Brave riders

[Ibblebibble]

I think I'd get on anything once unless they were visibly dangerous to ride/ have a very bad track record. But then again I'm still a teenager who thinks I'm invincible

think you've hit the nail on the head! when we're young we think we're invincible and enjoy the thrill, as we get older we realise we're breakable and that it hurts so lose our gung ho attitude.
Most of the people who have said they still get on most things are either working with horses (and mostly racehorses) or have done. seeing as that's their career choice then they obviously still have that gung ho'ness inside somewhere
i think most of us if faced with something that is going to do wall of death of the arena or try and buck us into next week are going to say no thanks, we're of an age where we know the risks and feel no need to take them!

For me , i think anyone who SJ's or events is brave, i just cannot jump, my most painful falls have been when jumping and as a student my worst lessons were jumping ones because the evil instructor used to pair me with the arab loon who she knew i hated because he he had such a high head carriage over the jumps, she'd shout lean forward just as he'd throw his head up , evil woman

 

[Little Squirrel]

I didnt bother to mention hes a fireman and although hes not particularily scared of his job, it sometimes takes guts to walk into a building with the ceilings falling in and you can't see a cm infront of your face to do a search...

^^^ That is bravery.

 

[Sarah1]

Agree 100% with the person who said being brave is being scared but overcoming nerves & doing it anyway.
Before I got my boy & was desperate to own a horse again I would have ridden ANYTHING but since getting him I just think that I don't need to ride the nutters as I have a well behaved horse of my own to enjoy!
I suppose I'm brave with some things & not with others it all depends really! I'm not brave enough to go xc although I would love to and it's something I think I should work towards! However, after I had my daughter my nerves took a real hit & all I could think was 'what if' - I had to have a little word with myself then and in the end I just jumped on my boy & did the things that I was nervous to do - I even started jumping things I hadn't jumped before I was pregnant! Maybe my baby brain had sent me a bit doolally tho!
I think people definition of what's 'naughty' or 'nasty' plays a part too - someone scared of a horse spooking & jumping sideways a bit or freezing I wouldn't necessarily class as brave as I believe dealing with little issues, even with the best behaved of horses, is all part & parcel - they're not robots afterall. If the horse spooks & bolts then I would either think the rider was brave or stupid!

 

[jendie]

To some extent bravery gushes out as responsibilities flood in

 

[madlady]

I will still back and bring on youngsters but they are my own that I have bred and have been with me from birth.

My days of riding my nutty pony around drag hunts and local ODE's are long gone, I have also in my teenage years ended up riding a horse I had never even set eyes on before around a XC course because his owner fell getting off the wagon and broke her ankle and didn't want the horse to miss the XC run - I must have been mental.

I wouldn't even entertain something like that now - I don't bounce anymore, I break and I need my wages to carry on paying for the neds

 

[cob&onion]

To some extent bravery gushes out as responsibilities flood in

^ this!!

Since having 2 children my confidence went out the window. When i was a teenager i was brave, now although not a complete wimp i do like to know what am riding and its background issues!!
If there good then no problem i will get on, but i am not willing to risk injury riding someone elses horse!
I have a 3yr old which i did mostly myself but i did have a small problem which i wasn't prepared to follow through alone as i didnt feel 100% confident, and with her being a baby i wanted to get help in for a week which i did, and now shes perfect and i know if she played up again i would be able to deal with it. My TB can be very sharp and had rearing tendencies, and could throw in a huge buck for good measure, but because i know her well also i could deal with it.

 

[Aces_High]

For me the definition of bravery is being scared but doing something anyway. I have never felt scared on or around horses and will ride 'anything' but don't think that makes me brave... or stupid really... It's odd because I am not normally a confident person and can suffer fairly bad anxiety in other situations, NEVER around horses though.

ETA and when riding problem horses I would rather not know too much history - it's amazing how many confirmed 'rearers' or 'nappers' have never even tried..

I totally agree. I again would rather not know too much history as that can make you ride in a slightly negative way. One thing that used to make me laugh was some of the horses would be lunged before we were thrown onto them. Anyway we used to see some HUGE displays from these horses. I said after about day 3 I'd rather just get on mine or it get lunged where I cannot see it's gymnastic prowess!! (All racehorses)

I used to ride a colt and he was a complete pose machine, I used to be able to impersonate Lester himself. Anyway he got quite jibby going onto the canters. One morning he was standing up giving me a great view over a certain trainers wall at the bottom of the gallops.... So the hack came over and lead us onto the canter. All was fine. Went back to do a 2nd canter and he just threw himself inside out. Didn't get him on the canter for a 2nd one so took him back in. The next morning a lad was put on him and he reared over backwards in the middle of the horse crossing on the road. He then had his balls whipped off. Came back into work (was done on the table) and started off pogo sticking around the ride on his hindlegs. I then requested that I gave up the ride on this horse..... Would I be refered to as gutless, sensible or brave??? Or maybe all three

 

[Marydoll]

Most riders are fairly brave until they get really hurt, then self preservation kicks in, theyre not as keen and theres nowt wrong wi that.
When i was younger id have sat on anything for most folks, and normally got a good tune out of it as well, over the years ive had a few " dull ones " and am not just as keen now as i dont bounce just as readily
That said if its any of mine acting like a twonk im on them like a rash to get them sorted out, have had rearers, buckers and one that threw themselve to the ground under saddle and all ended up with either identified health problems, or turned out to be really nice horses that thought they could take the piss, that settled very quickly with schooling and dicipline.
I still have folks asking me to help with their cheeky beggars but dont put myself at the same risk now, i dont think its through fear, i just think if i get twatted, whos going to keep mine going as i take longer to heal and .... IT BLOODY HURTS

 

[rhino]

i often throw a feather at him for the sheer fun of it, hehehehe

And YOU called ME a meanie?!

 

[Wagtail]

I think it depends if it's my own horse or someone elses. My own I'm brave but then I know my horse is not dangerous and I know his limits.
Someone elses horse I won't ride if there's a chance I will fall off, no way. I don't want to get injured so I can't ride my own horse!
Saying that I'm happy to ride other horses if I know they are OK. My mum got bucked off jumping her last horse, she didn't want to get back on him so I did. I got on him and jumped the fence he bucked her off over as I could see why he did it and I knew he wouldn't do it with me. He tried to but I stopped him and then he was fine. It was good because my mum could then see that he wasn't bad, he just needed her to pull his head up on landing if he was feeling bouncy .
My friend rides difficult horses for a living, rearers mainly. She's not stupid though, she gets them checked out physically and then goes back to basics long-reining ect, when it is time to ride she has her back protector on and generally takes as much risk as she can out of it. She's ridden so many rearers now that she knows how to ride them and stop them from doing it. Buckers however she tells me are a different matter, she won't ride those .

Sometimes 'brave' riders are those that are just experienced in dealing with certain problems.

I've had very few horses rear seriously with me, and so I would say that I am generally more 'comfortable' with bucking. I've had plenty of those! The rears I have had have twice followed on from a buck. Now they ARE bad. You are sitting back pulling the horse's head up, then whoa! You find yourself hanging on by the reins. Not a good way to sit a rear! Thankfully I haven't come off on the rearing occasions - so far.

 

[Wagtail]

I am brave. But I have a healthy respect for what a horse can do.
Issues with schooling and napping (Running backwards, the odd buck, bunnyhop rear) and I will get on it. Full blown rodeo displays, known rearers and bolters I will not get on. I am not going to be injured by someone elses horse! And if my own horse reared, bucked, napped etc I would not expect someone else to get on it and sort it out. I just wouldn't be able to live with myself if the horse injured someone else. Would rather it was me that was injured.
I am 20 btw.

Very balanced and mature attitude. Brave but sensible. I do know one or two people though that appear to have a death wish when it comes to horses.

 

[Devonshire dumpling]

^^^ That is bravery.

I don't know really, is it bravery or is it the adrenalin rush? Not knocking what he does at all, before anyone calls me mean (er) lol... he is a bit of an adrenalin junkie hence liking the challenging horses

 

[jsr]

I'm 42 and will only get on another horse if I've seen it ridden a couple of times. I did get on my friends 3 yo just backed Friesan the other week but I've known him since he was 1 and know he's a very quiet honest lad so had no problem getting on him...and he was a perfect gentleman! But otherwise I only risk myself doing stupid childish things (gallopping on beaches, jumping fallen logs, XC comps etc) on my own thug. I know he's insane and a cob that doesn't stop,turn or give in but he's my insane cob and I know him inside out..anything else that is even slightly bouncy and I'll give it a miss!!

People on my yard never understand how I can laugh when my lad spins and bolts off with me but I shudder when anyone elses so much as jogs on the spot!! I've ridden him for 7 years from a newly backed 3 year old so I'm fine with his quirks!

 

[Wagtail]

For me the definition of bravery is being scared but doing something anyway. I have never felt scared on or around horses and will ride 'anything' but don't think that makes me brave... or stupid really... It's odd because I am not normally a confident person and can suffer fairly bad anxiety in other situations, NEVER around horses though.

ETA and when riding problem horses I would rather not know too much history - it's amazing how many confirmed 'rearers' or 'nappers' have never even tried..

Good point. I have actually felt 'braver' jumping an unknown horse than one of my own that I knew had a dirty stop. Sometimes the unknown is best. When I tried out my latest horse I clicked with him immediately, but was slightly peturbed when leaving the arena, an old man commented, 'Blimey, is that your first time on him?' Widened his eyes and shook his head and added 'He behaved for you!'

I didn't ask!

 

[Wagtail]

I wouldn't get on just anything. I would say I wouldn't get on known bolters or rearers but my current horse is a bolter and my loan horse last year had been known to rear and go over, and reared vertically once with me, I'm not sure what happened!

But I wouldn't get on anyone else's known bolter or rearer. Or any horse that I knew really wanted it's rider OFF!

I wouldn't get on a horse that was lairy because it's owner was overfeeding it for the same reasons I wouldn't get on a horse that was misbehaving because it had badly fitted tack!!

Nor would I. If it were one of my liveries I would refuse to ride the horse unless the problem was addressed. Then it would be up to the owner, either change the feed/tack or find another jockey.

 

[Aces_High]

Having worked with racehorses for many years and being a jockey for a number of them too. I am brave on a TB, I rode all of the quirky horses at work and could settle them. A couple who were complete lunatics I made myself ride because if I didn't then that was the end of the line. I schooled all of the bad jumpers and would like to think that I helped them learn something. I also would rather not know anything about a horse before I got on it as I would rather not be worrying about the "if's" all the time and just get on with it. Sometimes it was just mind over matter.

Having said all that give me a sharp or piece of work TB over any other breed any day of the week. I have broken ID's all be it 4yo never handled in their life ID's. Some of them have been plain nasty. I still had to get on them though as that was what I was being payed to do and I got the job done and turned them around into half decent hunters. Again mind over matter.

I'm 30 and don't think I'm losing my bottle just yet. I have had knocks to my confidence in the past but then you have a good day and it all comes back. I think you just gotta grit your teeth some days. If you let your demons take over then you may as well call it a day.

P.S one of the things I want to do before I die is ride a bull in a rodeo. Maybe I'm not brave, just mad

So agree about the TB's. Give me yearlings any day. As for breaking and riding away a 4yr old WB pet.... I'd think twice!! Having a choice I'd also choose yearlings over the older horses (older horses being 3 yr olds!) from November until the spring when they start cantering again!
As for riding a bull, I penned in one of the Dexter bullocks when I was about 12 and rode that. Does that count as bull riding??
I love rodeo's - it's such a huge buzz but I'll leave that to the cowboys!!

 

[Wagtail]

It depends on your definition of brave I suppose....theres no way I would be brave enough to go on a 'proper' XC course or team chasing....and I haven't been hunting since I was a kid.......but my current horse has required a lot of bringing-on....slight understatement- we've gone through bucking/rearing and spinning.....buggering off when being mounted.... and him being far too unconfident to hack out alone.....and come through the other side.
On paper- if I'd known then what I was going to have to do to get him sorted....I would have said no way- too much for me. But we've got there. Small steps and all that. Don't get me wrong- there were days when I had to force myself to ride him and literally felt sick before getting on. God knows why I did it actually, must be mad rather than brave.....but now I know him and we have a great bond and theres trust there from both sides its been worth it.

If he didn't belong to me....I most likely wouldn't have though. And I wouldn't have expected anyone else to get on and sort him out- pro or no. Not fair to ask anyone else to risk their neck.

Exactly. It is one thing to take a chance on your own horse, quite another to risk yourself on someone elses if you know there is a problem.

 

[Wagtail]

Having worked with racehorses for many years and being a jockey for a number of them too. I am brave on a TB, I rode all of the quirky horses at work and could settle them. A couple who were complete lunatics I made myself ride because if I didn't then that was the end of the line. I schooled all of the bad jumpers and would like to think that I helped them learn something. I also would rather not know anything about a horse before I got on it as I would rather not be worrying about the "if's" all the time and just get on with it. Sometimes it was just mind over matter.

Having said all that give me a sharp or piece of work TB over any other breed any day of the week. I have broken ID's all be it 4yo never handled in their life ID's. Some of them have been plain nasty. I still had to get on them though as that was what I was being payed to do and I got the job done and turned them around into half decent hunters. Again mind over matter.

I'm 30 and don't think I'm losing my bottle just yet. I have had knocks to my confidence in the past but then you have a good day and it all comes back. I think you just gotta grit your teeth some days. If you let your demons take over then you may as well call it a day.

P.S one of the things I want to do before I die is ride a bull in a rodeo. Maybe I'm not brave, just mad

You sound like just the kind of jockey I could do with here!

 

[glenruby]

I agree with Rhino. I wouldnt call myself brave, because I have no fear on or around horses. To me bravery is about overcoming fears. I will ride any horse and like Squirrel, I prefer not be given a whole detailed history - just get on and do it.

However, I am not the strongest and occasionally do get p*ssed off with - my only worry then is the b*ll*cking Im going to get from the trainer! lol!

My old pony was a serious rearer when I first got her - came over twice on me. Then She learnt just how high she could go and stay upright. But she was a fantastic competition pony and jumped to grade A. She hadnt reared in 2 years in any situation when I sold her.

ETA - Little Squirrel - I have ridden a couple of rodeo bulls(a once off!) for a farm who sends them onto Texas/Arizona when i lived in the Sttes a few years ago. The riding part isnt scarey, its the running for your life when the bull turns on you that is! Have never ever felt such a buzz since. Needless to say it was a plan hatched in rather a drunken haze - by morning 2 of the boys had chickened out.

Oh and I thoroughly agree, a "bright" TB is preferable to a fresh WB/ISH anyday! The TBs at least still tend to be forward where WBs I find tense up and coil if fresh.

 

[Charem]

I used to get on anything until I had one rear and fall over with me which really knocked my confidence. I was on my own out hacking that day and I now keep thinking what if I had really broken my back, been unable to use my mobile ect ect. Since then horses that rear do scare me, however my own horse who does the works (rear, buck, spin, run backwards..) I feel completly safe on. When he goes up he feels very stable and I trust him not to go over.

Funny thing confidence, how quickly you can loose it.

 

[Wagtail]

Im 28 and as a side line to my full time job im a dressage trainer and I also school horses (especially difficult ones) for people. I had no fear at all and would get on absolutly anything until 5 weeks ago - i got on a horse that i've ridden and hacked regularly for a friend of mine, the horse had bronced with my friend and got her off and she had lost her confidence. Having not seen the horse deposit my friend I had no concept of what she was like, to cut a long story short i got on the horse in the arena, walked off and she went bizerk broncing and slamming off all 4 feet into the air and twisting at the same time. I stayed on but when i realised she wasnt stopping i bailed out, unfortunately i hit the fence on the way down and broke the end of my tibia and ruptured all the ligaments in my ankle.

I have since lost my nerve and although i am riding again im not at all confident to start with, however once i have got on and got the horse going i am absolutly fine. I have got to start riding a difficult horse for someone next week which is going to be a challenge for me, as although the horse is quite naughty (no physical problem just teenage years) ive never been bothered by his antics but now it is worrying me slightly. I figured once ive got on once and delt with it i'll be fine!!

Wow! I am not surprised you are nervous at first.

I was really fine and would get on anything until around 5 years ago and my mare bucked me off in a flat out gallop (we had been galloping for around a quarter of a mile and so not the initial type of bucking you sometimes get). She had done it many times before and I had always sat them and even laughed, though onlookers would be aghast at the size and speed she would buck at. But this time I landed on my head and was knocked out for almost 20 minutes according to the friend I was riding with. After that, I never galloped her again, although I did other horses. However, the experience has ruined galloping for me. I always picture it happening, or the horse stumbling and falling at speed.

 

[Honey08]

I think it also has to do with having children. My confidence took quite a downfall after having mine. It took years to get it back, though I did, and continued to compete show jumping and one day eventing. But since I got the yard, I have changed and become super cautious. Yeah, maybe it is age.

Haven't read all the replies.

I don't think its just having children. When you get a bit older you realise what could go wrong if you do injure yourself. I had an op this year, and have been off my normal job and on lower wages. It has lefta lot for my other half to do while I was laid up - all the school runs, mucking our, riding etc. not to mention the dint to our finances and the struggle to pay the mortgage etc.

I have never been a particularly brave rider, but reasonably capable and could usually deal with "problem" horses. Nowadays I have two horses that I trust. Not the easiest in the world, but not stupid. There have been times that I've been about to get on other people's horses when they're struggling, but I have to step back and think that its not my job anymore, its my hobby, and I've too much to lose if it went wrong! When I do get on another horse, I'd rather not know what it is "known" to do, or then I worry and anticipate, whereas not knowing I would just deal with it! I'm the same with a XC. I don't want a breakdown from other riders about what they think is big/scary, because I'd probably not even thought about that fence until the said that...

 

[Aces_High]

Wow! I am not surprised you are nervous at first.

I was really fine and would get on anything until around 5 years ago and my mare bucked me off in a flat out gallop (we had been galloping for around a quarter of a mile and so not the initial type of bucking you sometimes get). She had done it many times before and I had always sat them and even laughed, though onlookers would be aghast at the size and speed she would buck at. But this time I landed on my head and was knocked out for almost 20 minutes according to the friend I was riding with. After that, I never galloped her again, although I did other horses. However, the experience has ruined galloping for me. I always picture it happening, or the horse stumbling and falling at speed.

I had a horse shatter it's shoulder on me whilst riding trackwork in Australia. I can tell you even now (10 years later on) that does still cross my mind on the odd occasion. I tend to just really try not to think about it, otherwise I'd never canter/gallop again. Wasn't a pleasant experience to say the least.

 

[TS_]

I'll get on pretty much anything, I think it's down to the fact that I've always ridden naughty/difficult horses right from my riding school days. All the horses I've ever owned could probably be classed as naughty or difficult. I prefer a horse that bucks to one that rears though, I don't like the feeling that you're about to go over backwards! Although will ride either.
I'm normally the 'test pilot', one lady I know usually takes me with her if she's going to try a horse so I can get on first and see what happens. Also I like to help people who have confidence issues with their horses as I know what it feels like to be scared but over come it.
I think part of it is the thrill though, which may wear off as I get older I suppose. A few months ago I went on a funride with some friends and the one asked if we could swap. So I got on her young horse a couple of strides from a jump and just popped him over some biggish stuff without ever having sat on him before and without having seen him jump anything solid to know if he could even do it. I hope that part doesn't wear off, but I wouldn't mind so much if the need I feel to get on anything slightly mad wore off. It'd probably be safer and better for my back!

 

[Dancing Queen]

I was a brave rider in my teens- would've got on anything and done anything. Now I'm more cautious; maybe it's an age thing?

Ditto - the ground isnt so bouncy anymore!

 

[Wagtail]

I had a horse shatter it's shoulder on me whilst riding trackwork in Australia. I can tell you even now (10 years later on) that does still cross my mind on the odd occasion. I tend to just really try not to think about it, otherwise I'd never canter/gallop again. Wasn't a pleasant experience to say the least.

That must have been terrifying, and very upsetting too. Yep. It is exactly the kind of thing that now goes through my mind if I'm even thinking about galloping. It's a shame because when you think about stuff going wrong like that, all the pleasure goes out of it.

 

[RunToEarth]

My mum stopped "riding anything" when her friend broke his back, and she decided with three dependant children and a job it would be foolish to continue as she was. I doubt she is any less brave than she was, she used to get on my horses when I was a bit younger and straighten them out for me, she just simply has too much responsibility to be breaking bones on horses she doesn't know.
I will get on more or less anything, but will ride in a skull cap unless I know the horse. I only jump bigger than 3 ft if I know the horse will get me over it, and I'm not a huge fan of hunting things unless I have sat on them first. I don't consider myself brave, I am confident in what I do, and I know if I'm not feeling happy with something I will take it home or back to the lorry, I may be confident, but I'm really not keen on broken bones either.