I completely see what you mean Miriam! I have also been in different riding-schools and seen the same. And I do know some places they also do therapy-riding.
I think this place I was in was quite uniqe - even if it was trotters and I really don't like all in that buissiness....
I, who was reaised in regular riding-schools. learned to watch out for kicks and bites, watch out for anything horses might do to get rid of you - and ESPECIALLY so if beginners and/or handocapped people around....
I thaught this man was pretty nuts actually. he could have his mares in the middle of the stablefloor (tied in their halter) and stallions in the boxes all around. Then there came a group of totally unexperienced people - some could not even walk... If someone mentioned horses might kick - he replied "nonsens!! Horses don't kick - where have you learned that??"
Then he followed them around the horses to show.
He trusted his horses completely. Every one of them was born there (except two older mares, but they had been there for about 20 years). So he knew his horses, and I, who was used to people mistrust their horses all the way looked at him as inresponable. I really thaught he was. But there never happened anything - except if there came some EXPERIENCED horse-people, who came to "show the horses where the closet should be kept". THEN there might happend someone gpt thrown off or ran out with or something.
It is really not until the last year, after NHE and here I have really understood that the reason the owner behaved that way was because he TRUSTED his horses.... I never kne anyone who trusted their horses I think, until him....
(Oh, and not all the horses was used for therapy - a few showed they did not like it and they didn't have to. A few didn't like the riding part, and got driven in the wagon instead. I bet today I had seen some of them did not like it but still did as well, but that is really not my main impression - but this man is really not "normal" either. Oh - and I have taken the thread off topic, but it was kind of tot try to explain that it CAN be done well.....
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