Anyone else's horses completely different when someone else rides them?

[littlelessbloom]

And I don't mean because the rider is a better rider.

My girl is normally forward but quite lazy when it comes to flatwork. One of the girls at the yard sat on her last night to cool her off and she completely took off, with the girl struggling to stop her. The girl is a very quiet, good little rider. My pony has done this with two other riders (one being my instructor), but equally has been an absolute saint with three other riders!

Anyone else's like this or is it just mine? I want to get a sharer for her eventually, but I feel if she does this with certain riders, I'll struggle to find someone!!

 

[Flowerofthefen]

I dont let many ride my boy but I've had 2 trainers ride him and he has gone great. The trainer I use now rode him and he was that wired with her shd didn't even dare trot!!??? I rode the next day and he was back to donkey mode! I can only think he didn't like the feel of the strong core and strong legs as current trainer competes to a high level!!

 

[littlelessbloom]

I did think it might be something like that as instructor has verrrry strong thighs. But, the girl yesterday is a very quiet rider and the other person who she did this with isn't the strongest rider in the world! Just makes me laugh because I was struggling to maintain a good forward canter on her and then the other girl gets on her and can't stop!!

 

[Pinkvboots]

One of my Arabs takes a dislike to other riders most of the time he either refuses to move or he shoots off round the school bucking, if you manage to cope with that and carry on trying he eventually just accepts most people after a while and then happily goes quite nicely for them.

It's almost like testing them out to see what he can actually get away with.

 

[Sprat]

Not my current mare, but my old gelding was like this. It was genuinely a nightmare when I came to sell him, as he kept taking off with people, and I actually uttered the phrase 'he's never done that before!', I'm sure people thought I was talking out of my backside. I think I was so used to him, I could tell when he was about to prat about and so kept him in check, but others just didn't read the signs.

Luckily the girl that purchased him was a plucky little thing who didn't give a toss that he pee'd off with her, and took him home with her the next week. Funny creatures aren't they.

 

[Celtic Fringe]

I'm a passenger and not a rider but my son's horse goes sweetly for me and is less spooky than when my son rides - although after 12 years they know EXACTLY how to push each others buttons and have a great relationship! Three professional riders have got on at various times and two got off saying they really didn't feel safe - I think they got strong and he panicked. He is a very kind horse and when treated with tact he really looks after his rider (or passenger)! Oddly though he REALLY dislikes children.

 

[Havital]

My old TB would only let me and my mum on her. For me she’d be a little sassy but a good girl and a good ride. For my mum she’d take it slow and be sensible. However, for my sister it ended in a trip to A&E...

 

[Tihamandturkey]

There's only one other person other than myself that my Madam will tolerate riding her ?

 

[Mule]

My theory is that they respond to our energy. High energy people get horses moving and low energy types calm them. If I get on a very forward or stressy horse it chills out but I'm no good at getting backward thinking horses moving.

 

[LEC]

No, I absolutely pride myself that anyone can get on and ride them if they are competent riders. If they need to be sold I want to protect their future. They go better for me, but I installed their buttons so I would expect that but they go well enough for other people.

My friends and I quite often swap horses to have a sit on and share thoughts. None of us expect miracles in how the horse goes but we would expect each horse to be trained well enough to go well as soon as they are 4yrs old onwards.

 

[Tihamandturkey]

Unfortunately there are some horses that are just very reactive and sensitive - I know full well that I could never sell my mare as I've been told on several occasions by different people that no-one else would have the patience for her.

It certainly wasn't a deliberate move on my part to make her this way ?

 

[CanteringCarrot]

My theory is that they respond to our energy. High energy people get horses moving and low energy types calm them. If I get on a very forward or stressy horse it chills out but I'm no good at getting backward thinking horses moving.

Same.

That and I despise backward thinking or dull horses. Well, not the horses themselves, but who ever made and allowed them to be that way. It's just a personal thing.


For reasons unknown to me, my horse has always had this inherent knowledge of what is correct. Even as a just backed 4 year old (he's 9 now). He really highlights every riding weakness you have. He's a great teacher, I guess, but could also make some frustrated. Like the "trainer" that once sat on him and told me he didn't know the canter aids because he couldn't get him to counter canter...well yeah if you do this weird hunching over thing and lean heavily over his shoulder while you ask, he's not gonna do it. I have to really think about my riding and how my body influences the horse due to his (insane) sensitivity. If he's not doing something right, I've got to pause for a second and analyze myself, not blame him!

Otherwise he just becomes hot, tight, and anxious when others ride him. With the exception of one other livery. She can ride him nicely and he performs the same with her as he does with me. She is also mindful and I think her horse is on the sensitive side. You've got to ride with your body, not just leg and hand, if that makes sense.

I would love it if more people could ride him and do a better job than me, tbh ? would make him an easier sell when the time comes. He would never take off with anyone, but has scared someone before because he actually moves forward. Goes forward forward when you ask ....who would've thought!

 

[Bernster]

Some riders do seem to have an electric bum! Never thought before but it makes sense that it would be the strength of their core, seat and legs. Mine tend to be ridden by others (trainer and on exercise livery) but I like that as I think it’s good for their education.

 

[littlelessbloom]

I'd love more people to ride her as she's only really ridden by me these days but people at the yard are now scared of getting on her! Even though I think she's great to ride - a proper fun pony. It's funny as when I had someone try her when I thought about putting her up for loan the first time, it was two young girls and she looked after them so well.

 

[Leandy]

This is more common than many people seem to think. Hence all the issues around trying and buying horses and finding they don't turn out as expected. Horses react differently to different riders.

 

[LEC]

This is more common than many people seem to think. Hence all the issues around trying and buying horses and finding they don't turn out as expected. Horses react differently to different riders.

People just don't put enough training into their horses.....they don't think about ridability for other people. I have to from day 1 in breaking them in as they are sold/loaned/sent back to owner if not good enough. I also find in amateurs there is a little bit of pride if their horse is tricky for other people as proof of the magical bond. Some horses are more sensitive but I find given a bit of time it works out fine.

 

[sportsmansB]

Mine is fine for other people but he is innately lazy so he will do exactly as little as they let him get away with
Some people think hes super quiet, a real plod, or very boring- hes not any of these things, he just doesn't see the point in working properly unless you ask him properly.
He goes amazingly for pros who get on, insist on action with the first few steps, and he is engaged from then on.
People think you could put a novice on him, but even when hes in slow mo mood he could / would still do a big spook and then go back to sleep so its not ideal...

 

[greenbean10]

People just don't put enough training into their horses.....they don't think about ridability for other people. I have to from day 1 in breaking them in as they are sold/loaned/sent back to owner if not good enough. I also find in amateurs there is a little bit of pride if their horse is tricky for other people as proof of the magical bond. Some horses are more sensitive but I find given a bit of time it works out fine.

I completely agree with this. I think it's a reflection on me if my horse goes badly for other people. I regularly let my friends ride my horse and provided they don't try to boss her around, she goes beautifully for them.

 

[Tihamandturkey]

People just don't put enough training into their horses.....they don't think about ridability for other people. I have to from day 1 in breaking them in as they are sold/loaned/sent back to owner if not good enough. I also find in amateurs there is a little bit of pride if their horse is tricky for other people as proof of the magical bond. Some horses are more sensitive but I find given a bit of time it works out fine.

No "pride" here from this amateur ?

 

[milliepops]

My tricky one has only been ridden by a few people since I've had her, i wouldn't put many on her mainly because she is mine, all miiiiine and I am never going to sell her, I'm happy for she and I to speak our own language. even so, I taught a friend on her a few times because she wanted to feel different lateral movements, she didn't put any pressure on at all and horse went very sweetly. Only other person is my trainer, he didn't have such a nice ride but that was kind of the point, he faced a problem i had been skirting around head on and unleashed the dragon inside, heheh.

My others have all been fine for a reasonably competent rider to hop on and I haven't been very precious about them in that respect. i don't plan to sell on when I get a horse, so it's just the normal work you put in to make them nice to ride that transfers over to another rider, i think.

 

[SEL]

Some riders do seem to have an electric bum! Never thought before but it makes sense that it would be the strength of their core, seat and legs.

When I was a young teenager my family were based in Germany and I rode at a local professional yard - where I was taught to ride in a very German proper "dressagey" way. Even the ponies were scaled down warmbloods and it was very much about riding into the contact.

Came back to the UK and joined the local riding school and even the quietest pony would bog off with me. Turned out riding strongly up to the contact was not something hairy fat riding school ponies were used to. Enlightened instructor decided the only way to get me to unwind some of my dubious habits was to ride the hot ponies every week. Made for some fun lessons

I'm a bit precious about who rides my big mare but that's because she's had a tonne of injuries and that ability to work out whether a horse is hurting doesn't seem to be a skill everyone has annoyingly. If a small adult with nice hands came along then I'd love for someone to pick up the ride on the little mare though.

 

[Mrs G]

My boy has only had a handful of people ride him (other than me). The pro riders can get him to ‘go’ but always with a degree of resistance or tension. Friends (all good riders) find him incredibly stuffy and if they can get him to canter at all they are doing well. With time and patience I think he could be ridden by most of them though and I don’t think I’ve made him like that - it’s just he prefers to be ‘worked with’, rather than ‘told’ what to do - I think that is just his personality. It’s irrelevant really though- he was not bought to sell on - if anything happened to me he’d be retired.

 

[Wishfilly]

The first summer I worked at a riding school/trekking centre, I had a bit of a phase where horses would run off with me the autumn after. Even though I wasn't necessarily riding well all summer, my core/leg muscles got a lot stronger and that affected the strength of the aids I was applying (I'd gone from riding maybe 2-3 hours a week to 20+ hours a week). After a while, I managed to finesse my leg aids, and it was no longer an issue, but there were definitely still horses who would be very "off the leg" when I got on them, when they might not be for other people.

I'm much less "riding fit" now though!

I do agree that it's good for horses to be used to other riders though, and different ways of being ridden.

OP, in terms of finding a sharer, I think it won't be too much of an issue as a) she doesn't do it with everyone and b) it may well be that she and a new rider would adapt to each other given time.

 

[Upthecreek]

I expect my horses to behave the same whoever is riding them. So I don’t expect them to bog off, buck, rear, throw shapes or be unresponsive or lazy.

If the horse is well trained and understands the aids they should respond to whoever is giving them, with the caveat that they are being given properly and consistently by a rider that can ride (I’m not talking about someone that has never sat on a horse before and doesn’t know what they are doing). Whether the rider can get a decent tune out of them is a different matter and this is variable depending on the skill level of the rider and their ability to adapt to the horse underneath them.

 

[humblepie]

Mine goes so much better for others due to my poor riding. A couple of years back in readiness for a big final with a ride judge I had him ridden by three different instructors and it was amazing to watch. Just despair of ever riding him half as well as they go.

 

[planete]

Some horses are very opinionated in how they like to be ridden. My very safe Lipi/Arab disliked any strong aids and would simply down tools with some riders but go beautifully for a handful of considerate ones. I am afraid he just knew how he should be ridden and was unimpressed by the contingent who did not treat him with enough sensitivity. He was a great but very strict schoolmaster and I admit to have nurtured him to be that way as this is how I like my horses. It really does not worry me if they do not suit everybody.

 

[laura_nash]

Some horses are very opinionated in how they like to be ridden.

My first pony was like this, she had strong opinions on her rider. She could be ridden by others no problem usually, but someone rode her who was hanging on her mouth once and she tipped them off, opened the gate out of the arena and went back to her stable.

Anyone can ride my current cob but he will try and convince them he has no idea how to go forward and should be allowed to plod along putting zero effort in. If they insist he'll get over it, but he always tests a new rider to see if he can get away with it.

 

[Jenni_]

My mare is hot and sensitive, and likes to be ridden a certain way. I am under no illusions of a ‘magical bond,’ - more that I’m her person, and we’ve spent enough time together to know what each other wants. I know how she’ll react to X, and she knows how I’ll react to Y. And that makes for a pretty clear and safe space for us to muddle along in.

She’s a mare that people watch and say ‘oh I’d like a sit on that,’ but unfortunately 4 people out of 5 will get off and say she’s not as easy as she looks. I’m not proud of that- it’s just facts. There’s only a very small handful of people I’d let school her without me there, and they all ride very similarly to me, or much better.

I’m not a great rider, just an amateur with a very willing horse who responds well to the clarity and consistency I’ve built up with regular coaching and practice. She’s a hot, sensitive, clever mare who either likes someone who knows exactly what they’re asking for, or someone so novice she can bumble them about safely without being hassled. She doesn’t care for the in between, and that’s ok.

 

[Palindrome]

Rein pressure has a lot of influence over how "hot" a horse is.

 

[TPO]

I'm like milliepops in the my horses are aallll miiiiine and not going anywhere. I'm also one of those horrible people who doesnt like other people riding my horses ?

I had a tricky TB and I had both my instructor and then best friend ride him too. He was tricky for them too initially but it was good to see others that I trusted on him. My trainer rode with more (better!) leg than me and my friend rode with more (fiddling) hands than me. He was sold on after he had been brought on and he got on fine in his new home.

I had an Arab mare who was really sensitive to ride but she would go like an absolute dream the first time anyone rode her. I put absolute lead rein beginners on her and she was foot perfect. I've had trainers jump on to see what my issues were and wondered what my problem was because she was sweet as for them on their first go on her.

I did get a sharer for her (disaster!) and explained all the horse's nuances to her. Sharer rode her once then made out that I was an idiot because the horse was so well schooled. Her opinion seemed to change a few sessions in when she struggled to ride one side of the horse!

Only once did I put someone on her and have it go really badly. The person was a new friend from work who had been talking my ear off about how experienced they were blah blah blah. I put them on the mare without a second thought and next thing they were motor biking around the arena in a forward canter with rider half way up horse's neck and gripping up. Said "experienced" rider couldnt just sit up , which would have slowed Shiraz immediately, so I had to go into the arena to stop the horse.

I agree that for the most part horses should be well trained enough that different riders should be able to ride them. I just dont like others riding my horses on the whole.

There does seem to be some bragging points with certain owners about how sensitive/tricky/hot their horses are and that only they can ride them ? I was a serial yard hopper so have a few under my belt and there was at least one on every yard.