Riding under the influence?

[FestiveFuzz]

Now I don't mean absolutely hammered where you're a risk to yourself and your horse but what are your thoughts on having the occasional tipple whilst riding?

I only ask as myself and a friend had our first festive ride of the season yesterday and stopped midway for a glass of mulled wine. Today we were joking about how much braver we were on the way back when one of the other liveries piped up and started berating us for drinking whilst riding.

 

[Sukistokes2]

Really ha! I thought that's how you got through a days hunting!

 

[Double_choc_lab]

You've obviously never been hunting. More than a tipple imbibed there. Purely to keep out the cold though��

 

[FlyingCircus]

As an 18 year old, I rode many a time with a hangover and I'm sure some of the times I competed early morning I was actually still drunk from the night before(!)

 

[lhotse]

I'm sure you can actually get arrested for it, thinking back to Black Beauty...

 

[exmoorponyprincess1]

You can be done for being drunk in charge of a horse as far as I know...but that hasn't stopped me hacking out with a Hipflask every now and again though on special occasions!! . I am also going hunting for the first time just before Xmas and I will definitely have a tipple to help me through the day!!

 

[FestiveFuzz]

You've obviously never been hunting. More than a tipple imbibed there. Purely to keep out the cold though��

Only ever hunted as a child so never drank but was pretty sure it was standard practice.

 

[Red-1]

You can be arrested for being "Drunk In Charge", but as there is no "riding breath test" you would have to be pretty bad. Besides, when I have had a drink the horse is "in charge" not me

In all seriousness I will have a drink socially when out on a pub ride, and will have a drink at home when schooling, but with ever faster cars etc on the road you would have to be crazy to be hammered out hacking.

 

[JFTDWS]

As an undergraduate, I used to hack all the time while... err... still rather under the influence from the night before.

I've also been known to stop at the pub mid ride. Riding while drunk, however, would be a very bad idea.

 

[Illusion100]

Can't see what the problem is with a cheeky glass of mulled wine!

If you returned to the yard naked riding backwards on a cow singing 'Swing low, sweet chariot', then there might be an issue!

 

[FestiveFuzz]

As an undergraduate, I used to hack all the time while... err... still rather under the influence from the night before.

I've also been known to stop at the pub mid ride. Riding while drunk, however, would be a very bad idea.

Ha when at uni I remember taking my old horse to a hunter trial after a particularly heavy night out. It wasn't until half way round when I had to slow her up so I could throw up that I realised that I was quite possibly still drunk. Not my finest hour and had to feign food poisoning but we did come 5th so it wasn't all bad

 

[dalesponydiva]

That's how most of us get through a day's hunting Seriously, Christmas morning we used to ride to the village pub and have a tipple before riding home x

 

[tangoharvey]

I rode to the pub with my YO one day and I'd had Valium.....then 3 pints of Guinness on an empty stomach, I was wasted so YO insisted on clipping a leadrope on me and dragged me back home!!!

 

[Caol Ila]

Do you all have barns within walking distance or have mates who drive you?

Never in my life ridden while pished because I always have to drive to and from the barn. Shame. I clearly need better friends.

 

[Sukistokes2]

I rode to the pub with my YO one day and I'd had Valium.....then 3 pints of Guinness on an empty stomach, I was wasted so YO insisted on clipping a leadrope on me and dragged me back home!!!

Hahahahahahahahaha!!!

Oh sorry Tangoharvey......the Shame of it!!

 

[Hippona]

It was the only way I was brave enough to ride my youngster....

 

[Honey08]

There was a lady near a yard that I worked on that used to go to the pub on her horse. She would tie him up outside, spend a couple of hours in the pub, come out blind drunk, climb on him and hang round his neck while he took her home.

The horse was a saint. He was an ex grade A, she looked after him terribly, loved him to bits, but if I knew her nowadays I'd report her.

As for me, I barely drink usually, but always have a Baileys in my coffee before XC.

 

[linperrie]

I have been out the night before, got hammered, agreed to hack out the next day and got aboard at 10am still quite drunk. Had a fab ride, was very brave galloping everywhere and got home all fine. Only much later when I thought back it felt a bit sketchy. Must have still been drunk! Oops! Ha ha! Probably wouldn't do that again thou! I have however had a hip flask before my very first jumping class ever this year (I'm 40!). If my mare senses nerves she refuses so I had to go at it gung ho after a snifter or two of whiskey. It worked a treat!!! Nothing wrong with a bit of Dutch courage!

 

[Hoof_Prints]

they've clearly never been hunting! I remember my first cubbing meet, me and my mum took a couple of horses and had no idea what we were doing so a nice chap was telling us all about how it works, who was who etc.. rode along chatting with him for a couple hours and within that time he'd emptied his hip flask and had forgotten most of what he had already told us haha. Not long ago I went to a party and didn't get in until 3 am, and in my drunk state I insisted I was going showjumping at 8am, I think my dad only took me for amusement and it was the best round I've ever jumped! flew round double clear.

I think being "merry" is fine, if you find yourself draped around your horses neck slurring your words, I'd dismount

 

[agmp]

rocking up to the pub on your horse on a lovely summer evening is an absolute must. Some of the greatest memories of the summer when I was 18 before uni was heading out with a bunch of mates on our horses and ending up at the pub a couple of minutes from the yard. A couple of our local country pubs even have mounting blocks for such purposes. Usually limit myself to one drink.

And I must confess that on Christmas Day my boys always have a half of guinness each. Not sure if its right or not, but my grandparents always used to feed to theirs on the farm in Ireland and I've been doing it for as long as I can remember! They love it and I usually get very expectant looks from them at dinner time on boxing day. Sure my boys would be alcoholics if I permitted it!


edited to add: galloping has to be the best hangover cure known to mankind!

 

[NZJenny]

Have only ever gated out hunting, but was stunned at how drunk most of them were.

Never mind drunk in charge of a horse, the scary thing was most of them were loading horses into trucks and trailers and driving home!

T'was a few years ago - I hope sense and a lower limit has now applied.

At least endurance riding we waited until we got off the horse and stayed the night.

 

[millikins]

Only ever hunted as a child so never drank but was pretty sure it was standard practice.

Never seemed to bother our local hunt or draghunt who handed out the port to anyone over about 11!

 

[nuttychestnut]

At my old yard we used to go to the pub after doing the horses only to return at midnight to have a play about in the school.
Admittedly sometimes the horses were only brooms, but still a laugh.

 

[Tobiano]

I have had half a cider at the pub before now. I was astonished at my first hunt where the port was practically unlimited. Having never been hunting before and also having to drive 2 hrs home again I didnt dare even sniff the stuff but I saw a lot of it necked back!

 

[exmoorponyprincess1]

In all seriousness I will have a drink socially when out on a pub ride, and will have a drink at home when schooling, but with ever faster cars etc on the road you would have to be crazy to be hammered out hacking.

Agree for "normal" hacking - Hipflask only comes on "special occasion" hacking ie all off road! . And never enough to get hammered...just happy!

 

[rowan666]

galloping has to be the best hangover cure known to mankind!

Absolutely!

 

[spookypony]

Did "first footing" once on New Year's with a bunch on horses...at every stop at local livery yards, we got a dram and the horses got the shortbread...let's just say we were rather bolder towards the end of the ride than the beginning. Still remember my instructor, riding alongside, remarking to me, "you'd probably be having less trouble if your reins were the same length" and me returning, matter-of-factly, "you know, you're probably right..."

Why is this any better than driving under the influence, though? I was only mildly tipsy, but still...is it because a) the horse is going slower, b) the horse isn't (generally) on a public road, and c) the horse is smart enough to contribute to the steering efforts?

 

[w1bbler]

No roads to ride on around me (Dartmoor), lots of pubs with fields \ hitching rails etc, long summer days........or need a warming mulled wine in cold weather.
Yep its a regular thing, have had some very funny moments trying to mount a flighty horse whilst not exactly sober.
Yard is walking distance from home, so no worry about drink driving.

 

[hobo]

Can't see what the problem is with a cheeky glass of mulled wine!

If you returned to the yard naked riding backwards on a cow singing 'Swing low, sweet chariot', then there might be an issue!

That made me snort!!

 

[hihosilver]

A few years ago a friend of mine leant her polo horse to a lady to hack around Windsor Great park, he was a vey chilled out polo pony. It was obvious that she was drunk or worse. Anyhow its a long story so I will keep it short. First she bought in the wrong horse! she then went hacking was gone for hours but came back escorted by police. Not only that she ended up going down by where people have tea in tents (Cant think of name) god knows how she got there! because of the high security and the state of her helicopters were called in and were flying over her!!!! She was escorted back and she couldn't even see how to get through the gate at the yard!! The next day the wardens came and banned her from the park and the yard also banned her. I have never seen such a drunk the or worse rider her hands were up to her mouth as she was steering the poor horse! Horse was fine and he is one in a million. This is a true story that somehow didn't make the papers.