Conference noted::equitation

    There's probably not alot you can do in terms of action against this
    guy.  (Unless you videotape him - then who knows).
    
    Personally, I would find another home for my horse.   If I were the
    barn manager and caught him red handed abusing another customer's
    horse - I would evict him.  I wouldn't want someone like that in my
    barn and I definitely would not want to drive away good customers
    because of him.
    
    Of course you should reprimand a biter - but the punishment is quick
    and easily understood.  Beating a horse is senseless and ruins them.
    
    Just my .02
    
    JB

    I agree that a biter should be sorted out, but Cloud is not a biter, 
    she just pulls faces when you put her rug on and tighten her girth, and 
    as I said in my first note she puts her ears back when she's being 
    nosey (but her ears don't go flat against her head like they do when 
    they are showing aggression, so you can tell the difference).  If he 
    has hit her for just pulling a face or putting her ears back, she is 
    not going to know why she is being punished.  This is why I think she 
    doesn't trust me anymore.  What can I do to regain her trust? and how 
    long will it take?
    
    I'm depressed

    Back when I boarded, my horse also suddenly became headshy.  
    Now, my horse is just a big puppydog, so I couldn't understand
    his sudden reactions to being haltered, unhaltered, bridled,
    unbridled...
    I asked what was going on, and it turned out that one of the
    people turning horses in and out had been "ripping" the halter
    off his head, rather than taking the time to properly remove it
    from my horse.  (He was 16h, she was only about 5 ft tall).  Her lack
    of patience caused this problem.  The first thing I did was tell the
    owner that that person wasn't allowed to handle my horse, period.
    Then, it took a lot of patience, ear rubbing, face scratching,
    treats fed by hand, slowly removing and placing the halter on "gently",
    and all around hands in the horse's face as much as possible to reverse
    what she had done.  It didn't take that long, though.  My horse always
    trusted me, so there was an obvious change in a few weeks....
    
    LYNNE 
    as possible, to  

    A friend of mine suggest when putting a halter on or off:
    Put your arm on top of the horses head and guide it on or off
    carefully . This may seem impossible with a large horse, its not.
    Train him to lower his head. This took about a day with Beau.
    Horse candys help.
    
    Carl

    Personally, I would move my horse and make sure that the owner/manager
    knew *exactly* why I was leaving. Since you've already talked to them
    about this man beating your horse, I see no point in talking further
    with them. I would just leave and tell them that I was leaving because
    they allowed this man to abuse the horses of other clients without
    taking action against him. To me that is abuse of the worst
    kind...apathy

    
    it sounds like Cloud was just being a mare...if you say she's not a
    biter then I belive you.. Cloud should not be punnished for being 
    a bit mare-ish.  Every mare I know has the temperment you described.
    No matter what you do, or how you repermand her she will not change her
    mare-ish ways.  So this person who is hitting her should be made aware
    of her mare-ish personality and made aware you know he is hitting her
    and you should make it clear to him he is not to raise a hand to her
    again!
    
    Is this person just a worker in the barn?  Does he have to put your
    horse out?  If there is someone elese in the barn that can do it, then
    ask the owner to asign somone elese to put her out.  Make the owner
    aware they man is not to touch your horse and if he does, you will be
    leaving the farm.
    
    Most barn owners will not want to loose a good boarder.  and if the
    owner does not care if you leave..then you  might as well leave before
    something else happens to your Cloud.
    
    I'm very sorry and good luck.
    
    Lkp

    What I would wonder about is if he is abusing her when nobody
    else is there! I'd think that he may be a little resentful and
    purposely hit her while she is in her stall and can't get away
    from him.
    
    I would ask the owners to have HIM leave, not you. You would need
    some proof however, that he is being abusive, i.e.; someone saw
    him do it, or someone else is complaining that he is abusing their
    horse too.
    
    You have to understand that there is a thin line between correction
    and abuse, wha0t one person thinks is excessive, another may not.
    For example, there are some animal rights activists that think
    whips are cruel in dressage, or thick hoof pads are cruel in 
    saddleseat, or that steer cutting horses are abused, etc...
    
    Good luck, let us know the results.
    Tina
    

    Someone else is now putting Cloud out for me, I arranged this as soon 
    as I suspected him of abusing her.  The laugh is that when I told him 
    that someone else was going to put her out, he didn't even ask why and 
    he hasn't spoken to me since, so I think he knows why.  And as to Cloud 
    not trusting me, fate has brought us back together....Earlier this week 
    she was badly kicked in the field and was more or less hopping on three 
    legs, the vet came to see her gave her some jabs and told me to keep 
    her stabled, she was being a really grouchy and mar-ish patient at 
    first but know she calls to me and has turned into a licker, she is 
    still very lame but she is getting better, so I am spoiling her rotton, 
    bran mashes every other day and generally treating her.  So you could 
    say every "Cloud" has a silver lining, sorry I couldn't resist.
    
    My only concern now is that she is still stabled opposite this mans 
    horse, and I am really concerned that he may take his temper out on her 
    again, I cannot afford to move her at the moment, as I rely on lifts to 
    the stables from my parents as I cannot drive yet, I am learning 
    though, so the tempory course of action for me at the moment is that I 
    have put my name down for the next available stable on the opposite 
    side of the yard.

    Is there another stall vacant in the barn that you can asked to be
    moved into?   If there is then ask the owner to allow you to move so
    your mare won't be across from him and vulnerable to his abuse.