how do you say to someone who is leaving the yard at the same time as you to do the same farm ride that you don't want to ride with them without sounding like a miserable cow?
Depends on your horse - you could use the excuse that its a b*gger in company, or you really want to get it hacking out confidently by itself - this won't work if they know your horse is well behaved though.
Even if they are only up to walking because they have problems controlling their horse and you really wanted to do some fittening work trotting up hills? Don't want to spoil a friendship but D really needs the exercise.
Maybe politely say you are teaching your horse to hack out alone today but maybe next time you can go out with them? That way you aren't saying you don't want to go with them but get to go out on your own.
The problem is the other way round. D is an almost perfect hack but we can't go for a nice relaxing canter because they can't control their horse out on the farm so we have to stay in walk.
I'm a real cow aren't I? It looks horrible when you write it down
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Even if they are only up to walking because they have problems controlling their horse and you really wanted to do some fittening work trotting up hills?
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Can't you just say that? Without the "you can't control your horse" bit
Easy i would say -you are wanting to go and do some fittening work with yours, end of. I don't think it should even be an issue to be honest. You aren't obliged to ride out with someone else surely.
Looking at it from the other angle one of mine is a very iffy hack - he may be ok or he may be a complete nightmare. For safety's sake if he's going to hack I'm very limited in what I dare do.
I would never ask someone if I could join them on a hack if I was riding this horse. He isn't their problem so why the hell should their ride be ruined or the pace & route dictated by his lordship? If she's asking to ride with you when she knows she's got problems then I'd say she's being cheeky & you're quite justified in saying something like "sorry but I need to do more work than you'll be doing" then suggesting that she gives you 5 minutes head start.
I don't think you're being a miserable cow, I do think she's being cheeky!
In the summer I don't mind that much cos I have lots of daylight time to ride mine.
This time of year I say anyone is welcome to come with but we will be doing plenting of trotting and some cantering as I need to keep mine fit. Then it is their choice.
I'm quite honest and say 'I'm going out to do some galloping/fast work'. Usually anyone with an iffy/uncontrollable horse will tactfully opt not to join me
I have a similar sort of issue. The guy who likes to hack out with me likes to do cantering, so do I but I don't trust him!! I have not got bundles of confidence, its getting better but my girl is quirky, unpredictable and is easily spooked. I love going for a canter but for my safety sakes I don't normally go alone on the gallops, he says that he 'can't hold' his boy back, crap!! he can he just doesn't try hard enough. Cropi is a lot more settled infront and he insists on coming up beside me and then they just race
and his horse doesn't run in a straight line! its like running in the 3o/c at Newmarket!!! He doesn't think about other people, doesn't say thank you to cars and rides on the wrong side of the road!!! Luckily he works at weekends so its only during the week I have to make my excuses, I now have my lesson on a friday rather than at the weekend
If I just want to go for a donder around the block though then I will go with him, its very difficult as he's a lovely bloke and I'd hate to upset him
I have one on my yard who only likes to walk. I like to work my boy out on a hack so I work through the paces and let him have a good gallop on the moors where it is suitable, if we are ready at the same time I tell her what I am doing and why, if she just wants to walk I suggest I get a 5 min head start so I don't disrupt her ride.
I won;t hack out with a couple of my liveries as I know they are mad out hacking, flat out gallop on rough ground, fast trotting on roads, not considerate to other riders or drivers. If they ask to go out with me I just say 'no as my boy is an ex racer and I want him to hack out quietly'. As a result I have a fantastically behaved horse who listens to me, is up for a gallop when I ask him to and is beautifully controllable in all paces. you have to be selfish and do what is best for you and your horse.
The normal scenario I get is that 1 of the yard nutters (hack = interval training to them) wants to come with me as they know that my horse is bombproof in traffic and that he can easily keep up (fittest horse on the yard by miles). However, hack to us means "Charlie's relaxed day off having a pootle through the woods".
I have even had 1 want to come with me to Cannock Chase and it is very difficult to find an excuse when you just want a quiet day on your own (with Charlie of course).
you can swap your gorgeous coblet for my less gorgeous coblet, then my coblet will promptly scare the crap out of her due to his bad behaviour and she will never want to ride with you again!