Cash
Well-Known Member
I am usually the only person who ever rides my horse, partly because others at the yard/friends who'd want to ride have their own and aren't really looking for other rides, and also because some people at the yard just aren't really confident enough to ride him so wouldn't want to anyway....and mainly coz he is my horse and i like riding him 
Other people have ridden him since I got him- my friend rode him the week he arrived! And also while i was on holiday in the summer she rode him a couple of times, in the school and round the paddocks and had no issues. My instructor rode him once, also while i was away, in the school and again no issues. Two of the liveries have also had sits on him, in the school, while i'm there, just walk and trot, again no problems other than a bit of naughtiness (nothing serious).
A girl who used to livery her horse at the yard came home for this week and was looking for something to ride. As i've been v busy recently and only been able to ride approx twice during the week, I offered her C, knowing that she is an experienced rider (have seen her ride her fairly spirited horse loads)- killing several birds with one stone- she has horse to ride, I get the pressure off a bit, C gets lots of exercise which is good as he is stabled at the mo as fields v wet.
We met at the yard on Tues, and agreed that I'd muck out while she rode C in the school, but I'd stick around the school for a bit first to check she was okay with him and vice versa. He was a little fresh (couple of teeny spooks/jumps) she handled him well, and got him going really really nicely. I checked she was okay, she said yep no problem, he was going really well for her and he was concentrating well too. I turned to leave, and as i was walking away, heard him whinny, looked over my shoulder and saw he had jumped out of his lovely quiet walk and cantered over to the gate before rider could stop him
Shouted to rider to check she was okay, she said yes just embarassed she had been taken by surprise! So I kept walking, checking over my shoulder, she had 'words' with him (quite right as by now he was just being naughty, backing up towards gate etc) and was back to schooling nicely within 2mins. She had a good session with him, enjoyed herself, I popped on at the end to show her how to get a good canter on him as she said she was finding it a little tricky- he felt great and was very good.
We arranged she'd ride again today, and she asked if she could hack him out round the fields. I said yes (knowing, like I said, her horse was not easy and she is experienced) but that he is not as easy round the fields as he is in the school- nothing mean spirited at all, but he is a bit sensitive, fairly fit TB who likes to go fast, and is quite spirited- he is pretty sharp and can be a little argumentative about speed
But I have never felt unsafe on him or EVER like he was trying to get me off- and I'm no Mary King 
She has told me today that she schooled for a bit, then as he had worked well she went to go round the fields as a 'reward'. As she walked into the yard, intending to go through to the fields, he (in her words) starting doing 'massive rears, spinning in little circles and running backwards' and she could not get him out of the yard. After a lot of battling, she took him back into the school to try and get some sense into him by schooling again. But he was still rearing and napping, and she said in the end after 45mins (!) of arguing, she ended it on a good note by managing to get him to do some steps of walk without misbehaving.
I am totally bewildered. She said he didn't seem in any physical discomfort, before/during/after. This is TOTALLY out of character- he is normally very forward thinking, eager and enthusiastic and has never shown any nappy tendencies.
I feel really awful for putting them both through it really, but they seemed to get on really well (aside from his silly run to the gate) on Tuesday, and she was very competent with his little bits of silliness- and he seemed fine with her then.
Should I be getting more people to ride him (with me in the vicinity..)? Is he just trying it on with a different rider?
Thanks for any replies
Other people have ridden him since I got him- my friend rode him the week he arrived! And also while i was on holiday in the summer she rode him a couple of times, in the school and round the paddocks and had no issues. My instructor rode him once, also while i was away, in the school and again no issues. Two of the liveries have also had sits on him, in the school, while i'm there, just walk and trot, again no problems other than a bit of naughtiness (nothing serious).
A girl who used to livery her horse at the yard came home for this week and was looking for something to ride. As i've been v busy recently and only been able to ride approx twice during the week, I offered her C, knowing that she is an experienced rider (have seen her ride her fairly spirited horse loads)- killing several birds with one stone- she has horse to ride, I get the pressure off a bit, C gets lots of exercise which is good as he is stabled at the mo as fields v wet.
We met at the yard on Tues, and agreed that I'd muck out while she rode C in the school, but I'd stick around the school for a bit first to check she was okay with him and vice versa. He was a little fresh (couple of teeny spooks/jumps) she handled him well, and got him going really really nicely. I checked she was okay, she said yep no problem, he was going really well for her and he was concentrating well too. I turned to leave, and as i was walking away, heard him whinny, looked over my shoulder and saw he had jumped out of his lovely quiet walk and cantered over to the gate before rider could stop him
Shouted to rider to check she was okay, she said yes just embarassed she had been taken by surprise! So I kept walking, checking over my shoulder, she had 'words' with him (quite right as by now he was just being naughty, backing up towards gate etc) and was back to schooling nicely within 2mins. She had a good session with him, enjoyed herself, I popped on at the end to show her how to get a good canter on him as she said she was finding it a little tricky- he felt great and was very good.We arranged she'd ride again today, and she asked if she could hack him out round the fields. I said yes (knowing, like I said, her horse was not easy and she is experienced) but that he is not as easy round the fields as he is in the school- nothing mean spirited at all, but he is a bit sensitive, fairly fit TB who likes to go fast, and is quite spirited- he is pretty sharp and can be a little argumentative about speed
But I have never felt unsafe on him or EVER like he was trying to get me off- and I'm no Mary King She has told me today that she schooled for a bit, then as he had worked well she went to go round the fields as a 'reward'. As she walked into the yard, intending to go through to the fields, he (in her words) starting doing 'massive rears, spinning in little circles and running backwards' and she could not get him out of the yard. After a lot of battling, she took him back into the school to try and get some sense into him by schooling again. But he was still rearing and napping, and she said in the end after 45mins (!) of arguing, she ended it on a good note by managing to get him to do some steps of walk without misbehaving.
I am totally bewildered. She said he didn't seem in any physical discomfort, before/during/after. This is TOTALLY out of character- he is normally very forward thinking, eager and enthusiastic and has never shown any nappy tendencies.
I feel really awful for putting them both through it really, but they seemed to get on really well (aside from his silly run to the gate) on Tuesday, and she was very competent with his little bits of silliness- and he seemed fine with her then.
Should I be getting more people to ride him (with me in the vicinity..)? Is he just trying it on with a different rider?
Thanks for any replies
Horses have off days, just like us. He wasn't happy with something, whether a new a rider or something else not blatantly clear. Stick her back on him if she's willing and give it another go.