How mamy riders is too many?

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Twiglet

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I currently have a lovely one-day-a-week sharer for my 6 year old, it helps lighten the load, and they're doing really well together (winning their dressage last weekend :D http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HMlwigMXN0U ).

Have also had a call from what sounds like another nice rider, also looking for one day a week (she's a BHSAI, Pilates instructor and physio), which would mean three riders for the orange one (one day a week for each sharer and me 3-4 times a week). It would help with his fitness and education - he's a bit slow to mature - and take the pressure off me to ride in the evenings.

I'm not sure how he'll cope with it mentally though - three different riders, especially at this stage in his education, could confuse him. The two sharers will mainly be doing flat (albeit his current one is a showjumper by trade) and I'll be doing most of the jumping, hacking and fittening (good deal for me ;) ).

I know if he was on schooling livery or even full livery at the yard he'd have to cope with lots of different riders, but he's not the sharpest tool in the box, and I'd be a bit concerned it would send him backwards...

Any thoughts/experiences?
 
I'm not sure there's a right/wrong answer here. I think you do a horse no favours by having it only ridable by one person. If you have the right people, then I think it would work just fine.
 
I think it does them good as long of course they are good riders , mine don't get ridden enough by others .
I would not worry about three riders.
 
Goldenstar said:
I think it does them good as long of course they are good riders , mine don't get ridden enough by others .
I would not worry about three riders.
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^ This ^

I don't have the time currently to ride my new one anywhere near enough and he's young so I want to make sure everything is done correctly. He learns v quickly but that also means he picks up bad habits quickly too! My YO and her groom both event and are far better riders than I am, so they ride him a couple of times a week for me. It's doing him the world of good to be a) ridden by different people and b) to be schooled for me.
 
It could work as long as you're all not drilling in the school endlessly and overdoing the flat work and jumping .. Quickest way to break them :-(
 
I think it all depends on your horse. I had a couple of different riders for my horse and it really didnt suit her she seemed to become increasingly confused so I have gone back to just riding her myself she seems much happier now :)
 
Rosie has several different competent people riding most of hers and I'm sure it does them good. She does the flatwork and jumping on all of them though.
 
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