What's the worst "training method" YOU'VE seen a trainer utilize?

Question

Alright, this week I've seen/read about some pretty awful stuff, so I thought I'd ask y'all myself.

As for me, I saw a trainer take a nervous horse out on a windy day, put it into a rigging (surcingle and all), tie a bunch of plastic bags to the rings of the surcingle, tie the horse's head way back so that it was almost touching it's sides, and LUNGE the horse that way to help it "overcome" it's fear of bags...we reported the person to the barn owner, as the horse was about to fall over and break something the poor thing was so terrified... we kinda made an enemy, but that poor horse needed help. I wanted to cry watching it running blindly with the whites of its eyes showing the whole time.

Answer 1

Geez!! I just brought the grain to my horses in plastic grocery bags! Took 1 feeding for them to realize bags are "good" things. Only problem...on a trailride, if the young ones see plastic bags stuck to fences...they wanna go look!



Worst one...I watched a man "train" his mare not to back up when she wasn't supposed to...by jabbing her with a metal pitchfork...till she bled. Every time she kicked at the pitchfork, he jabbed her again.



same man, same mare, same day...Mare finally laid down on the ground, and man took a 2x4 to it. Hit it repeatedly to get it up off the ground.



I was young, and didn't tell anyone...but that "lesson" is still in my head. Found out later that the mare had been sent to him for "professional training." Nice...huh?

Answer 2

I was working at a saddlebred show barn and trainer was long lining the horse but he called it shackling and had the reins hooked up not from the mouth through the surcingle back, but somehow rigged up to the boots on it's front feet. Whenever the horse was misbehaving, he'd take a foot away til he calmed down. Fine, but the one day, this newer gelding was acting up and there was all this yelling and commotion coming from the ring, so we ran out and saw the trainer take both front feet away from the horse and the poor thing went down head first and flipped over. Needless to say, I told my boss and the trainer didn't work there anymore not long after.

Answer 3

When I was young, stupid and didn't know any better I had a trainer convince me that the best way to get my mares head down was so kick her into a canter and pull on her face as hard as I could, but keep her cantering. I look back and realize that lady was a fecking idiot. And I was just as dumb for listening to her. She was the trainer at a barn that had won world championships at dun shows though, so I thought she knew what she was talking about.

Answer 4

Rollkur is #1...I have seen a lot of terrible things. For instence, my trainer at my old barn was so aggressive with horses. The poor things, it almost looked as if she would show off and try to get the horse to act up. Luckily I left!!

Answer 5

I think the worst thing I've ever seen is tying the head to the hind leg and leaving the horse turning in circles with it's head cranked around for several hours - supposed to teach them to give their head on that side and make them softer - common WP practice.

Answer 6

I didn't witness this personally, but apparently a trainer was working with a horse who was terrified of the mounting block. So the trainer picked up the mounting block and used it to hit the horse to "fix" him out of it.

Answer 7

some of these trainers have much more to learn before they call themselves one. they call themselves "trainers" to get more money, and trick people into thinking they know everything. don't get me wrong there are PLENTY of amazing trainers out there but there are also PLENTY of horrible, insane people that refer to themselves as a trainer.



the worst trainer i've seen was at my old barn. she was teaching her horse to load and the horse simply wasnt ready to learn. the so called "trainer" whipped the horse so bad she had sores above her hocks. i was out of that barn in a day, literally.



some people are just so sick.

Answer 8

The worst training method any person can use is one where they are uninformed and ignorant, and those which are evangelical in their message.



The very worst case for me is anyone who preaches 'Intelligent Horsemanship' (Monty Roberts). Not because the join up method is cruel, but because the man released a fictitious biography, to gain notoriety and fame, which hurt a great many people. He has hidden his abuse of horses, has caused pain to his family and has millions of blind followers who remain ignorant of this mans true charecter.



His family released a book to expose him. It can be viewed on line, for free, on this site:http://www.horsewhispersandlies.com/



I urge anyone who respects Monty Roberts to read it. Chapter 16 is very shocking.

Answer 9

worst thing I've ever heard was the thing that I posted. To cure my bucking mare some people suggested that I tied her up for 3 days straight without food or water and then ride her....that was just complete bs.....

Answer 10

omg that's horrible. i've seen trainers practically abusing horses for doing somehting that was their fault, but that is the worst thing i've ever heard.

Answer 11

Choking them down to halter them.



Sorry, I realize at times you gotta do what you gotta do, but if you raise this horse, there is no excuse for this ever.

Answer 12

tieing one back leg up so they are on 3 legs and riding them walk trot canter so they cant buck!!

Answer 13

this....http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oz2GWsKDo_0&feature=related

i wouldnt feel right strapping its leg up period let alone actually getting on the horse...