Do you take your horses out and about on your own?

JFTD-WS said:
That really flips me off. Utterly unnecessary. I've had people park so close I couldn't get my front ramp down. Fine, I can reverse Fergs off the back and tie up to the rear of my trailer, the only place left to tie (as no room on the ramp side and can't tie on the jockey door side). Once they then complained about F being in the way of them unloading :rolleyes: You chose to park there, dipshit - deal with it!
Click to expand...

Some people just lack either common sense or they have no thought for anyone else. Whenever I park up at a competition, I always clock where the next lorry/trailers ramp and tie rings are and leave appropriate room. Yet I have found myself trapped in the past by people parking so close to me that I can’t load my horse without having to ask her to step on the ramp from the side.

It seems to be the general thing nowadays, to have no consideration for anyone. I cursed my way round the supermarket the other day. The amount of people who just stand blocking an aisle with their trolley and don’t even move in when they see you trying to get past.
 
scats said:
They sound like idiots MP. Hope you are ok.
Click to expand...

thanks :) yeah sore hands today from the splat but horse was such an angel in the clinic, that makes up for it :D

cauda equina said:
People can be so thoughtless.

When I had a sticky loader I used to park in the furthest away, most deserted corner of the lorry park to minimise distractions.
At one show someone parked right next to me, unloaded their horse just as I was getting mine on, and then laughed when he came straight off again.
It took another half hour to get him in
Click to expand...

Urghhhhhhhh :rolleyes: how annoying!
 
People in supermarkets are awful. It's like you give an average Joe a trolley and suddenly they become a love child of Hitler and Attila the Hun, and go around annexing every bit of aisle they fancy and to hell with everyone else.


When parking up, my main consideration is my extreme antisocialness. I park as far away from everyone else as I can. People then coming to park up next to me automatically annoys me ;)
 
JFTD-WS said:
People in supermarkets are awful. It's like you give an average Joe a trolley and suddenly they become a love child of Hitler and Attila the Hun, and go around annexing every bit of aisle they fancy and to hell with everyone else.
Click to expand...
hahahahah I'm going to try and remember this vision next time I am doing the supermarket shop on a weekend!
 
JFTD-WS said:
People in supermarkets are awful. It's like you give an average Joe a trolley and suddenly they become a love child of Hitler and Attila the Hun, and go around annexing every bit of aisle they fancy and to hell with everyone else.
)
Click to expand...

There is nothing that boils my piss more than the general public in supermarkets. Is no-one in a rush? Don't they have jobs to go to?! MOOVVVVEEEEE!
 
milliepops said:
I was at a show (with Kira who is now a complete dream to take out and about fortunately) and while I was riding someone slipped in the gap between me and another lorry which was so tight I couldn't get the horse down it to retrieve my now-trapped headcollar and leadrope. There was oodles of space elsewhere. Anyway, while I left K loose to get the headcollar, she slurped up all the water they had left in a bucket ready for their return. That'll do, hoss, that'll do ;)
Click to expand...

Lorry parking is a bit of a bugbear of mine. The number of places you go to that people just park wherever they fancy without considering everyone else really winds me up. I really wish venues would have separate / designated parking for side loading and rear loading. So much space is lost in the car park because you get trailer next to 7.5 next to 3.5 . Then you have people who think its ok to tie up outside and leave the horse while they go and chomp on a burger.

Glad you are OK MP, and pony is ok. At least the clinic was worth it.

In answer to your question, i usually have daughter with me, but have frequently gone out on my own. I find the dressage competitors really helpful, theres always someone who will read a test. The best was the North irish draught show. Even the judges and photographer helped me that day. It can be a great way of making you speak to people !
 
Last edited:
I regularly used to compete on my own. I did learn a few lessons though, often due to tight parking scenarios. The prime ones being, always get yourself completely ready before tacking up horse (not always necessary if you follow the next one), tack up in lorry, always leave ramp down to deter numpties from parking too close and always leave headcollar and rope on the ramp so I can reach it on return. But generally people are very kind and will help if asked.
 
I've only done it a handful of times as I am not the most confident person, but my mare was a star each time. Its always the people that just don't think, and that goes for life in general not just shows/ clinics.

Glad your horse was ok and you had a great clinic :)
 
I am a bit of a mixture. Will never go XC or a jumping comp on my own, but will do lessons and clinics by myself. Having swapped from a 3.5t lorry to a single horse trailer which I am still getting used to I dont go as far atm, but hope to get back to being confident enough to travel all over the place again.

And I found myself shopping on a saturday afternoon a couple of weeks ago....which reminded me why I have no shame about normally doing it after the horses on an early week night! :)
 
What numpties, MP. This thoughtless parking seems to be a new thing. Back in the day I almost always competed alone with a car and trailer, travelling up to about 2 hours each way. I don’t recall ever getting boxed in, people used their common sense when parking up or seeing a nervous horse being loaded.

Now OH is retired he accompanies me and it’s far more relaxing, not least because he can legally view the trailer CCTV monitor en route and do the ramps for me. He’s not all horsey so I can’t give him the horse to hold, but just having a second body about is helpful.
 
I'm sorry this happened to you!
At the minute my Dad comes along (as taxi service) but I'm sure once I can drive there'll be the odd occasion where I'll be alone. Most people will offer to help for example with a tricky loader in my experience, even with me and my Dad both there!
Maybe it's something you could begin to raise awareness for in your local horsey community?
 
I take them out alone 99% of the time. BUT with a horse that’s new to me I will always have someone competent with me the first time and would then stage manage having someone around/aware I’m solo at the destination for the next few times until I’m confident I can deal with the horse in my own
 
Solo traveller always here too and have been for donkeys years. I've switched from a rear load to a side load trailer and it does make things harder in tight car parks as you need a good amount of room on both sides but this is the same for side load lorries too.
I try to park considerately but admit in busy car parks I can't always achieve it and it is more difficult with the side load.
Sorry you had some inconsiderate people MP, don't let it put you off.
 
Sounds like some really inconsiderate people!
I once parked my trailer in a public car park on a trail where horse trailers are allowed to park. On my return I found someone had parked in such a way my trailer was completely blocked in! I was standing there, holding on to my pony, wondering what options I had other than to wait for the return of the driver, when a warden drove by in a landrover, spotted my predicament, and helpfully nudged the car out of the way a fraction to give just enough room to extract my trailer!
 
I have done it occasionally (and hopefully more from next year). I never had any issues apart from asking people not to park to close or to MOVE their trailer/lorry. I found it was those places that had someone pointing out where to go were the worst as they didnt want to leave enough room for you to safely tie your horse up at the side of the lorry and my question of 'so will you hole said pony/horse then whilst i get changed etc as i dont have a helper' was mostly met with blank looks!

there is always that one idiot that wants to park as close as possible regardless of whether its my car or my lorry. You would have thought other horse owners would have had sense, but obviously not!
 
I go to plenty of lessons, clinics and camps on my own. Also SJ and dressage comps. I have so far avoided eventing on my own but I think it will eventually happen. It's generally ok apart from once when I came off and Amber trod on my back. It would have been very helpful to have someone to help then as I was in a lot of pain. But I did manage to sort us both out and get home safely.
 
I am always on my own. To be honest I find most people helpful if you get in a pickle, but I think if people are used to having help, they don't consider how much more difficult it can be for someone on their own
 
I've just started taking my youngster (well, he's 6 but we've taken things very slowly) out on his own... He wont tie up to the lorry yet and if i still had a trailer, would never have been able to go solo as i couldn't have tacked up. Having a 3.5t lorry gives me enough room to be able to tack up inside. He can be a bit awkward to load but it doesn't matter if i have anyone with me or not for that part! Once he's in he will happily chomp on his hay so i can get a cuppa but untacking him on my own is a bit awkward without being able to tie him up. I have offered to help people before when they've been on their own and i've been stewarding/helping, even if it's just to hold a horse while they pop to the loo... i hope people would do me the same courtesy....
 
Sorry you had that experience MP - not great, but lovely that your boy settled and went well in the clinic.

I had got myself to the point of being happy going alone with my mare - she had learned to be super to load, would stand in trailer, or tied up, and was generally nice and easy (wasn't always that way, but by the end she was a total poppet). With my new boy I am taking someone with me - he isn't bad, but the incident you had would happen with him just now too. Just a bit too reactive at the moment, so even a non-horsey person is a big help.

I also prefer having someone to chat to and share the experience with.

My friend has just got herself a lovely new horse and is keen to get out and about, so soon I'll have a proper partner in crime, which will be good fun.
 
scats said:
The amount of people who just stand blocking an aisle with their trolley and don’t even move in when they see you trying to get past.
Click to expand...
Whenever anyone stops dead I deliberately walk into the back of them and make a remark like "oops I didn't see your brake lights come on" or "that's right stand in the aisle and block everyone in".
 
Last edited by a moderator:
I usually go out on my own, but if I'm going to a venue with a tricky car-park I will usually see if my OH can come with me. I have a side-loading lorry and once I've parked I immediately leap out and drop the ramp so nobody can park in my ramp space! I've had plenty of people parking close to me on the other side though, so if I've wanted to tie my horse outside the lorry she would have had to go on the rings at the back, meaning people would be driving past her back end. So I've had to tack up on the lorry, dealing with a stressed horse because she can't see any other horses. I've also had people leave enough room the other side to tie a horse, and then promptly tie their own horse in the space, even though they have a rear ramp and could tie either side. So if I've wanted to tie my horse outside the lorry she would have had to go on the rings at the back.........etc etc

Had some lovely people last weekend though. I was out with my instructor, we'd both competed and loaded the horses for the trip back. Somebody came into the space next to me, left at least 6 feet at the end of my ramp, but still wound down the window to ask if we had enough room. I've also had plenty of people kind enough to come and stand by my horse's head when she's been too stressy to stand still for me to mount. In return I've held people's horses for them, or kept an eye on them when their owners have popped to the loo.
 
On my own 95% of the time. Took someone the first few proper trips with Bog because he was an especially difficult case...
 
MP, I posted this morning just before heading off to arena hire....
Have now read what happened, what eejits!

That said, I had a rather tight lipped discussion once I pulled up today, I parked a few feet away from friends box as we had arranged to share the slot.
2 other boxes drove in, each parked to the side of me and my friend. The one beside friend ensured they were so close she couldn't get her side steps down! Despite being asked to move further, as there is a very large amount of space as it's a comp centre, they refused! So after a few words, I just shot off and got the YM out. She also got a gob full from them, then explained who she was, asked them to leave! Cue more rude words! But they did go, apparently they are well known to the venue, and are now banned from anything there till end of the year!
The other box on the other side of me then moved further away.....

Never used to be like this!
 
I mainly go out in company - ideally with another horse and rider as I like the company, or with my patient, non horsey OH (who is getting a tiny bit more horsey but he generally just gets rubbed and slobbered on by Finnegan!). It's so much easier having someone else to help with tack, holding the horse when I get on, checking in at the secretary's tent, and the all important videos/photos of course.

I have done the occasional trip out solo but generally to something like a clinic. Did it once to a ODE and I was shattered!

I'd def help out if I saw others were alone and needed help, although I think I will be a bit more mindful next time as I don't think I've ever actually offered.

Plus I get the same annoying folks who park close to my ramp so I have to squeeze Finnegan on - good job he's a good loader. Baffles me how they don't realise when they have a lorry themselves!
 
I went on my own everywhere for a long time however after 2 scary breakdowns by myself I wouldn’t want to do it again unless it was a local journey!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top