Do horses benefit from more than one rider?

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Kelly1982

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Since being broken in my boy has only ever had me ride him. Had the odd person sit on him in the breaking process but that's it.

He is a good boy and going well so never needed anyone else to get on board but do you think that sometimes they benefit from different riders, or does this just confuse them with the different styles in which people ride?
 
Depends, if you think your horse will only ever have you as an owner/rider then perhaps it's OK. personally, I like to see my horses ridden by someone else, preferably a better rider than I am, I think you can see so much from the ground also I think horses adapt to our "way of riding" just as we adapt to their "way of going" so we can end up with horses that are more one sided, not quite straight etc etc a different rider will feel things we haven't noticed. However, i think it's important that the horse has that special relationship with it's owner/rider but having it ridden by someone else from time to time won't interfere with that. Also, if I'm on holiday or unable to ride for some reason (injury, illness) I know I've got someone I can trust to keep the horse going for me.
 
I try to get as many different people to ride my horse as possible. I show so she should go well for the judge and that won't happen if she's only used to me riding her. I love seeing her being ridden and is such a wonderful feeling when you get positive comments about how well she goes. Thinking of worst case scenarios but if something happened to you what would happen with the horse? I like to think anyone can handle and ride my horse as you never know when it might become necessary!
 
That's a good point about them adapting to your way if going and therefore someone fresh may be able to pick things up that your not so aware of.

My instructor got on another liveries horse a few weeks back as they were struggling with the correct canter lead. She could feel he wasn't right and said she thought he was out through his pelvis and pole. Owner got chiro and instructor had been spot on but as owner rode him everyday it was something she hadn't felt, just thought he was being a baby and struggling with balance.
 
I'm pretty sure most people could get on and ride him as he is quite easy and eager to please and I haven't got anything against anyone else ridding him, it was just a thought that occurred to me last nite
 
In one word; YES!

There are very few of us who can 110% guarantee that our horses will be with us their entire lives, being able to be ridden by a variety of riders is a skill every horse should have. Yes there are times in a horses life where it may not be the right time - like a period of reschooling or when owner is working on a specific issue - but on a whole I feel it should be encouraged. I have various people ride my guys, we all ride differently and ask different questions and have different aims, and it's really great to see them go well for someone else. I particularily enjoy it when a better rider than myself can get on and get good, correct work out of them as it shows that although I may not be the best rider I have installed the basics correctly and they understand what's being asked.

If someone tells me they never let anyone else ride their horse I normally think it's because they don't want to see anyone it ride better then them, which I think is pretty pathetic really.
 
My horse used to have only me ride him untill I got pregnant and needed help keeping him fit.
He's also a very good boy and because of this lots of people have been happy and grateful to ride him. I only let people I trust 100% as he is very special to me and I think it has been beneficial and has improved his versatility and confidence in himself even more. I had a talented event rider friend jump and compete him. Myself just pottering around, my mum to school him and my mums experienced friend hack him plus my sister had a sit now and again.
It kept him fit and also helped him in the arena as I'm stiff on the right and my mum is stiff on the left so funnily enough it's helped even him up as well!
I think as long as you have only good experienced, sympathetic riders it's absolutely fine.
 
Yes, yes, yes. My semi retired girlie is much better now but, until she was about 15, only I'd really ever ridden her (or my mum occaisionally but I think we prob ride the same) and she used to get very anxious if someone else rode her, she wouldn't hack out with my friend and she's super to hack! Now she's mostly fine to potter about with other people every so often but it's been a few years and she's still quite clingy to me. I think it would have been better if I had had other people on her whenshe was young as it's nice for someone else to hack out with me on her.
 
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