Riding someone else's horse - etiquette?

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Flicker

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Quick question: my boy is out of action for a few weeks and I've offered to help a friend whose horse is seriously wanting some work, taking the p*ss with her and being a real little sod. She's not got time to ride as often as he needs because she's got a lot going on in her life. I've said that I'll ride him for her on the nights she can't.
He's on DIY so she's up seeing to him every night, just not always got time to ride.
Question is: should I be doing his box etc on the nights I'm riding, or does she do it, get him ready for me and I just hop on? I've still got my own boy (on box rest) to be doing.
Just wondering what general etiquette is regarding this.
When my trainer / friend rode my boy for me when I was injured, I would lead him, tacked up and groomed etc, into the school and she would just get on.
What's the general consensus?
 
When I had help with my girls excercise (was not allowed to ride for 6-8 weeks) I tacked her up and she was ready for them to just hop on. I think thats pretty normal. I wouldn't expect to do her box either, not if you are helping her out and you still have your boy to do.....if anything she could skip your boy out while you are riding her neddie!!!
 
ask her! she may want to still be hands-on, or she may appreciate you doing the stable etc as you are getting to ride him. i'd simply ask which she'd prefer (while making it clear that i was happy to do the work if she wanted me to), no danger of getting it wrong then!
she may really appreciate a night or two off completely if you can manage that, if she's got a lot going on...
 
i would have said you'll be doing her a massive favour i wouldn t be mucking him out i'd just be grooming( a quick flick) him if she hasnt allready and then tacking him up and riding and then untacking this is what i used to do when i used to exercise some1s horses and they were delighted with that.
 
Whenever i ride for someone else they do everything i literally get on and ride and thats it.
If i had someone else doing me a favour by riding mine i would expect to do the same.
 
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Whenever i ride for someone else they do everything i literally get on and ride and thats it.


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that's what always happens when i ride other peoples.
 
As Kerilli said....ask. I love the work side of it and always help my friend when I ride with her. If I get anything else to ride I shall offer to do the same.
 
I wouldn't offer to do overly much to be honest - you need to think how much you can cope with ontop of looking after your chap on box rest which is ruddy hard work and time consuming in itself!! Don't take on too much and over do it, as this is where things can get on top of you! If I was the lady, I'd appreciate you exercising my horse for me as it would mean I wouldn't have to find/advertise for someone suitable, or have to pay anyone! You are doing her a massive favour! xx
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I think it depends - if you are seriously busy with your own and are going to be pushed for time to help out and exercise this horse then i'd try to arrange it so that you do as little as possible other stuff. However, if you have the time to help out then i'd offer this. When I ride other people's horses I don't mind helping out with the other chores where possible as they're letting me ride which I wouldn't get a chance to do otherwise. I appreciate it isn't the same for everybody though.
 
After I fell off my horse and couldnt ride for 6 weeks I had a friend of a friend riding her for me. She still rides twice a week while I am getting back into it. I do the mucking out but she tacks up and rides. On a friday she finishes at lunchtime from work so she mucks out and rides so I get a day off. She doesnt have a horse to look after and wont be getting one for a while so she's benefitting from having a horse to ride for free and i'm benefitting from having someone who can exercise/school her while I cant.
 
when I ride other peoples horses, I expect them to be in and mud brushed off. I'll tack up once i'm there, normally whilst having a chinwagg with the owner. I don't like the idea of a horse stood in tack if i'm held up.
 
If she doesn't have time to ride I don't think she would have time to tack up and have the horse waiting for you.

I would not expect to muck out but would be prepared to give horse a quick groom, tack up, un-tack and settle him in for the night.
 
I've always done it all myself, taking the view that I have absolutely no prior knowledge of the horse and being around it on the ground beforehand helps this out a bit.
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But I guess it depends, ask her and see what she says!
 
Blimey, I wouldn't expect the horse to be groomed and tacked up!
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I suppose it would be sensible if the owner brought it in and mucked out as usual though. I'd definately echo others and ASK! saves any confusion and taking on more than you can chew.
 
To ride someone else's horse is an honour and it is fair to ensure the horse is comfortable before and after the ride. That includes brushing, tacking up, rubbing down, ensuring a full haynet and skipping out.

I don't ride other people's horses but have had people ride mine. I expect my horses and my tack to be treated with care and respect. If someone can't be bothered then they don't ride again.
 
I've ridden other people's horses quite a lot in the last few years, and in pretty much all cases I will do everything to do with the riding part myself. So, get horse in from the field, quick groom, tack up, ride, rugs and then turn back out or put in stable.

I'm always willing to help out with mucking out and other bits too, but if you're literally just riding, then that is what I consider reasonable. I wouldn't expect anyone else to tack up for me, I am more than capable and they aren't my groom!
 
I would ask if you feel you could cope with it

When i've done this though, i've brought in from field, groomed and tacked up and then untacked and rugged up and fed after riding. Owner mucked out, but tbh he liked to.

I did it as a favour a few times when he couldn't make it up or was on holiday. Everyone was happy, except horse who would have rather been in field stuffing his face
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I ride for two different people. The first one I get in and groom, tack up etc before riding but don't muck out.

The second, is my sister who also has a bad back. I'll muck out before riding, she'll groom one half and I'll groom the other.

Best bet is again to ask and see what she expects.
 
I think it depends on the circumstances. My girl has been on boxrest for three months now (and still another 5 weeks to go). If I ride for someone that *asks* me to ride, then I kind of expect they do all the mucking/feeding but I would groom and tack up.

If I ask to borrow the horse for a hack out or whatever, then I expect to do all of the work. It really just depends.

There have been times that I've organised lessons, brought horses in from fields, tacked up and even warmed up so that a friend who was running late could just get on and have lesson - sometimes following my own lesson on another horse or sometimes when I was not having one due to my own horse being on box rest.

It all swings in roundabouts and I find that because I've been willing to help out, I've never had a shortage of horses being offered to ride which is lovely. I personally feel that if someone is kind enough to offer a horse for me to ride (even if it is helping them out due to their own time restrictions) that I'm willing to do the finishing off (ie bed, rugging, feeding or whatever).
 
you have offered to ride the horse, she hasn't asked you to ride it therefore i would be expecting to muck out on the days you ride.

it would be different if she had asked you to ride the horse for her.
 
Whether I've asked or been offered a horse to ride I would always do all the work so muck out/skip out, groom, tack up etc. I can't imagine just turning up at the yard and hopping on, but then I quite enjoy the other aspects of having a horse.
 
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To ride someone else's horse is an honour and it is fair to ensure the horse is comfortable before and after the ride. That includes brushing, tacking up, rubbing down, ensuring a full haynet and skipping out.

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Totally agree Oberton. i ride a friend's horses and i feel it is a honour to be riding them and i am very thankful to her for allowing me to ride with her! I do everything i can to help - mucking out, tacking up etc. To me, these are part of riding and just as important as the riding itself. i would never just get straight in a horse - you learn so much about a horse from grooming and tacking up etc - to me, it is part of riding.
 
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I think it depends on the circumstances. My girl has been on boxrest for three months now (and still another 5 weeks to go). If I ride for someone that *asks* me to ride, then I kind of expect they do all the mucking/feeding but I would groom and tack up.

If I ask to borrow the horse for a hack out or whatever, then I expect to do all of the work. It really just depends.

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I totally agree with the above. I have ridden a couple of horses for other people recently and must admit I stopped riding one because I felt like they weren't bothered at all either way - despite them having asked for my help! I tried to give them a few pointers on what I was doing with him (young-ish native pony with NO flatwork schooling at all which a teenage boys jumps!). It was a bit soul destroying trying to work on him and then watiching the teenage boy pull and kick and race around the school.....a simple thanks for the help would have done but hey....(I'm no expert clearly but at least have some idea of what I am aiming to achieve on the flat, and was also feeding etc that day so giving the family a day off from the yard)
I am also now riding my friend's mare as she is 6 months pregnant and she does most of the work still! I do offer but she says she prefers to keep moving and she has another horse to do anyway. She usually does the stable in the morning and then I will fetch in tack up ride and put to bed, and when I competed her yesterday they came with to the show and then went straight home and I brought the horses back and put her to bed so they had the evening off.
So I think it depends but would def go with if you are asked to ride to help someone out, often it would be a case of the mucking out etc would be done but if you borrow a horse it would be nice to return the favour?
 
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you have offered to ride the horse, she hasn't asked you to ride it therefore i would be expecting to muck out on the days you ride.

it would be different if she had asked you to ride the horse for her.

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ditto.
 
It depends on who's doing who a favour. I've always mucked out when I've ridden a friend's horse, but that's more as a thank you for letting me ride as I'm certainly not doing her a favour by riding him, he doesn't need sorting out and if he did it wouldn't be me doing it! If you're helping her by riding I wouldn't muck out, but if she's doing you a favour by letting you ride I would (I suspect it's a bit of both in which case you need to chat and sort out who does what.) I certainly wouldn't expect him tacked up at all.

I did have a few lessons on the horse of a woman I know as she wanted him to jump (no idea why as she never jumped and he wasnt keen on it) She lived 15 miles away but my instructor's place is only 2 miles away so I'd meet her at the yard just becuse it was practical she would have to bring ihim as he wouldn't load in a trailer and there was no point in me going miles out of my way only to come back.

I'd always turn up 20 minutes before hand to get him ready, only to find him already tacked up with his owner walking him round the car park in hand and stretching his legs out by to 'warm him up' (she was a bit neurotic!) I never expected it though and was happy to at least tack him up. After about 3 months we stopped as he got girth galls and she was convinced it was down to jumping (as I said she was a bit neurotic to say the least!) I can't say I was too upset, he was lovely but the owner was a nightmare!
 
When I've ridden other peoples horses, I get them in, quick groom, tack up, ride, untack, brush off (or wash off in summer), pick feet and settle for the night. As we're a part livery yard horse is already mucked out with net up etc. I would say that generally, you don't muck out.
 
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