People who lie about their riding skills

[FestiveFuzz]

Perhaps she had lost her nerve? Happens to the best of us . . . best not to sneer or put someone in an uncomfortable position - that might just be you one day.

P

This would be me right now. As a teen I was the kind of girl to ride anything and whilst I probably wasn't the prettiest rider I was rarely phased by anything. Unfortunately after a bad fall and a few years out of the saddle I've come back to riding with confidence of glass and hope none of the people who've offered to hack out with my new boy would put me in such an uncomfortable position.

 

[Carrots&Mints]

Then surely you knew that what she was saying wasn't true and you then set out to humiliate her and make her feel unsafe, what unkind behaviour

Well there was a big bunch of us and like I said she knew before she went out that we don't go to the bottom of the woods to walk up them....

 

[pip6]

The point is people lie needlessly. We wouldn't think less of them for being honest (if anything more). It just gets your back up or irritates when people constantly lie.

 

[Carrots&Mints]

The point is people lie needlessly. We wouldn't think less of them for being honest (if anything more). It just gets your back up or irritates when people constantly lie.

Hit the nail on the head there Pip6! My thoughts exactly

 

[Carrots&Mints]

This would be me right now. As a teen I was the kind of girl to ride anything and whilst I probably wasn't the prettiest rider I was rarely phased by anything. Unfortunately after a bad fall and a few years out of the saddle I've come back to riding with confidence of glass and hope none of the people who've offered to hack out with my new boy would put me in such an uncomfortable position.

Well I'm sure you don't lie about how much you can ride etc you'll most Lilly tell the truth!

 

[elliefiz]

^^This, in spades. This thread is getting a bit mean really. Sometimes all people have are the tiny victories that seem rubbish/meaningless to others. Second out of two - hey, at least they took part! They tried and yeah, they are allowed to be proud, so ner!

<cranky, as have just had a molar extracted, with no sedation, my nose is itchy but can't feel when I scratch it, my mouth hurts, and my eyelid is now numb!>

Completely agree with this. Unless someone's fibs affect your life directy why not just disregard it and accept some people have an over active imagination. Also who cares if someone came 2nd out of 2 people? Its the taking part that counts and its not a lie as they were actually 2nd. I dont get the need to rain on anyones parade, the saying "live and let live" springs to mind.

Arizahn- that sounds terribly uncomfortable, hope you feel better soon.

 

[FestiveFuzz]

Well I'm sure you don't lie about how much you can ride etc you'll most Lilly tell the truth!

Personally if anything I under estimate my ability to avoid being judged by people. Ultimately I just don't get why people are so irked by those who might fabricate their abilities somewhat. Does it really impact your riding/time with your horse that much?

Just to add I do understand the frustration if you're looking to share or loan your horse but imagine it's pretty apparent they've lied from the moment you see them ride.

I just don't understand why people are bothered by fellow liveries exaggerations but hey, that's just me I guess.

 

[Spring Feather]

Tbh it doesn't bother me. People can say whatever but the minute you see them on the ground with the horses you can usually figure it out pretty much straight away their level of horsemanship. I never let any new person just get on my sharp horses, even if they do claim to be experienced riders. I always give them a quiet, easy going horse who will put up with any inexperience. After they've been on that horse you can tell whether they are what they claim and next time I might let them on a more experienced ride horse.

When I ride out with other people, even on their own horses, I'm respectful of going at speeds that everyone on the ride is happy to go at. If someone is a bit nervous of doing something then I simply don't do it and wait till the next time I'm out without them. Not a big deal really.

 

[Annagain]

I underestimate my riding ability if anything. Had a lesson with a new (to me) instructor yesterday. Within 30 seconds of him asking me to tell me about myself he stopped me and told me off for telling him what I can't do rather than what I can.

My biggest fear (especially jumping) is ruining my share horse for his owner as he's a total star. It was quite nice to hear him tell me I couldn't ruin M if I tried as he seems such a happy confident horse and that my riding is nowhere near as bad as I think it is! It made me realise (for the first time!) I've been sharing him 4 years so if I haven't ruined him by now, I'm probably not going to!

I know of a few people who I'm sure add 20cms onto the height of a fence they've jumped but I probably add an inch or two myself now and again It still doesn't make the fences I jump very big though

 

[Rudolph's Red Nose]

I remember an ex livery who regularly bought ponies to break and sell as a project as she was tiny - She competed BE90 / BE100 with her own horse. However she took one of the ponies to a local pc cross country and there on facebook that evening was her and her mum announcing that **** the pony had won his class and perhaps they should now target him towards xc market and not a family pony, followed with loads of comments saying brilliant, well done, what a pony, you should increase his price etc etc - err yes you did the mini and you were against tiny kids with poor red faced mums running around accompanying them and there was only 4 in the class !!

 

[_GG_]

I think most of us have inbuilt BS detector when it comes to this sort of thing. The last time I rode another horse that was as a client...it was at the Cumbrian Heavy Horse Centre. I spoke to Annie on the phone and she asked what level I had ridden at. I told her, but then said, "but that was over 10 years ago....I am nervous jumping now and just ride my own, I am nowhere near the rider I used to be". When I said that, she laughed and said..."haha, you can ride....only the people that really can ride tell me they aren't very good anymore or similar". It sis make me laugh.

I don't really care what people do or say to make themselves feel better...sometimes, if there is a lot of it, it can be reflection on the other people. We have a girl locally that always exaggerates what she has done/can do, but she is surrounded by very judgemental riders who have £100k horses and they make her feel inferior. It is sad, but they are young and will hopefully learn in time.

I did have a sharer come to try Fly a few years back. She was not the 12st she told me, she was about 15st. She was not the experienced rider who had been riding for 16 yrs but had had confidence issues; she was about novice riding school level. She was also extremely sensitive, so I was very careful in the way I explained why a scatty ex racer wasn't going to be a good match for her.

I think it happens with everything TBH. When it comes to the motorbikes, I can ride...I can ride really well, but would I say I was experienced? No. Not been riding long enough and not enough miles under my belt...when safety is a concern, you have to be honest....with yourself. Dan on the other hand is extremely experienced, a very skilled and highly trained rider, yet, he will never every say that himself.

Nowt as queer as folk

 

[PolarSkye]

Completely agree with this. Unless someone's fibs affect your life directy why not just disregard it and accept some people have an over active imagination. Also who cares if someone came 2nd out of 2 people? Its the taking part that counts and its not a lie as they were actually 2nd. I dont get the need to rain on anyones parade, the saying "live and let live" springs to mind.

Absolutely nothing wrong with coming 2nd out of 2 . . . I have more than one rosette from Kal coming last in a very small class - but I am very quick to say if he came 3rd out of 3 (for example). And, yes, it IS about the taking part . . . but when you set yourself up as the yard queen bee and the big "I am," and put other people's riding and their horses down and then come back from a competition all full of yourself saying "we came second" but don't tell people there were only two in the class then you can expect a little backlash .

I can't stand hypocrites. I am, however, all encouragement and support for people who get on and do . . . however small or big their achievements are.

P

 

[RunToEarth]

see it on here ALL the time.....the thing is , you cant hide a BD record so why people do it i dont know!

"came 1st and 2nd in the mediums at the weekend" (with 55%)
"won both his classes" (you were the only one in it)
"schooling PSG" (puts up a vid and it cant even do a single clean flying change)

best one was someone who banged on and on about how her classical german training was better than anyone in the UK, how shows in Germany were scored 10% lower than in the UK so her 61/62% were really 71/72%.....................then moved to the UK, never broke the 64% barrier and ended up paying someone else to ride her youngster because she couldnt sit one side of it, with it being classically simultaneously behind the leg and pulling her arms out!

ridiculous......

I haven't done anything remotely competitive this year, the horses finished hunting in March and went on their holidays, I just haven't had time. I've missed it, but what I haven't missed is how everyone in the local area knows exactly how I have done at a show because someone who I barely know has gone online and looked it up, if we've done well no one will know, but if we've done badly it has been spread like wildfire because people are a bit like that, down side of the sport I guess.

 

[Goldenstar]

We are not coming across like a very kind group of people here are we.

 

[PaddyMonty]

I dont really worry too much about people inflating their abilities.
Only time I have an issue with it is when someone pretends to be an expert and starts helping a novice owner / rider down a very wrong path. Other than that dont really give two hoots.

 

[elliefiz]

We are not coming across like a very kind group of people here are we.

This.

Honestly all this worrying about other people telling fibs about their riding and checking up their results online- it must be exhausting being so concerned about other people! People will generally lie out of insecurities or a feeling of inferiority. I would be more likely to feel sorry for them than anything else.

 

[RaposadeGengibre]

Thinking about booking a riding lesson but after reading the thread I really not sure how to explain my riding abilities.
In teen years Ive been riding every possible nutter but usually hacking and/or bareback and hardly any proper schooling.
So who am I, considering absence of riding for quite a few years, back problems and no core muscles? Rusty novice who still sticks to the horse like a tick? :lol:

 

[hnmisty]

Join Leeds University riding club.
When I was there (before I quit and went and got lessons elsewhere with a friend, this was one of the reasons I left), 98% of them had a totally over-inflated idea of their riding ability. "We were jumping 3'6 from trot" - later heard this was rather more like 2'3". I just got so fed up with it. Why do people have to make out they're so great? They evidently aren't when you see them slopping around like a sack of potatoes.

RaposadeGengibre (that took some copying!), I have a friend who until a couple of months ago lived in the Philippines. She's had ponies for years, and got her first saddle about a year ago. She rode everywhere bareback, in a head collar, and that's how she broke in her ponies to be ridden. And she did a bloody brilliant job with all of them! You go get that riding lesson!

 

[cobalobM]

But how do you know they can't? I spent my teenage years being faceplanted by neurotic horses and sustaining injuries because I was happy to jump on nutcases and sort them out. Now I am a lot happier to sit on a relatively push button ride and I don't feel the need to prove my riding abilities daily by riding something unhinged - I hope people don't look at me and think like you do, that would be quite narrow minded.

think you got the wrong end of the stick, I meant people who ridden push button horses all their life, I have seen a couple people like that- never had to sit on a naughty horse, or a lazy one that won't move, I think thats one of the good things about the riding school I was at- you had the lessons where you wanted to pass out because you had to keep kicking that pony that wouldn't budge, but by then end was going nicely, or had the lessons where the pony took off round the school and you ended up landing on your face- I think if I didn't have that I would be a complete different rider (an by no means am I a good rider- I just learnt to stay on!!!) and yes I know riding school ponies 'know what their doing', but I certainly had to 'ride properly' rather than sit there steering a push button.

See the problem is that I have one of those very horses - until you put someone else on it... Just because it looks push button doesn't mean it is

Maybe it is because they have had the nutcase horse in the past that they have the 'push button' horse now. Doesn't make them any less of a rider

totally agree! of course it doesn't make you any less of a rider, i would love a push button horse and am slightly jealous of people who have one!!!

 

[RaposadeGengibre]

RaposadeGengibre (that took some copying!),

Unfortunately, my usual nickname already had been taken so I had to do some translation

I have a friend who until a couple of months ago lived in the Philippines. She's had ponies for years, and got her first saddle about a year ago. She rode everywhere bareback, in a head collar, and that's how she broke in her ponies to be ridden. And she did a bloody brilliant job with all of them! You go get that riding lesson!

Thanks! You make me feel a bit more confident.

 

[FionaM12]

We are not coming across like a very kind group of people here are we.

I agree. Some of this thread is making me cringe. :redface3:

 

[Pongwiffy]

Nothing special about the horse world IMO, this happens in practically every walk in life....You will always get ambitious/insecure/over-confident individuals who feed off each other or wind each other up.


TBH I'd rather people bigged themselves up to make them feel better rather than put other people down in order to feel superior.

 

[FionaM12]

Thinking about booking a riding lesson but after reading the thread I really not sure how to explain my riding abilities.
In teen years Ive been riding every possible nutter but usually hacking and/or bareback and hardly any proper schooling.
So who am I, considering absence of riding for quite a few years, back problems and no core muscles? Rusty novice who still sticks to the horse like a tick? :lol:

I think if you told them you'd done quite a lot of riding, but had no formal training, they'd understand. They'll soon work out which level to put you at. Hope you enjoy it!

 

[Dave282B]

I'm at an advantage here
I'm a crap rider and know it , and will tell anyone this. I hear people saying they can do this and that and whether true or not I wish I could. Still as I don't have lessons I've only myself to blame
I also don't have any ambitions above happy hacker

 

[JFTDWS]

Maybe it is because they have had the nutcase horse in the past that they have the 'push button' horse now. Doesn't make them any less of a rider

Or maybe they pride themselves on making their own push button ponies who'll do pretty well anything for anyone. Seems a rare enough ambition these days - people are so worked up on competing as high as they can, fast as they can without regard for all round training or maintaining their horse's good nature (plenty of folk seem to actively destroy that so they can boast about how brave they are on their "nutter")

(Not that I'm against competitive aims - if you're good enough to aim for the top, or happy to work within the spectrum of your limitations, steadily pushing back the boundaries of those limitations without messing your horse up...)

 

[Prince33Sp4rkle]

i guess the thing is, i would NEVER try and find out someone bad results just to use them to make said person feel bad....however if said person is coming online to belittle MY results, or the way i train (when not asked i hasten to add), i WILL then go and find out just how experienced/succesful they really are.

the other thing is that BD results are in H&H mag so *known names* tend to catch the eye and can be rather eye opening (even allowing for a bad day/spooky horse/mean judge etc).

results DONT lie, if you are consitstantly getting poor marks, but are BS people online about how superior you are, its a different kettle of fish IMO to effectively stalking people to make them feel small??????

 

[quirky]

Or maybe they pride themselves on making their own push button ponies who'll do pretty well anything for anyone. Seems a rare enough ambition these days - people are so worked up on competing as high as they can, fast as they can without regard for all round training or maintaining their horse's good nature (plenty of folk seem to actively destroy that so they can boast about how brave they are on their "nutter")

(Not that I'm against competitive aims - if you're good enough to aim for the top, or happy to work within the spectrum of your limitations, steadily pushing back the boundaries of those limitations without messing your horse up...)

Is this pertaining to me ?
I don't recall ever having claimed to aim for anything other than enjoying my horse. You won't catch me boasting/bragging about what I can do with a horse, I don't need to as I really don't give 2 hoots what people think of me or my riding

 

[JFTDWS]

Is this pertaining to me ?
I don't recall ever having claimed to aim for anything other than enjoying my horse. You won't catch me boasting/bragging about what I can do with a horse, I don't need to as I really don't give 2 hoots what people think of me or my riding

No, it's following on from your (very sensible) statement I quoted

(eta - I did get distracted though, it isn't very clear!)

 

[ridefast]

I wish I had the confidence to lie about my riding, or even be honest about my riding. I've been run down by so many people over the years that even when people tell me I'm good I always think I'm rubbish.

 

[mandwhy]

Well, this is life, not just horse people!

I think we've all been guilty of thinking we were better than we are at some stage, especially those who came out of riding schools like I did. Unfortunately you don't know what you don't know!

People lying about comps etc is quite sad really, and silly since there are usually witnesses and records at said competitions. Oh well, whatever makes you feel good... As long as you're not making others feel bad in the process.

I am quite happy to laugh at myself so I'd rather tell people of my huge success jumping 6 inches