Does anyone else not really / not really want to ride?

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VixieTrix

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Blue is only 14hh and 23 yrs so i only ride him once a week, or not even, justfor a plod :)

But i really really don't mind! I have had him for 15 years and i so love just looking after him, brushing, taking him for walks while my friends ride etc. :)

What about other people? Just being nosey sorry would be nice to know what others get up to :cool:
 
I can honestly say I am just as happy enjoying the day to day care, grooming and cuddling and tucking into bed at night as much if not more than the riding! I do ride at least 4 times a week and always feel much better after a good hack or schooling session but equally frustrated when it doesn't go to plan, being the perfectionist that I am. I guess if we love our horses and have always loved them just to be around them can be enough for some of us, in fact with an aged horse it must be quite nice not to have the pressure of 'having' to work them for fitness and progress? x
 
always been like this, i love having youngsters just because i like the care aspect, the bonding, and how much fun it is to teach them new things, and when both my boys are old and cant be bothered any more ill happily stare at them being happy in a field!

ridings just an added bonus to me! :)
 
i havent really ridden properly since april last year as i rode bareback until october then he went on holiday for a bit and i have enjoyed the time off just looking after him, i now havea saddle and hes finally getting over an abscess but im excited that he can come back in to work but i really cant be bothered to tack up... i love grooming i love riding everything but i really cba to tack up i find it such a chore and he litterally wears a saddle and bridle so not even much to put on but im so lazy :P i was at 1 point obsesive he was ridden 6 days a week 2 days hacking 1 day lunging and the rest schooling and he was rather fit and now hes like a jelly but i dont mind :)
 
Snowysadude said:
I don't dislike riding but I'm not bothered by it! I enjoy riding but would just as happily care for him and not ride if needs be.
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This. I wouldn't mind if he couldn't be ridden. I do like riding him and the physio says he must be worked as he has unevenness across his hips and exercise should fix this. I'm therefore riding daily as its the holidays, but I just see where I'm going to fit it in when I'm back at work.
 
I'm back in the saddle (with varying degrees of success) after many years out of it...

The Mr has never had anything to do with horses before and nearly fell off the sofa swearing loudly when I bought our first... He now absolutely loves them and is up the stables twice a day cheerfully mucking out or feeding/grooming etc... He's happy as a pig in wotsit with all that and generally spending time with them but he's not interested in riding...

He's sat on our TB in the school and had a bit of a pootle about but found it boring... :eek: Although he loves the handling aspect and is very 'easy' around them (he's brilliant at setting up odd things in the school to do some bombproofing); he isn't the slightest bit interested in learning to ride and would rather lead rein our daughter or accompany me on hacks on a bike... Yeah, we'll see how long that lasts once his legs are aching a bit...:rolleyes: :D
 
Yes i'm a bit like that to. I've had a forced break since last October due to problems with my back and i haven't missed riding all that much. I do enjoy it when i do it and get a buzz form schooling but i'm not the type that goes mad if i can't ride. I am happy that i can start some gentle riding again but i do very much enjoy pottering round my yard. I'm another that finds tacking up a bit of a chore sometimes lol!
 
I absolutely adored riding the cobs out as a kid. Bareback and headcollar with rope if you were lucky.

Loved my riding my last share and her quirks.

Got on some new horses and had no interest. Enjoyed the conversation on a hack but no inclination to take any out on my own. So spend all time possible with my girl and hack out with someone every week or so. Could really take it or leave it.
However I think that has more to do with not having a click with new horses. I am looking forward to riding my girl and think we will get on well, but if she turned out unrideable for any reason I would be happy enough playing as we are :) She's for life, not just for how she rides.

I agree with tacking. If I could just hop on I'd be more likely to go out. For this reason, my girl will be in a bitless and will play at bareback with her as well as saddled. I find it far more comfortable too, never got on hugely well with saddles and will invariably ride without stirrups.

All the horses I've ever ridden have gone better in a headcollar than bitted bridle, far more control and willingness. So down the easy route with girlie to see how it works out for us.

Pan
 
I think the majority of horse owners are like you certainly at my livery yard they are, but if you enjoy your horse and they bring you pleasure then it's time and money well spent.
 
No. Mines a 14.2 23 yr old who I've had 20 years. Due to an injury she can't compete anymore & as a parent I can't afford to. But I still love hacking her & do the odd bit of hc stuff at local shows. In general I don't really bother taking her out, she can't do the stuff I like anymore so I might as well do it at home, usually enough volunteers to take her to low key stuff. But after years of having a small child, for the last year i'm really enjoying the freedom to canter & gallop out hacking now daughters able to be a suitable hacking companion, rather than babysitting hacks. I'd love to be in a position where I was training again, still school oldie a bit at home. That said I'd be chuffed to bits if she's around another 20 years & only able to go out for a hand graze. Much as I love riding I love her more, or I'd have sold her years ago.
 
I know just what you mean. For me, riding is only a small part of the fun. I just love spending time with my pony.

And that's the reason for me having a shetland (!) instead of a 'real' pony or horse. Yes, I am a fully grown woman who owns a shetland! The pleasure we get from working together - long reining, driving, showing in hand - out weighs the monthly pleasure I get from the hack at the local riding school. :D

Riding schmiding - it doesn't mean a thing in comparison to the friendship and love you get from your horse through knowing it and just spending time with it. :D
 
Im tempted to break my youngster in this year bare back this year, and turn away, and then use treeless saddles from then on, traditional saddles cause me to be in agony to the point i cant ride so i guess thats one of the reasons im happy to just muck out or my fave pass time, clean tack!!!!! lol

My other half is the same, hates horses until hes around them, hes doing me a huge favor now and helping my welsh c colt foal to get over his fear of scary men wearing hoodies.

I know why he is scared, and i wish i could name and shame but i am not going there but old livery did nothing but cause a problem! so glad to be out and get on with our lives! :D
 
i am an intermittent rider lol, some weeks i'll ride 4 or 5 times and then other weeks maybe once or not at all, i ride for enjoyment so don't feel the need to 'make' myself ride if i'm not in the mood. typically today though i really fancied taking the stoopid one out but daughter wanted to ride too so i let her ride first, just as she untacked the heavens opened:rolleyes: now we're at home hiding from thunder and lightening:eek: you can guarantee that tomorrow when i have limited time it will be blazing sunshine:rolleyes:
 
I'm like you. I enjoy riding, but think there is just as much pleasure to be gained in the day to day care, and just "being" with your horse. I remember someone once saying that she preferred to look at her horse's face rather than the just the back of his neck, and I know where she's coming from.

The positive thing about not being bothered about the riding, is that if anything happens to your horse and they can no longer be ridden you can still enjoy them.
 
TBH I don't really get this about other people. As much as I love my pony I would never bother driving the 20 mins to see him unless I was going to ride. I enjoy being around him but unless there is a purpose to the journey I wouldn't make it. Grooming is perfunctory and I never waste time in the yard, would rather speed to the fun riding part, spend time on that and then speed home to my husband after.
 
I used to have withdrawals if I did not ride most days, then my boy retired, and TBH I am not that bothered now.

Will have to get some umf from some where though as daughter wants me to get another so we can ride out together.

So would have to be steady Eddie as really can't be bothered with a project anymore :)
 
Sometimes I have days when I head down to my share horse as late as the daylight hours will allow, thinking the whole time I can't be bothered but what is the point in paying to ride if I don't ride, I half heartedly groom and tack up (thinking how muddy can I get away with), I get on thinking 'please let this be a good day or I will cry and get off!' trying all the while to convey positive vibes...

As soon as we are off and away and done our hour's circuit I wish I had gone down earlier and am in such a good mood! I had some bad weeks recently with uni work, the horse time got me through it even though I couldn't be bothered! I know when I have my own I won't be bothered about periods away from riding though, which is good as some people would be really aggravated having to pay for an expensive pet!

I have had to have a week off as I got loads of glass in my foot and was 'lame' which made me sad!
 
I get really miserable if I can't ride. I do like spending time with the horse but I love being on his back most. I don't really enjoy horse beauty in the same way that a lot of the people on my yard do, I'm just a quick pick of the feet and tack up kind of owner. But he is my first horse, so it is just wonderful having the freedom to ride and make decisions about his tack etc.

I have always had pets to fuss over, but having a horse to ride is different and wonderful.

Very well suited though because he likes being ridden - it is obvious - and he gets bored when health/weather makes it impossible for a few days. And he hates being fussed about with in terms of bathing and plaiting etc...
 
Funnily enough, I am starting to think I might be going this way. After being practically forced to ride every day as a child and giving it up when I moved to London aged 22, only riding when I went back to my family farm, I kept a long distance interest in horses by breeding from my lifetime mare and her daughters. I always used the excuse that I was too busy in London and it was too expensive to keep a horse at livery down here. Recently I have been helping a friend with some youngsters, so the opportunity to ride is there - but I have discovered that I am quite happy grooming, socialising, lunging and long reining. I don't really want to ride - dunno if that's just a self preservation thing, or that I get quite enough out of the other bits. I daresay I will get on them eventually, as that's why I'm meant to be helping, but I'm in no hurry.:)
 
Yeah - I very rarely ride more than once a week, but I love spending time with them, I always loose school if I don't ride, then brush & feed etc :-)
 
I love love love to ride...and it has kind of killed me having just done an entire winter horsecare without riding..as sec A boy is obvs too small, sec D youngster is unbacked and Sec D grownup boy is on the point of being backed. Having said that, I have learnt a massive amount by being forced to stay on the ground with all of them..but Sec D grownup is so getting backed ASAP cos can't last much longer!!!!!! :D
I do love all the doing of them too though - heck, I'm actually happy just to have a horse to look at most days...not to mention kisses from velvet muzzles, but I'm about to go all slushy now so will stop...;)
 
:confused: There's more to horse ownership than riding... My horse was retired through injury last year yet I spend the same amount of time at the yard, grooming, walking in hand etc.

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I do enjoy riding, but sometimes I really cant be fussed. I own a 19 year old cob, who is the same if I ride him every day, or once a month. I do try and ride him 3-4 times a week, but I havent sat on him for nearly 2 weeks now. He owes me nothing, he's not out competing and as long as he gets regular turn out he keeps himself fairly fit in the field.

I used to wind myself up about it, but sometimes I return from work and I cant be bothered, but it just so nice sometimes spending time with your horse as he is good company. I am really glad there are a lot more like me around, as nobody else on our yard is like this. True they never make me feel as if what I am doing is outside of the norm, but its just nice to know you arent alone.
 
RDO said:
TBH I don't really get this about other people. As much as I love my pony I would never bother driving the 20 mins to see him unless I was going to ride. I enjoy being around him but unless there is a purpose to the journey I wouldn't make it. Grooming is perfunctory and I never waste time in the yard, would rather speed to the fun riding part, spend time on that and then speed home to my husband after.
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walkers_dream said:
you may as well just pay for lessons then, as that defeats the object to owing a horse? surley?
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rhino said:
:confused: There's more to horse ownership than riding... My horse was retired through injury last year yet I spend the same amount of time at the yard, grooming, walking in hand etc.

Maybe I should have him shot and have riding lessons instead? :rolleyes:

Maybe not!
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i think the first quote was what walkers dream was answering Rhino;) if you're only interested in riding and everything else is a perfunctory chore then what is the point in owning at all? just have a lesson and walk away.
 
I don't ride often, I find I only enjoy it if I really want to ride, if that makes sense? However, I thoroughly enjoy spending time with my horse.
When my old Ted retired, I realised that I still need a horse in my life but not riding just didn't bother me. When Ted died, I specifically looked for a horse who maybe couldn't be ridden but was healthy and easy to handle. Then I found Markie, he'd not been in work but was rideable. At the same time, my friend put her mare on loan as she is getting too old for regular falls! Markie is perfect as she rides him at least 3 times a week for 'fun' stuff, leaving me to just potter about as and when I want to. If I feel the urge for a 'proper' ride, he's fit enough for me to do so.
 
Ibblebibble said:
i think the first quote was what walkers dream was answering Rhino;) if you're only interested in riding and everything else is a perfunctory chore then what is the point in owning at all? just have a lesson and walk away.
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I realised and altered my post accordingly ;) :D I don't think it matters either way, if the horse is well looked after then I don't see why people should feel they have to enjoy all the 'chores'; after all I don't think people on full livery shouldn't have their own horses either.... Horses for courses ;)
 
If my horses couldn't be ridden I'm afraid they wouldn't be here as they are working horses with jobs. But they mostly have the winters off as the summer is when they are required to earn their crusts, and I don't ride much in the off season, maybe once a week and a lunge every now and again. I don't think of them as "pets", I DO love them and they help me earn my living (been a professional all my life), and they get better care than most of the horses I see mouldering in fields around here.
 
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