Dimrill Dale said:
Equine, I can (partially) understand why someone would be opposed to a tom thumb. I don't care for them myself, here's a short, concise explanation. Basically the "nutcracker" effect.
http://cha-ahse.org/store/pages/164/USING-A-TOM--THUMB-BIT.html

I understand too. But a year or so when I had the gelding with me, I went to a clinic with him and the clinician always talked about how I had very soft hands with him especially when that horse is so high strung. I normally refuse to use a bit like that but that is what he came with and I wasn't going to change it because it wasn't my place.

Oh yeah, I totally understand. :P NOT trying to attack you!

That is so dumb! Some people are just so mean to others XD

Dimrill Dale said:
Oh yeah, I totally understand. :P NOT trying to attack you!

It's fine :)

I've been attacked for smacking a stud I worked with once on the cheek when he went to try to bite me. It wasn't a hard smack, but it got the point across to him that he shouldn't try to bite me.

Good for you, Hawkeye!

Thanks. I'm not above giving a smack to a stud when they are acting like a bone head, but there are some studs where if you try to do that they'll kill you since they won't tollerate anything like that. Those studs you have to out think, and make them think they came up with the idea that you wanted them to do what you wanted them to do.

Hawkeye Farms said:
I've been attacked for smacking a stud I worked with once on the cheek when he went to try to bite me. It wasn't a hard smack, but it got the point across to him that he shouldn't try to bite me.

His owner and I were the only two who could safely handle him because he knows he can't bluff us. He'll intemidate everyone else in the barn. He's just a big softy once he knows he can't bluff you, then he'll give you a very sheepish look when you catch him doing something he shouldn't.

My appy gelding was very similar when he was younger. He had been the boss of a group of horses and was basically running wild so he treated people like horses. I had to keep everyone away from him because if he thought he could bully someone he would and by that I mean trapping someone in a corner and kicking them repeatedly. He is much better now but sometimes you have that horse who needs to be handled differently. I would prefer a smack or a kick in the gut to my horse cornering someone and possibly hurting someone.

I have also gotten a lot of crap for using a lunge whip and hobbles. I also always bring my stud chain and some calming paste when traveling with Hannibal which some people like to give me crap for but I would rather be too careful then not careful enough.

I've been attacked for a few different things. One being roaching manes of some horses. Now, I train retired polo ponies and try to get them adjusted to an English rider the best I can. Some are more successful than others. I get bashed for these training methods a lot as well, but a lot of the crap I get comes from roaching their manes for a show if they grew in funky or if they are a more recent retiree and just haven't grown it in much. A lot of people seem to find it cruel, but it makes them look better, cuts out unhealthy parts of their mane, and for polo, it keeps them safe from getting tangled in the mallet. As for my training methods, people don't seem to understand that it's actually hard to get a horse who has been trained that only the right lead is correct to pick up his left lead. One method I use is to pull them out to the right, and ask for a left lead as I suddenly jerk to the left. It doesn't harm them at all, and works most of the time. I can see why people might think it's mean, but it helps these horses progress and does them absolutely no harm.