Most Annoying Horsemanship Pet Peeves
Just like when your husband forgets to change the laundry from the washer to the dryer. Or when your kid leaves their soaking wet, stinky soccer uniform in the trunk of your car…
We’ve all got pet peeves, even at the barn.
They’re usually silly, nonsense-type things that are easy to forget or ignore. But if they catch you on a bad day, or in a crappy moment, these dumb aggravations can sure be irritating.
Heels Down Mag asked our friends to vent about some of their biggest pet peeves. Here are the most popular answers we got back.
Halters left hanging on the crossties. You know what I’m talking about. Janet is running late for her lesson so she hastily bridled her horse, and left the halter still snapped to the crosstie on the floor. Not only is this sloppy, it can be dangerous.
Flash nosebands that are strapped too tight. The horse still needs to be able to breathe! If his nostrils are ballooning, and the veins around his nose are popping, give him a break and take it down a hole or two.
Being on the phone while riding. This goes for the warm-up arena. While out hacking or pretty much just anywhere… When you’re in the saddle, pay attention!
Rushing through the warm-up and/or cool down. You owe it your horse that’s shelping you around the arena to give him proper time to stretch and warm up those muscles, and to also recover.
People petting your horse when you asked them not to. You’ve tried adding a sign to the stall door and alerting your barn manager. But your very mareish mare or your pushy, nibble-prone gelding just can’t get enough of human finger treats. No matter what you do, people just keep trying to pet that snoot.
Taking out their frustration on their horse. We all have bad days. But the horse is never stupid, and rarely, is the issue ever their fault. So stop treating them that way.
Overworking an unfit horse. It’s finally spring and the horses are getting back to work. But just because your horse went prelim at the end of last season, that DOES NOT mean he’s ready to start at that level after months off during the winter season.