Don't drink and ride...

shanti

shanti

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I did the stupidest thing on the weekend. I was having drinks with my husband and a friend of mine who is a photographer and I thought it would be a great idea to get dressed up in medieval costumes and do a photo shoot with the horses (because I am full of good ideas when I am drinking) All was going fine on the ground until I suddenly decided it would be awesome to get a shot of me on my horse bareback wearing a flowing princess gown and a tiara. FFS. Horse freaked out because it wasn't exactly a graceful mounting effort. I came off and landed very heavily on my tailbone. I was in a lot of pain, but some was obviously masked by the alcohol because I then persisted in getting back on because I really wanted the photo (got it, saint of a horse was perfect second time round) I ended up in hospital the next day as I couldn't walk and am now in so much pain that I can't stand for longer than 10 minutes. Hospital staff were absolutely furious (we all know they adore horse riders at the best of times), and I was lectured constantly.
Just to add, I was extremely lucky I didn't hit my head. This is literally the first time I have ever sat on any horse without a helmet on, I am a stickler normally and I feel like a complete idiot for taking that risk.

So, I have been banned from interacting with the horses when I am drinking which in hindsight probably should have been a rule anyway 🤣

Make me feel better. Anyone done anything really stupid around horses?
 
I decided to visit mine after a heavy drinking session 1 night, there was also a Shetland in her field which I thought it would be a great idea to get on (for a laugh), I got on 1 side and rolled straight off the other, luckily small stationary pony so no harm done. I also rode my ex racer after drinking vodka shots with a Russian student in the student union bar one afternoon / evening. I'm not sure how I tacked up and got on but I literally just lay on her neck the whole ride and told her to just walk and I didn't care where we went, she was a Saint and looked after me brilliantly.
 
Jenko109 said:
Errr

Where is the picture?
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I agree, the thread is pointless without the photo! 🤣

A livery yard I was at as a teen always had superb parties. Kids were banned, it was parents and older teens/adults who were allowed. The parties were legendary and often ended up with people sleeping in stables.

One fine party, the booze was flowing and the spirits high. Someone said we should go pony racing on the small ponies. The parents who owned small ponies were there at the party and thought it was a fine idea.

As the wine had been flowing, I only vaguely remember a wild group of us launching into the cold, dark night. Bridles only, in party attire with the addition of a riding hat, we grabbed a pony apiece. Any pony, whichever we thought would be fastest.

We did the race uphill in a very large field, and no one was injured. Sadly, I can't remember anything about who won, I only remember the chill air, an excited pony beneath me and the cheers from the assembled parents and liveries who had more sense!
 
I was riding my pony bareback. We were almost home, walking along nicely when I thought I’d do an around the world.
I got half way around facing backwards when she started trotting. Trotting whilst sitting backwards is surprisingly hard and I eventually ended up falling off and landing full weight on my knee.

I spent a few weeks walking around school like there was something unwanted in my underwear 😂 no alcohol was involved, just stupidity.

Edited to add my successful photo of drink riding. We were feeding horses before going to a party after day drinking and of course I had to get on. She was a star as always putting up with me
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Many years ago, my then young teenage daughter and I decided to do a late hack, finishing in the dark … no road work involved, just the open New Forest. We had supper first, and I decided a glass or two of red wine might be nice. Everything was idyllic until we rounded a bend and a cow sudden loomed out of the darkness, ponies spun and bolted … I would probably have fallen off on another day, but my theory is, the wine had relaxed me and I just naturally went with the movement … laughing hysterically. When we finally managed to pull up the ponies, and I was still in stitches, my daughter gave me such a telling off for not taking the situation more seriously!😂
We rode home in brilliant moonlight, it was magical.❤️
 
After my daughter finished A levels and started full time work, I started to help out with Old Dobbin. At the very first hack out, he turned right across the road, as per aids, then carried on right and into the pub car park, where he marched up to the front door and stood by the steps. Turned out my daughter and friend had been calling in for a steak sandwich and a glass of cider whenever they passed that way!
 
Highmileagecob said:
After my daughter finished A levels and started full time work, I started to help out with Old Dobbin. At the very first hack out, he turned right across the road, as per aids, then carried on right and into the pub car park, where he marched up to the front door and stood by the steps. Turned out my daughter and friend had been calling in for a steak sandwich and a glass of cider whenever they passed that way!
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Brilliant! Reminded me of a thing on TV the other day where an older guy had walked his dog every day (to the pub and back!) wife had to take over the walking short term and very quickly realised where he dissapeared to on his long walks!

Shanti, glad it wasn't worse! the one with your husband is hilarious! He really looks thrilled! 🤣
 
Many, many years ago my friend who owned the livery yard I was on had a fancy dress party.

I'd gone as Xena, Warrior Princess. She'd gone as Scarlett O'Hara (her husband had gone as Rhett Butler).

She decided in a half cut sort of way for me and her to do bareback gymkhana games which I have to say I was winning. Until I fell off. Got up, dusted myself off, went running after Herbie, tripped over a cone and my god the pain in my ankle, I thought I'd broke it. The only person who wasn't drinking was Batman.

We ended up in A&E for hours.
 
Every Christmas we do a slightly boozy pub ride. Last year it was just my friend and I, we were both dressed as Santa complete with beard and horses bedecked with tinsel and reindeer antlers etc - I didn't realise how drunk my friend was until she basically slid off onto the road and just laid there 🙈 Luckily uninjured, got her back on but she cannot remember the ride home..... She is a nurse so should know a bit better 🤣
 
I had a very happy 8-hour booze fuelled ride in Brazil this spring. After 3 days at one farm, we then had an all-day ride to the next place. Gutted to be leaving, but super excited for the next adventure, we had a cheeky shot of cachaca (local fairly pokey spirit) to toast our hosts as we set off at 6.30am. At 7.30am our guide pulls out a water bottle filled with cachaca, and so it went on... hourly shots for the rest of the ride. Some epic gallops, scenery and wildlife, all with a little fuzzy glow inside all day and we didn't feel one ache or pain 🤣
 
No alcohol involved in mine, so I'll let you decide if that makes me a bigger idiot or not...

My old Exmoor was an absolute saint. Back in 2003 I used to cross a lawn to my my field and one morning, returning from a hack, I saw a carrier bag on the ground. Bear in mind I would have been getting off in about 50 ft anyway, I inexplicably decided to reach down with my crop to snag it and lift it up. Pony shot left, I shot down with all my weight onto my shoulder. No idea how I untacked him, but I tore my rotator cuff. It was so painful I couldn't lift my right arm at all and my job was quite physical back then, culturing cells in 25L vats. I had to have an escort every time I did cell culture duties! Took best part of a year to come right (the physio chap was very tasty, though! 😆 ).
 
Highmileagecob said:
After my daughter finished A levels and started full time work, I started to help out with Old Dobbin. At the very first hack out, he turned right across the road, as per aids, then carried on right and into the pub car park, where he marched up to the front door and stood by the steps. Turned out my daughter and friend had been calling in for a steak sandwich and a glass of cider whenever they passed that way!
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BH does this! When I ride past the pub I have to actively tell him NO, if we are not intending to call in.

I my defence, we often have coffee!!!
 
I stole a horse in Buenos Aires🤪.
I've told this on here before. OH and I were at a big corporate all expenses paid family event at a polo club in Buenos Aires. Unlimited free drink/food. As a veggie, the huge roasted cow didn't appeal and my other options were very limited (rice/salad) so essentially drank on empty stomach all day while we got demos of gaucho games and races and all sorts. Later, much later, we were due to board the coach back to our hotel and some of the gauchos were allowing small children to sit on their criollo horses for pictures. I decided I wanted to have a pic of me, and wobbled over to a gorgeous tobiano criollo owned by a doctor/gaucho I'd burbled to a couple of hours before (when I was at the stage of thinking I could speak Spanish😂).
I mimed that I wanted to get on his horse for a pic, pretty much pushing a couple of small children out of the way. Horse was wearing a rug, by the way. No saddle. Ill-advisedly, he helped me clamber onto his horse and hold the reins.
Dunno what possessed me really - but I decided to go for a spin, booted the horse, which took off like a scalded cat. OH has pictures somewhere, of the gaucho waving his arms chasing with me cantering a circle on a horse in a rug, grinning like a zany. OH was absolutely peeing himself, as were several of his work colleagues who had spotted what was happening.
I was very quickly "helped" off the horse by its owner, and bundled into the coach by my crying-with-laughter OH.
Don't even ask me about earlier when I barged onto the dance floor where they were teaching people traditional partner dances 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
 
Exactly 18 yrs ago today, I went on a fancy dress ride to celebrate a neighbour's daughter's 18th birthday. We met at a local hostelry and called at every pub along the way. When we stopped at the yard of one of the participants, the birthday girl decided she needed the loo. Not surprising really considering how many pubs we had called at.
She was riding a 17.2hh ID, whose shoulder she slid down to dismount and promptly fell over giggling, not surprising really as she was wearing stiletto heeled boots, the theme was St Trinians, the expression on the mare's face was priceless!

Incidentally every time we passed the meeting place my Clydie mare was expecting to stop and meet a huge group of a horses.
 
Had a late riding in session at a competition. Went for drinks in someone’s lorry. I probably only had a glass of wine but hadn’t eaten. Handed horse over to someone else to work in as definitely wasn’t up for riding properly.
 
I'm afraid I'm terribly well behaved despite working for a summer on a yard in Spain with access to kegs of beer 🤷 utter a$$hat I worked with decided to race one of the retired ponies across the field one night though (thought he was god's gift to riding) and slid off almost instantly going at a very slow trot whilst we howled with laughter. Couldn't have happened to a nice man.
 
Ouch! I’ve hunted on three ports in the past so I am not a good influence! I fell off once at he first fence too because my balance was just off but it was the most painless fall ever because I was literally floating because of the alcohol. In my defence the fence was a 5 bar gate in a hedge and I was riding a 5 year old who did nothing wrong and cleared the fence nicely - I just lost my balance on landing 🤣
 
Used to teach a relation of the Shah and cancelled his lesson to go to an auction to see if we could aquire some tack for the RS I was working at.
He decided to come too and fell in love with a very dodgy horse entry which had previously jumped to a high level with a well-known professional. Tried to talk him out of it as bound to be either broken or nuts but no success.
So horse comes home and farrier booked and we are invited to visit.
Anyway farrier late and we are treated to various alcoholic beverages to which we (as 18yos) were unaccustomed to.
Post farrier we decided that it would be a good idea to see if horse was actually nuts so, tacked up ( like absolute lemons but noticed horse very headshy so had to spend ages giggling and deconsructing the bridle) and then colleague boosted me up - fell straight off the other side- que hysterical laughter.
Tried again - stayed on and decided to go for a walk. Went fine so decided to try a trot. Helpful colleague fell over, let go and we were off! Turns out she was a very kind and supringly sound horse.
Never worked out why such a nice horse ended up in a bin end sale as she was a wonderful 1st horse for someone who was not the most natural rider.
Always wondered if we had approached the situation with the professionism that should have been appropriate would have the outcome been different? Maybe our total lack of nerves due to being pretty much paralytic helped?
Not recommended though.
 
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