Is it really such a crime?

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RolyPolyPony

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I took Flo out for a hack today, we went a route that we've been on loads and she is used to. It was all going great until Flo started to get really jumpy and spooking at things like gateways and parked cars. We went a bit further and turned down a road past a farm. She went past the yard absolutely fine but something was being done in one of the barns (sounded like a dozen power washers) at this point she went crazy (the normally laid back horse phased by nothing). She started cantering on the spot and doing mini bronchs. I managed to push her past but she was really tense. I found a large pull in a bit further down road to try and calm her down but she started her silly business again. I got off and managed to calm her down but everytime i remounted she would tense up again. I decided just to walk her back. We met around 8 riders on way back and they all asked if i wanted a hand to remount. When i explained the problem they all said dismounting was the worst thing to do and that i should have ridden her through it. I could she her trembling when i dismounted so she was obviously terrified. Was i really committing such a crime?!
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I know alot of people do this, but it's not for me. My mare is better under saddle than on the ground so I'd have been worse off to have dismounted. At least in the saddle I have my hands and both legs to utilise as aids to get past an object.

I'm glad it worked for you and I do hope the walk home didn't give you blisters on your heels.
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No, not a crime at all! I would have done the same thing and have done in the past. You have to do what is safe at the time. Don’t listen to others, you know your horse and how you feel!
 
No its not, I do not see a problem with it, but so many do. Just ignore it, you know your horse best and if getting off and walking past helps, do it, i have and will do this when needed
 
not at all i must admit i've done it, it's better for you to be off her and confident rather than on there unconfident anticipating her chucking you off!
when my horsey spooks she runs backwards, so i make her walk backwards and then she'll go forward
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I dont think so ... I know my pony would be better off if I stay on him and just speak calmly, stroke his neck and give him his head, if I try to hold him then he frets more and if I get off then he just starts prancing about like an idiot ... but you know your horse and its sounds like if you had stayed on her she could have thrown you or injured herself on the road ... you did what was best for her
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Not at all, my lad used to get himself into such a state out hacking sometimes getting off and leading was the only way to sort the issue out, however I only stuck to one route which takes 10 mins to complete and would take him home, remount and go back around and generally this helped him a lot.
If I feel it is safe for either or us, or if there is no chance of riding past it I would not hesitate to get off and lead.
I think it is nice that the other riders offered to help you re mount though
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You do what you think is best in the circumstances. If you felt your horse would be happier being led then that was the right call to make.
Personally I don't get off as my horse can be a complete git on the ground and the one time I did he ran over me and trod on my boob (it hurt like hell and swelled up to about 48GG!).
 
Not at all, i would have done the same as you did. Ben very rarely put a foot wrong but if he did i would get off, partly because i'm a big wimp these days, but i knew he would be more likely to settle if i was on the ground with him. If i stayed on board he'd pick up on my nerves & it made him worse, i was 100% more confident on the ground. You kow your horse better than anyone & did what was best for you.

T'was nice that someone offered you a hand though, no-one's ever asked me before
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I would have done exactly the same, and have done in the past. For me it depends on the horse, my mare calms down immediately if i dismount whereas other horses i've ridden have stayed silly and its safer to stay on board. People have said the same to me but i think its just a bit of an old fashioned view tbh. As long as your horse still sees you as the leader and respects you from the ground then it is often a safer option than losing control or risking a nasty fall.
 
One of mine i get off and the other i stay on board as different reactions from both, the boy feels safer if he can get behind me on the ground and his ground manners are better than his ridden manners at the moment, the mare freaks if i get off cos she thinks whatever it is, it must be really scary for mum to get off!
 
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he ran over me and trod on my boob (it hurt like hell and swelled up to about 48GG!).

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you are the first person I have heard to have had their boob stood on! Owch!
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Nope not a crime in the least - if that's what your comfortable with and you know your horse better than anyone else.

My only concern would be this could become 'learned' behaviour and your horse will expect that if its having a paddy you'll dismount.

Personally I prefer to stay on board as I feel safer and more in control. I hate being on the ground holding onto a spinning, rearing, freaking out horse. But thats only from my own personal experience or being run over by numerous race horses
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You do what works for you and gets you both home safely and leave others to attend to their own mounts.
 
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he ran over me and trod on my boob (it hurt like hell and swelled up to about 48GG!).

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you are the first person I have heard to have had their boob stood on! Owch!
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Cheaper than breast enlargement and it goes a lovely deep purple
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I still don't recommend it though!
 
Sounds to me like you did what was right for you and your horse.

I thought horses were generally more reassured if you were leading them, but I have found that my new one behaves calmer in 'scarey' surroundings if I am on her rather than leading - it surprised me.
 
Nope. If mine's genuinely frightened or upset I'll happily get off and lead, he seems calmer if he can see me not being bothered by the scary/upsetting things (if you understand what I mean).
 
I'm glad to read i'm not the only one to 'commit this crime'!
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Minxie - i can understand about it becomming a learned behaviour, but she has NEVER done anything like this before. She usually fine with motorbikes, lorries, cars, you name it, flying past so something was clearly bothering her today. I knew she wasn't a rearer so i felt i would be safer on foot! didn't fancy hit the deck on a road! lol

dibbin - that's exactly what i thought with Flo. She was clearly still frightened from the noise from barn even though she was past it, so i thought if she can see me walking without being scared she would settle, and it seemed to work. She calmed down pretty much as soon as i got off, told her it was ok and nothing was going to hurt her and started walking.
 
If she was trembling and frightened rather than being naughty then I don't see a problem as she might have felt more confident having you on the ground and going first.

My pony used to be scared of fire and smoke from bonfires in fields next to the bridleways or road and I had to get off and lead him past the few times - he is confident if I stroke him on the nose a bit and I go first. Now I don't have to get off and can ride him past or through smoke.
 
Agree with others that as long as she was not being naughty (and she obviously was not, as you've said) then it sounds like you did the right thing
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I have to admit I wouldn't but its not a crime and I think you did the right thing for you, I have good reasons for not getting off though as I have a 17.1hh who is much better behaved when your on him, he is so difficult to hold when your off him. Also there is the obvious issue on how to get back on
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QR I've never done it with mine, but that's only because he's so bl00dy big and strong I'd never hold him from the ground. I know loads of people that do and it never seems to do then any harm! Oh apart from having to get off that is, but I just don't want to do that out of laziness
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Yeah luckily Flo is only 15.3hh so a)it's not difficult to get back on and she's really well behaved when being handled from the ground (even in her silly moments!)

When we got back i put her in the stable to untack her and brush her down, usually i have to tie her up but she stood there with a look on her face as if to say "whoops, i think i was being a bit silly and over-reacted!!)
 
you have to do what's right for you and your horse. Early on in our relationship, i did loads of groundwork with my mare, so if she got i na tizz, she was better wheni was on the ground, so i would dismount if necessary. Now, further down the line, she is just as likely to calm down with me on her. Also, if you thought it was getting too dangerous to stay on, then rather than getting dumped on the concrete and seeing your horse tank of along a road into god knows what sort of trouble, you did the right thing.
 
I have done the same in the past - some horses just take more confidence in a lead on the ground, and a true horse-human partnership isn't just for in the saddle no matter what, its for dealing with circumstances as they come up in the best way you can.

Ignore the silly buffoons!
 
Not a crime at all. If it helps keep you and your horse safe what's the problem? I have gotten off many times over the years when one of my horses is scared or worried about something and would do again.
 
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