go not the pasture with my gelding if I was having "girly times" because he'd try to mount me.


:shock:


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## Delfina (Feb 12, 2010)

My neighbors were telling me that I should really try "real riding" AKA Western. I asked if they'd like to give English a go and was told heck no, they'd fall right out of that slippery saddle. 

Oook... so I'm not really "riding" but yet I can stay in a slippery saddle?

Or when my sister was going on and on about pretentious "Eastern" riding.... took me a while to figure out the moron meant English!


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## WSArabians (Apr 14, 2008)

That they were crazy Ay-rabs. :shock:

:lol:


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## DraftyAiresMum (Jun 1, 2011)

cowgirl928 said:


> wow really? That's dumb. I used to get made fun of constantly at my old stable for riding English. They told me I'm a pansy and that only pansies ride English. I asked them if they could do it and they said no because the saddles look uncomfortable. I've come to the conclusion that they won't leave the comfort of a western saddle. And they suck at riding.


This is the same guy who asked me how much Aires bucked when we broke him out. When I said that he didn't buck at all, he said "Well, if he didn't buck, he ain't broke. Give me a couple hours with him. I'll get him to buck out and then he'll be broke."

Ummmmmm...no. 

Sad thing is, this guy is way younger than me (I'm 30 and he's 20). He tried to get me to board at his house, too, but when I asked what he feeds (alfalfa or bermuda), he just looked at me and said "My horses get a scoop of sweet feed morning and night and graze all day." Come to find out, he's only got a one acre field for the horses to graze (and our grass here is pretty crappy). *facepalm* I told him thanks, but no, and walked away.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## Misty'sGirl (Oct 22, 2007)

I was told by a "horsey person" that I should put my mare in the harshest shanked bit that I could find because she bolted on me. After working with a natural horsemanship trainer I rode her in a halter


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## Maple (Jan 10, 2012)

A few years back, after a really bad fall off a horse (not mine) i was told by a visiting something star parelli guy that if I did things his way I wouldn't have fallen....

3 months later he was hospitalized with a broken leg after his whatever star trained horse thought he'd like to get a bit closer to the road  Can't say I didn't laugh to myself.. just a teeny bit


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## Cruiser (Aug 28, 2011)

I was told my mare has 15.2hh when I tried her out. Thank goodness I didn't really care about height because I can't tape her any higher than 14.3 hh. The old owner still swears up and down she's 15.2 though. 

That I didn't need to worry about which western saddle I use because they just fit any horse. That I put the rear cinch on too loose that is should be tight as or tighter than the front cinch! The throatlatch of a bridle is suppose to be really tight.


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## cowgirl928 (Feb 4, 2012)

I had someone tell me I was training my foal wrong and that she would get all sour because of it. Well she turned out great and had the manners of an angel; now this person has a foal that is so rude and has so few manners that he is going to need some serious work before she can even think of training him to ride. Talk about completely needing retraining..


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## BreannaMarie (Dec 9, 2012)

A girl in my 4h group told me that my gelding was never going to be a usable speed horse becus he was originally trained for western pleasure. Yeah........... he is now running barrels at 17.3 sec. And is involved in cow sorting. My reply to brandi when she first told me that my gelding wasnt going to be a speed horse was "well if he belong to u he wouldnt be becus u wouldnt put the effort into training him for it"(all her horsss are pretrained before she buys them and if she doesnt like the way they are trained she sells them and buys another, basically a horse trader is what she does) and now that he is competeing in speed at shows brandi hardly talks to me and she no longer comments about my horses


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## Endiku (Dec 6, 2010)

I was told that I am abusive because I spun my trainee mare around on her haunches and backed her up HARD after she aimed her butt at me and backed up. Apparently I'm supposed to 'explain' to her what I'm going to do first and reward her for every single half-way good mannered thing she does so she doesn't have a bad experience.

Treats are the only way to go. A horse with no reward will not love or trust you and since animals think with their stomachs, I should be giving my mini mare a carrot or some sweet feed each time she does something right. Uh, no. My mare thinks with her brain and reacts with her body. I encourage her to use her brain more by making fast reactions where she doesnt think mentally uncomfortable, and doing the right thing easy and a fast way to feel comfortable. She'll back up if I point my finger at her and tell her 'back' or sidepass when I touch both her shoulder and barrel while on the ground, but the second I bring out the treats she stops paying attention to my body language.

My almost-5 year old mare is obviously a baby and shouldn't be working or messed with because she's only "two feet" tall.


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## cowgirl928 (Feb 4, 2012)

obvisouly these people don't realize shes a mini..


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## Fulford15 (Oct 17, 2012)

My neighbors tried to convince us that our horses weren't just chasing eachother, but rather, that they were trying to KILL eachother. They even called the SPCA and RCMP to say our horses are trying to kill eachother. :shock: They got laughed at....

Or, I was told not to ride my TB western, trail ride him, or do cross country, as hes "crazy"... proved them wrong.

That one saddle can fit every horse.....:evil:


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## Kayella (Feb 11, 2012)

I was talking to my farrier about Henny's pedigree and mentioned Shots Flying Spark. 

"Oh, you mean Shining Spark?" 
"No, Shots flying Spark"
"I think you mean Shining Spark"
"...yeah, sure."

The old man at the barn keeps insisting I need to ride Henny. HE IS 10 MONTHS OLD. "So, when ya gonna saddle him up and ride him?" "In another 3 years" "Naaah, you can do that right now!" I know he's joking(I think... I hope) but I don't much appreciate him egging me on about that. He also thinks that I should let Henny do whatever he wants any time he wants. I was talking to him while holding Henny and Henny decided to try and visit Prancer without my permission and pulled on the lead rope. When I tugged him back to me the old man said, "ahhh, let him visit Prancer!" "I didn't tell him he could visit" "Oh he just wants to visit! There ain't nothing wrong with that!" Sorry but I have the best behaved horse in the barn and he's not even a year old yet. I'm keeping it that way LOL.

What irritates me the most is when people ask to ride my horses. My 300~ pound friend wanted to ride my 11 hh pony. :shock: She saw nothing wrong with it and she's been around horses all her life. I said, "He's a pony! I weigh 170 pounds and I feel bad riding him!!" That's where the conversation ended. And when people want to "put their kids on Henny." Lol no, I'm not ruining my horse so you can get a cutsie wootsie picture of your kid on my baby's back. Let me stick a 75 pound backpack on your 2 year old and see how you feel about that. :evil:


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## amberly (Dec 16, 2012)

I hate it when people go up to my horse and tighten his bit length. 
Umm, no thanks - I wanted it without the wrinkles in his mouth.

KEEP YOUR HANDS OFF MY HORSE AND MY TACK. 

lol, I've had it happen four times and people give me the weirdest looks.


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## ButtInTheDirt (Jan 16, 2011)

amberly said:


> I hate it when people go up to my horse and tighten his bit length.
> Umm, no thanks - I wanted it without the wrinkles in his mouth.
> 
> KEEP YOUR HANDS OFF MY HORSE AND MY TACK.


I hope it is at least someone you know! If someone started touching my tack like that they'd learn right quick that mares aren't the only ones who can throw dirty looks. If they were someone I didn't even know that'd merit them a slap.


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## dlpark2 (Mar 6, 2013)

The neighbor down the road who gave us his cremello mare said he couldn't make her do anything cause she is blind in her one eye (she has a blue eye). This same neighbor told us that the 20 year old quarter horse gelding was hide bound when we first got him and that we would never be able to put weight back on him...since we have had him, he has went from a 2 on the scale to a borderline 6...


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## SugarNSpice (Mar 26, 2012)

The farrier asked if my stocky, big butted quarter horse gelding was a morgan cross, based purely on the fact that he's a deep liver chestnut.

And then someone at my barn had an animal pyschic come out and she said my friend's horse's favorite color was hunter green, can anyone guess what color halter she happened to be wearing at the time? lol


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## horsecrazygirl (Apr 23, 2012)

I am a animal abuser because i smack my horses butt with my reins or a crop when he doesn't listen to my leg cues.

That they obviously know more then me about tacking up my horse more then I do, because the one book they read (did i mention it was fiction?) about horses said to do it a different way...


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## Gaited07 (Jul 25, 2008)

Speaking of farriers. I had a young man who claimed to be all that and the bag of chips when I inquired about his farrier services. 
Had a spiel for everything.
I asked him about trimming a horse to the comformation of the horse hand he said oh yes definitely but when I finally fessed up that I had a gaited horse he proceeded to tell me that the horse needed high heels, long toes and a toe weight shoe OVER THE PHONE!!!
I politely said ok thank you and have a good day


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## EmsTNWalkers (Mar 10, 2013)

I had a guy tell me my mare would never be able to get in time because her ears were too big :shock:

Oh.....really....well good thing he went ahead and told me that so I didn't waste any more of my time and effort.....:rofl:


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## cowgirl928 (Feb 4, 2012)

Ohhh I got so much fun made of me when I decided to get a saddle fit for my mft mare because I couldn't find one to fit her. There were 3 people at the barn that agreed with me, out of over 40 others. They still make fun of me saying that I wasted my money because what happens if my horse dies. Well, all horses die for one thing, and then if my saddle doesn't fit the new horse I get then it will go on a rack until I can use it again (this however makes me sad because it happens to not only be gorgeous but comfortable as well)


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## DraftyAiresMum (Jun 1, 2011)

Thought of yet another one...

A chick at my old barn told me I was abusing my horse and how dare I smack him because I slapped him on the flank for trying to kick me while I was picking his feet out. This is the same lady who would barely touch her horse with a brush because she "didn't want to hurt her!" and who let her horse do whatever it wanted on the lead because "that's what the Parelli DVDs say to do." *headdesk*
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## GamingGrrl (Jan 16, 2013)

Oh, I just thought of one!
Someone told me that my horse was foundering because he has a cresty neck. Nope, he's just a Spanish mustang that was gelded too late so he has a big ol' stallion neck.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## CLaPorte432 (Jan 3, 2012)

My vet, who is a great vet but not so well versed in color genetics...Said i have the chance of getting a palomino foal from my sorrel mare. LoL. The sire is grulla and does not carry cream.

After a few seconds, i just said..."...ummm....maybe" LoL. *sigh*
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## Horsesdontlie (Mar 11, 2011)

I had one lady that was convinced Jake was a pure TWH. She even went to say that he had the gaits of TWH. No, thats just him walking fast.

When I used to ride in a public park I had someone cry because I was 'running that poor horse into the ground' when in all truth I was doing everything in my power to get him to walk relaxed. (Barn sour, so he was prancing home) He was dripping with sweat, but it was a cool day and he was a very nervous sweater. I tried to explain that he was excited and was doing all the cantering in place not to my wish and all I wanted was for him to walk. She said she was going to call the humane society. I told her to move out of my way or I was going to run her over and went on my merry way. Never did see the humane officers...I always wondered if she called.


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## beverleyy (Oct 26, 2011)

I once had a vet tell me my mare had a tumor and it needed surgically removed. said vet glanced (yes, glanced) at my mare and then somehow came to that conclusion. The lump was a small hematoma that went away on it's own. The same vet that also told my friend her mare needed hock injections. The mare was stocked up from being stalled for a week due to flooding. A vet from the same practice also told me that I didn't need to do anything with my horse's legs when she gashed them open. He said "maybe cold hosing", yet her legs had gashes each about 6 inches long and 1.5 inches wide. He refused to sell me bute or vet wrap (I had ran out and couldn't get to the store for a couple days). 

With my other horse, the same vet apparently went to float her teeth (sedated her and all) and then said she had no teeth. 11 months later I had the mare above done by our now vet, decided we should look in pony's mouth just to check up and make sure everything else in her mouth was okay. Turns out she has a full set of teeth, and was WAY overdue for a float. Needless to say, I'm extremely peeved by this "vet". I haven't used said vet in over a year now, and never will again. He is not somebody I trust dealing with my horses. 

I have also been told by numerous people how "hot" my 6 y/o mare is because she runs in the field when she is turned out. Yup, that seems about right:lol: Really, she's the farthest thing from being hot. My pony is the hot one, lol.


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## Northernstar (Jul 23, 2011)

BreannaMarie said:


> A girl in my 4h group told me that my gelding was never going to be a usable speed horse becus he was originally trained for western pleasure. Yeah........... he is now running barrels at 17.3 sec. And is involved in cow sorting. My reply to brandi when she first told me that my gelding wasnt going to be a speed horse was "well if he belong to u he wouldnt be becus u wouldnt put the effort into training him for it"(all her horsss are pretrained before she buys them and if she doesnt like the way they are trained she sells them and buys another, basically a horse trader is what she does) and now that he is competeing in speed at shows brandi hardly talks to me and she no longer comments about my horses


Good job, BreannaMarie!


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## Casey02 (Sep 20, 2011)

> When I used to ride in a public park I had someone cry because I was 'running that poor horse into the ground' when in all truth I was doing everything in my power to get him to walk relaxed. (Barn sour, so he was prancing home) He was dripping with sweat, but it was a cool day and he was a very nervous sweater. I tried to explain that he was excited and was doing all the cantering in place not to my wish and all I wanted was for him to walk. She said she was going to call the humane society. I told her to move out of my way or I was going to run her over and went on my merry way. Never did see the humane officers...I always wondered if she called.


My horse is a nervous sweater as well!


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## Nightside (Nov 11, 2012)

That Thunder, my ivory champagne, was cremello. He has neither blue eyes nor pink skin. Yep, I'm the crazy one.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## Adenfire (Dec 2, 2010)

I've had a very indepth argument with someone while at a breed expo with my minis on the fact that Miniatures aren't real and just super dwarfy shetland ponies...They then proceeded to try and tell me my 34in gelding was oversized...I had a table set up with registry info and their papers on it....Said person left in a huff because they wouldn't take no for an answer...

OR when I'm walking the mini's around and people CONSTANTLY ask if they can have a pony ride...or how much it is to ride the pony...because anything under 12 hands tall is available for pony rides otherwise why would we be at the county fair horse show!?!?!!?


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## EliRose (Aug 12, 2012)

This crazy old guy that sometimes takes lessons at my barn thought Parker was pregnant . . . :shock: He said his sheath was an udder . . . :shock:


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## Northernstar (Jul 23, 2011)

EliRose said:


> This crazy old guy that sometimes takes lessons at my barn thought Parker was pregnant . . . :shock: He said his sheath was an udder . . . :shock:


Ooooh! That's a good one - maybe he's been dipping into the cooking sherry? haha


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## EliRose (Aug 12, 2012)

Very likely, haha! He really is a very odd, creepy man, he has been banned from the farm several times. I don't like that he was eying my boy . . . O.O


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## aliliz (Dec 24, 2012)

I had a lady tell me that my mare had to be a Draft cross. Liz is a 15.1 hand Morgan. She may not be the more delicate new style, but she's super narrow and looks nothing like a draft!

The same lady insisted that Lizzie's a palomino. She's a dark liver chestnut with a flaxen mane and tail.

I've also had tons of people try to convince me to retire her. Just because she's ancient, doesn't mean she doesn't need exercise and a job! One of the times a random stranger told me to retire Liz after finding out how old she is, the vet was there. The vet promptly butted in and said that if I were to retire her, Liz would go downhill fast and that I shouldn't even consider retiring her anytime soon :lol:

There are some crazy know-it-alls out there!


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## Jacqua Stud (Feb 8, 2013)

I had some lady come up to me after a race at state mounted games, telling me I was kicking my horse and pulling the reins at the same time to make him rear. 

Thing is at the state event, the steward holds a nice big red flag up then drops it to signal the start of the race. I was first rider, and the steward was right in front of me. My horse being the ever alert man he is, saw it go up, immediately dropped his hindquaters, lifted his front legs off the ground, bounced a little, and jumped straight into a speedy gonzalous canter as soon as it went down. All without me touching him, hands included. 

Other horses and ponies did the same, but it was me who was blamed for the horse knowing his job.


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## Kotori (Jun 18, 2012)

When I went to horse camp, they gave me the 3-4 yo, fresh off the track thoroughbred, and then almost kicked me out when I couldn't restrain her. Did I mention I was 8, barely came up to her belly and had never ridden before?

About the feminine issue...I've been chased and almost mounted by mares over that. might have just been her playing, but I couldn't make it over the fence and had to lean against the post while she realized she had girlie bits....same thing happened with two other geldings before I had them convinced I am not one of 'their' mares. 

One of my 'peers' told me to shoot all the horses and 'feed them to the grass' or feed them 'horsemeat' because that's basically what feeding them grass was....same people told me to rip my geckos tail off and feed it to him...then feed him to a bird.:evil:


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## cowgirl4753 (Aug 3, 2012)

Had an old cowboy tell me not to geld my colt before he was 2 because it would give him a ewe neck!
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## VanillaBean (Oct 19, 2008)

Many trainers have tried to convince me that my pony is insane and that I should sell her. Well, one of said trainers got her butt beat by my "crazy" pony. Take that!

A vet told me Grace should never be jumped again because...oh right, he had no reasoning. Probable jealous of my Gracie!


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## LeafOnTheWind (Oct 17, 2012)

Ah jeez, lets see.

I had a vet a vet look at my horse for a couple minutes, and immediately try to convince me that she had cancer, and would be dead in six months. She's still kicking a couple years later!

I had a trainer try to convince me to sell my little POA mare, because she would "never be a good pony". I think she just had no clue what to do with the mare, so she decided to try and convince us to get a made horse instead. We left her, and now I am constantly getting people trying to buy the pony off me.

I was riding a very green pony in a lesson once, and I had the trainer try to convince me to put a tie down on her. I've also been told, by various people, to put a tie down on my then green horse, who had a head tossing issue. 

I had the same trainer try to make me raise the bit on a different pony, because it wasn't creating any wrinkles. Even after I informed her that the pony had some issues with pressure, and went best with a lower bit.

We had somebody out to work with our filly a couple years ago, and her 4yr old son tagged along. Somehow, being a teenage girl, I always seem to be the one put in charge of entertaining small children, so he was following me around the barn. I got a little 12hh pony out to work, and we started talking about her. He informed me that she was not a real pony, because she was missing body parts. It took me a minute to figure out what he was talking about, he was referring to her trace clip :lol:


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## ButtInTheDirt (Jan 16, 2011)

Oooo! I have another one;

I went to a clinic with a decently known clinician in this area. My gelding is green, and I want to make sure he stays in check. She would have us mindlessly trotting/walking around the arena, and periodically I would ask him to stop and back up when she was helping someone else just so he knew life wasn't mindless circles. She knew that I fell off him a few times and was convinced I was petrified. I was actually very confident that day, but the way she tried to 'calm me' would probably have made the situation worse for someone who was actually nervous.

Make a long story short, she told me that I needed to keep my reins tight so he didn't have time to think about other things and I shouldn't let him make any decisions. This clinic was geared towards western pleasure, and she kept insisting I hold my horse's head up and drag on his face. No thanks. She kept coming up to me telling me it was okay to be nervous, and I just have to hold him tighter.


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## QuietHeartHorses (Jul 31, 2012)

Oh dear... Well, owning an OTTB with a quirky personality and riding english in a community full of barrel racers is interesting to say the least. I've heard all kinds of things...

Thoroughbreds never make good pleasure horses because they will never forget their racing careers and will always be crazy. 
Thoroughbreds are known for bullying other horses. 
All thoroughbreds have horrible hooves, they will never be able to go barefoot, and to even attempt it is cruelty.
A bridle with a nose band is torture for a horse. 
Snaffle bits break horse's teeth. 
Natural horsemanship means you ride only in a western saddle with a hackamore or a side pull. 

I've learned to just smile and nod when people feel the need to share their infinite wisdom with me. How did I ever end up with such a sweet, loyal, happy, healthy horse without all of their keen advice?! :lol:


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## picup436 (Nov 22, 2012)

I have had people ask if my purebred friesian is a standardbred! Nothing against standardbreds, but does he look anything but friesian???


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## trampis67 (Nov 14, 2010)

Beautiful horse picup! Every time I think I've heard it all, someone else blows my theory right out of the water. I bought a mare with a two day old colt by her side about 5 years ago. About a month later a guy delivered a load of hay, and asked me if I threw the colt on the ground when he was three days old. When I said no, why? he looked me in the eye and dead serious said;"If you throw them on the ground when they are 3 days old, they'll never buck with you when you break them." I still wish I had a picture of the look on my face, I imagine I hid my amazment very well.
Then I had a neighbor who had just "rescued" a horse tell me about her latest find. She informed me that the horse was blind in one eye and had surgery at the University of Kentucky and had a glass eye. I didn't think much of that until her husband chimed in and swore up and down that the filly could see out of that eye. In amazement I went over to see their new bionic horse, only to find a scawny little paint standing in the field. The only pretty thing about her was the blue eye she had.


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## Saranda (Apr 14, 2011)

I've been told that my horse is too fat by an owner of an overweight trotter. She failed to notice, though, that my gelding is a light draft and is not supposed to be as narrow and lean as her horse should be, so I was given advice on how I should cut on his feed.

Also, when I just bought my gelding and was a first-time owner, the BM of the barn where he lived helpfully gave me a tip never to spend more than three hours a day with him. Why? Well, apparently horses become too attached to humans if so much time is spent with them and become "wild, dangerous and uncontrollable", if so.  

I was also "taught" that horses can be given only very small amounts of carrots or a rare apple, but no other vegetables or fruits at all, as any of them bloat horses up and induce colic.


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## Roadyy (Feb 9, 2013)

wausuaw said:


> I had someone tell that I shouldn't go not the pasture with my gelding if I was having "girly times" because he'd try to mount me.


The one who told you or the gelding?


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## 40232 (Jan 10, 2013)

amberly said:


> I hate it when people go up to my horse and tighten his bit length.
> Umm, no thanks - I wanted it without the wrinkles in his mouth.
> 
> KEEP YOUR HANDS OFF MY HORSE AND MY TACK.
> ...


Somone has done that to me before, and it was a bit that had a litle bit of gag on it so I left it with no wrinkles in his mouth as it creates wrinkles when pulled. She came up and tightened it, think she new best :evil:


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## Faceman (Nov 29, 2007)

A lot of people try to be kind and tell me my personal riding horse is not that ugly. I love my horse, we are a fantastic team, and I wouldn't trade him for the world, but call a spade a spade - he is ugly...


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## wausuaw (Apr 15, 2011)

This lady told me he'd mount me, and that he had tried to mount her! (I had just gotten him). Watching the two interact beforehand, it wasn't him trying to mount- it was him being a ****** and her running away from him, which didn't make my task any easier :/ but, he turned into a good horsey (a push over, really). She also claimed he was a stud (quite obviously gelding) after initially telling me he was a pregnant mare and moody. This, by the way, was all said in the same day. 

Oi.


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## Delfina (Feb 12, 2010)

My friend was trailering home her big ol, gray warmblood gelding from a clinic and picked up 2 gray 10hh rescue ponies. Stopped at a gas station and this lady rushes her kids over and goes "Look kids, this is a very, very rare thing to see. It's a Mommy horse with TWIN babies"!

My friend tells her, Actually that's a gelding and those are ponies. The Lady goes "I know!! See kids, ponies are baby horses and their Mommy is a Gelding, that's why she had TWINS". 

Ooooooook! Wonder how long before my gelding gives birth to twins?


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## DraftyAiresMum (Jun 1, 2011)

Delfina said:


> Ooooooook! Wonder how long before my gelding gives birth to twins?


I know a gelding that used to look like he was going to have twins. He boarded at a stable I worked at and we all seriously thought he was a pregnant mare when he first got there. One of my friends actually asked the owner (who is now one of my best friends) when her mare was due. The owner said "Ummmmm...my horse is a gelding."
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## Endiku (Dec 6, 2010)

Delfina said:


> My friend was trailering home her big ol, gray warmblood gelding from a clinic and picked up 2 gray 10hh rescue ponies. Stopped at a gas station and this lady rushes her kids over and goes "Look kids, this is a very, very rare thing to see. It's a Mommy horse with TWIN babies"!
> 
> My friend tells her, Actually that's a gelding and those are ponies. The Lady goes "I know!! See kids, ponies are baby horses and their Mommy is a Gelding, that's why she had TWINS".
> 
> Ooooooook! Wonder how long before my gelding gives birth to twins?


:shock: :rofl::rofl:



I had one lady try to tell me that mules were mythical creatures and I, obviously, did not have one. I had my mare in her pen along with her pasture buddy and their two mule foals. I was mucking their pen out and she comes up and says 'excuse me kid, why are guys letting those mean little donkeys run around and bite those pony's butts and pester them by following them so much? Are they mental or something?' I told her no, those were actually 3 and 6 week old miniature mules and those were their moms. She just gave me a 'yeah, sure kid' look and said 'I'm not THAT naive, I know that horses can't have donkeys and those things are definitely not horse babies.' I told her, again, they were miniature mules. Their moms were horses, their dads were donkeys. Thats when she told me that mules aren't REAL and I should know that if I work on a farm. She then explained that they were from greek mythology and that we needed to seperate those donkeys from the horses before they hurt each other. Donkeys and horses can not be together.

Oh, ok ma'am. Obviously the long eared MULE that I watched come out of my mare's butt can't exist. My bad.


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## Poseidon (Oct 1, 2010)

Not about my horse, but about me: One woman I board with thinks I'm so abusive that she refuses to ride where I am. Why? Because I smack my horse when she cops her Abbytude. She has called my BO several times regarding this, who then called me and we laughed it off. I think it's hilarious and would love to tell her she's more than welcome to ride my mare, who more than knows her manners and training, but will let you know how much she doesn't want to do something.


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## Roperchick (Feb 1, 2010)

Uuum some girl tried to convince me that my mare was her long lost foal....um no. I have her registration...and can trace her back to the exact farm and the people where she was foaled
..


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## Poseidon (Oct 1, 2010)

At least no one has actually argued with me about this, but nearly everyone that sees Kaja thinks she's a Shetland. No. She's a Fjord. Just because she's 12.3hh does not automatically make her a Shetland. She looks nothing like one.


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## AnalisaParalyzer (Apr 25, 2012)

not about my horse, but about horses.......

on our way to a show once, our trailer got a flat tire. we had my liver chestnut, my friends sorrel and a big chestnut/flaxen. there was a woman who came out of the gas station we stopped at, who threw her hands up and thanked the lord these big beautiful blessed creature came to visit her today! Amen amen holy Jesus, but where is the white one? she asked. apparently, all horses must travel with a white horse, to keep them safe..... 

she was very upset. And she was so sweet, she sat with us while we waited for the shop truck to come with our new tire, fed them apples and talked with us about horses and dogs and "kreeters". but we ended up telling her there was a white horse where we were going, and we'd be ok  she took a couple pictures of us and the horses an her with the horses and then we all went on our way


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## speidel (Dec 23, 2012)

strangles- two days after her stable mate died windsongs face was vary baddly swollen and she reared uo and spun away when i reached up to pet her forhead, swelling went down then a few weeks later it was swollen agine one gal wouldnt back off she has strangles -saddly my horses paid the price becuse a young gal that wanted to help improve horses lives ****ed a lot off ppl off and the horse that died is the one i let her ride.


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## hydnschultz (Jan 7, 2013)

Okay a long time ago i went to look at a horse advertised as a Norwegian fiord, and it turns out it was a little black/dark bay mustang with its hair cut short so it stood up like a Norwegian fiord's, and these people sold/trained/traded horses for a living! I could not believe it, but i did trade because he was a good little horse.


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## TrojanCowgirl (Jun 1, 2012)

My neighbors called animal control on me because my horses had a few flies buzzing around their face...they had flymasks on and the yard was clean... they were laughed at and asked not to file another complaint about us again.

Someone at my barn tried to tell me not to groom my horse or spend extra time with her that isn't work because "that's not how the cowboys did it". So therefore, it's completely unnecessary and it makes me a "horsemanship rookie"... even though I've been a successful horse owner for years. Also told me not to kiss my horse on the nose because she could swing her head up and knock my teeth out... ok... that's just as silly as saying you shouldn't ride because you could potentially fall off and break a bone. >_>


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## Muppetgirl (Sep 16, 2012)

Haha anyone who sees me riding my horse for the first time says:

'Oh he looks so worried' �� and I just say 'so he should be' (some think I'm serious!) 

He's not! He has a tendency to fiddle with the shanks on the bit and try to grab the reins while he's resting, so I put a nose band on him, so the fall out from that is he wiggles his top lip all the time and it gets exacerbated if I happen to be getting after him a little...doesn't help that he has one beady wild looking eye either!

So now, after all that, the next question was 'oh you have a nose band on him, does he gape his mouth?' �� My reply: 'never'! And I don't even bother explaining about the fiddling mouth, he's into everything. I give up��


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## trailhorserider (Oct 13, 2009)

One time I had a lady vet out and she had this big guy that worked with her, like a bouncer, grab my gelding by the ear when she was going to check his teeth. Keep in mind this was my first horse and he was dead broke and lazy and never gave anyone a lick of trouble. 

I told her that isn't necessary and she said "how do you usually restrain him?" And I replied "With a halter." 

That still irks me to this day. Why would someone go grab a horse by the ear for no reason when the horse was standing politely? :evil:


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## Kayella (Feb 11, 2012)

This isn't about my horse, but my friend kept trying to argue with me. They said that they'd seen an albino horse and I stated albinism has never been found in horses. "It was so, I saw it. It had pink eyes" After a couple minutes of arguing I gave up. And today at dinner she piped up "You know there are only 3 horses in the world with green eyes?" "Uh no, there are hundreds." "Uh no, my friend told me there's only 3" Then when I tried to explain the pearl gene, she shrugged me off like I was crazy. COME ON.


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## DraftyAiresMum (Jun 1, 2011)

trailhorserider said:


> I told her that isn't necessary and she said "how do you usually restrain him?" And I replied "With a halter." :


As Sheldon (from The Big Bang Theory) would say...Bazinga!
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## busysmurf (Feb 16, 2012)

Let's see, some of my favorites:
~ you can't post in a western saddle

~ Odie isn't a true Quarter Horse because he's a buckskin

~ A friends chunk-a-lunk halter horse was a perfect example of what a huntseat horse should look like.

~ A horse couldn't collect & use his a** end because he had an issue with his neck.

~ When a horse is resting their leg, that means they are going to kick you.

~ Cross ties are only for untrained horses.

~ It's not safe to lunge when the horse is tacked up.

Those are the only ones I can think of right now


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## Poco1220 (Apr 6, 2010)

When Poco was still a stallion I was boarding him and it was farrier day. We brought all 7 horses in the barn (him, 2 geldings, and 4 mares). Poco was the last horse to be done and had eaten quietly in his stall the entire time with mares all around. 

The farrier finished 2 of his hooves and was mid discussion picking up the back hoof when he looked up and realized Poco was a stud. He dropped the hoof, JUMPED AWAY, and demanded I put him on a war bridle, stud chain, or twitch. He also demanded all other horses were taken out of the barn and told me his fee was doubled since it was a stallion. Because all stallions are immensely dangerous and untrustworthy. Mind you Poco stood quietly and half asleep the entire time and never moved an inch. 

The farrier was fired on the spot.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## TurkishVan (Feb 11, 2013)

I've got one woman at my barn that takes everything her riding instuctor (who is a class act herself!) says and spews it back out. 

To this day, she has said that Friesians are only good for driving a cart, and that none of them should do dressage. 

She leases a 20 year old warmblood mare, and talked about buying a younger (10ish) warmblood someday, but complained that the price would be around $16,000. I'm in dressage training with my tall quarter horse mare. She had the audacity to say to my face something like, "Well, I wish I could find a cheap quarter horse, that moved correctly, to buy up and do dressage. But they only do well in the lower levels anyway."

My mare was shown extensively by her previous owner (a woman in her late 20's, so it wasn't 4H or anything), and has won the title of Champion Western Pleasure mare many a time. She had lots of trophies and pictures to prove it. AND she can walk off the lot and go down the road without freaking out! Something that her warmblood can't even contemplate. This same woman keeps trying to say that my mare must be an appendix quarter horse, since she's so tall. I practically have to shove her papers in front of her to show that she's foundation bred, throughout the entire line. 
Oh well! To each their own, I guess.

I also visited with the barn owner about bringing another horse to board. They asked what breed, and I said, "Saddlebred." They looked worried and said, "Saddlebred! I've heard they're pretty hot!" I couldn't help it! I busted out laughing! Yeah, George is hot alright! About as hot as a firefly fart lit up by a candle! LOL!


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## ButtInTheDirt (Jan 16, 2011)

I was riding a horse at a barn up the road that some friends had just got. They were Mexican, and they had the authentic saddle and bridle. The horse had been worked quite a bit that day so I walked him a few laps before having a go at trotting and cantering. When I was started trotting I started to post, and I got some strange looks. I actually heard the BO explaining to the horse's owner what I was doing. I honestly think the horse would have given me the same look if it could have! But the saddle had a huge horn, about the size of a dinner plate, and I occasionally hit my pelvis on it and that was not pleasant. The BO and I were the only two who actually got the horse to trot, everyone else cowboy'd it into a bouncy walk. That horse definitely had some trot, so I opted for posting.


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## JustDressageIt (Oct 4, 2007)

Massage therapist told me that Ronan has lots of toxins in his system, and she knew this based on her hands being filthy after the massage. Um. No, he just hasn't been on the business end if a hose lately.... And if there were toxins, probably from the gallons of fly spray I use on Mr Sensitive.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## rookie (May 14, 2012)

I had a woman tell me that my horse who was standing still was going to kick because his hind end was "engaged". 

I had a dressage instructor when I was 16 tell me that if I wanted a career in horses I was going to have to get more serious about my riding. Which to her meant less goofing off, going on trails or jumping and riding more then three days a week. That was the last lesson I ever had with her. A career in horses was the last thing my parents wanted. I split the difference and cowboyed for a few years. 

I had someone tell me that my steady eddy trail horse was "dangerous" and "going to kill someone" and that we should sell her to the next person who marched down the road.


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## Sunny (Mar 26, 2010)

My horse has a really straight shoulder and her scapula is set a little further back than most horses, so her saddle is a little further back. If it was in the "normal" spot it would be right on top of her shoulder. I can't tell you how many people have TOLD me (not politely mentioned or asked about) that it is too far back.


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## crimsonsky (Feb 18, 2011)

without fail, every time i tell someone that my horse doesn't like apples they try to feed him an apple. and every time he will either not take it or will mouth a piece and then spit it out. somehow *I* am the crazy one as "every horse ever loves apples!" and no. 

but of course, a barn owner/manager will always know more about my horses than i do even though i've had them for 9, 7 and 2 years (the last being a coming 3 year old) so clearly i shouldn't be making any management decisions on my own as to their care. I'VE HAD THEM AT HOME UP UNTIL THE LAST 4-6 MONTHS. oye - i think i know how to care for them. *headdesk*


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## poppy1356 (Jan 18, 2012)

Told to me by a previous boarder. "You can't brush a horse with a winter coat or you will make him shed out the winter coat."

Same person talking to daughter when obviously speaking about my horse right next to him, "It's to early to put their blankets on, you don't want to ruin the winter coat." It was late December and -30 outside with 20mph winds, yeap still to early for a blanket, wonder when a good time would be, march?


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## Maple (Jan 10, 2012)

poppy1356 said:


> Told to me by a previous boarder. "You can't brush a horse with a winter coat or you will make him shed out the winter coat."
> 
> Same person talking to daughter when obviously speaking about my horse right next to him, "It's to early to put their blankets on, you don't want to ruin the winter coat." It was late December and -30 outside with 20mph winds, yeap still to early for a blanket, wonder when a good time would be, march?


I'm thinkin July :lol:


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## poppy1356 (Jan 18, 2012)

Maple said:


> I'm thinkin July :lol:


Lol probably or it was normally after it rained/snowed and the horses were soaked, not the night before it was going to rain....

Or just a few weeks ago during a warm spell with it being 40 and sun shinning bright a boarder put her mares winter blanket on to help her shed out. She hadn't worn a blanket all winter.


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## Corporal (Jul 29, 2010)

Is your horse ("Toma," 1970-2005, RIP, tobiano paint, brown around the BLUE eyes, with a white blaze)...
_b l i n d ?_


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