How easy is your horse to ride?

LauraBR

LauraBR

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Just curious!

You could sit a complete nervous novice on mine and they could walk, trot, canter, hack out you name it- really easy! (so long as they didn't jump!) He'll slop about with anyone on his back. However, he is a difficult horse to ride properly. His buttons are very tiny and must be pushed very precisely hence in that respect (and jumping) he is a very difficult horse to ride well!

My horses prior to him were psychobeastrodeomonster (difficult for obvious reasons lol but actually not too hard to get working nicely when he wasn't being dangerous) and JF who was the easiest most lovely horse in the world. Made me look a far better rider than I actually was.

How easy (or not) is yours?
 
Mine is exactly likes yours by the sounds of it, perfect until you challenge him. At which point her turns into a monster beasty.

The other one is kind of the opposite - does not suffer novices. He gets really bad tempered and gets slowly upset. However he is wondererful if you are a half decent rider. Anyones dream horse, tries harder to please than any other Ive ever ridden.
 
Jez - No one but the extremely competent would canter/jump him. A total novice could hack him, but they would have to get off and lead the last 1/2 mile home when he starts trying to tank off.
Big Boy - Although can shy, would probably look after a novice hacking. Anyone (and I mean anyone) could canter/hunt him, but he needs someone strong in the leg for other jumping.
Cocoa (2yo, just broken) - Anyone with good hands could canter him, novice could hack him.
Argy Bargy - Anyone with no regard for their own safety can ride him (or not). ie me.
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Mine is an angel, a real schoolmaster and anyone from a child to a granny could do anything with her. However she's a lazy bugger and to get her to work correctly requires the rider to know (vaguley in my case) what they are asking for. It took me 8 months to figure out that I need to demand for her to do something for me or I only get a half-hearted version! So she's perfect for me really, I am learning on her and I feel totally safe.
 
Pickle you could put literally anyone on and they would be fine

Novices can easily walk, trot, canter and jump him, My dad learnt to jump on him!

Allthough he does go differently if he knows your experienced as he tends to just go better! quite a nice combination in a horse I think.

Allthough Hacking he is a bit of a demon (allthough much improved) and still improving, you need to be fairly experienced to hack him and strange contrast!
 
Mine is a perfect happy hacker, anyone could hack her out, she is a real superstar. She & I will never set the world on fire but I only ever hack nowadays and she obviously really enjoys it. One of my retired geldings was as sharp as anything and certainly not for the fainthearted, the other retiree was anybody's ride in company but on his own, it was a different matter.
 
I could put almost anyone on him in the school/field and they could walk, trot, canter, jump.....but if they smacked him in any way he would buck, oops! But out hacking I would NEVER put anyone on him (unless on a lead rope)....they could walk out on him but as soon as they asked for anything faster then he woould get all excited and think 'mummys on top, lets be touble!!' BUT my dad got on him a few weeks ago (my dad being a novice) and we went out for a walk and he trotted!!! Then last week i had my cousin up with me, she's 4, and Hemir was a perfect angel, did not put a foot wrong!!! So i suppose with him it depends on what mood he is in!!
 
Mine is hmm well when i ride him hes good to hack out (can do the odd rear but not big and a smack and he behaves) dressage hes improved so much, used to be very on the forehand but now really easy but very responsive to legs so have to be gentle with your leg aids.
XC hes perfect.
SJ hes a nightmare but we're working on this!!

If anyone else were to ride him he'd be fine to hack out but noone else would have a hope in hell of schooling him or jumping him, hes v much a one person horse.
 
mAJOR WAS SO EASY IN ALL WAYS NEEDED RIDING BUT WAS SO SAFE
Major was so safe and easy in all wyas needed riding but was fun and safe a brilliant allrounder couldnt have wanted more. Hacking he isnt the easiest a little strong but safe!
New one -well I have no idea yet lol hence why YO is sitting on it first lol
 
Storm has had a total novice on her back before (the guy hadnever sat on a horse in his life) and he used to hack her for me every sunday and she was an angel. Normally she's a saint to ride but she can be a sod and she's a total psycho out hunting
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Missy can be naughty, spooky and a down right pain in the arse but I would happily put a novice on her out on a walking hack with me there. Needs to be ridden properly to get her going nicely.

Olympic can be a monkey out on the roads on his own (spooks, spins, tries to bugger off home with a few bucks thrown in). In the school heneds to beridden properly to get him going well, you could put a novice on him though and he's be a good boy
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When I went to try him my confidence jumping had totally gone (I was fine on the flat though) and I think the highest we jumped that day was about 2'3"/2'6" but he lookedafter me ad didn't put a foot wrong eve though I just sat in the saddle doing nothing but shake on the approach to jumps, he was such a good boy! He's a bit of a monkey in the sj ring though
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Coloured [homebred] very difficult,very sensitive,very tense ,have to be very quiet but positive.Can't be given anything except my whip while on his back ,can't read a dressage test he would have a heart attack.He is 10

Bay ,had since yearling ,dream to ride can put my 18 mth old little girl in front of me and do anything.If I ask for more he says ok.He is not 5 yet.

They are total opposites
 
Patches is the same as Sam in some ways lzt.

She's a very safe and sensible horse and will amble along. But she does require skill (which I don't have) to get a decent tune out of you.

She most definitely makes a habit of making people look worse than they are.
 
I have 2 cobbies.
My black mare is a real sweetie but has a tendancy to worry. If someone gets tense on her she gets very strong and you need to totally drop your contact. She'll also do a VERY quick 180 for a big fat cob but is almost impossible to fall off as there is sooo much of her.
My coloured cobbie is a very quiet ride in company and is like a spooky arab on his own.. definitely not anyones ride..
 
Ebi I would say most poeple could ride her however jumping or galloping would not be taken into account.
Chantin, even though shes 4 shes very sensible and as long as you keep your leg on her and dont take your concentration off riding shes great.
Flighty is quite safe as long as the rider could cope with her numerous buckling of the legs when she thinks the sheep is going to eat her!
Then theres the old girl, Sasha. When she was in work a little kid couldve ridden her. Shes the nicest pony ive ever met. Even jumping - shes taught loads of people to ride and is just so careful with her rider. A girl once had to get on her on the hunting field becuase hers threw her off (I had to swap my lovely ride for an arogant cob! nothing personal about cobs just this one). She was quite novicey and she rode Sasha well.
 
I have to be honest and say that V is one of the most difficult horses I have ever ridden.
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He is incredibly sharp and picks up on any little bit of balance shift, and tension. He takes a long time to settle but gets wound up again as quick as you like!
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I certainly would be very careful who rides him. My sister has ridden him but the last time she did, I dont know what happened but she sot off around the school flat out, motorbiking around the corners and she just couldnt stop him.
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Since that moment, I would be very wary.

He is also very much a one horse person and I think he takes a long time to build up his confidence. The moment I get a bit stessy with him or frustrated, well i might as well get off and give up because he loses it
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He just can't cope.
 
totallybombsafe, can put anyone on him, hacking or skooling, skooling he is hard work unless you know how to make him work, which only I can do.

Hacking he is fine with anyone except when I get on him, he thinks it is party time as he can relax and can be a little sod !! But that's why I love him.
 
One of mine I think is a lovely ride, but at the same time I would never put a novice on him because he has got a panicky side where he basically can explode (doesnt happen very often though!) and he may be a bit sharp.

Whereas my other one. Well, put it this way - my boyfriend refuses to go near him even on the ground! He thinks he's dangerous! He's just a very big type of horse (width and strength wise) who has a massive character and attitude! He can be a total plod, so I think at home I would put a novice on him (as long as not to canter or he'll buck!). But at shows / lessons he can get very wound up and fiesty. Today for example at training he was hyper as hell - plunging, bronco fits, cantering on the spot etc. So no I dont think he's an easy ride. He's either hell to get moving or completely the opposite! Definately the hardest horse Ive had
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i let my OH who had NEVER sat on a horse, walk him around the jump field and he was perfect. People warned me but i had such trust in flint not to misbehave as he does rear buck nap and bolt to name a few of his qualitites! ha. ive had several novice people on him and he really does his best to look after those people. The trouble starts when you know how to ride. he is very happy in plodding around, but if ANYONE asks him to do some hard graft THATS when the problems arise
 
I'd happily let anyone take tia out for a long walk. anything else is a different matter. i'd fear for their safety - she's unpredictably sharp and many people who see her having her tantrums tell me she should be chesnut. a calm, quiet experienced rider could probably comfortably jump her etc, but she's not for a novice in those respects as she needs to be told.
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Lottie was a beast, very sharp, reared alot, bold as brass, jumped anything, hacked anyware alone/company but was very very sharp
Mouse very laid back, good in the school great hack but gets very strong in canter but safe and if im in a snaffle i normally have to find a tree to stop
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but i still do it
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to jump she is very forward but again safe, again jumps anything, hacks anyware alone/company,
never ever has the front or back feet left the ground un-nessersarly,
I'm currently bring her back into work after 9 weeks boxrest, she is still on boxrest but hacking out from the box, im having to take her out by myself and she didn't feel any different than before, plodded out on a long rein, when i brought lottie back into work i spent alot of time on my bottom
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Hx
 
Bert is not easy at all.......not because he is sharp but because he is hard work.

He is fiesty and impatient and strong. Likes to jog, and the odd little buck. In the school you need legs of iron to keep him on the track.....the impulsion isn't the issue but getting him to do what you want is!

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Clyde came to me as a bomb proof horse, which he is not! On a hack, in company, he is totally bomb proof, confidence giving, so sensible. On his own, loses confidence and refuses to go past certain things (donkeys, cows-even though he lived in a field with cows for SEVEN years!) That's why I fell off him!
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Mine is very uncomplicated. He's a real sweetie. He will just go as forward as you want and do everything you want him to. He'll hack out alone or in company. Anyone could ride him. He has got an extra gear. However, he doesn't like the whip and will buck. Usually it's just a small protest, but he bronc.
 
Mine is fine for me..nicest ride ever...looks before she crosses roads....but deliberately frightens others for a laugh (if she can!).
Secretly she's bombproof, but tells new riders 'I could do anything - I could rear...I could gallop off...I could spook into the path of a car...aren't you scared???'
If you laugh at her, she knows she can't get you and then is an angel....but if you get all tense and smacky...she chuckles evilly then refuses to obey!
She's great if you have a yard smartass though....as you can imagine!
S
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PS Really she's great in traffic, never takes off even in stubble fields on a long rein when others gallop by...but she's not going to admit that!
 
Well Cropi is a difficult one really.......

She certainly is not a novice ride but I am a novice and got her after having a 20 odd year break from riding (long story!!) and we have made slow but steady progress. We have lessons most weeks. She does not make it easy for me though, her buttons are like Sam's, very small and you have to ask very specifically and in her chosen language of the day! She does not and will not bend, I can NOT get her to canter on the right leg on the right rein yet my instructor can get the correct leg every time
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I just don't ask in the right way or feel for that split second. You can also ask in the same way for the same thing two weeks on the trot and get totally different responses, she is a complicated little sports car and you have to pre-empt her all the time, but I totally love the challenge of her and I certainly will not get bored with her. We are making more progress since I changed her bit. She used to be in a Myler Combination and was SO strong, she is now in a Waterford and omg the difference is amazing, cantering is no longer a while nuckle ride, she is collected and calm.

Out hacking she can be a total dream, like she was yesterday, and then 100 metres from the yard she totally freaks out at a van, for no reason at all. I give her the rein and push her on but she decides that she is going to take advantage of the bit of rein she has, spins on her toes, zooms over the other side of the road and tries to make a run for it
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the poor van driver was totally startled, as was I I have to admit. It was totally out of the blue. You have to be prepared for her all the time, she can spook at nothing or just be a total poppet.

I still love her to bits though
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Coloured [homebred] very difficult,very sensitive,very tense ,have to be very quiet but positive.Can't be given anything except my whip while on his back ,can't read a dressage test he would have a heart attack.He is 10

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You have just described my Alfie.. Woe betide anyone handing anything to me (other than a whip) whilst i am on board him, apart from that if you are quiet he is a good boy and gives a lovely ride, i would never put a novice on him, he is just a bit too sensitive and edgy for anyone who isn't quiet and experienced. Funnily enough he is also 10 this year, i had hoped he would grow out of it but he never has.
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I would put anyone on Twirl in the school, he would look after them and go very steady, and although Benji is a very lively ride, i am pretty sure he would look after a novice (in a school) in walk and trot, i wouldn't like to see what he would do in canter or jumping as he can be very cheeky when he wants to be!
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