How do you feel about people riding your horse?

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ngrace

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As above. How do you feel about sharers, and about friends borrowing him or her for hacks/schooling/competitions?
What about people you dont know who are looking for rides/a share, would you consider them or would it have to be someone you already know and trust?

I'm interested because although I have owned a few ponies/horses, I no longer can so now I 'work for rides'/share, so it would be interesting to see how most people feel about riders aproaching them, and other people looking after their horses.

I know with one of my ponies I hated the thought of someone else riding her because she was my baby! Although she was a schoolmistress and no harm would have been done..its just a protective feeling!
 
The yard I'm at only let's you keep a horse there if it's on working livery (max 10h a week) I'm really torn about keeping a horse there if I were to get one. As I'd worry about the quality of riders that get on it. But for a non-driver in S E London, it's the nearest place to me to allow it to have a small x-country course and a bit of hacking.
I'd love to get a horse and keep it there but I fear other people riding what would be my baby!!
 
It is difficult - you feel noone will look after them like you do and its horrid.
I had one sharer who i got rid of sharpish, she threw my tack about, left horse sweaty in field - was obviously just a jump on and ride type.
I would only allow someone to ride my horse if they showed affection to him and respect for his things, if they dont mind me wanting to know every detail of their ride, text me when they finished etc.
Its little things that i notice - bring him some polos or carrots, give him a kiss - really just show me you like him and not just his back x
 
Thats a point, I didnt think about working livery. I had my tiny pony on working livery when I was about 8 - she was always tired and the care was not good, so we took her out. I would never go back to that, for the same reason I would probably not buy a riding school horse!
 
To defend my current rs. The horses there are pretty active and sprightly with one at medium dressage level and I can't fault the care they receive and they
are careful about matching horse to rider but I dunno.... I've waited so long to be able to afford a horse I want it to be mine! All mine!!
 
In the past I've kept mine on working livery at an equestrian college, so everybody could ride him. In the main this was fine, but there was just one girl that took him out on his own, which he had confidence issues with at the time, and she apparently got really angry with him and gave him a good hiding, which I wasn't happy about as I'd only just got him hacking out on his own with me, and this gave him the message that if we went out on his own he'd get a hiding! Not what I would have wanted to happen really.

Now he's at my yard, at home, and quite often I lend him to one of my liveries as often a "Nanny" is needed to go out with her daughter's pony. She's an excellent rider, nice soft hands and a good independent seat, and is one of those riders who could get a camel to go in an nice outline. He loves going with her and its good for him to be ridden by someone who knows what they're doing and not just slopping along like he would with me!

I would say its good to have one's horse ridden by a good, experienced rider, but one does have to be cautious, and discerning. I certainly wouldn't let just anybody ride him, no way.
 
I think its good for horses to be able to cope with new riders (capable riders) because i'v heard about some who apparently react badly to new riders - I wonder if they are ever planning to sell them!

Would references from instructors/DC/friends encourage you to let someon ride/look after them?
 
Hmm, my feelings about it have depended on the horse. Nobody other than me has ridden Old Mare since I owned her and I didn't like other people riding my chestnut either.

I didn't mind people riding some of my other horses at all. So really its all down to how I feel about the horse. Its not that I think I'm a better rider (I'm so not) but just that I think I have/had a special bond with those 2 horses.
 
As I show I have to have judges riding my horse and i don't mind this. I dont mind my mum riding my horse and shes only been riding a few months as i keep an eye on her and make sure she rides as correctly as possible. However iv had a few people who have years and years of experience/been to hoys/very well respected riders 'have a go' on her and iv really had to bite my tongue. Its like they think by literally attacking my horses mouth she will sprout wings and fly? My mum on the other hand has onli been riding a few months and my horse will trot around in self carriage and working from behind in a French link snaffle for her :) ... canter needs work though as my mum doesn't have her balance yet lol! I actually LOVE other people riding my horse as it helps keep her prepared for shows. I don't mind if they aren't capable of schooling a horse from scratch or 'reaching the top', I just like them to be quiet confident riders. As long as they are quite they wont do any harm, i can jump on after my mum and she will go the same as usual, I once got on after a well known rider and was shocked at how unwilling to take the bit forwards she was and she never does that.

I see no reason why people wouldn't be willing to have a share or working for rides arrangement with you. :)

Edit : References are a very good idea, shows you have made a good impression on people.
 
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I hate people riding my horse! I let my mum ride him when I'm on hols and I've let friends I trust ride him once or twice but I do feel uncomfortable about it.
I wouldn't let anyone jump my horse ever, we have a close trust and he never stops I'd be scared someone else would upset him?!

I do want to have a baby at some point and I have thought I will have to get someone to ride him for the final few months. I'm thinking my mum could tick him over and there's a friend who's an ex British team dressage rider so I will probably let them do some BD on him.

It's not that I'm a great rider or anything it's just he's my horse and he's like a comfortable pair of shoes! Wouldn't like him to feel different lol!
 
a few years ago i had a sharer (i had a TB for my step daughter who only came over at weekends) and she would wind me up just by looking at my big lad, i hated the thought of her touching him or riding him, not because she was bad or anything but A, she was a sharer to the TB not my lad and B, he was/is very much MINE!

i've had a few people ride him and although i haven't liked it as such i wasn't worked up but i have only asked the people i trust and know ride him.
 
I think it depends on the horse and whether you know the rider. I basically trust my horse not to do anything especially daft but, that said he can be spooky and likes to take the p a little on occasion. However, he has been jumped in PC area SJing teams by my sister and also her friend, my mum hacks him out and i also had in on working livery at college for a year when i was there. Basically he loves attention and people so I had no worries about him being ridden by others and they actually really liked him at college as he was capable of everything, was/is very intelligent so, with a very good rider he would do fab flatwork and jump anything and with less capable jockeys he was very patient and i suppose forgiving for their errors.

My pony i would not let just anyone ride as he is ridiculously sensitive to any change on how you are riding, gets worried and can be a bit daft . He is 24,I've had him 17 years and he's still as sensitive but he is ok with me and my sister as we all 'understand' each other. That said, I have loaned him out on two occasions to young teenage girls and I guess, as they were confident he was ok. If he senses any nerves he gets worried.
 
Nope never. First of all, my horse is not safe enough to let anyone else ride and anyways, she is horrible for anyone she doesn't know and respect. Also, anyone other than me who rides her ends up trying to beat her. And I won't stand for that. So if I can't ride, she doesn't get ridden. But its better than her getting hurt or hurting someone.
 
M'n'M said:
Nope never. First of all, my horse is not safe enough to let anyone else ride and anyways, she is horrible for anyone she doesn't know and respect. Also, anyone other than me who rides her ends up trying to beat her. And I won't stand for that. So if I can't ride, she doesn't get ridden. But its better than her getting hurt or hurting someone.
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Thats probably the best reason not too..I had a young tb on loan, and I wouldnt let anyone ride him mainly because he wasnt mine so I wouldnt behind the owners back, but even if that was OK he was a sharp cheeky little monkey and always far too excited for anything, ever, so I would only have let anyone confident and quiet ride him. He did go really really well when he was behaving!
 
I had a bizarre experience when I first got my horse, another livery had booked a riding lesson party for her daughter's birthday at the yard which was her daughter and some of her non-riding friends - they had one pony of their own and one they shared and needed at least one more horse if not two. She booked it and then approached me about using my pony for it...I said a flat no, she was very annoyed as had assumed that my pony was one they would be using but what a vast assumption to make. I let people on the yard who I trust and respect for their knowledge and who are good riders get on him and try him if they wish but have no wish to have a sharer or let people borrow him for rides. He'll be the only horse I'll ever own and I was only able to finally afford and get myself a horse when I was 41, so he is beyond value to me. His previous owner is one person I'd allow and have allowed to ride him without me being there as she had such a great bond with him and he thought she was great too! I've also asked my instructor if he'd like to get on him but he's always declined :D Should my personal or health circumstances change drastically I may need to review what I say now but for now, that is how it is.
 
With my present horse, I would not let anyone but a professional ride him, simple reason is that be is very stressy and not easy to ride, if the wrong person got on him he would be dangerous az be would panic and bolt. Am not saying I am the greatest rider (far from it) but I have to ride quietly and not put him under pressure otherwise he will panic
 
Yes i would let someone and anyone ride my horse.. I have to as i have Sciatica and its playing up. Due for a MRI and op if need be , so i have to let others ride my girl to keep her going . Girl i have riding her at min is great with her and she is happy having her ride her. I had my sister ride her other week was funny. Katie knew she was not good at riding and took the pee out of her big time...lol yet as soon as my 9 year old got on she was good. If she knows your not good rider she will take pee, so i like to let other have a go to keep her fit and ticking over tilll i get better. Fingers crossed its some time this year i back on her. With my last pony i let kids pet and jump up on him. Nothing like wanting your own horse for years and when you get one its nice to see other kids want to pet them and think that was me years ago.
 
Not a cat in hells chance would I let someone I didn't know on her. A few people have had a sit on her with me there but doesn't really like it, so i tend not to do it. Nobody else has been on her for a few years now. I certainly wouldn't let anyone ride her without me being there, I have put too much time and effort into her to have anyone doing anything that is going to spoil anything. Not that I am anything great but I know how to ride her and know how she will react to certain things. She is really good but if stressed then she can be really difficult. She had a tough time before she was with me and I will make sure she never does again. She is getting on a bit now and will never be sold so it isn't really a problem. If I got so ill again that I couldn't ride her then she would just retire and be a pretty pet.
I wouldn't be impressed if someone approached me, especially if I didn't know them, I would think it was a bit of a cheek really.
 
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As others have said, I think it depends on the horse.

I have a 15yr old ISH who is currently the yard 'bike' - a friend whose mare is in foal is part sharing him for RC competitions and fun rides, with one of my liveries daughters hacking him out. He is a sensible sort, well established and copes well with different riders and is consistent in his way of going regardless of the rider.

My other horse is a different story - a sharp show cob who is too complex for me too allow other riders on at the moment, although copes well with judges on his back in the show ring.
 
I'm perfectly happy to let people ride mine. I think it is a testament to the good work I have done with them that pretty much any level of rider can get on either of them in an arena and have a nice time of it - whether they can ride the schoolmaster at his level (intermediate BE), or whether he has to look after them (someone very novice rode him last summer and adored him). The 6yo was going to be lent to a friend for RC camp, and she loved jumping him. TBH I'd be hellishly embarrassed if I had a horse which didn't go nicely and safely for pretty much anyone - even my OH who can't ride at all has sat on mine! It also means I know that if anything happens which means I can't keep them, I will be able to find good homes for them. If I couldn't fix anything someone did in about 5 minutes flat, I'd know my schooling wasn't up to much and probably what they'd done was the least of my worries! ;)

I like seeing other people on mine, it lets me spot things I can't always feel when on them.
 
Very few people have ridden my boy and only once was he happy. He lets them know in no uncertain terms that they are not his mum.

He comes across all confident but in reality he needs a lot of reassuring he trusts me and will give anything a try but as yet panics with others.

He truly is a mummys boy :) but i wouldn't have it any other way.
 
I never used to let people ride FB, but now I don't mind at all - he is in a Dr Cook so no mouth jagging and does not suffer fools gladly. If you cant ride, but THINK you can he will tell you, very politely to sod off. Usually by playing up, napping, shying and prancing about like a looney. If you can't ride and just sit there, he will plod about the school doing his own thang.

The only time he was used for 'pony rides' for the excursion kids, was before I bought him and I had to lead him...he did three circuits with different kids then looked at me, casually leant round and bit me on the chest as I was trying to put the fourth kid on board!

I let one of the kids (13 and a decent rider) jump him while I was away and he terrified her after the RS plods...I did warn her not to put too much leg on comng into a jump!

Ari is rideable by anyone who is not a novice, very easy going, but knows nothing so needs a lot of guidance - also prone to exuberant bucking when going into canter and leaping skyward like a startled gazelle when he sees anything 'funny' :rolleyes: ...so not a safe ride for a nervous rider
 
I dont like people riding my horse, apart from my little sister. With my last horse i let 3 different people have a wee ride on him and i just hated it as i didnt want to be rude and say "Your not riding him properly!" or something. My little sister let a friend on him once as he was napping a bit at the gate, i didnt want to be rude and say you cant ride my horse but i wish i had of as she beat the cr*p out of him so i havent spoke to her since :o Now i think i would just say get the heck of my horse lol ... Horse i have now is young and everyone has there own style of riding ie light/heavy hands, some people drive the horse etc I just dont like how some people ride so i choose not to let anyone ride my horse except my little sister who rides similarly to me and has nice light forgiving hands (better hands than me lol) and i can boss her about :cool:
 
I get majorly annoyed when my mum shoves someone on my moose when i dont know about it, or invites someone to ride her!
however, i have a horsey friend i would allow to ride her (and i've ridden her horses so..)
i dont mind people riding if they're nice and im always there to supervise (e.g.theres one lady who comes once a week to ride her as shes not ridden for a year and wants to get back in to it so she can have her own cobjob one day and shes lovely and moosey is perfect for the job).
and since shes a diamond (sometimes!!) i dont mind my non-horsey best friend sometimes sitting on a popping round the field. (in fact moose loves plodding along with the novices as it means mum's not sitting on her making her work properly and look nice, oh the effort!)
so i've got very strict "terms" on who rides my ponio...i've spent all the 6 years i've had her bonding and figuring out how she works and what she likes, best way to be ridden and we get on like a house on fire! other people dont fit long term into our relationship ;) selfish i know, but shes my baby !
 
Its probably easier if you feel like you can tell the rider if you dont like what they are doing..an owner I loaned from was an instructor, she was more than happy to boss me about and I ended up getting free lessons, no problem for me! She knew the horse better then I did.

I wouldnt let a rider on a horse of mine if I didnt think they would recieve constructive criticism well, just in case..
 
I am more than happy for kids to plod around on Olly as he is an utter saint, but I only let people I know "ride" mine, as I work bloody hard getting them the way I want them and only let people with similar riding styles to me are allowed to school them.

One "instructor" was given very short shrift once and told in no uncertain terms to get off my pony. I am very much a 'seat and legs' person and she got on him, shortened her reins way too much and then sawed on his mouth to get him "onto the bit". I think that is the only time I have seen him rear (an he is a typical laid back cob) :mad:

ETA: I then got back on and did a walk to canter figure of eight with 'washing lines' in a perfect outline :p
 
Personally I hate other people riding my horse.
Its very much on my terms lol
If Im stood there, SOME people are allowed a play on her in an arena.
Never allowed anyone on her when Im not around to keep an eye out.
Shes well behaved, and a fairly easy ride, but Im protective, shes my baby. Lol

And I could never ever share her, I'd constantly be trying to get the other person to do things exactly as I do.
 
From the other point of view I am looking to share/loan, but i have my instructor's recomendations, and I wouldn't be offended if I tried a horse and someone turned round and said "I don't think you are right for him/her." I've always kept by the fact that if it isn't right for both parties under no circumstances can you go into it.

I've recently been looking at buying one horse, not gone into buying, but the horse and owner are just right. But equally I have told her that if I don't seem right don't worry, but she's seen me and how I ride and she's very kind and very nice to work around me because I ride how she likes.
 
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