Does every yard have one? Fancy-Themselves-Stereotype

[zoeshiloh]

Following on from the post I made about the gate, just wondered if every yard has one of these people? Some of the qualities displayed by ours below - any more to add?


- Rides an ex-racehorse that spends more time with ears in her face than anywhere else, is the wrong side of 10yo, but is a "Badminton prospect" despite never managing to complete a local SJ/HT class without getting eliminated.
- Wants to buy all the designer gear, drive the right car etc, but can't afford the genuine article, so buys a clapped out, exhausted Freelander (rather than Range Rover), and struts around in fashionable cheaper-alternatives-that-look-like-the-real-thing.
- Horse wrapped up in cotton wool, must have stable bandages because (in her words) "Its what they use on top competition horses"
- Buys all the tack that Pippa Funnell uses, just because she believes it will make her/her horse better
- The world authority on everything that happens on the yard - if you are having a private conversation, they are there in a shot to add their two-cents worth
- Is too good to talk to anyone on their own - will only get involved in multi-person conversations
- Their horse is obviously the best and most talented on the yard, and therefore every other horse must get out of the way, leave the school etc before they can ride
- They have amazing kiss-a*&e ability when the YO is around, but as soon as their back is turned, its back to sniping and breaking the rules
- Hi Viz and hats are only for people that can't ride, so therefore they don't need them

 

[Amykins]

Dont forget the bullying type

 

[Carsmore]

hahaha that made me laugh! I know quite a few people like that!

 

[zoeshiloh]

Yes - The one we have is a mouse on her own, but the minute she gets together with someone else, she starts being petty and devious, trying to upset/hurt people by dropping nasty comments.

 

[Peacelily]

he he - oh yes - you forgot the stereotype...
"I've had that happen to me only MUCH worse....."

 

[CrazyMare]

We don't have quite what you describe...

We have

- Can do it, can tell you do it, but you can't watch her do it, shes too good to do it any more

- Will pass judgement what ever you do

- The way you do it is wrong, even if thats the way she does it, because shes better at doing it

- Will only do all the above to those that become willing sheep to her flock

 

[Geraldine]

We're very lucky - we don't have anyone like that anymore.

 

[NW1]

one to add -- the woman who is a little crazy, had horses all her life, means very well & has a heart of gold but does make you wonder on her logic sometimes???

 

[Quadro]

ah you have forgotten a favourite of mine!!
-spends every spare minute at the yard and spends a fortune on tack/feed/equipment etc but never ever actually rides the horse????

 

[zoeshiloh]

Ours got bought a Stubben bridle for her birthday from her bf, put it on her horse, then rode over to where a group of us were chatting and said "I just wanted to point out my new stubben bridle" then rode off! Talk about being obvious!

Also forgot to mention that any time something needs fixing on yard, she volunteers her boyfriend to try and win favour with YO. So far everything he has "fixed" has fallen down/apart.

 

[Peacelily]

oohh yeah NW1 - seen those quite a bit - seem to have a fascination with feeding their horses bread.... hmmm

 

[Koda]

I also can't abide the ones who tell you how to take care of your horse or ride - without being asked - and then you see them riding and its like watching a car crash (so bad you can't NOT look).
I always find its the crap riders that go around telling everyone else what's what without invitation.

I call it the "empty vessel syndrome", as in empty vessels make the most noise. In this case the vessel is devoid of talent or knowledge.
Sorry for ranting, but it was very therapeutic!

 

[Enfys]

I am not on a yard now but we didn't when I was.
What we had was some extremely talented riders who worked their socks off to achieve their goals and never blew their own trumpet. Quite refreshing.

 

[Peacelily]

[ QUOTE ]
I am not on a yard now but we didn't when I was.
What we had was some extremely talented riders who worked their socks off to achieve their goals and never blew their own trumpet. Quite refreshing.

[/ QUOTE ]

awesome

good to hear that, yes it is very refreshing

 

[zoeshiloh]

[ QUOTE ]
I am not on a yard now but we didn't when I was.
What we had was some extremely talented riders who worked their socks off to achieve their goals and never blew their own trumpet. Quite refreshing.

[/ QUOTE ]

Blimey, that would be refreshing!

It seems the wannabes barely work at all - the person at our yard has had over 15 jobs in 12 months, she starts off at a job full time, then asks if she can cut her hours to spend more time with her horse. Eventually she cuts her hours so much she is sacked. Still manages to find money to buy the rugs/tack/clothes though, despite struggling to buy hay/straw/feed.

 

[lucille]

Hell yes, I know a certain someone that is THE definition of all the gear no idea,

Iv just got a new horse, that has evented sucesfully upto novice level BE ( so 110 xc or thereabouts)

Sooo I was chatting away to my friend saying that I wanted to take him XC schooling, and said steriotype chipped in , and mentioned a local country ride, said there was nothing over 2'3 so this would be ideal for me and him,

I explained politley that even though it was our first XC, I was wanting something a little more challenging, and if it goes well I was hoping to tackle some decent fences before the end of the session.

Steriotype then went on to grunt and mumble in disgust about how something that had only been doing novice level, was no where near capable of jumping over 3 foot.

I did try VERY hard and VERY patiently to explain that there is a HUGE differance between Novice level at unaffiliated ODE's etc , and Novice BE, but I was getting absolutley nowhere, so left her putting her brand new diamonte topped patent leather boots on, ready to go for her hack down the farm track on her 17hh HW cob

couldnt help but chuckle to myself xx

 

[ecrozier]

We are SOOO lucky that we don't have anyone like that at our yard! Everyone is actually really nice and we are all friends as well as yard mates, very lucky indeed!
I do know a few tho through other connections and am very glad I'm not on a yard with them!

 

[Flicker]

Hilarious!!! We've got exactly one like that, except she does have quite a bit of dosh so kits herself out in all the latest gear, as well as her horse. I said to my instructor that she looks like one of the models in the Derby House catalogue - you know, you can see they've never been on a horse in their lives before and everything looks just a bit too new, hats not quite at the right angle, jackets not done up quite right...
I could scream sometimes: said stereotype has her own business and works from home but still insists on booking indoor school for an hour in the evenings, three times a week, for a lesson. Then she only uses it for 20 minutes but bang in the middle of that hour.
For someone who has three lessons a week, her riding is crap and her very expensive HOYS competing horse is rapidly starting to resemble a riding school horse poor boy.
Still, I suppose watching her fumble round a Prelim test on a horse that has competed Advanced Medium, and still cock it up, is worth all the aggravation...

 

[peanut]

Half the bl**dy yard are like it

 

[Annagain]

I can honestly say no. I love my yard

We all (well only 9 of us) get on really well, one of them was my DC at pony club is nearly 40 years older than me and I really would call her a friend. Maybe it's because at 31 I'm the 2nd youngest there, so everybody is a bit more mature, or maybe we're just lucky. We have one intermediate eventer on the yard, but she's so unassuming and comes hacking and to the beach and even riding club (goes h/c just for fun so as not to pot hunt) with us all, if you lined us all up and asked somebody to pick which one I don't think you'd be able to tell....until you see us ride

 

[Dirtymare]

[ QUOTE ]
I could scream sometimes: said stereotype has her own business and works from home but still insists on booking indoor school for an hour in the evenings, three times a week, for a lesson. Then she only uses it for 20 minutes but bang in the middle of that hour.
For someone who has three lessons a week, her riding is crap and her very expensive HOYS competing horse is rapidly starting to resemble a riding school horse poor boy.
Still, I suppose watching her fumble round a Prelim test on a horse that has competed Advanced Medium, and still cock it up, is worth all the aggravation...

[/ QUOTE ]
Oh, thats brilliant - made me howl with laughter. However, the said steriotype must be irritating in the extreme.
How about the steriotype who latches onto a poor unsuspecting novice owner who is having a few issues with new horse. Steriotype then starts to bully poor horse to stop said issues and in actual fact creates MORE issues!!
Why is it horses seem to attract odd chracters???

 

[Hullabaloo]

[ QUOTE ]
We are SOOO lucky that we don't have anyone like that at our yard! Everyone is actually really nice and we are all friends as well as yard mates, very lucky indeed!


[/ QUOTE ]

You are very lucky! When I first moved to our yard I really thought everyone was great but it turns out we have one of those who tries to talk about everyone behind their backs. I caught on to it quickly when she was slagging off someone I thought was her friend and have always been very careful what I have said to her, but she has caused quite a bit of trouble lately trying to drag everyone else into her arguements. Luckily everyone else has now wised up to her, but one person has now left because of the trouble she has caused.
I sometimes wonder if the horse world attracts more than its fair share of bitches/nutters!

 

[Hippona]

We have a couple of shite riders who lecture everyone else- unasked.....yet when they do actually mount their horse its hard to do anything other than stand and stare at the out and out crapness that is displayed.

I've been known to call my OH from the mobile, hiding by the haylage, to describe the sight. This is purely because they have chosen to pick my novice OH to bits to the point where he will no longer ride in front of them.

And frankly, although he may not be the most stylish rider on the yard he's prepared to give it a go, and I would rather ride out with him because although he is very novice, he will go out of trot and have a canter accross a field without making excuses for his horse/tack/weather conditions/wind direction etc etc

PS the yard 'feed expert' has a horse with a body condition score of about 8, and who my farrier describes as looking as though it should have a ring through its nose

 

[ihatework]

We have the odd wierd livery on our yard but to be honest I haven't come across anyone nasty and tend to just let the slightly weirder ones get on with it. Generally a very friendly yard with a good bunch of people.

I felt guilty the other day as I was pretty blunt with one livery (who is a bit bonkers) who was selling her horse, had some lovely people try and make an offer. She then decided she didn't want to sell. Her perogative, but I did tell her she had just wasted someone elses weekend

 

[finefeathers1]

This made me laugh - I;ve met some of them on another yard, in another life .... Has anyone met this one?

Pony Club mum with two girls who ride, both are riding quality animals, but totally overhorsed, and mum has got herself into debt to buy them. Mum is obsessed with the darlings 'Competition success'. Poor kids are brow beaten into submission - mum cant ride and she teachees them, telling them constantly that they are in a 'Perfect outline', even if they are not. Takes kids to lessons with top instructors, and comes back from every session telling us how so and so thought that their respective mounts were 'Amazing'. Oddly enough, changes instructor every couple of months or so. Shouts at DC as to why one of the daughters is not intermediate eventing team, as she should be you know! I could go on, but I wont. Yep, we've got this one on our yard.

 

[KatB]

Theory yep I know that one to the T!!

Except is with teenage boy with 2 quality animals

OP, Yep I know one, ME

I am a hopeless "equine fashion follower" and am very opinionated.... but obviously I am ALWAYS right

 

[zoeshiloh]

Ah yes Theoryx - I know two people that fit that description perfectly - living their dreams through their kids. Although, having said that, if I ever have kids I will probably also turn into that stereotype

KatB - do you let your horse go without bedding/hay/feed so that you can buy a pair of Dublin River Boots (only because you can't buy Dubarrys). Don't get me wrong, nothing the matter with River Boots, but this person cut the labels off them just so people would think they were Dubarry's rather than River Boots.

 

[KatB]

Haha! Nah, my horse gets more money spent on her than I do on myself

 

[spotty_pony]

We have:

- Novices who think they know everything
- Attention seekers who just love being the centre of attention
- Snobby pony club kids who will only communicate with other snobby pony club kids
- The normal everyday horse owners

 

[SVMel]

Hahaha! Lmao when I read this, I have just escaped from one such as this!!! Sadly she was the 'Yard owner' (rented).

We had the bullying, back stabbing, spreading rumours round the small town horsey community, lying, attempt to split myself and friend (we share the horses) up several times. She is the epitomy of 'I have four horses don't you know (so good for status)' repeatedly changing horses because she can't cope, even though we were doing most of her work for her in an effort to keep the peace. Telling several interested parties that the horse she was selling had got this rosette and that rosette at county level shows when it hadn't even been out the field. Told me how riding in a pelham with two reins in a show ring is incorrect and should have roundings, my horses too fat, too thin, too stupid ... etc etc etc.

After looking after all her 4 as well as my 4 for a couple of weeks without being asked while she had a baby, she then announced we were a hindrance and was getting yet another horse in who's owner was actually going to help, not cause her problems (making 9 horses on grazing that would only support 3 at a push) I kind of couldn't take any more. Went looking for a new home which was good as she threw us out, telling us to get 4 horses and all our stuff out in two hours. How cruel, seeing as she didn't know whether we had somewhere to go and could have been wandering the streets with all in tow.....

Sorry, sorry, rant over,

people like that just get me going. We're all here cos we love horses aren't we? My mate says it shows the difference between horse lovers and horse owners... she has a point!!!!

So very happy now, found sole use yard attached to a farm with a very nice farmer and very nice horsey peeps just over the river, who actually want to help! Thanks guys!!

Oh yes, and she is the type who is 25ish, married and still having evrything paid for by mummy and daddy, because 'they should'