Fun Ride??

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x_Sammie_x

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Hiya theres a fun ride in 4 weeks time
its abit like xcountry/hunting apparently you can chose to jump the jumps if you like,( i know in xcountry you have to jump all the jumps but im just saying what iv been told) i really want to do it do you think i should brave it and just do it on alfie? hes doing well and getting fitter i think that a good ride like that might do him some good my mind is torn weather to do it or not
some opinions please ? x
 
I thaught you was selling Alfie? If you feel, he and yourself are up to it, I dont see why not.

Nick
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A fun ride/long distance ride/ sponsored ride is the same thing. Often there are optional XC jumps, and there will be a marked route for you to follow. They are often 8-18 miles long. The thing you will have to bear in mind is that there will be a lot of other horses around (I can almost see how it is like hunting), who may walk/trot/canter/gallop past you, so your horse will have to cope with that and go at the speed you wish to go. Also it is much more fun if you've got a companion to go aorund with! Good Luck
 
yes my OH wants to do it on his horse aswell and hes very well behavied so i think he will be ok with him, i must admitt he might try to be a little naughty with horses galloping past us.. im still thinking about it my heart says yeah go for it and my head is saying think a little more....
 
Fun and Sponsored rides are great, as often some nice jumps, but no pressure about having to jump all jumps - as a result that usually makes me want to. I have really enjoyed these in the past, particularly RAF Halton and West Wycomb. My boy used to get excited and always want to catch up with the group in front, as a result no napping issues and keen to jump. I think he needs slowing down a bit, so not sure if I'm doing anything like this this year. Not sure what your problems with ALfie are, so don't know how you will get on.
 
alfie naps so i think he will be the same as your boy wanting to get on and catch up with the others, what i can handle its the napping that makes me nervous...
 
I'm not saying dont do it, BUT fun rides can be very exciting to even sensible horses. They have to contend with other horses passing them, cantering on ahead etc etc. It nearly blew my very sane middle aged mare's brain. I dont think we managed 'walk' for the whole 2 hours (jogging, siddling, cantering on the spot, massive levels of snorting, was the order of the day!
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). If you are trying to sell Alfie and dont know how he would react to the excitement I would probably suggest not doing it
 
I think that if you still have him then you should go for it. It will be fun (hopefully!) and might help get a better relationship between the two of you. As others have said the jumps will be optional. I think you should go along and try it.
 
Id love to go on a fun ride but id have to find someone to go with who was'nt going to bolt around, and i think id be too nervous when other people went by, im going to aim to do one next year once ive got him on a yard and used to hacking out more.
If you've got someone sensible to go with then do it.
 
its in lambourne berkshire if anyone wants to go along, will find out more info about it,
i know hes been drag hunting before and did well on it got excited but who dont lol... i will talk to my OH abit more about it when they take the rope down from the xcountry course at my livery yard i might see what hes like wondering around there and then get some speed up, iv seen him go in the field and boy that horse does go some!!!
hopefuly he wont fly around bucking like he does in the field he jumps very well too i might text the lady that rides him for me sometimes and see what her opinion is?
 
The last time I rode (8 years ago) was on a run ride and I ended up walking my neddy home in hand as he was so uncontrolable
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We jogged, bounced, backed down ditches and napped until I gave up and got off. The excitement was far too much and it totally put me off ever doing a fun ride again.

Not a very positive post I know, but if you do decide to go for it, just be warned how excitable Alfie is likely to get.
 
i really prefure if your all honist on what your horses do on fun rides so i get some kind of idea what he will be like so thank you x
 
Well mine is still so laid back he's almost horizontal
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He does like to keep up if he spots one in front ( fab for me) but not bothered at all if another horse comes past; although no-one should come past you at more than a trot!

I love fun rides, I would go!

BTW there is a 3/4 mile ride ( Harborough Ride) at Saddington Leics on 21st March; Hog roast and bar D) see WVF website for details
 
yum you just made me hungry lol..

if i find out more details would you consider it? be nice to meet some people on here?
 
I would have a really good think about it, as others said on here it can be REALLY exciting for even the calmest horse. If you feel up to and and think you'll be able to handle him ok, go for it
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I'd be making sure I had my back protector on if I was you!

From what you have said of Alfie in the past, I think he may fall into the "excitable" bracket.
As long as you are confident enough to put up with his antics, then go for it.
My pony used to use it as an excuse to jog, pull, throw his head about and generally be a little unruly. It didn't bother me but it isn't something I'd do every week on him. I preferred to hunt him as at least we got some speed up which took the edge off him.
 
I went on a 16 mile fun ride a couple of years ago, my mum rode my 15.3hh grey mare and she is usually pretty calm but spooky + never reared in her life, she got terrified of it as horses would gallop past and go up the back of her not like her at all
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I was riding my 12.2hh and he troted all the way round 16 miles crazy man and we had so much fun apart from of all things being spooked at there was a scary tree stump and he threw himself into a ditch with me on and i came off but apart from that good fun. If you arent confident at all times already with him then get someone experienced to ride him round and try to find a slow experienced horse to do a ride as they are super fun on sensible horses
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Ditto most of the comments above, fun rides can excite the quietest horse, if you have no idea how your horse will react and have no prior history about his behaviour on fun rides I would have a serious think about it if I were you. My quiet old boy turned into a bucking bronco on his first and only fun ride and took off down a hill.
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Went on a 30mile ride with Niagara about 80 other horses did it about 2 years ago.
He was so bloody excited though! Could barely keep hold of him, we jsut galloped the whole lot pretty much
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if you have bene having problems with this horse then imo no way should you do a fun ride!

i have always been of the opinion that fun rides are the most un-fun thing you can do on a horse!
as said before, even the quietest, most sensible horses can be uncontrollable on a fun ride.

i took my eventer on one and he turned from being one of the most obedient, loveliest horses to ride into a vile pig! constantly jogging and cantering sideways as everytime he caught sight of someone in from he HAD to catch up and as soon as we had passed them he would spot someone else we HAD to overtake!!
was a total nightmare and the worst ride i have ever had on that horse
 
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i took my eventer on one and he turned from being one of the most obedient, loveliest horses to ride into a vile pig! constantly jogging and cantering sideways as everytime he caught sight of someone in from he HAD to catch up and as soon as we had passed them he would spot someone else we HAD to overtake!!
was a total nightmare and the worst ride i have ever had on that horse

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LOL at that, it's exactly what my TB did when I took him on his first fun ride last year!
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Having followed your problems with Alfie I have to be honest and I wouldn't go on a funride. You say yourself the two of you don't get on and he scares you/makes you nervous when he plays up. The most likely place he'll play up is on a funride, unless your 110% confident that you could handle anything he throws at you, which could be anything from rearing to trying to take off. Obviously there's a chance he'd be an absolute star but there's also the chance the he knows your not that confident on him that could make him play up. Also as you're trying to sell him if you blew his brains for the sake of one funride you might no be able to sell him. My friend took he TB on a funride (he'd done a few before) and it blew his mind, i'm not sure how many years it is since then but he's still gets very very over excited and silly from it and i know she probably regrets ever having gone.
Either way it's your choice but just make sure you think it through and take a mobile if you do go incase you need to phone someone for help.
 
I did an 18 mile "fun" ride with endurance GB , although everyone were very polite and diddn't gallop past , I couldnt hold Toto at all
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, he took off a couple of times and in the end the two others I went with had to go in front and block him from getting by , he settled after about 12 miles of fairly fast work
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, don't think I would go again !
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Seems from the advice here that you should think carefully if you've had a confidence knock, it is an exciting event for any horse. I love these events, and they have built my confidence as my boy becomes very forward and jumps at his best in these situations. I wouldn't want to take a horse I was wary of though.
 
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really sorry to post hijack!

DurhamChance - Is the pony in your profile pic thingy called pluto?

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The very man! I've spent 10 years in love with him
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