Kara had a vet experience a lot like the one I had last weekend, which reminded me that I haven't told y'all about it. I'm going to cheat and recycle my very long comment that I left on her blog by posting it here too.
It's funny how many people think they are experts on mustangs, and how the ones who think they are usually aren't...
Pick another somewhat uncommon breed, like say an Icelandic. I bet their owners don't get a talking to from their vets about how much the vet knows about the breed and how inferior they are. It's irritating.
Just last weekend I had Tonka at the vet's, but it wasn't my usual vet. She asked why he was freezebranded, I said "He's a mustang." Of course I was thinking, didn't you read his chart? But I'm sure she hadn't. Anyway, she went on to say he didn't look like a mustang, because mustangs are small, ugly and put together all wrong, with big heads and short necks. Which in a way was a kind of compliment to Tonka, but still irritated me. None of my mustangs are ugly! I'm sure there are some out there but I've met a good many beautiful mustangs. And what does it matter how they look?
I'm never quite sure how to respond. I don't think there's any point in arguing, most people hang on to their wrong opinions pretty tightly, and I don't like to argue anyway, so I usually just keep my mouth shut. I think maybe next time I'll say, "You're welcome to come meet the rest of my mustangs. They're all pretty well put together." Even if they disagree, maybe it would make them realize they're insulting my horses...
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4 comments:
Next time say, "you know, I get that comment a lot with all of my mustangs."
Make sure you smile real big after you say that too.
I don't get my hair cut all that often, usually I will leave it until I can just have them whack 6-12 inches off and then not go back for a year or two...well, the last time I went and got my hair cut, lady that was trimming it did actually have horses. But she seemed rather preoccupied with her "purebred" horses versus my little "mutt" of a mustang. At the barn where I had him over the summer everyone was quite impressed with him, even the vet when he got his teeth floated. Vet kept thinking he looked a bit too "awake" while floating his teeth and I think he wanted to give him more sedative, but Cody was a good boy and just stood there while the vet finished floating teeth and pulling wolf teeth and popping three caps off (two molars and one front tooth).
I think a lot of times, it is people's lack of knowledge about mustangs (I have run into people that are amazed that there are still wild horses that run free, they had no idea) and so some just try to hide that lack of knowledge by dissing mustangs instead of keeping an open mind and maybe learning something :)
Your herd are good ambassadors for Mustangs. They really do defy the body sterotype. Beautiful, however, is put together more like the "wild" horse they describe--so I'm interested to see how it will feel to ride her after riding Quarter Horses my whole life. She's steep in the shoulder, short, and, yes, has a shorter neck. She moves out nice though--so we'll see.
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