Riding other horses!

_MizElz_

_MizElz_

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Just curious - how many one-horse-owners here make a genuine effort to try to ride lots of different horses? It occurred to me this week that for the last eight years, I have only properly ridden Ellie, which is quite a scary thought! She and I are so finely tuned to one another now that I dread to think how hopeless I actually am as a rider...

Ellie's been poorly for the last week or so with lymphangitis :( and although the vet has said I'd be fine to keep riding her, I've been reluctant to do so as she's been so down and un-Ellie like. We went out for a gentle toddle yesterday, but I'm going to take things very slowly with her until she's back on form. Her being under the weather has led to some very kind offers from fellow liveries, who have both said I am welcome to ride their horses if I want to.

Generally speaking I feel quite awkward about this; I would never, ever allow anyone else to ride Ellie, and therefore feel totally out of order accepting offers from other people as it simply shows how selfish I actually am...! :eek::rolleyes: But I've been very honest about my selfishness, and both people have assured me that even if I were to offer, they'd have no desire to ride Ellie :p

So the long and the short of it is that I am taking someone else's horse out for a hack early tomorrow morning, and I am eager to find out whether or not I am still able to 'ride', or whether I am just able to ride Ellie :o:D Place your bets....:D:D:D

Just wondered what others' thoughts on this are? There are several people at my yard who like to ride as many different horses as possible, and although I've traditionally spurned this view, I'm beginning to think they're actually very sensible! :p
 
I have ridden my pony exclusively for around 7 years. I have ridden my daughters horse a couple of times just recently due to my old girl being broken and was horrified how weird and different and incompetent I felt. I used to ride other horses very regulalry. I guess I ought to make an effort to do it more often.
 
I am the opposite! I am pretty relaxed about other people riding my horse and if a friend has a problem with theirs I often offer a sit. Often my friends ride mine to help me out as well which I appreciate - my horse is sensible and experienced so it doesn't really bother either of us.
I am another matter though - although my instructor has told me I need to ride other horses I haven't been. Occasionally I am put on my friends' horses for a quick sit but I get really nervous that I will do something wrong and 'break' their schooling so I have to have the owner there to check that my riding is ok.
 
I have found the opposite to be the case, i have only really ridden my mare for the last 4 years with the occasional ride on my daughters gelding, now my daughter is off to University i will be taking her horse on as well and have started riding him more.

I honestly thought i would be a terrible rider on him but have found that because my mare is not straight forward he has been a breeze to ride, have really enjoyed riding him and then i enjoy my mare even more when i ride her, he is laid back and a 'kick on' type and my mare is a 'whoa there' type.

I think you may find Miz-elz that you will be fine ;-)
 
Over winter when my horse was on box rest i rode quite a few different horses, and Then when i got Harley a few months ago I stopped riding other horses, but i have recently started riding a small pony who is too much for his owner, and a cob who is also too much for his owner.
I think it's really good to ride as many different horses as you can, and it really helps your riding.
 
Im funny about who rides my horse, i could count them on 1 hand.
I ride other horses off and on, and have been keeping another liverys event horse ticking over, also have been asked to keep a youngster coming back in to work on their recovery and fittening schedule while the owners away on hols.
I do think its good for any riders education to ride as many horses as you can but only if you want to, if you only ever ride your own horse and are happy with that, great, as long as youre happy:)
 
I think its important to ride other horses - I've been riding all sorts of horses for the last few years since I sold my mare and because of that experience I can get on basically anything and get a tune out of it.

I am also relaxed about other people riding mine - pretty much anyone else welcome to have a sit as long as they're not a total numpty, and its under my supervision. Its interesting to see how they go with other people, and good for them to get used to different types of rider.

I don't really understand those who are completely uptight about anyone else riding their horse - to me it seems to suggest an insecurity that their horse will go better for the other person than for them - either that or its pretty arrogant if you don't think anyone else can be trusted to sit on yours! There may be other reasons but I can't understand them...

That said, I'd only let someone ride one of mine without supervision if I really trusted them and their ability - but I wouldn't think much of my ability to train a horse if I had one so dangerous that I couldn't trust them to be safe with a competent rider.
 
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I'd like to think I have ridden a fair amount of horses despite being a one horse owner. I think it's important to improve your riding.

However, I am VERY picky about who I let on Andy. I know of one person I'd let ride him without me being there. :o Not that I think I'm a good rider and I ride him perfectly I just worry about what would happen without me there.
 
I don't normally set out to try and ride other horses but somehow always seem to end up being asked to exercise/jump/sort out problems. At the moment I am schooling one horse, jumping a few for YO who only does dressage and being crash test dummy for a couple of ponies being broken in.

I'm not a brilliant rider but fairly 'stickable' and lightweight and I love the experience I get (I started riding as an adult so feel I missed out on the 'pony years'), although it's still nice to get back to my own horse at the end of the day. :)
 
Whenever I've had my own horse (have had two previously, now on third one), I've NEVER ridden anyone elses. Probably because the opportunity has seldom come up, but actually, I don't think I could .... it would somehow feel disloyal, like having sex with a stranger perhaps? I dunno.

When I lost my previous two horses, the first time I got on another horse it felt weird, like having a new date after you've had a super loving relationship for ages and ages and then suddenly that's come to an end.

Sorry, I'm probably being over dramatic!!! ;)
 
xspiralx said:
I think its important to ride other horses - I've been riding all sorts of horses for the last few years since I sold my mare and because of that experience I can get on basically anything and get a tune out of it.

I am also relaxed about other people riding mine - pretty much anyone else welcome to have a sit as long as they're not a total numpty, and its under my supervision. Its interesting to see how they go with other people, and good for them to get used to different types of rider.

I don't really understand those who are completely uptight about anyone else riding their horse - to me it seems to suggest an insecurity that their horse will go better for the other person than for them - either that or its pretty arrogant if you don't think anyone else can be trusted to sit on yours! There may be other reasons but I can't understand them. That said, I'd only let someone ride one of mine without supervision if I really trusted them and their ability - but I wouldn't think much of my ability to train
a horse if I had one so dangerous that I couldn't trust them to be safe with a competent rider.
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My horse is a sensitive wee soul and there are only a few people id trust to ride her, nothing to do with insecurity, my folks i trust to ride her work her beautifully and its so nice to see her from the ground when being ridden by them, like a proud mother lol
I wouldnt trust just anybody with any of my other treasured possessions, I dont think that makes me arrogant, just careful with the things i love :)
 
Sorry - am replying from phone and it sent before I meant to!!

xspiralx - I know what you mean; I have already admitted I am very selfish about Ellie :p I'm so precious about her, I just hate the thought of anything happening to her. She's also very sensitive - my SJ instructor (an amazing and very sympathetic rider) never really got on with her, and the last time he rode her, he broke his leg in two places...! It's nothing to do with how talented I consider myself to be or not to be; I'd never profess to be any good at training horses; all i know is that Ellie and I have a fantastic relationship :) Thats not to say that others wouldn't be able to jump her higher, or make her dressage better. But she's my baby - and really, I make no apologies for refusing to let others ride her. She's so sharp that nobody wants to ride her anyway! :D
 
I let everyone ride BH. I think it's good for him to deal with the idea that other people ride him. I might want to sell him one day after all and I don't want him freaking out when someone else gets on. Besides, it's interesting to see how he goes for other people. Even quite novicey people ride him as he is a good boy. I think I'm very lucky to be able to have horses and I'm happy to share with people who can't.

I've ridden a lot of the other liveries at the yard. At least 5 of them I guess. Plus often ride other friends horses and they ride mine. I doubt I usually go more than a couple of months without riding something which isn't mine. I love trying out other peoples. Variety is the spice of life and all that :)
 
marydoll said:
My horse is a sensitive wee soul and there are only a few people id trust to ride her, nothing to do with insecurity, my folks i trust to ride her work her beautifully and its so nice to see her from the ground when being ridden by them, like a proud mother lol
I wouldnt trust just anybody with any of my other treasured possessions, I dont think that makes me arrogant, just careful with the things i love :)
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You haven't really read my post... I was referring to those who would never let anyone else ride their horse - rather than those who only allow certain trusted people on board, which I think is completely understandable.
 
I like to ride different horses! I've had my mare nearly a year now, but in that time she's been off work for 6/7months. My instructor is at the same yard and I've been having lessons on her 3 horses since January, I've also ridden a couple of friends horses in that time too. If I could afford it I would take on a second horse as even though I am bringing my girl back into work now we will be just hacking for a very long time and I miss schooling and learning to do new things!
 
I think riding lots of different horses is invaluable in making you a better rider. I ride as many different ones as I can find time for and always have - I share my horse with my sister and we seem to end up with at least another regular to compete, and happily get on anything from hairy ponies to very good competition horses. Teaches you what to look for and how to achieve it. Getting on a strange horse can help you realise some home truths about your own, and about your riding and faults/bad habits! And obviously, riding a well-schooled horse is invaluable for your development as a rider.

And as for others riding your horse - I must say that I find a lot of people are ridiculously precious about this - a well-schooled horse should be able to cope with a different rider - (see show jumping World Cup final when the four finalists have to ride each others horses, for example) - if you really don't think anyone else can ride your horse, you probably need to train it better! ;-)

I know that there are exceptions to the rule, but really... most of our nags will, and SHOULD, cope just fine with someone else on them occasionally!
 
I try to ride as many as possible, and luckily (or not) i'm normally used as the crash-test dummy for any new or young horses. I think it does really improve your riding, and i find the more different types you ride, the easier it is to "click" with any new horse you get.
Its also good for the horses to experience different riders, but strangely enough I am very funny about who I let ride mine, especially my home-bred one :)
 
ride my boy & my god daughters every day & have a lesson on something random once a week! but have been known to jump on strange ones at shows too! lol
 
I have had my old horse for 16 years, for the first 4 years I rode other horses quite regularly and also let other people have a go on him quite often, I was a teenager and swapping was often done.

I had a break from riding when I was at Uni and never seem to have quite got the seat back that I had before. For 5 years I really was a one horse rider (and that horse was only 14.2), I only rode 3 other horses in that time once each, two were cobs and I really couldn't ride them at all the other was a TB and I couldn't ride him either!

Only a handful of other people have ridden my old gelding in the last 8 years, and only a quick ride each with me keeping an eye on things, he is very special to me and I don't like other people riding him!

I bought my 16.2 mare 3 years ago and have found going between her and the 14.2 no problem, in walk and trot, but I hate her canter I think it's awful! Obviously after 16 years I find my gelding very easy compared to my mare, sometimes I only have to think something and he does it!

I quite comfortable letting people ride my mare, as she is being reschooled I don't want her to be a one rider horse like my gelding is. I am paying someone to school her once a week and a friend has also started riding her in preparation for backing her youngster. I think because I have struggled with confidence with her I like her to have sessions with braver people who will push her which then in turn gives me more confidence.

So basically I can only really ride two horses (one better than the other), won't let anyone ride my gelding and am ok about others riding my mare!
 
i'll sit on whatever i get the chance to! everyone on our yard is pretty open and my yo lets me use her boys for lessons whenever i want if i want to work a bit more on me and not have to focus so much on not being bolted with as was the case with my old boy...! Sul is on full livery i would let most people on him but only when im there otherwise its only a few specific people as he is sweet but can be very unpredictable and no one is allowed to jump him as a rule.
rosc was very quirky and though i was happy for most people to have a sit on him majority wouldnt as an exracer anyone with short legs or who rode jockey style seemed to send him into complete tailspin no one else apart from yo would hack him and definitely no one jump him i had quite a few lessons with a top event rider we know well she said she adored him but would never dream of sitting on him as we had quite an obvious bond he got anxious if i even left him on the yard for a minute and she felt it was important not to interupt...
 
Getting on a 'strange' horse is like driving a different car. Just feels weird to start with. But then as you get into it, quite fun. And sometimes scary. It is amazing how completely and utterly different they all feel - horses and cars.
 
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