General observation about horsey people...why do they do this?!

I guess what I was saying before I got carried away
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is that some people exaggerate in order to prewarn people. Some people are muppets
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and need a good slap and a good lesson
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Not everyone exaggerates to make themselves look 'big'. I do agree with what peoples have been saying though - it does seem to be the younger generation (saying that makes me feel so old
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) and people with a low confidence.
 
I think you're spot on!
I do realise that there are horses who are highly-strung & sharp by nature & there are riders who quite enjoy those types of horses.
Like I said before I find the people who are capable fo dealing with those 'hot' horses tend to keep quiet & just get on with things instead of being all 'look at me & my crazy horse, aren't I brilliant'!!!!!!
 
I used to be like this!
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But only beacuse my first pony was a complete nutter and bounced from pillar to post to try and find the right home! Then she came to me and i managed her. I thought nothing of it to begin with being a bit young to understand what a ba****d pony was like.

Then the ego came, only because everyone used to tell me how talented i was and they were amazed i got on with that pony. I was 10 or 11 by the way so i was about the right age to take all on board what people were saying and gain a huge head from it! Especially infront of friends down the yard.
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Looking back it makes me cringe!!!
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My best friend when I was a teenager had a bunch of ponies/horses and they always looked like total plods. No one could understand how she got on so well with all these novicy ponies, won loads of jumping, BSJA the lot, even the 'Pony' (I think it was) style award.
The catch came if you tried to ride any of them! They were all well mannered but hot as hell, and corned up to the ears, but she was such a good, quiet rider, you'd never have guessed!
 
You are so right. We have at least 3 people at our yard who constantly go on about how difficult their horses are and how well they are coping with it.
TBH I would far rather brag about how good my horse is as surely this reflects far better on your horsemanship skills.
 
i also hate this. I was at a big show competing and in the warm up arena was a young lady whose horse didnt want to stand still. She was pushing it to misbehave so it got the hint and started rearing, at which point she shouted at the top of her voice for all to her, "stop doing that, stop rearing" yeah like thatll work. After nearly falling into my youngster, i had words with her and her reply was "if i could stop him rearing i would" well youve been winding him up for the past half hour. I then had her mother come over to tell me "it isnt her fault her horse is misbehaving, he was a baby after all." So i turned and pointed to my well behaved baby stood stock still half asleep, my reply was "you cant use that as an excuse, if she cant handle him she should be in here with him, just tell her to walk him around and hell be good" next minute shes walking around with teh face on and a quiet horse
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hate to say it but point proven.
Manners and respect is what should be expected. Rude bad mannered horses arent fun, just dangerous.
 
My new horse lulled me into a false sense of security. All I wanted was something safe to take hunting. He is pretty safe most of the time but when I took him to a show on Sunday he went mad and it wasn't fun at all!!

I'd much rather have a quiet nice horse than a mental one any day. God knows why people act like that.
 
The breeder of my Section D said how he had "lost his spark"
When he was out at a show recently (he is 14mths old)
I told her in no uncertain terms that it's just he behaves himself with me and knows his place!!
i don't beleive in hyping up youngsters to make them look good.............OH and he won his class
 
I agree - Id hate to have a nightmare of a horse! - Mine loads like a dream - lifts legs for farrier, stands being clipped - opens mouth for densist, good to catch - a PLEASURE to ride -he is enthousiastic but NOT strong - lovely to school and jump (when he is feeling brave)
like all horses nothing is 110% bombproof but mine doesnt mind traffic/cyclists/helicopters/the RAF etc all in all he is devine to look after and be around (I know because he is mine does that make me biased?)
I loathe all this OTT - "I cant hold him - bolting - bad maners - behavior, wouldnt let anyone else ride him etc etc " - sort it out! or get another horse you are caperable of controling, its not big or clever to own a "Nightmare"
 
If he's ever for sale train_robber... LOL

I expect all of that from mine too and will work at getting it where possible
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Also..

I see lots of people who have horses that go mental as soon as they reach the 'canter bits' of hacks but insted of avoiding it or always galloping on it I am willing to take the time plodding on it occasionally to reinforce that I am the boss!

My worst habit is allowing A to nudge at me when I'm standing with her but I have become aware of it and am stopping it. It's not the worst habit but is still cheeky!
 
Going to stick my neck on the line here and say I enjoy riding a not very straightforward horse. I do talk about his antics both on here and to friends, but I also enjoy and rave about when small things go well, like we solve a canter issue, or if he has made a real effort and applied himself to learning something new.

If we were on livery I’m sure all the others would frown at “the bad mannered horse” but he keeps me on my toes, I am at least constantly trying to teach him manners, and I wouldn’t have it any other way.

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I know there are horses out there who are genuinely high maintenance & require skilled handling/riding but there are alos lots of people out there who like to talk the talk but can't walk the walk as it were!


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This sums it all up for me. The horsey world is full of people who talk the talk but can't walk the walk - and sticking my neck on the line again I'd say a fair few of them are probably on here!!

How do we really know if the advice somebody on here gives is through experience, or just because they read it in a book somewhere, took a massive leap of faith and applied it to a situation that a more knowledgeable person would say didn't work?

We can weed out the obvious ones, but isn't it funny how everyone on here doesn't believe themselves to be a busybody, believes that they only impart knowledge that is defintely 100% true only ever for the good of the poster who should of course be grateful for that advice and not presume the other person to be a busybody... I'm sure its exactly the same as on yards, its just that you hear everyone's side of things on here!
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Sorry, I'll step down off my soap box now...
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Hehe - Id rather sell myself than my horse!

Some horses do get excited at the "canter bits" - I know all about it having grown up with racehorses this is fair to expect but not to brag about (my biggest pet hate!) but my TB is one cool customer -doesnt explode at hunt meets (though he trembles with excitement at the opening meet everyyear! hes 7 and a half) stands at events, waits at gates - queues for fences is charming towards small children and will even take a carrot from my Grandmother in her wheel chair without trying to remove her hand as some would, even enjoys flying! (he came back from NZ) all horses have their moments (lucky Chocs are usually in the field when out with others) not that im afriad I couldnt control him but I have in my short life time ridden enough loons to know that I dont want it from my own horses, My hugely caperable mother (2nd women in the world to race jockey club rules against men) who has ridden 1000s of horses in her time says he is remarkable - im rather inclined to agree with her.
 
You make a really good point Naturally.
I just think everyone loves talking about a subject they are passionate about and it's pretty much always well meant (I hope!)

I want to buy a horse but now I am in a different country I don't want to until I have become more involved in the riding club, scoped out the livery yards and see about lessons as I can't imagine anything worse than buying a new horse without my old support circle!
I am heartily aware of my own inadequacies LOL
 
Yep, this gets me too!

There this couple at my yard, in their late 50s-early 60s. Their first horse was a fat, arthritic cob (I like cobs, but there is a reason for me saying this). He would not voluntarily move. He was 13 when they got him and 26 when he was put down 5 years ago. You'd sit on him and he'd sigh but nothing else. The husband rides and the wife is 'the groom'! This couple are well into their racing, and because they watch it on TV and go to races, they thought it would be sensible to buy a retired racer.

This racer is soft as they come, but when he first got there, on the ground yes he was slightly fizzy, but was too fat to do too much. The fact of it was that they just couldn't handle him that well because they were inexperienced and took too much on. They lack knowledge and will spout off about things they know nothing about. Hacking out the bloke would ride this horse with jockey stirrups and naturally, he's come off a few times when out hacking, because the horse spooks and the bloke has no seat! He doesn't like pigs (a lot of horses don't), but instead of face this with the horse, he will ride 10 miles out of his way, because he just cannot handle the horse at all. The wife, who has never ridden in her life and is full of rubbish, will often come out and say things to me like 'you don't know how lucky you are having a cob. x is a nightmare to ride so we can't take him out on his own', usually because they see me going out on my own and I can only explain it as them being jealous!

My horse is no box of chocs, just ebcause he is welsh d, and I make sure I tell them this. I explain that G used to rear, buck and nap, spin and would pick clever places to do this, such as steep, slippery hills, but I got through it by being persistent, firm and fair and facing the issues. On the ground G used to be quite bargy because he didn't trust people after being badly treated, he would tank off with us, spin on the lead... but again, we dealt with it. However, these people seem to think that because they have this TB who I have to say is not any trouble at all, they have the hardest time with their horse! My horse is now very very well behaved and I make sure I tell them how difficult he can be to ride but how we've overcome it.

Because I don't go round shouting about it, these people think I know nothing, and when they need someone to do their horse they will rarely ask me! They usually ask another person from their little 3-person clique who they perceive to have an equally fizzy horse so they can handle their TB better! All this is because their own cob was too fat and too arthritic to actually do anything apart from what was absolutely necessary, so they assume all horses that are cobs are the same.

Also, just as an adjunct: We had the vet back out a second time this week and G possibly has BONE Spavin and I was talking to another woman at the yard about it, saying what the VET had said and that he'd possibly need surgery etc and this rude woman who seems to think she is so important that she should interrupt and be heard over everyone else, said 'no he won't, that's what X (their fat cob) had and he didn't have to have any treatment apart from bute.' I carried on talking to the original person in the conversation and then heard the rude one telling her husband that G has the same as their boy had 'G has got BOG Spavin'. FFS! Makes me want to smack all of them!
 
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Without meaning any offence but I do tend to find that its the 'younger' riders who tend to over exaggerate their horses behaviour. I think its for the same reason they may exaggerate how big their houses are or how much money their parents or they earn and stuff like that...generally they are so self aware and unconfident in themselves that they try and 'big themselves up' a bit.

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Exactly what she said! It's always the younger ones
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Don't know. But cannot abide a horse with bad manners personally.

All our horses (aside from the 2nutty welsh d broodmares) are exceptionally well behaved as bad manners are not tolerated. As a result they are all pleasant to be around
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I've known horses which have no or bad manners and they are definitely not so nice to be around!
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I see the point your making as I have come across the odd few in my time but I can safely say we have nobody on our yard that is like that so I guess were all lucky on our yard, everyone on our yard openly admits if there having any issues or problems etc so we dont get any one boasting about difficult horses nor would it be an embarassment if you had which is one of the good things about our livery yard as you dont feel silly asking for advice if you need it...however were all adults, no younger riders (not that means anything) but our yard owner is very selective with who he takes on our yard.
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Have to say, my horse has pretty much always been normal, sane and sensible since I got him as a four year old. In fact, the lady was selling him as he wasn't forward going enough for her. He is definitely forward going!!! But only when it is needed, he is just as happy plodding behind another horses bum.

That said he does 'rear' occasionally, but generally when I wind him up in the start box xc - well, otherwsie I'd never stand a chance of being near the time
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Did have a not so easy horse for five years though, not bragging about that - I certainly couldnt' deal with his nappiness or rearing
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That said he was an xc machine, and great at team chasing etc. I realise that a rearing nappy horse = not being picked for any of the PC teams
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I would love to have the time with my 'difficult' horse again though, as I think now I have the experience and the instruction of much more experienced/capable people than I did at the time, and would be able to deal with his issues much better.
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My horse was very difficult when i got him- stressy/spooky/sharp - very nervous and difficult to hack out...he can get het up and prance about- and I could quite easily have gone down the OMG hes a nightmare, cant do anything with him etc etc .....but i just did what I expect about 99% of you lot would do - quietly got on with it, persevered, built a bond with my horse....he is still very sharp to ride, he always will be- thats him..but i didn't encourage any of the daft behaviour and gradually he has calmed down and become a braver calmer ride. He was very well schooled when I got him, and I believe he has done a lot of jumping/showing in the past but perhaps not much hacking about. I still love the fact that he is a lively ride- but he is safe, and more to the point controllable - I hack out with my novice husband and 5 year old daughter - off road albeit, but I need to be in control as I am watching out for them also.
 
i think they know when its someone different and they behave then lol
last winter i told the YM daughter that tabs can be a bit excited when turned out and might be a bit strong and jumpy

few weeks later i asked if she was behaving and YM daughter told me tabs was being an angel when turned out (made me feel a bit silly
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as she looked at me as though i had lied and over exaggerated)

few weeks after that the daughter told me how after being in for 2 days(due to weather) tabs had reared and pushed her onto the barbed wire fence(luckily she had a jumper on) and had bucked right by her face and went galloping down the field to her friends
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i apologised and said she should be fine now that shes out

tabs can be difficult at times but i get on with it and wont tolerate her being rude or dangerous one of my pet hates is jogging and i hacked out with another livery whos horse wouldnt walk and kept jogging which was winding tabs up
i asked we could stop so i could get some blackberries off the hedge
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she said that the horse doesnt like stopping because its fizzy
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ok tabs can be fizzy but i expect her to stop and have patience

rant over now
 
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'Cause we all read too many horsey books as kids.

It's known as the "Black Stallion/Black Beauty" syndrome, where the rider feels he/she has "rescued" the horse and it will love only him/her.



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The Shantih books are a good example of it! And Flicka and pretty much every other horse book I've read!
 
I have read this post with interest and I do agree with the majority of you about people bragging about having/ riding difficult horses. I myself have got a highly strung TB x ID mare and she can be a bit of nightmare to ride. However, I certainly don't think I am a more confident or experienced rider than the next person. It's just that we have had five year long lesson in getting to know each other and I personally wouldn't feel comfortable letting anyone else ride her. I certainly don't brag about it and in my own personal experience, have found it's the people with the calmer, more sane horses tend to nit pick and find fault a little more.
 
QR

When I was a kid I used to get put on the new 'crazy' horses at the RS (I think they bought them cheap hoping to reschool them!). I really enjoyed riding them and one 12.2 ran off and jumped a course of 3ft jumps left over from a show! I never bragged about the fact that the instructors thought I was the only person who could ride them and I thought they were great fun!
 
QR. I am someone who talks about having a difficult horse. This is not in the least bit because I am particularly proud of it, just because I have a big gob and a difficult horse so if I talk, thats most likely what it will be about!!! This place is great for having a whinge and I often used it to whinge about my mare (before I found out what was wrong with her). I also think it might help other people struggling with troublesome horses to know they're not on there own.

This forum is a place for sharing experiences isn't it? If you're experiencing a difficult horse it makes sense to think out loud about it on here and get some other perspectives and ideas about how to improve things. Plus the forum wouldn't be that interesting if everyone came on raving about how perfect their horse was. I find it most entertaining and educational reading the discussions about complicated problems.
 
LOL you are so right! I was once in the middle of a conversation where 2 people were arguing about who's horse was the naughtiest and who's could rear up the highest! They finished off by showing the injuries each horse had given them!!

I was sitting there quite smugly saying well my horse doesn't do any of those thngs and he then got called a dobbin
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when in actual fact he's quite highly strung and 1/2 arab he's just very well trained (polishes halo!)
 
I agree that it seems to be related to confidence (and age to an extent). When I was younger and less confident, I was really awful telling people how difficult my piny was to ride. Ok she was a bit of a pain in the bum, but honestly not that bad (and just bad mannered sometimes as I was too young to know to teach her manners!) I also used to want to own a horse that "needed" to be strapped down in all sorts of gadgets and big bits... not a good attitude for a child to have!
Now I am older and most especially now I am more confident, I find I don't give a hoot about whether people think I am riding a "difficult" horse or not. I am happiest as long as I am riding correctly, whether I am hanging on for dear life whilst riding a total nutter or whether I am perfecting my sitting trot on a schoolmaster saint. Some of the less confident people I know are really irritating for all the tall stories they come up with about "how naughty the horse was and how they got the better of it, and maybe next time they need a bigger bit/to wear spurs/to hack it in draw reins for a month" when in fact they just cannot ride very well yet
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I hear it all the time and I've rode one 'monster' that was an angel for me. My gelding can be an idiot himself at times if he wants to he will nap, rear and bolt. Everyone thinks hes a hard pony to ride but if you give him a few smacks he'll do what hes told.

I think most people need to grow up and if there horse is so difficult they should sell it and get something they can ride/handle instead


(it really annoys me!)
 
I have to say it drives me mad when people hype up their horse so it misbehaves just so they can show off. Just got mine after a few years of riding others peoples and not owning (have her on full loan actually). She is not easy and has reall issues due to people riding her when she was in pain but they thought she was just being a cow so whipped her on and got decked. She has had ops and now sorted but still has the memory of the pain so the first five (up to twenty) mins on she is a nightmare, trying to rear, rearing , ears flat back. Once she is going she is fine but it's going to take a long time to get her to forget the pain. Really don't understand why anyone would want their horse to be like that. It's not cool, it's just sad and ruins what could be a very nice horse. Sorry, had a bit of wine and getting angry now!
 
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