Cheeky/ridiculous posts you see on Facebook.

Ahh, those were the days! I used to get dropped down to the local riding school from about the age 8 till I was 15 or so on a Weds evening 5 till 8 and a Saturday 9 till 5! Used to lead ponies, muck out, groom, all sorts. Had one "free" lesson a week for this. Probably about £15 a lesson back then 😂

But, I was horse crazy, very fit and had no time to be a bored teen doing dodgy things!
 
Ambers Echo said:
I suspect it can't continue because it's no longer legal or insurable. And that's probably because of excess litigation and of exploitation of young people. Whether it's a change for good or bad is up for debate I think. Yes a lot of valubale opportunities are no longer possible BUT also I was able to do crazy things as a kid which were fun but definitely not safe, and I suspect unpaid labour led to some sgnificant abuses of young people's desperation to ride or be around horses.

Are working pupil roles no longer around? If they are genuinely offering training, then there should be a scheme whereby they can. But with some transparency about what training you get for your labour.
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When I was a kid I used to go out with my friend on our ponies to a local building site, and play cavalry charge. They’d dug out the side of a hill so it was a 30ft, almost vertical clay ‘cliff’ and we’d canter down it, the ponies shimmying down. You had to keep one arm up over your head. Wicked fun. Ridiculous dangerous for us and the ponies.

I learnt everything I know from working at riding stables from 10 years old. Graduated to paid work at £2 an hour at 14. Running the yard by 16 on £4 an hour. Miss those days, they were magic. I remember nicking my brother’s foam football and putting wire coat hangers through it to make handles, and we tried to teach ourselves to play horse ball.

I feel like the big different these days is that labour isn’t valued. I never paid anything to have ponies on loan because I’d do all the stable work. I certainly never paid to ‘help’ at riding stables. They wouldn’t have been able to run without us. I think if I ran a riding school I’d try to work it so that helpers paid for their insurance but nothing else, and got a pony on loan/free lesson every day they worked. Anyway I’ll shut up now.
 
FlyingCircus said:
Ahh, those were the days! I used to get dropped down to the local riding school from about the age 8 till I was 15 or so on a Weds evening 5 till 8 and a Saturday 9 till 5! Used to lead ponies, muck out, groom, all sorts. Had one "free" lesson a week for this. Probably about £15 a lesson back then 😂

But, I was horse crazy, very fit and had no time to be a bored teen doing dodgy things!
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Oh man I remember the lead rein kids that wanted to canter, and having to sprint next to them holding the kid’s leg. Fun in the height of summer when there’s several lead rein classes a day 😅
 
Babypony said:
Oh man I remember the lead rein kids that wanted to canter, and having to sprint next to them holding the kid’s leg. Fun in the height of summer when there’s several lead rein classes a day 😅
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When I think back, I must have been running around for atleast 2 hours on a Weds and then 4 or so hours on the weekend. Not surprising that when I stopped I suddenly had a hard time eating biscuits without putting weight on hahaha
 
In 1989 I was 19 and my boyfriend and I got summer jobs. He was hay baling and I groomed on a farm with horses for 1 hr riding a day with no instruction. I can’t remember exactly what he was paid but it was about £4-5 an hour. I was paid 50p an hour. Somehow being given an hour off to ride meant my labour was worth a tiny fraction of his. As obviously no one is going to bale hay for peanuts. I think that was exploitive.
 
I was put on a bus, into the care of the conductor, to go to the riding school. I had a pony on working livery there. I then spent the whole day doing everything and anything that needed doing, with two lessons on my pony, or a lesson and a hack. The housekeeper would feed me lunch and see me back onto the bus for the home trip. One thing I can remember, which would have made most of you jealous, was that the ponies were trained to canter at walking speed.

Our secret hidey hole was behind the kick boards of the arena and we had to be quiet there when the boss was giving a lesson.
 
gallopingby said:
Many of us “older” people will have learnt our skills through this type of experience. In the days before everyone became litigation conscious it was common to help at yards, you gained valuable experience and often had opportunities that can only be gained now by paying £££s. As long as everything is in place l see no reason why it can’t continue.
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Yes, we all did that, but at weekends and school hols, not during the week.
 
Goldie's mum said:
What's going on here?

View attachment 172117
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A horse is getting long reined along a road. Wearing a head collar under the bridle with the lead rope tied round the neck. Full driving harness with the breeching fastened to the breast collar so that the horse can feel both as it moves. A stage in the breaking process before putting into a carriage.
 
rabatsa said:
A horse is getting long reined along a road. Wearing a head collar under the bridle with the lead rope tied round the neck. Full driving harness with the breeching fastened to the breast collar so that the horse can feel both as it moves. A stage in the breaking process before putting into a carriage.
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I see, thank you very much.

(Knew it wasn't "cheeky" or "ridiculous" but was on FB & i didn;t know where else to put it! )
 
rabatsa said:
A horse is getting long reined along a road. Wearing a head collar under the bridle with the lead rope tied round the neck. Full driving harness with the breeching fastened to the breast collar so that the horse can feel both as it moves. A stage in the breaking process before putting into a carriage.
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I’d like to offer an alternative theory, that someone has just fallen off their carriage, and had the forethought to take a photo just as they hit the ground 😄
 
Babypony said:
I’d like to offer an alternative theory, that someone has just fallen off their carriage, and had the forethought to take a photo just as they hit the ground 😄
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Thoughtfully wrapping up the traces and fastening the breeching to them instead of the carriage. Lots of forethought gone into that one.
 
Peglo said:
Saw one tonight.

Any cheap kids ponies? Must be suitable for a complete novice around £1000

I mean not ridiculous but hopeful. But one of the replies

“I have a rising 2 yr old section A. Will make a great kids pony. Well handled”

So absolutely not suitable for a complete novice. 🤦🏼‍♀️
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To be fair, given the budget, a well handled section A with good child friendly breeding is at least honest. You won’t get a pony suitable for a novice for £1000 unless there are significant quirks or health conditions.
 
Nicnac said:
One on Mumsnet asking about setting up a GFM for a house deposit. Apparently eligible for council flat but doesn't want it as has animals.
Amazingly quite a few people said go for it.
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Do Building Societies/Lenders not look at where the deposit came from? I know i had to explain and show evidence of my saving for the deposit when i bought my first house and am sure that we did something similar when we bought our current house
 
My fault for doomscrolling but a new ‘horsey influencer’ came on my feed.
To be fair the account does say they are a novice adult and learning but lots of videos of them falling off, predominantly jumping as they’re not very well balanced. In a talky video she is explaining how the protective boots she’s put on her horse to travel didn’t protect his ‘feet and ankles’.
Gave me the ick 🤣
 
Hollychops said:
Do Building Societies/Lenders not look at where the deposit came from? I know i had to explain and show evidence of my saving for the deposit when i bought my first house and am sure that we did something similar when we bought our current house
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Yes we had to provide document.of proof of funds and if it's a gift you have to get documentation that they are not going to be living in the house, it's a gift, and they have no financial interests in the property. Or something to that effect
 
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