Do you let anyone else ride your horse?

[Amaretto]

As above! If you do, why? And if you don't, why not?

 

[Baggybreeches]

I let most people ride my mare (provided they are capable of stopping and steering!) but my TB doesn't really like other people riding him, I do let people hop on if I am having a lesson or obviously if we are at a show and there is a ride judge.
And I have quite happily let friends borrow horses for a hack or day hunting.

 

[Archiepoo]

No im very protective of my horse-hes so honest and i would hate for anyone to do anything to hurt him which is totally rediculous because he was an eventing schoolmaster used to teach working pupils how to event at a professional yard so hes been ridden by a LOT of people!

 

[LEC]

The hunter can be ridden by anyone as he is very safe and easy. Mine as long as the rider can stay in balance and will not upset him as quite sensitive. Personally I love to watch people ride my horse. If anyone can get on them that to me says job well done that I have produced well rounded and straightforward horses.

 

[Javabb94]

I allow people who I have seen ride before as J adjusts to the rider he has onboard, he's really good that way although quite a few that have ridden him find him reAlly slow and difficult when he is forward for me!

 

[MillionDollar]

Yes, I have 2 friends who ride him a lot and I'll happily let others ride him I actually love seeing him being ridden by others!

 

[hcm88]

Well my retired boy has a sharer and she rides him more than I do.
My eventers not so much.. I have a 2* eventer who I have produced from a 5yo myself so I'm very protective. He's fab though and I'd let anyone have a sit on him, but jumping and anything demanding or technical then probably not. Unless they were someone like William F-P haha! My novice eventer is a saint and I reckon I'd let people bumble round a bit on him for a bit of fun as it wouldn't do any harm. I'm hoping to give him to a young rider at some point in the future as I'm running out of time for him, so he needs to be happy with other people. Then my others are youngsters so I'm very careful that I don't change them too much myself let alone anyone else, they're rather sensitive as with any young horses! but as they grow I will let many competent people on as I aim to sell them so they need to be happy with more than one style of riding. I think it's beneficial for horses to have different people on them especially if you aim to sell at some point. It's also a good indicator of a well produced horse, if it can respond equally to many people.

 

[rubysmum]

the ones who were pleasant enough - Yup
so, big Ruby got ridden by pretty much anyone who fancied a go on a behemoth
the new mare is only a baby so just me and my RI instructor at the moment, but my aim to have a well rounded and pleasant horse, so i hope that other people will want to ride her in the future
the other randoms and loonies didnt tend to have a line of people waiting to jump on their backs - i wasnt that keen myself

 

[JFTDWS]

yes, pretty much anyone, but only if I'm there - very few people would be allowed to work Fergs, especially schooling, without me being there. *control freak*

 

[Bubblegum]

I will let others ride my horses if I think they are suitable to ride them. I am selective.
I also make sure everyone who rides them does so at their own risk. I am not insured for others to fall off and hurt themselves, and I make sure everyone knows this.

This may sound odd, but when I had small ponies, the number of Mums who asked me if I was insured for my daughters little friends to sit on our ponies, well I lost count.
So, nowadays I am cautious!

 

[jess_asterix]

Anyone can ride maine other than Herbie, he is a bit more sensitive and sharp so they have to be half decent to ride him as he gets wound up easily.

Badger, Nug and farmer can all be borrowed no problem though and a friend will be borrowing mine for a few days hunting this year

 

[dafthoss]

Hop on and have a play or pony rides yeah loads of people have, school not so many people although most that I'd want on wouldnt want to ride him . Jumping is a little diffrent as he isnt always the easiest to a fence so I need to know they will keep their leg on and not take his teeth out. Hacking again if I was with them then yeah happy for people to have a go, alone again depends on the rider.

I put quite a few people up on him but they dont school him as such.

 

[kerilli]

ha, apart from my saddler, who wanted to feel what my new Barnsby Xtreem felt like on Daisy, nobody else has sat on her for years... because she has a bit of a reputation (having ejected me rather disastrously), although I hope she's growing out of it now. But thinking about it, there are certain pros I would allow to ride her in certain circumstances, and 1 or two HHOers, and my trainer if he ever wanted to (very unlikely, not that kind of trainer) but otherwise, nobody.
I am always cautious and protective now, having had a horse be really quite damaged mentally after being put under a lot of pressure in a lesson with a top trainer, when he jocked me off and got on, and make the horse do things he absolutely wasn't ready for. I stood mute. never again.

 

[WeeBrown]

My cob I'd let most people ride if I was there as he is a sweetie and looks after his rider in most instances. My grey mare I wouldn't really let many people ride, although she is lovely, as she is still young and learning herself and I have regular lessons to make sure I don't mess her up! The chestnut mare I wouldn't let anyone else but my OH ride as we have come to the conclusion that she prefers one rider and consistency. To be fair not many people ask if they can ride her so it never really comes up.

 

[TheoryX1]

Anyone can ride my cob and I am happy for anyone to ride him, as long as he is not hammered and its respected that he is 19 years old and has had a hard life. He is rock solid on the roads and with any rider. In reality though, I am dead precious about him as he is my horse of a lifetime, and you only get to ride him if I can watch, or hack out with you on another horse. He's a bit of a gem if I say so myself.

I have to admit nobody rides Mini TX's eventer apart from her trainer. To be fair she is actually very well schooled and anyone can get on her and she will not put a foot wrong, but that is not the point. She has the most marvelous mouth and she let a fellow livery ride her and she hauled her around, so nobody gets to sit on her now. I am allowed to do so, but I only hack her if I am lucky enough to ride her.

 

[MiJodsR2BlinkinTite]

My traddie boy can be quirky; he's fine with novices and goes into plod mode. I've trusted him with a friend's nine-year-old up top and a pr@t on a bike came up behind him and he was fine; but with anyone experienced, or worse - someone who THINKS they can ride then he can and will try it on. If people really ARE experienced then they'll soon let him know it and then he buckles down, starts going in a really nice outline, and stops taking the P!ss. But anyone who thinks he's a doddle or a ploddy cob coz he looks like one, gets a helluva shock basically.

The little Welsh D mare I've got is on loan, and her owner has given me permission to let anyone ride her who I'm happy with. She's a sweetheart, but needs a rider with really light hands as if people hang onto her mouth she can go a bit loopy; she's also the sort of mare that goes brilliantly for some people but not for others; and that's got nothing to do with riding abilitiy. She's forward going, and can be spooky, but is fine if you just reassure her and "tell" her its OK and not dangerous. She's a darling - a mare in a million, and I trust her implicitly, so I won't put just anyone up on her.

 

[redcascade]

It depends, I will let people from the yard have a go on Red but there are only two people I would trust without me being there...my RI and my best friend and are definitely the only people I would trust hacking him too
He's not dangerous, just a bit quirky sometimes....saying that I'm currently teaching my 20yr old brother(total beginner) to ride on him and he's been an angel

 

[rhino]

yes, pretty much anyone, but only if I'm there - very few people would be allowed to work Fergs, especially schooling, without me being there. *control freak*

Same, there's only ever been a couple of people who I'd let ride when I wasn't about - one of them competed the little ginger horse quite successfully when I was too busy at times.

If anyone can get on them that to me says job well done that I have produced well rounded and straightforward horses.

That's very much my feelings too; I aim to have good allrounders rather than top competition beasties though

 

[Mince Pie]

I'm quite happy to let others ride any of mine (past, present and future) as long as I've seen them ride first. I must say that one of the funniest things I've ever seen is my 6ft+ male trainer squeeze his bum into a 16.5" dressage saddle that is fitted to me - a 5'4" shorty - on a 14.2 cob!!

 

[Vickijay]

I have always been pretty happy to let people ride mine. Not so much with the big bay one, most people don't want to ride her. She is very anxious and was ok with the 2 people who didn't put any pressure on but when 2 people other people got on her (1 was my trainer and 1 was a really capable friend) it was a nightmare.

She can be very quirky and both times she lost the plot, once downing tools and refusing to move and once even went over. Therefore no one rides her mostly in case she injured someone but also because it does unsettle her and has never improved a situation. I know I should be working on it incase I ever need to sell her but at the moment she's a bit sharp and stupid and so not really the greatest time to try and teach her. I wouldn't let anyone hack her out as she's the silliest then and tbh I only just manage to keep a lid on her sometimes!

More people have ridden my spotty baby horse mostly because I don't want her to end up like the big one!

I'm not overly keen on trainers riding my horses too much anyway, the odd time yes but if it was more regular I wouldn't be happy. I think it should be a given that they can ride my horse alot better than I can but it's me that needs to be able to ride it so much prefer a instructor to teach me how to do it rather than they teach the horse and then put me on to try to replicate it.

 

[millitiger]

There are a few people I know who I wouldn't mind putting up on Vinnie and would be happy for them to school or jump him...
... as long as I was there I can't see it going too wrong because I would jock them off if it looked like it was going the wrong way!

I don't have a set trainer at the moment but when I went for a lesson with Graham Law a few weeks ago I was more than happy to let him have a sit and pop some fences- just wish I could ride like that!

 

[Copperpot]

Yes I'm happy for others to have a go on him. He is ridden for me the days I can't (by a fab rider, who is so much better than me) but I have let friends hack, jump and compete him. I was asked by someone I barely knew if they could borrow him for opening meet hunting once and I did decline that.

 

[tonitot]

I used to let anyone ride her but have gotten a bit fussy recently. Now im having lessons and shes working well only me and my instructor ride her.

 

[lme]

Happy to let anyone have an amble round on any of mine. My sports horse mare carefully did the slowest trot ever with one of my 16yo's London 'gangster boy' friends who'd never sat on a horse before. He thoroughly enjoyed himself and it didn't do her any harm. My younger girls often invite friends up to hack with them & I don't see that even a novice can do any harm to a good natured pony on a hack around the lanes. For more serious stuff, I'd want the rider to ride at least as well (or better) than the usual riders and to adopt a similar approach.

 

[Cheiro1]

I am quite picky who sits on my mare. She is quite sensitive to new riders and if someone just lets her "get a feel" of them she will then be perfect but if someone gets on and demands the world in the first circle she will down tools. Also she is my baby and I am a bit of a control freak!!
My mum is the only person I would EVER allow to ride her when I am not around

My other ride, I would be picky about him too because he is a quirky so and so, but its ok coz no one wants to ride him

 

[Bestdogdash]

Only my (and the horses ) trainer, and my groom is allowed to hack. Why? Because that way if anything goes wrong, it is my fault. I couldn't forgive anyone, friend or otherwise, who came home with my horse injured or upset......Awaits confirmation of personality flaws !

 

[Batgirl]

Only my (and the horses ) trainer, and my groom is allowed to hack. Why? Because that way if anything goes wrong, it is my fault. I couldn't forgive anyone, friend or otherwise, who came home with my horse injured or upset......Awaits confirmation of personality flaws !

Pretty much this and also an even worse personality trait, if you want to ride a horse get your own or go an pay for professional lessons, he's mine!

I bought my horse for me, and me alone. My YO and YO husband can ride him when I am away and when prearranged but I wouldn't let anyone else on him.

Also the complete terror of non -horsey people wanting to have a go, regardless of how my horse behaves with me, I can't guarantee that with someone else and I wouldn't want any damage (psychological or physical) on my conscience.

 

[4faults]

No one but me rides my mare because she is quite insecure so can end up tense and stressy if she doesn't have confidence in her rider and I wouldn't want to put her through that. Even my instructor won't ride her until she feels she's more confident.

My gelding is a bit easier but will randomly throw in a buck on occasion so as long as I know someone is confident enough to deal with that then yes they can ride him

And im always trying to find willing kids to ride my 12.2!

 

[Tempi]

I let people ride Bloss as she's a good school mistress so gives a nice feel of higher level movements.

A show jumper friend of mine takes Jups for a jump lesson once a month as im not that keen on jumping but I like Jups to do different things. I do pop the odd cross with him inbetween and I jump him on the lunge and do lots of pole work with him.

I ride and school for other people though, normally because people want their horse a bit more finely schooled, or they want it to learn something new, or purely because they haven't the time to ride.

 

[Santa_Claus]

Anyone who has independent hands and seat as long as the whether is ok I would prob let them ride Fleur in the school, I am picky over who can hack her though as she does try it on occasionally (normally when least expected) and I am very picky over who jumps her as I don't want her being socked in the mouth!

In reality very few other people have ridden her because she has a reputation from her younger days. I have offered a few people the opportunity but few have accepted.