Bad Manners on Fun Rides Episode Two

[iestynlad]

Last week's rant was about two older riders at Milton Green. This week's is about two older riders at Upton Magna.
Two women passing me right at the start asked if they could pass - fair enough - we are just going slowly says the one in the red airbag vest (bay horse). Fine thinks I. Friend on small coloured horse then says to airbag "let's canter" just as they are nose to nose with my pony! In what way can that be "going slowly". My guy absolutely bomb proof on fun rides BUT 10 years ago would have been spinning like a top on two legs if that had happened, I may not have stayed on, he would have given chase and their horses probably ended up kicking him! My ride over and maybe my horse's working life too.
Brainless, inconsiderate doesn't come close! Hope you read this and recognise yourselves. Hope everyone else reads this and gives you a WIDE berth at future rides.

HOWEVER lovely rider on racehorse gallops. Girl dressed in navy, on bay horse. So considerate when passing me. THANK YOU. My guy pretty wild on that bit but you gave me a lot of room for him to let his hair down. Wish everyone rode like you. Everyone should then everyone would enjoy these rides and they'd get a lot more riders attending who are presently put off by the bad behaviour of some.

By the way is the Malpas, Cheshire ride happening this year? Anyone know?

 

[SuperCoblet]

Ooh I was there yestoday!! I got pretty annoyed with some riders too, they were ahead of us going towards some jumps (just before the photographer) so we waited at the bottom, assuming they would atleast trot, or see us and let us go. But no, we waited what seemed like forever for them to walk (very slowly) up to the top, they turned around an could quite clearly see we were waiting!! Then the same by the photographer! By this time Gypsy was getting pretty wound up because he wanted to jump the bales and was rearing all over the place, and at no point did they say 'would you like to come past as you're obviously faster than us'
On the up side we had great fun jumping the bales! Shame there weren't more though.

 

[iestynlad]

That's a real pain! The group I mentioned saw me trying to catch them up later - was trotting like a mad thing! my intention being to overtake as they were slow, once they had got the mad canter over with! When they saw me they trotted off to keep ahead of me. There point was?

 

[mcnaughty]

So some riders were too fast and some riders were too slow? Is there a midway for absolute happiness?

 

[SuperCoblet]

Mcnaughty, not the fact they were too fast or slow, it's their fun ride too they can do what they please, they just need consideration for other riders, it not hard to offer other riders to go in front!

 

[Rose Folly]

Think you've got to be a little tolerant. It's like driving a car. You know the speed you want to go, but you can't regulate everybody else.

I speak as one who used to do a lot of rides and non-competitive LDRs. My TB had raced and hated to be passed. On one ride a friend and I saw a good stretch of slightly uphill potential galloping ground. Two other friends didn't want to let fly so they stayed behind. He and I (he on a TB too) had a really good blast but were coming to the end of the gallop. Horses were still pulling like mad and the only natural barrier was a hedge, which looked rather too jumpable for a buffer. We were just hauling in, rather inelegantly, when a very competent child (a Prince Phillip Cup competitor) whom we'd chatted to earlier came flying up behind us, going like the clappers, cheerily called out "OK to pass?" and did - and then flew the hedge at full gallop. We were left slightly around our horses' ears, but you couldn't be cross - that child rode like a dream and it was up to us oldies to cope with our horses.

But obviously, if you come up behind someone and see their horse is, for example, napping, then of course it is only courteous to give them a wide berth, and pull slowly away from them for 50 yards or so before cracking on again.

Now I'm old and senile I don't do fun rides any more. My cob is VERY strong and self opinionated, and I don't want to spoil other peoples' fun by slowing their ride or demanding a quieter pace. Sad, but that's anno domini................

 

[marmalade76]

Think you've got to be a little tolerant. It's like driving a car. You know the speed you want to go, but you can't regulate everybody else.

I speak as one who used to do a lot of rides and non-competitive LDRs. My TB had raced and hated to be passed. On one ride a friend and I saw a good stretch of slightly uphill potential galloping ground. Two other friends didn't want to let fly so they stayed behind. He and I (he on a TB too) had a really good blast but were coming to the end of the gallop. Horses were still pulling like mad and the only natural barrier was a hedge, which looked rather too jumpable for a buffer. We were just hauling in, rather inelegantly, when a very competent child (a Prince Phillip Cup competitor) whom we'd chatted to earlier came flying up behind us, going like the clappers, cheerily called out "OK to pass?" and did - and then flew the hedge at full gallop. We were left slightly around our horses' ears, but you couldn't be cross - that child rode like a dream and it was up to us oldies to cope with our horses.

But obviously, if you come up behind someone and see their horse is, for example, napping, then of course it is only courteous to give them a wide berth, and pull slowly away from them for 50 yards or so before cracking on again.

Now I'm old and senile I don't do fun rides any more. My cob is VERY strong and self opinionated, and I don't want to spoil other peoples' fun by slowing their ride or demanding a quieter pace. Sad, but that's anno domini................

Excellent post and I totally agree!

With fun rides these days it seems some folks are never going to be happy, they moan if people go too fast, moan if they go too slow, moan if they pass, moan if they don't pass, moan if they pass in the wrong place, moan if they pass at the wrong speed, etc, etc....

I really don't care what others do around me on fun rides, I can control my horse as is my responsibility to do so when out in public. No, he's not a dobbin (I've never owned a dobbin), but he's well schooled, been taught to behave in company, I can handle him in any situation and if I couldn't handle him I'd either stay at home or sell him and buy one I could cope with.

 

[Pedantic]

I can handle mine 99% of the time and try to ride with consideration for others, I have had some dreadful rides due to my beast's nature, but I don't expect anyone to pussy foot around me, but it seems unfortunate that we have a bigger percentage of AH's in the horsey riding game, that don't think about anyone but themselves, whether that's on the road with no viz, not trotting on when holding traffic up ect ect, or the constant gossiping sniding about others and their horse's, not every rider is a brilliantly confident expert rider, those coming up new or trying to build confidence after an accident should be encouraged and supported, a little manners cost's nothing, it's so bloody basic it's a shame, all it needs is a bit of common sense.

 

[lachlanandmarcus]

I agree to an extent with the courtesy and manners thing altho I do also feel that the riders will spend the other 99.9% of their lives having to do this when out hacking on the ever more curtailed routes that are 'safe' for riding. So when there is finally the chance to have a good blast in a wide open space I do have some sympathy with them doing that.

I dont think that a sponsored XC ride is the place to build horse and rider confidence really, I think that needs to be done elsewhere. It isnt the place for a slow hack for a nervous horse/rider, unless they specifically go last/late.

NB I am always courteous on these rides but TBH if you just walked /waited for every possibly incompetent rider with badly trained horses you would never get out of walk, so there has to be some balance.

 

[AprilBlossom]

It doesn't sound like you have much actual 'fun' on these fun rides OP.
Why not stop looking for negatives and try just having a nice time?

 

[Flame_]

I don't go on many none-endurance fun rides any more. I don't jump and I don't really want to tear-arse about and while I can always hold and control my horse, having a prancing, stressed, frustrated horse watching others jump and tear-arse about whilst being expected to behave sensibly just isn't much fun tbh. It just feels mean and hard work compared to going for a hack somewhere else.

I do think its a bit unfair that as long as you want to treat a fun ride as a charge round the fields it is great fun, but if you just want a gentle ride, you can't really have a fun one because of all the other people charging round fields. I suppose the answer is to stick to the endurance ones.

 

[nikCscott]

It doesn't sound like you have much actual 'fun' on these fun rides OP.
Why not stop looking for negatives and try just having a nice time?

This lets face it horses are un predictable, part of the positive for me on the fun ride and hunting is my horse learning his manners and listening to me- doesn't always go to plan but hopefully we learn something for next time.

Concentrate on you and your horse and have FUN!

 

[DragonSlayer]

I really don't care what others do around me on fun rides, I can control my horse as is my responsibility to do so when out in public. No, he's not a dobbin (I've never owned a dobbin), but he's well schooled, been taught to behave in company, I can handle him in any situation and if I couldn't handle him I'd either stay at home or sell him and buy one I could cope with.

Whilst I agree with most of your post, sometimes you just cannot control the situations as they arise...I've done fun rides for years, and seen allsorts of accidents due to inconsiderate riders.

Fun ride I was on, horses galloped up behind, i'm ok with that, but using my horses arse-end as a brake? Not on. My totally placid horse was knocked forward, I came out the sidedoor and buggered my back up, was out the saddle for a few weeks.

Did they stop? did they HELL....laughing, off they galloped....

I DID scramble back on and urge my poor trusty steed on to try to catch them and kill them, but poor cob was no match for a bunch of TB's.....couldn't walk the next day very well at all.

My cob, (well, he's my husbands horse) is a complete dobbin, he couldn't do anything about being rammed from behind, poor sod.....

I'm very picky now about fun/pleasure rides, and tend to lean towards endurance groups, because the attitude of those riders seem to be a little more considerate of those around them.

 

[lachlanandmarcus]

I don't go on many none-endurance fun rides any more. I don't jump and I don't really want to tear-arse about and while I can always hold and control my horse, having a prancing, stressed, frustrated horse watching others jump and tear-arse about whilst being expected to behave sensibly just isn't much fun tbh. It just feels mean and hard work compared to going for a hack somewhere else.

I do think its a bit unfair that as long as you want to treat a fun ride as a charge round the fields it is great fun, but if you just want a gentle ride, you can't really have a fun one because of all the other people charging round fields. I suppose the answer is to stick to the endurance ones.

I think the counter point is, since one can do gentle rides all the time out hacking, but a real pipe opening and feeling of freedom and speed is almost impossible except at rides such as these, if both arent possible to reconcile; maybe it is fair enough that those who do want to go somewhat faster and racier and more exhilaration are allowed to do so within reason?

All I mean is, if one wants a gentle hack, go for a hack, rather than to a XC ride, where altho you can not jump and try to go slowly all the way round, it WILL spoil it for those who want to make full use of the opportunities and wont be able to do so if everyone treats it as an outing of the knitting circle.

 

[marmalade76]

Whilst I agree with most of your post, sometimes you just cannot control the situations as they arise...I've done fun rides for years, and seen allsorts of accidents due to inconsiderate riders.

Fun ride I was on, horses galloped up behind, i'm ok with that, but using my horses arse-end as a brake? Not on. My totally placid horse was knocked forward, I came out the sidedoor and buggered my back up, was out the saddle for a few weeks.

Did they stop? did they HELL....laughing, off they galloped....

I DID scramble back on and urge my poor trusty steed on to try to catch them and kill them, but poor cob was no match for a bunch of TB's.....couldn't walk the next day very well at all.

My cob, (well, he's my husbands horse) is a complete dobbin, he couldn't do anything about being rammed from behind, poor sod.....

I'm very picky now about fun/pleasure rides, and tend to lean towards endurance groups, because the attitude of those riders seem to be a little more considerate of those around them.

I totally understand what you're saying, and IMO these riders were obviously not in control and therefore shouldn't be out in public!

And you really do have something to moan about here, where as the OP.....

 

[Copperpot]

I am considerate on these rides but I don't pay the money and in some cases it's a fair bit to walk! On XC ride I go to canter round and jump all the jumps. Of course I will slow down and ask to pass people but when they say please don't jump that my horse won't like it etc, it is annoying. It's a XC ride. If I wanted to walk for hours and not jump I'd go on a hack.

 

[DragonSlayer]

I totally understand what you're saying, and IMO these riders were obviously not in control and therefore shouldn't be out in public!

And you really do have something to moan about here, where as the OP.....

O, I wanted to kill them!

The sods....

 

[iestynlad]

Outing of the knitting circle? -don't think anyone posting has suggested that this is what it should be like on a Fun Ride. Go fast yes - I do BUT don't go fast past others get someway in front of them first - you may be apssing someone who is on a youngster - how are you going to know? , they may be disabled, they may be out on their horse for the first time and not know how it will react to a Fun Ride even if they have done all their ground work with it beforehand there is a first time for everything.
Drive your horse like you should drive a car - you wouldn't use another car as a buffer! you wouldn't glance past another car if you couldn't poke a stick between the two of them! you wouldn't snail along in front of another car and then block them if they tried to overtake. Much more dangerous on a horse - you can take your foot off the accelerator on a car and your brake is much more effective.
We have lost a lot of fun rides in Cheshire and I wonder why? Accidents, insurance, health and safety - this will not all have been the organisers fault.

 

[SuperCoblet]

My friend was on a fun ride one with another horse, both horses were saints, never do anything to hurt anyone. They were walking up a track when two other horses came galloping past, the usual 'sorry can't stop' then laughing and kicking on past. The horse my friend was with spooked and kicked out, catching my friends leg, breaking it into a compound fracture. Said people just carried on galloping off! Friend was in a metal cage thing for god knows how long and 2 operations!
Just shows you never know whats going to happen due to someone so unconciderate.

 

[J&S]

To be utterly realistic, I think that any of us with some years of experience behind us know that Fun Rides are going to be full of a truly mixed bag of riders/horses. Sometimes "rudeness" is down to sheer lack of education or ignorance of rider etiquette, sometimes just a group being a little too gungho. If you have not got a perfect Steady Eddy neddy you might manage to keep out of trouble or you might end up slap bang in it!

For my money, past experiences tell me that I like a little space around me and my horse and for this reason I compete at Trec. As you are each given the same route to follow, with 5 minutes in between each rider AND you are told the speed that you should aim to ride at unless you make an error in course you can ride for 4 or more hours over fabulous new territory and hardly see another rider........ you can also do this as a pair if you would like some known company!

 

[Maesfen]

By the way is the Malpas, Cheshire ride happening this year? Anyone know?

Yes, all of our rides are on again this year but with a change of date for the Hanmer Church ride which will now be on September 23rd so as not to clash with Cholmondeley again.
30th is Pickhill then a week's break (for our rides anyway) to 14th October for Area ll (Tybroughton area) and 21st October for Malpas.

 

[pip6]

Come join us. Most rides hold NCR (non-competative ride aka pleasure ride) along with the affiliated classes. All riders wear clear numbers, if anyone every behaves inconsiderately report them & the ride organiser will take action.

It's amazing that endurance riders can behave with more care, despite some of them doing a race (rather than just belting along for hell of it), with result at stake. They still have to ask to pass, & if you have a problem must stop & help (the time is credited back to them).