I swear I thought I knew a thing or two

Bluebelle666

Bluebelle666

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I was very much aware that I didn't know much about solely caring for a horse and that was the reason why I took on Blondie as a loan horse, but...

I honestly believed that I knew a few things about riding but feel that I am challenged by her every day (in both good and not so good ways) and then I come on here and feel that I ask the most stupid questions :rolleyes:

I keep reiterating to myself what I got told as a student... there's no such thing as a stupid question :confused:
 
Lol ask away, you might get the odd muppet saying if you asked that you're not fit to own a horse, but believe me most people don't think that way, so come on then, whats the question?X:D
 
There's a lot of really experienced people on here that have had so many different horses throw all sorts of things at them, I've had horses since I was 6, so 13 years, and my family have had horses for 16 years, and there's still so much I don't know, I know a lot more than I did a few years ago, but there's still so much more I can still learn, and this forum is really go for that :) So don't be worried that people know more than you, be thankful that they're passing their knowledge onto you free of charge! :D It's all just one big learning curve is horse ownership :D
 
Thanks Amy567, that is my latest question and just typing it made me think that someone might reply that if I can't get a horse to slow from a canter then maybe I should not have the responsibility of one - I do think I know enough to keep one and not damage it {also on full livery} but I am feeling challenged every day and feel that my questions on here sound foolish; it's a very steep learning curve first time owning/loaning :rolleyes:
 
I answered your earlier question and hope that it did not come across as if I felt you were foolish for either asking the question or being unable to stop:D.
Every time you ride you can learn something new, however experienced you are, horses will be challenging in so many ways. It is by having an enquiring and open mind that will give you the ability to deal with those challenges, ask questions when you need to and take what works for you from the answers.
 
One year in and I have found horse ownership to be amazingly challenging! There is always more to know. Today my farrier told me to ask away if I had any questions, the poor man hardly had time to draw breath from then on! Sometimes I find it overwhelming but the trick is to keep on asking!x
 
I do feel that one of the great joys of owning horses is that there is always something new to learn, and it's only when we take on full responsibility for day to day care and training of our horses that we start to realise just how much more we need to learn. We can all learn the basics from courses and books and this is a great starting point, but the real knowledge comes from personal experience, and learning about the personal experiences of others then being able to evaluate that information and apply it our own situation. No question is too stupid to ask if someone genuinely wants to learn and it can only be to the detriment of the horse in question if people are not encouraged to ask. Far better to ask a "stupid" question than be too scared or to proud to admit that we might not know everything.
 
we never stop learning;) and i think people who feel they know it all and have nothing to learn are far more 'dangerous' than people who realise there will always be questions:)
never be afraid to ask questions and ignore the people who try to belittle you, there is a huge amount of knowledge on this forum and there are also some crackpots lol:D
 
I know how you feel, I've been around horses for about 7 years. And owned horses for about 3 ..
Still ask stupid questions!
I think I could own horses for 20 years and still have questions :)
It wouldn't be as fun if you already knew it all
 
Sorry OP I am on phone so can't quote. You say I am feeling challenged every day

I say that's horses and no matter how long you have had one they are always throwing up challenges. The only foolish question is a question not asked when you are unsure :)
 
I've been around horses and riding for something like 45 years - I started in the days when jods were made of Cavalry Twill and there were no such things as ready mixed feeds ;) I wouldn't dream of thinking I knew it all, I know that I don't and never will, with horses you learn all the time. I don't see any shame in asking if you don't know and equally don't see why people shouldn't always answer with good grace if they have the answer:D
 
I don't think your question was stupid at all and each horse is different so it always takes a little while to find the right buttons, so don't despair!

Everytime I think I might just about be getting on top of this horse ownership malarky, one of my horses tramples me to put me back in my place!
 
This thread has made me immensely happy! After a thoroughly grumpy morning feeling bitchy and grotty this is exactly what I needed to hear so I really hope it's made the OP feel better too.

I read a very interesting piece of advice once and it has given me the confidence to ask a million 'stupid' questions;

'Someone who asks a 'stupid' question may look a fool for 10 minutes, but not asking a 'stupid; questions leaves you being a fool for the rest of your life' ​

It sounds a little dramatic but I really think its true, the amount of people who bumble along for ages, making more work for themselves or never solving problems because they didn't want to look silly asking in the first place. Sometimes you come across the odd know-it-all who makes you feel a bit small but do you really want advice from someone who doesn't see the point in passing it on?

I have been riding for almost 20 years, have an equine science degree and have worked on various yards but I don't ever want to feel like I know it all, that would take all the fun out of it.

Don't let a little uncertainty make you question yourself, loaning/owning is a new experience, if you hadn't got questions to ask you'd probably be doing something wrong!
 
There is always something new to learn with horses - and HHO has loads of useful information - but you do need to learn to ignore the stoopid replies, and just take what you need ;)

I generally try and avoid horsey people in RL - but mainly because so many people have their opinion on things, and believe that ONLY their opinion is correct. From sitting back and watching these type of people get on with it, it does seem to me that these are the people who have the most problems with their horses. Possibly if they allowed themselves to think outside of the box every now and again they'd get on easier

So OP please ask questions - we are all here to learn :)
 
Abbeygale said:
I generally try and avoid horsey people in RL - but mainly because so many people have their opinion on things, and believe that ONLY their opinion is correct. From sitting back and watching these type of people get on with it, it does seem to me that these are the people who have the most problems with their horses. Possibly if they allowed themselves to think outside of the box every now and again they'd get on easier
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Agree with this so much!
 
I've been riding for 45 years and learn something new from every horse I have ridden and/or owned. Learning your horse's "buttons" can be more difficult than you think. They are not all trained like machines, so you can get some unexpected responses sometimes!

Having a sympathetic trainer (try enlightened equitation teacher) can help with confidence issues and someone experienced on the ground can spot where the problem is coming from.

I still ask questions!
 
We never stop learning and should never stop asking questions, no matter how long we have been around horses the little toads are always keen to show us how little we really know about them :D
 
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