Rider available

[Poniesandpooches]

Hi all, I’m new to the forum. Always search here for good advice & tips but never actually joined as a member! So here I am! I have a question that’s been playing on my mind so thought I’d see what you thought…


A friend asked me to ride her horse last week to see what I thought and it got me thinking I’d love to improve my schooling & ride some different horses.


I’m wondering if there are people interested in someone like me coming to ride/exercise their horse for them. I don’t mean to loan as I already have my own horse who I hack out/take to beach/fun rides & comps but I only get to school about twice a month as I have to box there. Ideally I’d be looking for someone who is too big/ ill/injured/pregnant/abit scared of their horse or just wants some one else to help exercise. I’d be available weekdays but my problem is I would have my 1 year old with me. Would anyone be happy to watch me schooling their horse and keep an eye on buba in exchange for free training?! I can of course be child free evenings & weekends! Or am I looking for the impossible ha! I’m a 5’2 8.5 stone calm and sympathetic rider. I’m not an amazing rider but a confident & competent novice with some experience of retraining a difficult ex racer!

 

[abbijay]

Perhaps you will find someone but for me no I wouldn't be able to find a use for you. I would not want to babysit for you to ride. If you were a professional coming to school then I would want to watch you school but not have the responsibility for the child (and would you be happy to pass on the responsibility of your baby to a virtual stranger? I know I wouldn't with mine), if you were just doing me a favour by exercising then I wouldn't see the need to be there. I would be more interested in a part-loan type agreement where you help out with the chores or contribute toward livery fees unless you were a pro type.
Perhaps you would be better placed to ask a few friends if you can do a bit with theirs' - I wouldn't mind sitting with a friend's baby while they rode mine so we could have a catch up, maybe in return for a play on their horse a week or 2 later.

 

[Poniesandpooches]

Perhaps you will find someone but for me no I wouldn't be able to find a use for you. I would not want to babysit for you to ride. If you were a professional coming to school then I would want to watch you school but not have the responsibility for the child (and would you be happy to pass on the responsibility of your baby to a virtual stranger? I know I wouldn't with mine), if you were just doing me a favour by exercising then I wouldn't see the need to be there. I would be more interested in a part-loan type agreement where you help out with the chores or contribute toward livery fees unless you were a pro type.
Perhaps you would be better placed to ask a few friends if you can do a bit with theirs' - I wouldn't mind sitting with a friend's baby while they rode mine so we could have a catch up, maybe in return for a play on their horse a week or 2 later.

Fair points & I get most people would want a professional however when I was pregnant I tried to find someone who would come and ride my horse but didn’t want to pay a pro and never found anyone suitable as friends who ride were all busy with their own. I didn’t expect them to pay/do any jobs in return, I just wanted my horse to tick over! And no I’m not saying I’d just leave my child with a random stranger, but happy for her to be asleep in the pram outside the school. Ie. Owner is around incase anything was to happen.

 

[greenbean10]

I'm another who thinks it's unlikely you'll find someone who will look after your child in exchange for you riding their horse. A 'confident and competent novice' looking to 'improve their schooling' riding my horse isn't worth an hour of me having to look after someone else's toddler!

I am very un-maternal so perhaps that's why. But it's definitely not a balanced exchange considering you aren't a professional rider.

 

[mini_b]

I'm another who thinks it's unlikely you'll find someone who will look after your child in exchange for you riding their horse. A 'confident and competent novice' looking to 'improve their schooling' riding my horse isn't worth an hour of me having to look after someone else's toddler!

I am very un-maternal so perhaps that's why. But it's definitely not a balanced exchange considering you aren't a professional rider.

I have a child and none of that sounds like a deal to me ?

In all seriousness, when I have been unable to ride I pay a professional or he gets hacked out by someone I know and know their skill level (it’s a deal for them riding a fun and fairly safe hack for free)

 

[Cutgrass]

Hi all, I’m new to the forum. Always search here for good advice & tips but never actually joined as a member! So here I am! I have a question that’s been playing on my mind so thought I’d see what you thought…


A friend asked me to ride her horse last week to see what I thought and it got me thinking I’d love to improve my schooling & ride some different horses.


I’m wondering if there are people interested in someone like me coming to ride/exercise their horse for them. I don’t mean to loan as I already have my own horse who I hack out/take to beach/fun rides & comps but I only get to school about twice a month as I have to box there. Ideally I’d be looking for someone who is too big/ ill/injured/pregnant/abit scared of their horse or just wants some one else to help exercise. I’d be available weekdays but my problem is I would have my 1 year old with me. Would anyone be happy to watch me schooling their horse and keep an eye on buba in exchange for free training?! I can of course be child free evenings & weekends! Or am I looking for the impossible ha! I’m a 5’2 8.5 stone calm and sympathetic rider. I’m not an amazing rider but a confident & competent novice with some experience of retraining a difficult ex racer!

Honestly, as someone with a toddler this sounds like a nightmare! It's unlikely your baby will nap and sit happily in the pushchair for much longer. As they get even a little older they start to need constant entertainment and supervision. You wouldn't even enjoy riding as you'd have one eye/ear on your child all the time. Either look around for a part loan locally and leave your baby with his/her father while you ride or wait for a few years until nursery/school mean you have more free time.

 

[Caol Ila]

Hard no from me. Can't imagine anything worse than looking after a baby while "a confident and competent novice" rides my horse (I also never babysat as a teen...not a kid person). Who really benefits from that (other than you)? Not the owner, who still has to be at the barn to babysit while someone who isn't a super experienced pro rides their horse. If you're a reasonable rider and owners trust you, you're more useful as either a sharer, or someone who can exercise their horse when they can't get to the barn.

 

[1523679]

You’re very trusting when it comes to other people looking after your small child.

You could end up with someone like me, who can’t tell the difference between “nodded off” and “slipped into a coma”.

 

[Elf On A Shelf]

Even without the sprog in tow I would not entertain the thought of a "competent novice" riding any of mine to gain experience. That is what you pay instructors for - to teach you how to ride properly not to fumble along on someone else's pride and joy and possibly create more problems or have a horse realise how much they can get away with with you.

 

[Winters100]

Sorry, but afraid it would be a big no from me. Only one of mine would be suitable for a novice, and when I don't want to / am unable to ride her I have many offers from friends and others at the yard. I do sometimes let competent novices ride her as a favour, but in this case I am watching them carefully, not babysitting. If you want more riding I think that the best way would be to ask friends, but arrange a babysitter for that time.

 

[ownedbyaconnie]

I’m pregnant and love children and it’s a no from me.

 

[InklePickle]

No, never ever.

 

[IveRunOutOfNamesToThinkOf]

I’m sorry to laugh at this but are we talking of exchanging babysitting for exercising someone’s horse?? ?

What seems to be asked is can I ride your horse for free, and also will you take care of my child while I do so? Have I missed something?

 

[Red-1]

I would to personally want this, but am obviously a lone voice to say that if I were you, I would pop a card up in a tack shop. Why not? What have you to lose?

The arrangement may suit someone. You do also say that weekends and evenings you could have an alternative babysitter, which may appeal to a wider range of people.

If someone was unable to ride, they may have a horse who would benefit from being ridden. Someone may just keep horses at a private yard and want company.

You are not forcing anyone to reply, so no one has to. Nothing to lose. Not like you are leaving the child unattended, you will be there. Obviously, you would take reasonable precautions about meeting people somewhere remote, but there is much to gain and nothing to lose.

Good luck!

 

[Lipglosspukka]

Well I would say yes. I think it sounds like a wonderful idea. I don't get time to ride enough so it would be amazing to have someone ride for me a few times a week.

Would your child be content in the horse walker?

 

[Ownedby4horses]

I can’t imagine there would be much call for it to be honest and with a small child in tow would be a big no for a lot of people too.

 

[Poniesandpooches]

Haha ok obviously not something anyone would want. Thanks Red-1 at least you read that I was also available child free and not going to just abandon my baby with a stranger !
Maybe to say I’m a novice was a bit harsh. I get the horse working forward and properly from behind/ leg yield/ shoulder fore etc. But I am a wuss when it comes to jumping any sort of height

 

[kc921]

To be honest, I personally wouldn't, unless you were child free or could go up without me there.
It sounds more like a part loan and I would expect financial contribution towards you riding my horse, as said above, because you are a confident novice and not an experienced rider.
Good luck though, there may be someone out there who is looking for something like this

 

[COldNag]

I can see there might be an opportunity if you could find someone in later stages of pregnancy who is unable to ride? Long shot but you never know.

 

[MissTyc]

It would be a no from me - close to my worst nightmare, but I can think of a few maternally minded women on my yard who do a lot of grooming and no riding who would probably jump at the chance to play with a baby while you played with their horse. None of these are particularly well-schooled horses; not much to break lol ... The school isn't near the yard so you wouldn't have the trust these women while you disappear off the school. Knowing them, no chance they would want to watch. I've seen them hand over a horse to a total stranger for a "trial ride" and no watch. They made ME feel like I was the paranoid one for commenting on it.

I'm just saying, there are people and horses for all situations; you just need to find them.

 

[Quigleyandme]

I had a pro turn up to give me a side-saddle lesson on my horse with her two children in tow. One was about four and the other about two. The kids sat on the lawn and drew and coloured in and were no problem at all for my entire 90 minute session. I also got a charming portfolio of pictures of me on my horse. I wouldn’t be averse to trying out an arrangement whereby a competent non-pro schooled my horse while I kept a little eye on their toddler.

 

[PinkvSantaboots]

The schooling while a baby is in a pushchair is easily done 2 of my friends next door do it most days, my friend who rides mine has often had her baby and it's been fine when she comes over, I don't get lumbered looking after her at all we just park the buggy outside the school.

I can understand some people not wanting a baby around while someone rides though, but you have said you can be child free at other times so I don't think it's a problem.

I think as long as your riding us beneficial to the horses training I think some people would be grateful of the help.

Put a request on your regional board you may get some takers.

 

[throwawayaccount]

sorry to sound harsh, but I also would not want to allow a stranger essentially a free ride on my horse in return for looking after their kid??

 

[Casey76]

Sounds like you actually want more lessons on multiple horses. To improve your schooling you need someone on the ground telling you *how* to improve, otherwise you could just be teaching the horse all kinds of bad habits, and I think it’s a little unfair asking people to allow you to experiment on their horses.

 

[mini_b]

I’m sorry to laugh at this but are we talking of exchanging babysitting for exercising someone’s horse?? ?

What seems to be asked is can I ride your horse for free, and also will you take care of my child while I do so? Have I missed something?

I had to read it a couple of times...

 

[Crazy_cat_lady]

I haven't let anyone on mine since I got him, bar an instructor one lesson when he was being a right pain.

Unfortunate in this day and age, while both he and I have insurance, there's too many cases about compensation culture and suing for me to want to let anyone on him

He's not even dangerous or difficult but IS spooky. It's also spooky at RANDOM things. Yes I could mitigate the risk by only allowing them in the school, but given he's been known to complete a lesson perfectly respectably, then when being cooled off at the end spook at a piece of sand just because it was a different colour to the damp sand in the rest of the school...

I just cannot take the risk of him spooking someone off, despite the fact we both have insurance. Even if I knew the person well, how do you know an injury wouldn't change someone...

I wouldn't let anyone hack him, as it's taken me work getting him to hack alone and I don't allow any hint of napping.

I'm not saying I'm the greatest rider, far from it. But in this day and age its not worth it.

 

[J&S]

I might agree if it was CDJ and her baby (no, I don't think she has one yet!) or I might do it for a really super experienced friend if i needed some riding help. Then I would consider they were doing me a favour and looking after sprog would be just part of the deal.

 

[Tarragon]

When I was in my 30s and without a horse or pony of my own, I used to help keeping hunters fit at a local hunting livery yard. I would do it in my lunch break and would get two exercised. The first mount would be tacked up and ready waiting for when I arrived, and then whisked away on my return and the next one presented.
No money changed hands. I wanted to ride and I love hacking and they needed help keeping the hunters fit. It suited both parties down to the ground.
So, it can work - but really not sure how this fits around having a baby in tow!!

 

[ElleSkywalkingintheair]

I'm in desperate need of a rider to come excercise one of my idiot siblings and have been thinking that a non working parent would be ideal, as they would have time in the day but not want to hang around too much to do pony patting, and I don't even mind the competent novice bit but I'm afraid am not a fan of children so would be a no from me, however as Red says its worth putting up an ad, as not everyone is allergic to children ?