Do you let other people ride your horse?

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Cruiseonamiro

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Basically a friend of mine asked to ride my horse, but i've always said no. I've had him since october, and he is an event fit, reasonably strong, fairly quirky, green 7yo. He is not the type of horse she is used to but I feel very mean saying she can't play with him! How many of you guys let other people ride your horse? I'm wary of him becoming a one woman horse and only myself and my instructor (and she noly rode him once) have ridden him since I bought him.
 
There are a couple of fairly quiet, confident riders who I let ride my pony, they are the same people I sometimes let hack my horse. Other than that it's just myself and my RI who ride the horse.
 
NO WAY!

I don't want my horse picking up any bad habits up from anyone else.
I don't want him ending up like a riding school pony.
You're not mean, tell her to go buy her own horse. If something happened to her she could sue you, if something happened to your horse, you'll be stuck with the vet bills.
A horse is a personal thing... You're not being mean by saying no, i doubt she would let you ride her horse..
Don't worry about it, just have fun with your own horse! and it's no fun watching someone ride your horse anyway.
 
I'm happy to let ayone I feel is competent enough to ride horse, ride him. The girl who loans his mother hacks him out for me sometimes. He has also been ridden and jumped by a young rider I know and his groom. He is fairly staightforward though just young and a it green.
 
I'm quite happy to let others have a play on my girl. But that's because I trust her to behave with anyone, even a complete beginner she can nanny around the school in walk for a few laps. But put a more experienced rider on and she'll be much more forward going.

She can throw in the odd spook or nap, but she tends to save that for me and is an angel for others!
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Plus, I really like to watch her, which I never get the chance to when I'm on board!

If your friend has a secure seat and isn't a total beginner, I'm sure a wee 10 minutes in the school once you've settled him down won't do either of them any harm?
 
I'm quite happy to say no to people!
I do let others ride but they are people who I trust and who will listen to what I say. You have to get on my horse carefully and if someone didn't listen to me they would end up on their bum!
 
I let some people ride my mare, but it's my choice who rides her and I certainly wouldn't be pressurised into letting just anyone ride her.
 
No- only one other person has ever ridden my horse for about 5 mins and only because she is a gentle rider....other than that, NO - I've worked hard on my horse, we have a bond and I dont want that broken or him ruined.
At my yard its like magic roundabout some days, swapping and changing and trying each others horses out- for a certain group anyway - I have no wish to try other peoples horses and I dont want anyone to ride mine- not being mean, but what if something bad happened? You would be left with an injured/ruined horse to sort out.
 
Only myself and my instructor ride my horse. The reason ? I would never forgive myself if an accident happened while someone else was on her - selfishly I am only worried about my horse's welfare, not the rider !
 
I don't have a horse at the moment, but I would certainly let a good rider ride my horse - why not? Just make sure they can ride well enough! I think people can get a little too precious about this - another decent rider on a horse for 20 minutes isn't very likely to ruin your horse... also, if my horse was so badly behaved that it would not accept another rider on its back without chucking him/her off, I'd definitely try to work on that, as I don't believe that is "sensitivity" - but rather just rudeness. *runs and hides*
 
I have let a few others ride mine, but not when I'm not there and no one else apart from me and my instructor has jumped her.
Mainly because she isn't a novice ride and can be a bit of a handful at times - fair enough if I come off, but I wouldn't want the responsibility of someone else coming off and injuring themselves (especially as she can be extremely spooky)
 
Only my instructor is allowed to ride my horse really! And Kate (Abbey_Tilly) when she's around! Gertie is very uncooperative with other people and also very sharp, it takes a lot for her to trust other people and most of the time it ends in tears!!
 
I'm very careful. Sunny can be quirky & she is very sensitive in the mouth & to leg aids so doesn't take to rough handling. You literally only have to touch the reins or touch her sides with your heels for her to do as you ask. I've had her since she was 2 & have always been very light with my hands etc.

She hates raised voices & rough or nasty handling & she can be a donkey at times & like a TB on speed the next so not a good thing unless somebody knows what they are doing.

Plus I love her & would not want anything to happen to her!

ETS; I'd only let someone I know ride her & somebody who I'd seen riding before. And I'd have to trust them, that goes without saying. It's not that I'm precious but I don't want her going through rough riding or handing or being ridden irresponsibly. I wouldn't mind the school/paddock so much but I'd have to trust them a lot to take her out on a hack.

She's on loan with a friend at the moment who I trust impicitly with her care. My friend has worked on an eventing yard bringing on youngsters so I know she's a good rider (seen her in action
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bloody amazing). Other than that I'd have to see what they were like on their own horse before I let them on mine.

 
No - I am very particular about letting other people ride my horse. I have had my horse for 10 years and the only other person who has ever ridden him is my instructor, who is on the Olympics potential squad. Why put all that work in for someone else to come along and undo it. I would be terrified that something bad would happen and I would never forgive myself.
 
I think its an important part of a horses education to be able to be ridden by anyone - I have 2 young ex-racer Tbs who I'm aiming to event and they regularily get ridden by other people ranging from my instructor to my friends kids. Although neither is a straightforward ride they are both safe and sane and cope absolutely fine when ridden by someone different, although the gelding copes better than my mare who always goes better for me than anyone else.

I think far too many people think their horses are too 'precious' to be ridden by other people - although I do understand that some horses are tricky and not suitable to be ridden by just anyone.

I love watching other people ride my horses, often it helps to show up the things they are bad/good at and any problems my riding has given them. My friend sat on my mare last night and jumped her while I took pics... It also fills me with confidence to watch someone else jump them and see how easy they make it look - my friend jumped my mare over 3 foot+ last night and she jumped it like it was 2 foot, thet helps me get on and have a go over bigger fences too.
 
Only a select few. while I wouldn't let anyone ride him who I think would do him or his training harm, i like other people to have a shot now and again to tell me how he feels to them, i,e is he improving, leaning or resisting that I haven't noticed.

We also help each other at our yard, so if my horse can do something, which a friend is struggling with, I am happy for them to have a shot to feel 'his buttons'. I am also lucky enough to have a few good friends/riders that I would trust to ride him if their pony is 'broke' or keep him ticking over if I can't for some reason.

I wouldn't like to have anyone, especially an instructor or a judge get on and have an explosion, because they 'weren't me'. i would also not rate myself to the extent where I think anyone but me will 'ruin' my horse in 5 minutes - that wouldn't say much for my training would it!!

However, that said. B is a little older than yours and fairly established in his way of going. One bad ride will not set him back. You may need to consider that with your boy.

F x
 
Yep hubby, my instructor and a girl from the yard ride Hovis sometimes. i think its good for him to have someone other than me on him. My instructor got on him last night to feel what he was doing when I was struggling with something.
I like watching people who are better than me ride him as it shows me what he can do with a good rider!!
 
I let others ride my youngster as she is so laid back and couldnt care less.

I wont let anyone else ride my older horse. Its not that I think I am the worlds best rider its just that she is so quirky and lacks confidence. We understand each other and she has become much braver - I know when she is being a wimp and when she genuinly feels unhappy about something. I wouldnt risk losing that confidence by letting anyone else ride her. Also she is so light to ride that you only have to 'think' halt or canter or whatever. Someone riding 'normally' would terrify her!
 

Also, I don't mind anyone riding her if I'm leading her or lunging her, from little tots to adults, but off the lead rein I like them to be a competent & good, quiet rider. Nothing special, just capable & gentle.
 
Only my instructor or riders who I assess as being better than me. That way they can only bring her up.

For me there is more danger that she would damage them, though, not the other way round. She is quite capeable of taking care of herself
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Well I would but no one else wants to !!
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Joking apart he is admired by many but becasue of his spectatular spins on occasion I dont get any offers. To be fair I am used to him and the spins dont occur that much these days but a well meaing friend had a go and she hit the deck within seconds. He also will only be caught by a very select few and yes hs is a one woman horse he hates all men with vengence.
 
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I don't have a horse at the moment, but I would certainly let a good rider ride my horse - why not? Just make sure they can ride well enough! I think people can get a little too precious about this - another decent rider on a horse for 20 minutes isn't very likely to ruin your horse... also, if my horse was so badly behaved that it would not accept another rider on its back without chucking him/her off, I'd definitely try to work on that, as I don't believe that is "sensitivity" - but rather just rudeness. *runs and hides*

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Can I come and hide with you?!
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I totally agree with all that you've said and as long as you're watching and advising them how to get the best from your horse/not get into trouble, how much harm is really going to come about in a little 20min schooling session?
 
What has happened to your horses that would make them so terrified of someone riding them? Or is it possible that you are overestimating their sensitivity just a little bit...? I actually think most horses would be fine with another decent rider on their back - and if they weren't, I'd worry! Just playing devils advocate here...
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I let very good friends I trust ride him, thats 3 people and one of those has a 14 yr old daughter who is a novice that plods around the block once in a blue moon, but then Bear enjoys a mooch anyway!
 
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What has happened to your horses that would make them so terrified of someone riding them? Or is it possible that you are overestimating their sensitivity just a little bit...? I actually think most horses would be fine with another decent rider on their back - and if they weren't, I'd worry! Just playing devils advocate here...
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Basically what I was trying to say but you put it far more succinctly
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As long as I know they are a decent & responsible rider I don't mind. Mine will let anyone get on her but it's how they handle her from there as to what behaviour they get in return.
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Blu - Only I really ride her, but occasionally my mum goes for a hack on her, or my instructor gets on. She isn't very keen on 'unknown' people riding her.

Cara - Only I have ridden her atm, but mum will hack her a few times a week when she is a bit more settled
 
Yes, mine need to be ridden by a ride judge so must be used to aids being given in various "'languages'" and carrying anyone from 7st tiny lady to 6ft tall 15 stone man.

So they are often ridden by others, in the arena or the field, as part of their training too.
 
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