Chief Stipe Posted November 25, 2020 Share Posted November 25, 2020 Thanks to the 3,000 bureaucrats at MPI the fines have gone up for "Striking a horse on the head".. 20Persons must not strike horse on its head (1) A person must not strike a horse on its head. (2) A person who fails to comply with this regulation commits an offence and is liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding $1,500. (3) The offence in subclause (2) is an infringement offence with an infringement fee of $500. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chief Stipe Posted November 25, 2020 Author Share Posted November 25, 2020 The word "horse" has also been changed to "equid" so that covers donkeys, mules and zebra's as well as thoroughbreds and standardbreds and bastards thereof. Anyway - MPI - I'm guilty!!!! (well only retrospectively and who knows the way things are going they may well catch up with me). ----------------------------- Dear MPI Subject: Striking a horse confession While jogging a standardbred equid harnessed to a sulky on a cold winter's morning (6am and -7 degree frost - light southerly blowing - wind chill factor: bloody freezing) I did strike the head of the horse I had on a lead. The stable name of the horse I struck I can't remember but I understand that she does not wish to give evidence against me. She is now a reformed and proud mother of a number of successful racing offspring. In my defence and hopefully to mitigate the degree of fine I'll get ($1,500 would cause undue hardship) I wish to explain the situation under which I needed to strike the said horse on the lead. The horse in the cart was a talented 3 yr old for which $200k had been offered. In 1982 this amount would have purchased a decent sized farm. Not that it should matter but the horse on the lead wasn't really worth anything. So I believe my focus of concentrating on looking after the horse in the cart was justified. After about 15 minutes of the scheduled 40 minute jogging session, her on the lead started to object and wanted to stop and started pulling back on the lead. I tightened my grip on the lead. When it became obvious to her that pulling wasn't going to change anything she ran up to my back and bit me in the middle of my back. Hard enough, as I found out on return to the stable, to break the skin and leave an impression of an equid teeth structure on my back. I would like to point out that at this stage that the injury was not sufficient to stop me from finishing the jogging session nor continuing to work through to evening feed out (5:30pm). So I will not be counter filing for consequential damages from her. After the bite she went back to the end of the lead as far away from me as possible and started to pull again. She then decided to come forward for presumably a second bite but this time I was ready. Just as she was about to bite, without losing control of the horse in the cart or dropping the reins, I swung my elbow and struck her as hard as I could on her opening mouth. She immediately went back to the end of the lead and did not pull or attempt to bite me again. Not for the rest of the session nor any subsequent times in the future. So to striking a horse on the head I plead guilty and seek mitigating circumstances in terms of the quantum of the fine. May I ask what MPI would advise is the best course of action if the scenario I have described happens again? I'll add it wasn't possible to pull over and talk to her about her childhood nor her laziness to work. I would also like to know if they have any advice on how to stop horses biting. I was always taught a quick sharp slap on the lips was a deterrent but at $1,500 a pop in those days it would have been the equivalent to 15 weeks wages. Yours sincerely, 2 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nomates Posted November 26, 2020 Share Posted November 26, 2020 Anything bit me i bit it back if i thought it was an attempt at being nasty , either the ear or the muzzle , they didn't like it being done back to them . I will add that was just the younger horses that hadn't worked out the rules , i never attempted it with any of the stallions i worked with , just had to take those on the chin if they had a nibble . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chief Stipe Posted November 26, 2020 Author Share Posted November 26, 2020 1 minute ago, nomates said: i never attempted it with any of the stallions i worked with , just had to take those on the chin if they had a nibble . Plus you always kept an eye on them, would never work them on a lead and if walking them would have a halter with a bit and chain. I guess mouth bits will be banned eventually. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Freda Posted November 26, 2020 Share Posted November 26, 2020 Just now, nomates said: Anything bit me i bit it back if i thought it was an attempt at being nasty , either the ear or the muzzle , they didn't like it being done back to them . I will add that was just the younger horses that hadn't worked out the rules , i never attempted it with any of the stallions i worked with , just had to take those on the chin if they had a nibble . Lol....stallions I have a healthy respect for - as well as their skilful handlers - but the bruise on my arm delivered by a filly of mine yesterday while doing up the front of her rug was met with fair retribution I thought, and she was very polite this morning while she was being dressed. 2 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nomates Posted November 26, 2020 Share Posted November 26, 2020 5 minutes ago, Chief Stipe said: Plus you always kept an eye on them, would never work them on a lead and if walking them would have a halter with a bit and chain. I guess mouth bits will be banned eventually. Always have to stay awake , they are smart animals , they knew mostly what they could get away with and they knew when they had overstepped the mark . Only really had one that was a prick , never gave him an inch , didn't matter with him , always looking to be king , which i understand , but there was rules which he didn't think applied to him . Unfortunately he had been poorly managed prior to me working with him so he had got used to getting away with most shit . Wont mention his name but could tell some interesting stories regarding him . 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chief Stipe Posted November 26, 2020 Author Share Posted November 26, 2020 1 hour ago, Freda said: but the bruise on my arm delivered by a filly of mine yesterday while doing up the front of her rug was met with fair retribution I thought, and she was very polite this morning while she was being dressed. I was wearing several layers of clothes and still hurt like hell! Lucky it wasn't summer and mid-morning. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chief Stipe Posted December 22, 2020 Author Share Posted December 22, 2020 Well this guy got dobbed in for striking a horse on the head. https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/crime/300189998/dunedin-man-heart-broken-to-lose-horse-after-admitting-he-struck-the-animal 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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