Etiquette at fun rides - A slight rant

N

NeilM

Well-Known Member
Joined
15 January 2008
Messages
2,706
Location
Nth Somerset
Visit site
My OH and I rode at the Badminton fun ride yesterday, and very nice it was to.

This is one of several fun rides I have attended since taking up riding 'properly' a couple of years ago and I have noticed that although most people are very considerate and polite when they want to pass, I am after all riding a pony, some people are just downright inconsiderate or rude.

Yesterday we were caught on quite a few occasions while walking on some of the slower sections (Harry is never caught by ANYTHING at a canter / gallop :D), sometimes by a group and usually by either horses much bigger than ours, or by 'ponies on a mission'. On two occasions we were passed by people giving us no prior notice or even acknowledging our presence, I am after all only riding a pony. The second time it happened the floppy bloke on the 17hh hunter nearly caught my boot with his and so I made a point of saying "you're welcome" to him which he neither answered or, as far as I could see, even heard.

So to those few who think it's OK to gallop all the way round a 10 mile fun ride, leaving a trail of red faced riders on alarmed horses behind you: Find yourself a local hunt or a race course.

And to those who happily barge past other riders, whilst deep in conversation and oblivious to everything around you, please just pay for the ride and then get back in your car for a nice chat. When you're ready to ride, RIDE and take note that there are several hundred other people on the course, not just you :mad:
 
monkeybum13 said:
There's a reason I don't do the Badminton ride - it's maniac.

It's annoying when a few riders make the whole ride unenjoyable :(
Click to expand...

Stockland Lovell last year was a LOT worse. Imagine, straight out of the CP into the middle of the XC course.... :eek:

We always have a good time on fun rides, but there are just that tiny number who seem to think the whole thing is put on for their convenience.
 
At the risk of being called "elitist" etc, I think a lot of it comes from the fact that a large amount of people who do fun rides do nothing else, other than happy hacking. (NOT that there is anything wrong in Happy Hacking, please don't yell!) BUT, many of these people have never been in the position of competing/hunting/out in large numbers, so have never learned, or HAD to learn, the etiquette of riding in larger groups that so many of us take for granted, and see as common sense. After all, it is a FUN ride, so we'll have FUN, won't we? I don't think it's deliberate ignorance, just uneducated ignorance. Still bl***y annoying, though!
 
Hi ,Maybe they should do the rides in two parts, those that want to have a quicker ride go first followed by the rest that want to go at a slower pace,a bit like the marathons just an idea:)
 
Groom42 said:
At the risk of being called "elitist" etc, I think a lot of it comes from the fact that a large amount of people who do fun rides do nothing else, other than happy hacking. (NOT that there is anything wrong in Happy Hacking, please don't yell!) BUT, many of these people have never been in the position of competing/hunting/out in large numbers, so have never learned, or HAD to learn, the etiquette of riding in larger groups that so many of us take for granted, and see as common sense. After all, it is a FUN ride, so we'll have FUN, won't we? I don't think it's deliberate ignorance, just uneducated ignorance. Still bl***y annoying, though!
Click to expand...

Agree. I had more near misses drag hunting with people who had no idea of basic safety than I ever did out hunting "properly". There is a drag hunt with a very good reputation near me and was thinking of going out but have insisted that we go and watch first to ensure that it is properly run.

Shame though, haven't done a sponsered or joy ride for years but would say vast majority are very considerate!
 
You should have been at Newmarket we had people coming past at flat out gallop and racing - some would call out but they couldnt have stopped even if we had wanted them to - luckily after 20 miles the horses were quite used to it!
I go to alot of sponsored rides and most people are really considerate but it depends on the ride most 8-12miles are generally happy hackers and its all a very nice day out - once the mileage goes up the consideration seems to goes down!
 
We pick our fun rides very carefully - tend to avoid any that attract loads of people - but luckily there seem to be plenty round us which get less than 100 people a day. Also, if you find ones without jumping, they are often really quiet, and you still get lots of good cantering, without the too many inconsiderate idiots...
 
Next time, try the Badminton Airfield Ride instead. Not nearly so big, a lovely course (no jumping though) and a really nice atmosphere.

Nothing to do with your thread, but it reminded me of the last time I did the BAR, some years ago (hope it still exists), we overtook a very amorous couple. He was almost in her saddle, and their arms were entwined around each other. My friend remarked that they needn't have brought the second horse! When we overtook them, it turned out to be a distant neighbour of mine - and the lady wasn't his wife! My horse and I averted our eyes...
 
Most of the rides I've been on have been fine, however I took my youngster on the Black Knight ride this year and ever since then she has been really bad with anything coming up behind her due to the amount of people who just barged past - literally. I must admit I had a polite moan to the organisers about it and they were really fab about the whole thing. Fortunately 3 months on she is starting to calm down about people/dogs/horses/cars coming up behind her when before she was so laid back :(
 
Looks like I'm not the only one a little 'miffed' by inconsiderate riders then.

I am not knocking the Badminton ride, it was very well organised, the route was excellent and we had a really good ride. Also there were only two inconsiderate pratts that I came across even though it was unbelievably busy, but, I have had similar incidents at most of the rides I've been to, hence the mini rant.

I guess it is just a reflection of horse riding, that there will always be some ignorant person who does not really care about you or I, just their own enjoyment. It's just a shame they seem to own such bl88dy nice horses :D

On the plus side, saw a couple of blokes riding 14hh Gypsy cob types who seemed to be having a great ride. I only saw them at the end which is a shame, as I would have loved to have seen the cobs at speed, all feathers, mains and tails, or better still had a canter alongside them.

We're off to another fun ride on Sunday (weather permitting), it's a club event and will be a lot smaller which should reduce the pratt count.
 
NeilM said:
Looks like I'm not the only one a little 'miffed' by inconsiderate riders then.

I am not knocking the Badminton ride, it was very well organised, the route was excellent and we had a really good ride. Also there were only two inconsiderate pratts that I came across even though it was unbelievably busy, but, I have had similar incidents at most of the rides I've been to, hence the mini rant.

I guess it is just a reflection of horse riding, that there will always be some ignorant person who does not really care about you or I, just their own enjoyment. It's just a shame they seem to own such bl88dy nice horses :D

On the plus side, saw a couple of blokes riding 14hh Gypsy cob types who seemed to be having a great ride. I only saw them at the end which is a shame, as I would have loved to have seen the cobs at speed, all feathers, mains and tails, or better still had a canter alongside them.

We're off to another fun ride on Sunday (weather permitting), it's a club event and will be a lot smaller which should reduce the pratt count.
Click to expand...

Have Fun Sunday :D
 
A few years ago our local hunt did a fun ride: it was at the beginning of the season and one of the hunt servants (who should have known better) set off at a gallop and was blowing his hunting horn, which got all the horses on the ride mega-excited from the word go. Horses were galloping out of control everwhere and it was just chaos.

There were two routes you could go: one was the long version, the other (short version) was supposed to be just roads and tracks and intended for kiddies ponies and/or nervous riders such as those who didn't want to go onto open country, BUT this total pl0nker was galloping around blowing "gone away" and of course all the horses heard it and spooked off. Two kids fell off and were so scared they wouldn't get on again, and I was told there was another loose horse coz it was mega-excited and bucked its rider off. The whole thing was total chaos, all because of this guy trying to impress the girls basically, by cutting a bit of a dash. Only he didn't realise what a total pr@t he was making of himself (now moved on to another hunt thank goodness).

I'd never, ever go on a hunt organised "fun ride! again. This was an awful day and the whole day was spoilt for everyone.
 
I went on the Badminton ride and had a fabulous time, very well organised, i was actually told when i started to 'pick up the pace and get going' by the starter, something to do with to many people at the start of the course causing a back log, so my first halve of the ride was lots of fun, trotting cantering and jumping :) although i always ask riders in front if it is ok to pass. I thoroughly enjoyed it and am pleased to say i didn't encounter any unpleasant people. Looking forward to next year :)
 
I know a horse that was ruined by a so called fun ride. Thinking that it would be a nice introduction to other horses the lady took her youngster out and all the idiots galloping past just blew its mind and it never settled down again in company, ever.

The best time to go it at the very end when everyone who wanted to gallop has gone on ahead.
 
Orangehorse, sounds like what happened to us.

Went on a so called fun ride on my arab, at which point he was a buckle end of the rein ride and we'd been steadily moving up through endurance grades.

Had been assured the ride would move off in 3 groups, we opted for the intermediate group.

Ride moved off en masse. There was no splitting up. Got to the start of a huge field...you couldn't see the end it was so big.

Woman in charge said 'right, we'll gallop here'. WHAT?? Cue cavalry charge, total chaos.

Blew arab's mind. He was so excited he wouldn't go forward. Just reared and reared and reared. Eventually had to throw myself off anf lead him back to the venue.

And basically that was the end of our endurance career. We'd been doing 50 milers up to that point. He was never the same again, practically unrideable in company even up to this day.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top