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Stay. Away. From. My. Horse.
As some of you may know, I recently moved onto a new farm where we have a boarding facility. I live on the property and people board their horses at my barn and use our arenas. <br>The past few weeks I had been really on edge with a man who comes to the barn often with his daughter to help her with her horse. This man ticks. me. off. <br>My newest horse, Romeo, was abused and neglected by his previous owners and has some major issues emotionally and physically. My parents and I have made it very clear that if Romeo is up at the gate and you need to get your horse out that you ARE NOT to get him out or try to scare him away. They are to get one of us if we are home, or an employee, or call us for further instructions. I've watched this man on more than one occasion fling a lead rope at Romeo to get him away from the gate. The <span style="font-style:italic">first</span> time he did this I just re-explained to the man that Romeo isn't in a stable state of mind and we don't want him to be afraid of people. <br>The <span style="font-style:italic">second</span> he did it I told him once again (more sternly) that he is not to spook him. <br>Well today the man did it <span style="font-style:italic">for the third time</span> and I about had a heart attack. I almost got to the point of ripping the lead rope out of his hand and whacking him with it to see how <span style="font-style:italic">he</span> liked it. I was standing at the end of the barn when it happened. I saw him raise his arm with the rope and scare Romeo with it. <br>Now I wouldn't be so concerned if Romeo were to act like a normal horse would...get spooked, go away from the gate, and return a few minutes later. BUT Romeo DOESN'T react like a normal horse. He is now terrified of a lead rope and and swinging motion of the arm. Something that took WEEKS to desensitize him to because of his previous abuse. <br>I very clearly told the man today that he is to stay away from the gate if Romeo is standing there and he is to find myself or my parents or one of our 2 employees to safely move Romeo so he or his daughter can retrieve their horse from the paddock. And if he FAILS to do so he will be asked to leave.<br>I just don't want Romeo to be put in danger and revert to his old ways. I've worked hard to get this horse back to a stable state of mind and that took WEEKS of rehabilitation. It only takes little things to throw his mind back to where it was and he'll be afraid of everything again. <br>Because of this mans carelessness and inability to take me serious my horse can become extremely dangerous and have to be rehabilitated all over again.
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