Do you think this is madness? Or just in a days work

[madhector]

Most of you know I work with horses, basically I have a fair few difficult ones at the moment, and have had quite a few nasty falls, from 2 horses in particular. I think I am pretty good normally at staying on, and most of these falls have been when the horse has ended up on the floor too, so staying on isn't such a good idea....


I get paid for it though, and they usually come right in the end, and I do love what I do, but I always seem to be in pain! At the moment it is my back thanks to a nappy grey thing going over backwards on me. In the last 2 week i have had 4 nasty falls, my friend suggested I became a stunt rider as would be doing the same thing, but getting paid a lot more

I am worried one day i will come off and that will be it, I will have no confidence left at all (although doubt this will happen, it is still at the back of my mind) Also not sure I want to spend another summer with a smashed up leg

Am I mad? Most people I know think I am nuts, but I couldn't imagine doing something else, or not getting back on after something has misbehaved.

Sorry, bit of a random post, just got thinking....

 

[bugsysmum]

Hi there
I can fully sympathise - even the thought of losing your nerve is a worry isn't it?!
Personally, I have got "older and wiser"! After a few nasty falls resulting in a few broken bones which resulted in time off work and huge disruption to life in general, I started off making the decision that risking that on someone elses horse just wasn't worth it. I should point out that I wasn't doing it for a living like you, I had full time employment in an office. But I was being paid for riding other peoples horses for them.
Anyway, I started to pick and choose what I rode, and just wasn't prepared to put myself at risk any more. I think it's different when it's your own horse though - I have the attitude that I can't expect anyone else to do what I'm not prepared to.
Having said all that, I've also slightly lost my nerve with my youngster - who went through a bit of a wild patch this winter. so, for the moment, I've stopped jumping anything but tiny poles, and I'm about to be nannied out hacking again.
What ever you feel, I think as you get older you start having slightly different priorities in life, which always makes you think differently about what you'll take on. And as you say, it starts to hurt more, and takes longer to heal...

All in all - I envy your guts now! i've read some of your posts and boy do they throw it at you! Huge congrats for your nerve and persistence - it sounds like it is starting to pay off (even if it seems not).
Ok, so now I'm rambling ... sorry!!

 

[Mungali]

All credit to you, people who have horses with attitude or problems sometimes have to rely on other more capable people working with their horses. But that said, can you not pick and choose a little bit more. While you may not like being defeated, personally I think there are only so many times you can keep getting away with it, before seriously hurting yourself.

I know you need to earn a living, but just be a little more particular !. If you insist on accepting the really naughty ones, you at least need to charge them more, think of it as danger money.

 

[zigzag]

If you are questioning it yourself, you might have the answer

I don't know how old you are, but when I was younger (in my 20's, I am 38 now) I would ride anything, and was breaking horses in etc once I hit my thirties apart from the aches

I don't sit on anything now, I watch what I ride, (though currently breaking in a 6yr old that hasn't been touched since he was a yearling, I'm doing the floor work, my friend will do the sitting on the first few times

) I have too many responsibilities now to risk being smashed up, I look after someone who has Down's and if I get smashed up he would have to go into care.
All I say to you is be careful, look around and see what responsibilities you have

 

[MistletoeMegan]

Do you have good insurance?

If you like what you do then thats great, but there's more than a small chance when you make your living from sitting on the horses that no-one else wants to (or can) that you'll end up not being able to ride your own horse

At least you have youth on your side, you'll bounce when you fall

 

[wizoz]

Personally speaking MH, I do think you're mad!!! I am one of those people that simply will not put themselves in a dangerous position i'e riding nappy, nasty, young horses. I have never liked riding anything that bucks, let alone rear, even as a young kid I wouldn't go near them but some people just do and you are one of them!

I can ride, well, I think, I don't often fall off, maybe a dozen times in the last 12 years but I have been bucked off and reared over with in that time, it didn't put me off, but I do think I was lucky to get away with just a bit of bruising

Anyhow, what do you think you can do about it, be a bit more choosy?

 

[Tia]

You're a maverick! Just like I was at your age

.

You WILL get to a stage, probably around 37 or 38 when you decide that you have nothing more to prove and you can't be bothered with riding loons like this anymore. Well that's what happened to me anyway.

 

[flyingfeet]

You don't bounce as well when you get older!

I would always choose young horses over fixing nappy ones that other people have messed up. Could you still carry on, but pick and choose the nags a bit more?

 

[madhector]

Im just not very good at saying no, thats my main problem, if I get asked to take on something that has issues i just find it really hard to turn it down. Take this grey for instance, it had got to the point where if you touched its mouth it went straight up in the air, if you sat that it landed and bucked. It was out of pure fear, fear of pain poor thing. Ok so we have had a few near misses and one very nasty fall but she now will walk trot and canter with a contact, both with me and her owner. I just love going through all that and out the otherside.

But then there are times when I wish I could wake up without something hurting

 

[madhector]

I suppose I could be a bit more chosey, but now people know I work on maniacs I seem to get offered them rather frequently

 

[Eccles]

Hmm I think you are slightly crackers!! I always read your posts and worry! I really think that as you get older you just won't ride the mad/bad/naughty/difficult horses because I promise you, it just isn't worth the risk!

 

[Cop-Pop]

I think ur mad!

I love working with the babies so I used to take the youngsters and do all the ground work etc up to the backing then give them back to their owners ready to go on. I wouldn't have any nerves left if I did what you do, but then again my riding ability isn't good enough to do what you do!

Have you looked at the possibilty of becoming a stunt rider?

 

[volatis]

I used to be the one to get on the youngsters, the nappy buggers, the rearers etc. But my nerve did start to waiver and now I am older and supposedly wiser I am a lot more careful about what I ride and how I ride it.
I think a stunt rider sounds easy money for you!

 

[MarinaBay]

I guess a way of looking at it is if you fell off and couldn't ride your own horse for a while.... I would be gutted if that was the case.
U r very brave, my friend had her horse fall over backwards and land on her and she broke her pelvis in 2 places!

 

[Spot_the_Risk]

Make time to see a chiro/osteo/physio/ whatever works for you on a regular basis. Learn to stretch correctly, if you have the time and inclination consider yoga or pilates. Get yourself a decent massage regularly. Consider all of these as an investment in your future!

And then carry on doing what you love!

 

[cellie]

I really admire you for getting the best out of damaged goods but if you are now questioning your own health issues maybe its time to be a little bit more choosy.Saying all of the above whereabouts are you in Suffolk.A friend has just taken on a gorgeous fresian /cob who she is making progress with on the ground but he has been beaten badly in the past and has mounting issues.She will probably do 6 months gentle handling work before she tries riding him but it would be good to know that there is someone she can turn to for advice and help with ridden work.

 

[Shilasdair]

I think you have to be more selective in what you ride, tbh.
I used to do this...breaking and backing, schooling etc, for a living, and luckily escaped serious harm, but many of my friends were not so lucky.
I know of people who have broken their pelvises, been kicked in the head, etc....so ask yourself...how much is a broken finger worth? And a broken arm, or leg? And then a broken pelvis, being wheelchair bound?
I'm not trying to scare you, but trying to make sure you are charging a reasonable amount for your skill/bravery.
S

 

[madhector]

I am based near diss, pm me if you want

 

[madhector]

See its the wheelchiar thing that is at the back of my mind. Will try and turn the next nutcase down, see if I can actually say no for a change

 

[Shilasdair]

[ QUOTE ]
See its the wheelchiar thing that is at the back of my mind. Will try and turn the next nutcase down, see if I can actually say no for a change

[/ QUOTE ]

The thing is, your riding skills would actually be more useful on a decent horse...maybe do backing and breaking rather than problem horses - there's a real need for decent folk to do the early work...and you'd be perfect...?
S

 

[cluedo]

Without insurance that will look after you if you actually hurt yourslef bad enough to need care for a long time, you are barking mad. There is no money in the world worth it when you are facing the rest of your life in a wheelchair. Horse probably gets a bullet, owners will not think of you forever Will they care for you full time? Of course not.

THink very long and hard before getting on the next bad one - I used to do what you did, and broke my neck and back.... and only for the grace of god can I still walk, can't ride anymore because of it. And entirely my own fault. I knew this horse was more mad than normal and really mean and I really thought I could tame it......