Think before you ride or work a horse..........

[ducks4you]

If we rode our horses as much as we drive our cars (like people USED to do!), our horses might be more trustworthy with strangers. But, when we do ride and train, it's kind of like taking the horse to the park, and it's too exciting to behave 100%. Can't help that--we all have to work to support our horse habit!!

 

[1/2DozenWings]

That is it in a nutshell!

I wish that life were different.....or do I?

 

[treeclimber233]

I just don't understand why people think that just because someone owns a horse that owner should let anyone ride the horse. I have been called selfish for not "sharing" my horse. I have an American Saddlebred horse that is 11 years old and totally untrained (true pasture ornament). She totally freaks at the slightest thing (such as jingling car keys in your pocket) I
know better than to get on her. I can't believe the number of people that want to "break" her for me.

One day my relatives came for a visit and wanted to ride another horse I had. Also a Saddlebred and flighty. You definately had to earn her trust before she would behave for you. My daughter and I were the only ones that were able to ride her safely. Other people that knew her before I bought her considered her an outlaw. Anyway on the day of the visit one cousin wanted to ride her. I said no way. So she inisted on seeing me ride her so I got the birdle and got on bareback. My cousin wanted to see me "run her". Knowing being on bareback was as far as I wanted to push the saftey issue I said no. My cousin walked up behind my horse and hit her on the butt as hard as she could and hollered something. Thank goodness all my horse did was flinch and hunch her back. I remember hoping she would kick ---just once!!! (Shame on me)

 

[dianneS]

I just don't understand why people think that just because someone owns a horse that owner should let anyone ride the horse. I have been called selfish for not "sharing" my horse.

I've been accused of the same thing. My father-in-law who's only ever been on a trail ride in a western saddle, riding nose-to-tail, thinks he should be allowed to ride my ex-race horse, super-sensitive mare that only goes English! I don't even think my father-in-law has ever seen an English saddle, let alone know how to ride english!

You remind me of an incident I had when I was a kid, with my cousins and my pony. I had a pony mare that had just foaled recently. Well my cousins insisted on riding my mare. I told them it wasn't a good idea, she was busy with her new baby. They proceeded to lock the filly in the barn and take my mare OUTSIDE of the fenced area to ride her. I could sense my mare's anxiety rising as she listened to her baby squeeling from the barn. I told my cousins there was no way anyone was getting on her. They insisted they wanted to see ME ride her. I said no way, and tried to explain that the pony was in no state of mind to be ridden. They still didn't get it. Pretty soon, my mare reared way up in the air, yanked the reigns out of my hand, one hoof came down on my shoulder knocking me to the ground and she took off back to the barn and her baby. I don't blame her one bit! But guess who got the blame for taking her out of the pasture?? ME!! My Dad wouldn't dare yell at his darling little neices, but he had no problem with yelling at me!

 

[michickenwrangler]

I have a horse that's been nicknamed "the Siamese cat" of the boarding stable. She's 18 yrs old now and I've been riding her since she was 6. She's at a point in her life where she's used to me and doesn't want anyone else riding her to the point of turning her head around and biting them while they're handling her or on her back. She will, however, tolerate my daughter and my friend's two daughters but it's very clear that she doesn't want to deal with anyone else riding her. Her ground manners are excellent though. Then again, she's an endurance horse and used to being vetted often (several times a day).

I had two horses, sold the cute friendly one, although people asked me why I didn't sell Izzie (my current horse). "Because I CAN sell the other one. The other one is cute and likes petting, is friendly and will walk on the trail if ridden in agroup." Izzie is so used to doing endurance that if we're riding with other horses, she wants to be AHEAD and doesn't understand that Carrie on her old Paint mare or Brandi on her skittish young show horse just want to walk. She just wants to go, go, go.

A weird cousin of mine contacted my mother about "free riding lessons" for her daughters. Because this cousin is on the weird side (and not a fun kind of weird), Mom just told them "The horse is wild and my daughter is the only one that can ride her." When they still pressed, my mom mentioned signing no-fault liability forms. That shut her up. Also works well on co-workers with unruly children.

Now the problem for me is, What is my daughter going to ride? I sold the quiet horse and I can't afford another one.

 

[1/2DozenWings]

I have a story that combines family w/ husband's friends, showing that the combination is worse than either world alone: last autumn was beautiful, so everyone came to visit us every weekend. if I wanted to ride, I had to deal with it (ie ATVs in the woods). My sister was visiting along w/ her boyfriend and then my husband's friends and their 2 kids were there. Everyone was having a party in our woods. My sister wanted to ride to show her boyfriend, I wanted to call it off, because I'm riding my self-trained* 5 year old that I knew would eventually be overwhelmed by the noise. Well, my sister got her way, the kids and a clueless parent came running up to us on the horses, not once, but twice. The second time it happened, I couldn't hold my horse together. I could feel his body (mind) falling apart. So we went back to the barn, and my sister complained that the ride was too short (she was riding my 23 y/o mare). i was livid. I bitched later to my husband and he told me that it builds character for both me and my young horse. I told him to try building his own character on ANY horse (he can't ride).

Isn't life great? I feel like I'm always paying my dues to ride, always having to tolerate visitors because they like horses so much. I do too, that's why I take care of them 365 1/4 days of the year. I'm 42 now, and I've put up with stupid people ever since I've owned horses, which was since I was 27. Well---I was stupid myself for a few years, and caused injuries to two of my horses, so I can pick stupid people out. 2010 will be different. My (other) sister got me a plaque that says "If there's no answer, I'm out riding" and so it will be.

*A John Lyons cert trainer came out once to help me when Buckeye was 3. I couldn't afford him though, so, from there, I instead read Cherry Hill's books over and over and Buckeye and I learned together in our less than legal-sized round pen and we had alot of fun. We still do!

There is a reason that horses are considered "attractive nuisances" in the legal world......but it's always worth it.

Horsepeople are tough. I just need this forum to talk to people that understand! Thank you all!

 

[ducks4you]

Now the problem for me is, What is my daughter going to ride? I sold the quiet horse and I can't afford another one.

In THIS economy?!?!?
Seriously, if you can handle your mare, Izzie, I'm sure a rescue horse wouldn't be that big a project. Have you considered one of them? Good luck in your hunt.
BTW, have you seen the Clinton Anderson series with his rescue mare, "Cider?" Show#1 she was skittish and squirrely. By Show#9, he was desensitizing her to a chain saw!! (Great stuff if you record it and avoid all of the stuff he's selling!)

 

[michickenwrangler]

I've already been offered a free pony. The problem is FEEDING said pony. I can't afford to feed it after purchasing it (plus vet, farrier, dewormer, etc...)

That's WHY I sold the quiet horse, we couldn't afford two.

 

[ducks4you]

I FULLY understand- , sorry