Do you help people? bit of a rant..

[teamsarazara]

So at my yard im probably best described as the 'guinea pig'. I do get paid for riding problem horses, schooling, riding peoples horses in general etc. However i rode a younger girl (14ish) horse for her and yes i am getting money for it. BUT now that im riding her horse, its like she thinks she doesn't need to. So I'm riding her horse 3 times a week and it broncs for Britain. I'm spending 20 minutes lunging her on top of the half an hour schooling or hour hack I'm getting paid to do. I know i sound stingy but if I'm helping someone id like to get a little bit of help back? Obviously she's getting fitter now and even more fresh. She doesn't seem to be taking my advice. AHH! excuse the rant, i needed to let it out somewhere and i try not to vent at my yard or it ends up at like the 6 surrounding yards

 

[flying solo]

Can you not explain to her or her parents if she won't listen to you that she needs to learn along side the pony otherwise pony will be at a different level and the rider may not be able to handle it on a 1 to 1 situation?

 

[Anglebracket]

I am assuming that you are being paid by the girls parents rather than the schooling being part of your regular work. If so, could you not cut your schooling sessions / hacks short to account for the time you spend lunging the horse? (I would discuss this with the owners first) Alternatively, could you be paid extra for the additional time you are spending with the horse?

As for the girl, is it possible that she is scared of her own horse and therefore does not want to ride it?

 

[Fantasy_World]

Can you not explain to her or her parents if she won't listen to you that she needs to learn along side the pony otherwise pony will be at a different level and the rider may not be able to handle it on a 1 to 1 situation?

Quite! Sounds like a re occurring scenario in which said owner had over horsed themselves. Getting someone else to do their 'dirty' work for them in the process and agree that eventually the owner will no longer be able to even get up in the stirrups as said owner won't have the confidence to climb aboard a fit horse!
At 14 they shouldn't really have any worries at all jeez.
Gawd wish I was that age again riding.... they should try being almost middle aged, carrying a few pounds and with a back problem which gets aggravated by any falls!

 

[teamsarazara]

Its paid through my boss, not directly from her parents. It's up to me to deal with the customers though. I think she is cared but if she is ridden nearly every day then she is no bother but she wont seem to listen which i can understand but its frustrating!

 

[be positive]

If it bucks that much she is probably scared to ride it, especially if you have to lunge it first, can she lunge it ok. Is it getting enough time out in the field or too much feed for the work it is doing. You need to have a chat to the owners and maybe suggest a change in its regime before the girl will not ride at all.

 

[teamsarazara]

Quite! Sounds like a re occurring scenario in which said owner had over horsed themselves. Getting someone else to do their 'dirty' work for them in the process and agree that eventually the owner will no longer be able to even get up in the stirrups as said owner won't have the confidence to climb aboard a fit horse!
At 14 they shouldn't really have any worries at all jeez.
Gawd wish I was that age again riding.... they should try being almost middle aged, carrying a few pounds and with a back problem which gets aggravated by any falls!

I know this situation well. I think she was bought thinking that because she is a cob she will be 'easy'. This is the first proper cob i've worked with and even i am shocked at how bad her attitude can be.

 

[Fantasy_World]

If it bucks that much she is probably scared to ride it, especially if you have to lunge it first, can she lunge it ok. Is it getting enough time out in the field or too much feed for the work it is doing. You need to have a chat to the owners and maybe suggest a change in its regime before the girl will not ride at all.

Another point is that is everything fitting correctly on the horse or has it had any recent back/teeth checks especially with all the bucking?

 

[teamsarazara]

Another point is that is everything fitting correctly on the horse or has it had any recent back/teeth checks especially with all the bucking?

She's got a brand new fitted saddle, the whole yards teeth and back just been checked this week. She is turned out from 10am till 4pm and hardly getting fed anything but on unlimited hay. She lunges fine but she seems reluctant to do it!

 

[Fantasy_World]

I know this situation well. I think she was bought thinking that because she is a cob she will be 'easy'. This is the first proper cob i've worked with and even i am shocked at how bad her attitude can be.

Lol that unfortunately is a person's wrong preconceptions of a cob. They are not all dopes on a rope. Some are indeed forward going. Mine is safe, in that he would never do anything intentionally to hurt you, but he is no slouch and has some good paces to him. He can also have an odd strop and has bucked when excited in gallop on a hack, as well as trying to plant himself, or napping and spinning especially when hacking alone and is met with something he is unsure of.
He is also very, very forward going in the school.

 

[Fantasy_World]

She's got a brand new fitted saddle, the whole yards teeth and back just been checked this week. She is turned out from 10am till 4pm and hardly getting fed anything but on unlimited hay. She lunges fine but she seems reluctant to do it!

That all sounds fine then from what you are saying. Is she perhaps in season? Does any of this unwillingness or bucking happen when she is in season or at certain stages during her cycle.
I don't have loads of experience with mares as all mine are boys except a mare that I got 3 years ago and it was an eye opener. She is moody around mid cycle and when she is actually in season, winking and so on is very ameniable, doesn't mind being ridden and good to tack up and tolerates being stroked in otherwise 'don't really touch me there places' such as underside of neck, girth area, flanks and hindquarters. She did used to be a broodmare though and has had a fair few mountings ( poor sod) before I got her so don't know if that behaviour is due to that?

 

[nikkinoo]

sounds to me like the horse is not suitable for the 14 year old and needs to be sold maybe to someone like you who knows what they are doing, Im all for having someone to re school/ bring back a fresh horse in to work for someone who maybe hasnt got the time or experience to "get it out of them" but if the horse is as fresh as it is now after lots of work and the girl wont ride it, then the thought of what the horse is like will always be in the back of her mind and she may never get on it, also you dont want to injure your self

 

[AmyMay]

Just explain that the time it cakes to work the horse now takes longer, and so you will require additional payment for your services....

 

[AmyMay]

Takes, not cakes.