So shoot me down...

Well op Come and park your ass on my tb who doesnt trot on roads, but hacks and does conditioning work through fields, up hills on tracks and through woods, without breaking a real sweat and tell me my horse is unfit. She can rocket xc and recover just as quick.
As for slagging off folks on here who've had a scare, when they jump back on relatively speaking theyre way braver than the likes of you with your attitude.
Ignorance is bliss, but i suppose you are a real novice in the true sense of the word with a lot to learn
 
KellysHeroes said:
LOL that IS a good idea.....could probably even work in a "Part Time Decorative Field Ornament" class somewhere along the line for all the horses who are currently broken like mine (although hopefully not for long!)!!! :rolleyes:
K x
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Ok, so lets test this out.

I nominate my two oldies, the left hand two in my signature for the full time (does a hack around the field a couple of times a year count)

And the right hand one for the part time class (its work loads depends on my daughters social life)

Do you have a pic of yours
 
dooble said:
So, if you're really really really terrified, why bother putting yourself through it? Just asking...
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Because i had to, it was ether that or face the rest of my life without ever riding again, and if i was never going to ride again, probably having all my horses shot!
And like Spudlet said, i don't give up easily!

It's sooo easy is'nt it, sitting in judgement on people you don't know, i think you must be a little bit bored, or maybe, we should just laugh at you, cos you don't seem to have a clue. :D
 
Chase me Charlie isnt that what you used to be able to do before the ban came in.:D

A lot of people dont hack on roads anymore because of the amount of fast traffic, you dont need to ride on roads to get your horse fit. A lot of racehorse trainers dont use road work as they used to do because of the above traffic and the concussion it causes in horses. A lot of people ride barefoot these days another reason for not hammering them on the roads.

Confidence is great when you have it, lose it and its an uphill battle, I applaud people who want to go back to where they were before. You cannot belittle people who have lost their confidence and are trying to get it back.

A lot of posters are definately overhorsed but there are an equal number of posters who try to tell them that in a kind way. Saying riding should be fun and sell your horse and look for something less challenging.

As with all forums there are a broad mixture of abilities and in my opinion thats what makes it so interesting.
 
rockysmum said:
Ok, so lets test this out.

I nominate my two oldies, the left hand two in my signature for the full time (does a hack around the field a couple of times a year count)

And the right hand one for the part time class (its work loads depends on my daughters social life)

Do you have a pic of yours
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Yep - I nominate my girl, who has been out of work for approx 16 months now and diagnosed with Cushings at Christmas!! I think they'd all get somewhere! ;)
272846_10150219626093279_508808278_7006356_7569980_o.jpg

K x
 
rockysmum said:
She definately would with a pretty face like that.

What a shame, have you got the Cushings under control
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Yeah, we've been very lucky she's just starting to be walked now and we don't think it will be too long before she's being ridden again :D
yours are beautiful, gorgeous markings!!
K x
And got to say OP, she's actually surprisingly fit even without any work for so long. We have a hard time keeping up with her when she's going out for a walk and she's quite happy to keep on going and going!
 
Oh Jeez, forget I ever asked. No, you're right, I have no clue whatsoever.
1. I'm amazed there are so many people with access to great off-road hacking, I'm not so lucky here.
2. Well done Missyme, thanks for actually answering the question. Sounds like you had a ***** accident, well done for persevering, I sincerely hope you get to gallop along that beach
3. Is there a correlation between post counts and how defensive people are. Or will mentioning armchairs just blow the whole thing wide open again ;)

I'm done, back to lurking. Or not!
 
rockysmum said:
Thank you, our little black & white cob is a dead ringer for a freisan cow. With her hogged mane and short cob tail you cant tell the difference
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Bless her!! Mum had a black and white cob and the cows used to chase us alongside the fence in the field :o :p poor horse didn't know where to put himself!!

K x
 
dooble said:
Oh Jeez, forget I ever asked. No, you're right, I have no clue whatsoever.
1. I'm amazed there are so many people with access to great off-road hacking, I'm not so lucky here.
2. Well done Missyme, thanks for actually answering the question. Sounds like you had a ***** accident, well done for persevering, I sincerely hope you get to gallop along that beach
3. Is there a correlation between post counts and how defensive people are. Or will mentioning armchairs just blow the whole thing wide open again ;)

I'm done, back to lurking. Or not!
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Well the tile of the post was an invitation
 
Oh I have galloped along a beach since, hacking I've cracked :)

Its hacking alone I now have to conquer. My accident occured hacking alone and I stupidly took no phone, my horse pissed off back to the yard thankfully thus alerting others something was wrong, I had a half hour wait till someone came and it was the most horrible half hour of my life.

Horses to me are a way of life, I couldn't imagine life without horses, so I had the motivation to do it, but having gone through it, I now fully understand that gut wrenching fear so many riders have felt and know what a mountain they have to climb to conquer that fear. Don't ever belittle that, because until you have been in such shoes, you can't possibly know how it feels or what an achievement it is to overcome such fear.

I competed in a sport at the highest level last week, and it was a walk in the park in comparrison to getting back on a horse x
 
rockysmum said:
Well the tile of the post was an invitation
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:D :D
Yes, be carefull what you ask for!
And she? certainly asked for it.

I won't let anybody make me feel bad for my lack of confidence, everyone needs help sometimes, so please don't let people like this put you off asking for it.
 
Ours doesn't trot on the road. We trot in the park as grass is nicer for barefoots IMO Also, the roads are bloody horrible and I wouldn't cycle on them for fear of death from nutty drivers so it seems pretty unfair to take the pony on them.
Ignoring the fact I have hacked out alone, our pony is used on a lead rein and my brother would never ever go out alone, this doesn't mean he shouldn't have a pony.
Fit? Hmmm well he's fit for purpose, is that not good enough?! If all you'll ever do is hack gently the horses don't need to be capable of doing an endurance ride or a three day event.

Feel like I've added my 10p worth now :D
 
The vision of hacking from Midsummer Murders is trotting along roads in leafy county villages whilst good natured villagers wave at you. Which could have been about right 40years ago when I was a child when I rode for miles bare back ( I had no saddle) and the rag and bone bone man had a horse and cart and was a regular sight and Mum sent you out with a bucket to pick up the manure.
Now villages are commuter belt and even on a weekend if you trotted down our main village street you would get dirty looks as its the rat run to a dual carriage way. No matter how quiet the morning there will always be some s**t trying to squeeze past you with inches to spare. If your horse poops there are letters of complaint in the Parish magazine so my kids went out with strict intructions if they poop ring me so I can go and pick it up. I kid you not.
To be honest its just so much less stressful to ride off the rode and for people with a limited amount of time schooling gives you a quick fix in a safe enviroment. The manage seems to be the must have for most stables were as when I learnt to ride only the very best riding schools had one.
I did every thing as a child, got on strange ponies and fell off lots, hacked for miles on my own in my 20's, over the moors with no mobile phone and only the dog for company. Now I would not hack on my own and would not even go down to the field without my mobile. The traffic is terrible and the lorries get bigger and my confidence has gone down as my age has gone up.
 
Just realised how lucky I am. Got my first horse at 44 after a lifetime of longing and my stables are still right in the middle of Midsomer Murders without the murders. EVeryone waves, slows done and is lovely - genuinely - and this is for a quite spooky Arab.
 
dooble said:
Oh, believe me, I've had my confidence knocked many a time, but I either get back on and get on with it, or become an armchair critic, with a pair of expensive field ornaments.
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I had an accident during the Easter holidays during a jumping lesson at the RS and I ended up between the horses front legs with him landing on me. Luckily nothing was broken (on the horse or me) but my confidence was certainly dented effectively. Due to my injuries I had to take 6 weeks off riding and have only hacked out once since then, although I've ridden in the field at the yard a few times. I had my first canter recently since the accident and it felt so bloody good to do it again at last. The thought of jumping again leaves me cold and my stomach doing backflips.

Not everyone can have the same attitude to confidence as you. Its not always possible to get straight back on. Those of us who do manage to get back into riding and regain our confidence are usually stubborn sods who won't give in but those who don't, need a bit of help not made to feel less worthy somehow because they don't your attitude to confidence
 
dooble said:
a) how the hell do you keep your horse/s fit if you don't trot on the road
and b) if you're too scared to take it for a hack, why have a horse and again,
a) how the hell do you keep your horse/s fit?
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a) I don't trot on the roads unless I have to as I've seen too many horses slip even with road nails in. My horses are kept fit though interval training on good ground!
b) not everyone likes hacking! I rarely hack as, personally, I find it mind numbingly boring, even though I do school (lateral work, changes of pace etc) to make it more interesting on the rare occasions I go out. I have horses to compete on not to hack out on, that's why I have horses!
c) (although you've put a again) Though plenty of varied work in the school or fields. I know plenty of horses who hack that are nowhere near as fit as those who don't!

My 20 year old has only ever been lame through injury (and those injuries have been done in the field not when being ridden). I've rarely trotted him on the road and I'm very picky about the ground he's worked on. He hasn't been out of the school for ages due to the ground being like concrete, but we keep his work varied (oh the joys of a 30 x 60 school you can blast round).

Hacking is not the be all and end all of riding. Neither is competing.

What you need to remember is EACH TO THEIR OWN and never critise a man until you have walked a mile in their shoes.
 
Missyme10, just a suggestion (you might have done this already anyway!) but how about getting someone to walk with you on your first solo hacks - you would have the security of someone there, but you could also trot or canter ahead so you would be on your own, but not, IYSWIM.:)

I do this with a mate and her youngster, the mate is not lacking confidence but the baby horse needs a bit of a nanny at the moment, as it is all very new to him! We walk along together (I take the dog), then they trot off and I catch up a few minutes later.

Good on you for getting your mojo back, like I said I have been there too and it isn't easy:)
 
Gosh I have been reading the posts with interest. Dooble you seem to have a lot of opinion for 'one who knows nothing'. I have been riding for 40 odd years, but I wouldn't question others in the way you have.

Why should you assume that people have to have fit horses? My mare is not amazingly fit, but as one poster said 'fit for purpose'. She copes ably with my riding demands on her, but you wouldn't call her fit. I don't trot on roads - you are just showing your ignorance if you think that is a necessity and good for a horse. It is well publicised now how bad it is for runners to jog on roads. I want my horse to be sound at 25 years old not break down in her teens.
Don't underestimate walking as a brilliant fittening pace! And trotting on grassy hills and fields?
I should go back to lurking and ignoring any good advice you may have read. Just please don't own a horse.
 
well, I dont trot on the roads, I have a 1000acre farm to ride around !
Even if I had to go on the roads, I wouldn't trot and hammer my horses legs, I think there are better ways to get a horse fit.

My horses are fit. I lunge, long rein, school in an arena, do hill work with them, they also live out. Neither horse has ever been ill - even my 30 yr old

I have confidence issues, due I think to very bad falls in the past. I'm quite often in some sort of pain, ( back or pelvis or shoulder ), I'm wary of falling off, and my confidence is very fragile, one day I can do anything, the next day I really don't want to ride. I push myself, as I love riding, but its not my sole reason for keeping my horses.

I'm lucky that I have a very good instructor, yard owner, farrier and chiropractor for my horses, so I haven't needed to post a question on HHO, but I wouldn't hesitate to if I was in need of advice, even if other users thought I was stupid.
Its good that the OP hasn't ever had an issue that they need help with, if only we could all be so lucky.
 
how do you think top show/dressage horses are kept fit???
most of those dont hack let alone trot on the roads, they are far too valuable to go on roads. I for one dont hack my boy out yet but he is fit, worked 5 times/wk and i hack around the fields but i wouldnt think it is safe to take him on the road yet and not because im scared of him but because he is an exracer who still hasnt mastered patience which on country lanes is what i need him to have!!
Agree confidence is a easy thing to loose so i think you have overstepped that one.
 
Tinypony said:
I don't think what you read on a forum is representative. People tend to post when they need help of some sort, or when they have a hot topic that they really want to talk about. Many people are routinely going off riding their horses regularly, doing various other little daily things that they just do... but they don't consider that makes a thread to open.

Here's mine then:
On Sunday afternoon I went for a nice ride with my friend. We didn't get rained on. No dogs chased us, nobody came galloping past us and cars slowed down and passed wide. My horse behaved beautifully and seems to be completely sound again. When we got back I fed all 3 of mine, poo picked for a bit, then went home.
Today I didn't have time to do much because of work. I went up, fed them, poo picked a wheelbarrow full. Then I just had time to rasp round one set of hooves before I went home.

Exciting reading innit?
:-))
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Nice to know some people have a life like mine- I like it, but not what you'd want to broadcats over t'internet:D

Re trotting on roads...well, I don't have to- I have direct access to off-road hacking. I do trot on roads if I want to.....I just didn't realise it was actually anybody elses business:rolleyes:

Re confidence...well, as others have said- its a fragile thing, and when you are acutely aware that damaging yourself through what is essentially a hobby means the mortgage won't get paid or the kids fed- I do tend to err on the side of caution- I'm not 15 anymore (thank god).

Re not riding....my OH has a horse. He doesnt ride very often as he has a dodgy knee. To date the mare hasn't handed me a petition or contract stating that he must ride or she's gonna bugger off elsewhere.

See you in seven years:cool:
 
Oh, such an exciting life... I might manage to do a bit of groundwork in my little riding paddock later. Yawn.

I know plenty of people who have horses and ponies that they never ride, for a variety of reasons, but for some it's purely a choice not to. They and equines in question are happy, which is all that is important as far as I'm concerned.

I think this thread is quite interesting actually. Op probably thought she was going to raise outrage, maybe troll. What seems to be happening in a lot of cases though is that people are celebrating what they do and their acheivements. The people who have overcome lack of confidence and some stunningly awful setbacks are inspirational.

So good thread op. :-)
 
dooble said:
Oh Jeez, forget I ever asked. No, you're right, I have no clue whatsoever.
1. I'm amazed there are so many people with access to great off-road hacking, I'm not so lucky here.
2. Well done Missyme, thanks for actually answering the question. Sounds like you had a ***** accident, well done for persevering, I sincerely hope you get to gallop along that beach
3. Is there a correlation between post counts and how defensive people are. Or will mentioning armchairs just blow the whole thing wide open again ;)

I'm done, back to lurking. Or not!
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Im a bit surprised you feel hard done to by the folks who've replied.
Have a look at the tone and content of your opening post and some of your subsequent comments !
You make sweeping statements and generalisations about people and their horses. As for your point 3 above, i dont think its anything to do with defensive people, more to do with answering some of the snide comments you made...... You just had to get your armchair comment in again !YAWN
You admit youre a novice with horses,no shame in that we were all novices at some point, there are many people with a love for horses who for whatever reason may need to gee up their courage to get on, so poke your neck back in and think before you try to shoot others down as your comments lead me to believe your a novice in the life skills department as well as the horse world
 
I don't have an armchair:( I have a lovely sofa (it's a sofa-bed you know) and a nice rocking chair. But no armchair. I am sooo deprived:(

*sniffles*
 
You make a valid point OP. I tend to assume everyone is at least as competent as myself, but more and more I become astonished and worried by how nervous some people are. I've got a big free moving warmblood and some people, including some ride judges in showing classes, are just too nervous to ride him. Not because he does anything naughty, simply because he looks big and has big movement.

Some people are terrifed of horses that actually go forwards and base everything on how slowly a horse can canter, irrespective of it having no impulsion and no ability at that speed to get over more than 95cm jumps. I do suspect that these people feel more comfortable in the territory of a slightly nappy horse and create such horses by their own behaviour.
 
LOL at the number of people taking this personally. :D

I actually think what's more shocking is the amount of posts asking incredibly simple questions. ie. what weight rug their horse ought to be wearing. How on earth is someone responsible for a horse's care when they can't make a simple judgement like that?! :confused:
 
Mithras lol. Confidence is a hard thing to find again. mine is gates. Had two falls involving gates. Since moving I only do 4roadwork. I trot on roads.....my horses are barefoot. My other fear is horses cantering torwards ne
 
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