Pinkvboots
Well-Known Member
Your mental that did make me laugh though
The stupidest thing you did- horse wise.
- Thread starter poiuytrewq
- Start date
Your mental that did make me laugh though
CanteringCarrot
Well-Known Member
When I was about 12 or 13 I had a share horse for the summer. Fairly docile Appaloosa that raced (did not know Appaloosa racing was a thing, Idk if it still is) prior to becoming my share horse. I was riding him bareback, likely in a western bridle or halter, and decided to jump a faux stone wall. It was two wooden boxes painted to look like stone. The boxes were about 1 and a half feet wide on top. Instead of jumping over the jump he sort of climbed on top of him and it collapsed under him. Both of us were unharmed and the box just needed to he nailed back together. It was then that the YO decided no minors were to jump on the property without an adult present ?
BBP
Well-Known Member
It seemed like such an excellent idea! My partner was on his way back from a work do, ready to pick me up for a romantic weekend in London for my birthday. I had to call and ask him if he could swing by A&E to collect me! We still had a nice weekend, despite the broken ribs!
PapaverFollis
Well-Known Member
I reckon it's the time I got so annoyed with Granny horse that I got off and stormed off.... we were out on the (very quiet) road! We were very close to the yard and bless her she just kind of sighed, rolled her eyes and followed me home. ? the looks on people's faces when I came stomping back on to the yard on foot with Granny horse mooching along behind. Priceless. But very stupid. ?
scats
Well-Known Member
The things we did as kids horrify me now. We regularly used to lie under the jumps while our mates soared over them on their ponies.
I remember one friend remarking she had never fallen off her pony and felt like she should, so she set off into a fast canter and literally threw herself out the side door, then clambered up with a beaming smile, as if she’d just completed some incredible feat.
We used to lose a horse on most hacks when someone fell off and spent a lot of time charging down roads and paths in pursuit of a runaway pony.
We’d sneak into farmers fields by jumping in and then race up and down them, dragging logs out of bushes to make xc courses. We got caught by one local farmer and the thrill of the ‘getaway’ was incredible.
I remember 2 friends coming home in the back of a police car, sopping wet, as both their ponies had slipped in a brook, chucked the riders and pegged it. Can’t actually remember who got the ponies back but they were fine.
The same brook, we got stuck at for 3 hours trying to get a friends pony back in it as she’d gone through once but wouldn’t come back and was stuck on a bank. I vaguely remember a dog walker eventually coming to the rescue.
What wonderful days!
I remember one friend remarking she had never fallen off her pony and felt like she should, so she set off into a fast canter and literally threw herself out the side door, then clambered up with a beaming smile, as if she’d just completed some incredible feat.
We used to lose a horse on most hacks when someone fell off and spent a lot of time charging down roads and paths in pursuit of a runaway pony.
We’d sneak into farmers fields by jumping in and then race up and down them, dragging logs out of bushes to make xc courses. We got caught by one local farmer and the thrill of the ‘getaway’ was incredible.
I remember 2 friends coming home in the back of a police car, sopping wet, as both their ponies had slipped in a brook, chucked the riders and pegged it. Can’t actually remember who got the ponies back but they were fine.
The same brook, we got stuck at for 3 hours trying to get a friends pony back in it as she’d gone through once but wouldn’t come back and was stuck on a bank. I vaguely remember a dog walker eventually coming to the rescue.
What wonderful days!
Pinkvboots
Well-Known Member
Ha ha funny story it's a bit like when my horse fell on me and smashed my ankle up, I remember ringing oh saying I was being dropped of by friend to A & E and could he come get me as I was sure I had just sprained it, he had to take me to another hospital so they could operate on it, then it was his 50th a month later and we had booked to eat and stay at The Ritz with all our friends I was so looking forward to it, I remember just crying at the sheer thought of hobbling around at The Ritz I was so upset, we did end up going but it was sort of ruined for me as I was still in quite a bit of pain and couldn't walk without crutches but hey ho.
scruffyponies
Well-Known Member
Took on a FTGH 15mth old colt without checking he had both testicles.
BUT, surely that's not as bad as my vet who knocked him out for gelding without first checking they were present.
BUT, surely that's not as bad as my vet who knocked him out for gelding without first checking they were present.
laura_nash
Well-Known Member
I did a number of stupid things when I was pregnant, luckily my cob is very sensible and put up with it all without taking advantage. I remember one time leading him into the school to lunge, which was a fair way from his stable, only to realise I hadn't actually attached the rope and he'd just been following me loose.
SEL
Well-Known Member
Wasn't me but I had a laugh at her expense....
My big boy was in the circus and if you're up for it you can stand on his back and do somersaults. When we were on livery at a RS he did a bit of lead rein work and one of the teenage girls was walking him round waiting for his next child to arrive. I suddenly saw a confused horse come out of the school and head for the grass. She'd decided while no one was around to hop on and stand on his back. He'd started to trot as he was trained to do...... splat ??
My big boy was in the circus and if you're up for it you can stand on his back and do somersaults. When we were on livery at a RS he did a bit of lead rein work and one of the teenage girls was walking him round waiting for his next child to arrive. I suddenly saw a confused horse come out of the school and head for the grass. She'd decided while no one was around to hop on and stand on his back. He'd started to trot as he was trained to do...... splat ??
ycbm
Einstein would be proud of my Insanity...
I poked a horse who turned his bum on me with the tang of a rasp. That went well.
Gloi
Too little time, too much to read.
Ow
Christmascinnamoncookie
Fais pas chier!
Decided to catch in my friend’s mare before catching in my gelding from the opposite field. No idea why I decided that. I won’t post pictures, but the resulting skin graft and 3 months off work has put me off ever getting on board again, tbh.
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The Bouncing Bog Trotter
Well-Known Member
Oh, I could write a book, horse mad teenager with townie totally non-horsey parents who bought her a pony at the age of 13. No parental supervision, had riding lessons before and a Saturday job at a riding school and thought I knew it all. Cantering up the middle of a dual carriageway on the outskirts of Birmingham was a particularly fine moment (it was in the early 80's), riding after school in the dark, with just a head collar and no hat round the roads in our suburbs because they had street lights, inheriting some money and buying a succession of totally unsuitable horses when my mental health wasn't brilliant......I could go on.
iknowmyvalue
Well-Known Member
Many, many things... Most recently, taking my freshly clipped horse (who has priors for being a spooky bu***r) to the beach on a windy day last weekend, by myself. All going well, had some lovely canters, H behaving himself... Went paddling in the sea to cool off, been there for about 5mins, H decided one wave was particularly offensive, did an impressive spin and run, dumping me in the water, and legged it up the beach. I then had to spend 10mins trying to catch him, dripping wet and very sandy, while he's showing off his fanciest trot and best dragon impression to everyone. Luckily there's no roads for miles around where we were, and H discovered a patch of grass in the dunes where a helpful passer-by caught him and returned him to me. Then had to do the walk of shame back down the beach to the car park because I couldn't get back on him from the ground...
Baywonder
Well-Known Member
Oh crikey I cringe when I think back over the years!
When I had my first pony (early teens) me and my friend used to tie the lead ropes onto the headcollar to make some 'reins' and we used to disappear for hours on end, riding bareback. In our defence, we did wear a riding hat though. A velvet cap with an elastic chin strap.
Also, before owning a pony, I was offered a Section A to ride. The owner was a bit of a nutter, and he very often didn't turn up with the tack when he was supposed to. Fed up of not being able to ride, I made my own 'bridle' out of old skipping ropes, and rode the pony in that instead - again bareback!
When I had my first pony (early teens) me and my friend used to tie the lead ropes onto the headcollar to make some 'reins' and we used to disappear for hours on end, riding bareback. In our defence, we did wear a riding hat though. A velvet cap with an elastic chin strap.
Also, before owning a pony, I was offered a Section A to ride. The owner was a bit of a nutter, and he very often didn't turn up with the tack when he was supposed to. Fed up of not being able to ride, I made my own 'bridle' out of old skipping ropes, and rode the pony in that instead - again bareback!
Keep Trying
Well-Known Member
Used to stay out all day as a kid, razzing about on my 12.2 Sec B.
Was cantering home at dusk one day and used a little hill/mound as a 'run up an' over' for a final hurrah before getting in...only thing was we were confronted with a Volkswagon Beetle on the down hill side of the hill...eek!! We were going way to fast to do anything other then jump over the bonnet and carried on home where I got a right telling off. Apparently the car owner had called my Dad more than a unimpressed seeing a little grey pony flying over his car...boring olde fart!! We had great fun though and pony kept trying to go over the same hill again every time we came home after that!!
Was cantering home at dusk one day and used a little hill/mound as a 'run up an' over' for a final hurrah before getting in...only thing was we were confronted with a Volkswagon Beetle on the down hill side of the hill...eek!! We were going way to fast to do anything other then jump over the bonnet and carried on home where I got a right telling off. Apparently the car owner had called my Dad more than a unimpressed seeing a little grey pony flying over his car...boring olde fart!! We had great fun though and pony kept trying to go over the same hill again every time we came home after that!!
cauda equina
Well-Known Member
We used to ride in a loop of baler twine - just tied a knot in it and put it round the pony's nose.
God, they were forgiving!
God, they were forgiving!
mini_b
Well-Known Member
Ah the loony spending - I get that when I’m not well. You have my sympathies x
EventingMum
Well-Known Member
Going on a riding club outing for an evening lesson at a yard about an hour away when I was 11. Finished the lesson and we were told we could ride the ponies out to the field so I vaulted on but then dismounted to give a friend a leg up and went to vault back on and misjudged things landing on the other side on the concrete chin first. We had to wait for the next lesson to finish before returning home and I eventually ended up at the local hospital having five stitches in my chin at midnight!
Caol Ila
Well-Known Member
Going on off-piste adventures on the trails around my barn in Colorado, which climbed the foothills above Boulder. The trails themselves were fine, but there were a few times, when we were not on the trails, where we had to dismount and let the horses pick their own way down cliffs.
Then while breaking in a green horse, all had been going well with him taking everything in his stride. I decided to introduce him to side reins on the lunge line. I was in the indoor arena, but had the door hanging open as it was a hot, summer day, and that indoor was basically a giant tin can and miserable with the door shut in summer. Horse was unimpressed by side reins and bucked and tried taking off, but I held onto him. A smart person would have got rid of the side reins and shut the door. I did the former, but not the latter. Horse was still a bit upset and bolted again, hard, and I had to let go of lunge line. Horse exited the arena, and instead of going towards his field, where his mates lived, he took off down the barn's long driveway that eventually met a busy 60mph highway. Another boarder had seen him run past, and grabbed me in her car. Several others who'd been closer to their vehicles had already raced down the drive. We arrived at the bottom of the driveway to find the horse safely captured. A passing motorist had seen him and grabbed him. He was fine. I stopped lunging with the door open.
Then while breaking in a green horse, all had been going well with him taking everything in his stride. I decided to introduce him to side reins on the lunge line. I was in the indoor arena, but had the door hanging open as it was a hot, summer day, and that indoor was basically a giant tin can and miserable with the door shut in summer. Horse was unimpressed by side reins and bucked and tried taking off, but I held onto him. A smart person would have got rid of the side reins and shut the door. I did the former, but not the latter. Horse was still a bit upset and bolted again, hard, and I had to let go of lunge line. Horse exited the arena, and instead of going towards his field, where his mates lived, he took off down the barn's long driveway that eventually met a busy 60mph highway. Another boarder had seen him run past, and grabbed me in her car. Several others who'd been closer to their vehicles had already raced down the drive. We arrived at the bottom of the driveway to find the horse safely captured. A passing motorist had seen him and grabbed him. He was fine. I stopped lunging with the door open.
Brownmare
Well-Known Member
It could be said that my first riding lesson was the stupidest thing I have done given the many thousands of pounds I have sunk into horses since then, but technically that one is on my Mum so....
Probably tying my sharp and unforgiving TB to a weaving grille to stand in the yard for the farrier. Naturally she pulled back, removed it from it's holders on the stable door and legged it up the yard with the grille bouncing around between her front legs. Incredibly she had nothing worse than a few scratches but I needed a large drink to recover!
Also, with the same horse, I was keeping her at my parents place to save a few pennies before we moved house and there was no tie ring near the hose pipe so for some reason I thought it would be sensible to stand on her leadrope with *both* feet to stop her walking off. I'm sure you can imagine how that went ?
Probably tying my sharp and unforgiving TB to a weaving grille to stand in the yard for the farrier. Naturally she pulled back, removed it from it's holders on the stable door and legged it up the yard with the grille bouncing around between her front legs. Incredibly she had nothing worse than a few scratches but I needed a large drink to recover!
Also, with the same horse, I was keeping her at my parents place to save a few pennies before we moved house and there was no tie ring near the hose pipe so for some reason I thought it would be sensible to stand on her leadrope with *both* feet to stop her walking off. I'm sure you can imagine how that went ?
Cherryblossom
Well-Known Member
Fell asleep on a grassy bank while watching cross country. Woke to the sound of galloping hooves. Realised a loose horse was coming towards my bag (lying on grass higher up the bank). Jumped in front of horse and got it to pull up, caught it and had it halfway back to the owner before realising how stupid that was to do while heavily pregnant and wearing flip flops!
CouldItBe
Well-Known Member
Bringing in 3 from the field 2 17hh and 1 15hh, decided to ride and lead, for some reason I decided to ride the 15hh and lead the big ones, bad idea! The 15hh buggered off and left 5ft me dangling between the 2 big ones ??
Pinkvboots
Well-Known Member
I did crazy stuff as a kid jumping bareback no hands with eyes shut, 2 of us would often get on one and gallop as fast as we could, I hate to admit this and quite ashamed but we would get on any strange horses we saw in a field we did stop after one of my friends got on an unknown one and it took off and then bucked like a rodeo horse and she hit the floor pretty hard.
we did stop after one of my friends got on an unknown one and it took off and then bucked like a rodeo horse and she hit the floor pretty hard.
Ambers Echo
Still wittering on
In Hongkong where I grew up you could go and hire ex racehorses and just ride them round a mini sand track. My totally non horsey parents thought nothing of letting me do that at age 9 or 10. No hat, trainers, just galloping round and round till the horse got tired as I didnt have a hope in hell of stopping!
We spent every summer in England in a holiday house with a field in front. One year a local woman asked me if she could graze her 2 horses in our field. I said 'yes if I can ride them'. I was about 8! She promptly put one of them in the field and turned up with the other tacked up ready for me. My parents were furious to have been played like that but didnt have the heart to say no. Only problem was this pony was WILD. I fell off multiple times a day but never told my parents. Fun times.
We spent every summer in England in a holiday house with a field in front. One year a local woman asked me if she could graze her 2 horses in our field. I said 'yes if I can ride them'. I was about 8! She promptly put one of them in the field and turned up with the other tacked up ready for me. My parents were furious to have been played like that but didnt have the heart to say no. Only problem was this pony was WILD. I fell off multiple times a day but never told my parents. Fun times.
daffy44
Well-Known Member
Oh this reminds me of a particularly daft, but fantastic new years eve many years ago. I was working for a showjumper, and me, the other groom, and our boss went to the local pub for a fabulous new years eve party, party ended about 2am, we walked back to the yard and it was a very beautiful, clear, frosty night, so we had the genius idea to go for a ride.. We didnt put hats on, our tacking up consisted of putting headcollars on, and we hopped on bareback to three very surprised stallions and went cantering off across frosty, muddy fields. I'm not sure how, but we had a lovely time, nothing bad happened, and returned home convinced we had cured our hangovers before they even arrived (we were wrong.) One of the horses went on to medal at both the Olympics and Europeans, another went to a Whitaker, and the third became a very good Nations Cup horse, and I shudder to think of what could have happened to them lolloping about in headcollars at 2am in a frosty field.
As I child I did too many stupid things to mention, when I was 8yrs old I backed a 16hh anglo arab, based on the genius theory that as I was the youngest, I was also the lightest, and therefore perfect to be the first rider, this was by no means the stupidest thing I did, but somehow managed to escape unscathed through all my various moronic acts.
LadyGascoyne
Well-Known Member
Definitely either the time I managed to rope a cow whilst riding a very hot pony bareback, in a halter. To be fair, I never thought I’d succeed. Of course, once the rope connected, both the cow and the pony weren’t having any of it. I got exactly what I deserved on that one!
Or the time that we had taken the horses swimming so were bareback, and in shorts and tshirts. We did some hedge hopping on the way home and accidentally ended up in the middle of a school’s sports day.
Or the time that I tried to ride backwards. Jumping is harder than you’d think. That pony was a little welsh x arab who would jump anything you put in front of him - absolute superstar.
Or the time that we had taken the horses swimming so were bareback, and in shorts and tshirts. We did some hedge hopping on the way home and accidentally ended up in the middle of a school’s sports day.
Or the time that I tried to ride backwards. Jumping is harder than you’d think. That pony was a little welsh x arab who would jump anything you put in front of him - absolute superstar.
Jules111
Well-Known Member
First day helping at a riding school, must have been around 11... I was asked to bring in two of the horses from the field. I was warned one of them was difficult to catch so I might need a bucket. I had no idea they meant I should stand at the gate with the bucket... nope in I went shaking a bucket of feed whilst 12 hungry riding school horses galloped my way. Legs and teeth flying rapidly towards me... somehow I had the sense to throw the bucket and leg it to safety. Thankfully the owners just looked at me with a "you won't do that again" smile.
As a teen working for a show jumping producer I was regularly a crash test dummy, being fairly light and with quite a sticky seat I was thrown up on many a loony youngster (Oh how I miss the days of being the lightest and most likely to stay on person on the yard). No idea why I never questioned the safety of this, just seemed like a fun thing to do .
As a teen working for a show jumping producer I was regularly a crash test dummy, being fairly light and with quite a sticky seat I was thrown up on many a loony youngster (Oh how I miss the days of being the lightest and most likely to stay on person on the yard
). No idea why I never questioned the safety of this, just seemed like a fun thing to do .
SatansLittleHelper
Well-Known Member
Stupidest thing I've ever done horse wise was buying one in the first place.......and continuing to be stupid ever since ??????
PurBee
Well-Known Member
When i was 5 and had no experience yet of horses, except a donkey beach ride, i visited a 8yr old friend who had a pony. We went to fetch her pony from a sizeable field holding a large herd of horses and ponies. She gave me a bucket with pellets in it, (not telling me what it was for!) she had the headcollar and rope.
We entered the gate to the field, the herd were way off in the distance at the far fence....i saw them all and got so excited i instantly ran towards them shrieking “ohhh horseeeees!” with the pellets in the bucket rattling up and down. ALL the horses heard the bucket feed and galloped toward us. I was over-joyed they were running, in my naive mind, to me!! My friend however, instantly freaked out and dragged me sideways to the edge of the field, heading for the fence line for cover.
As the horses got closer i saw how big and fast they were, and was quite overwhelmed! Gulp!
We were running like mad, briefly snatching glances back to see them closing in on us fast and i then ran for my life, made it to the fence, thought i would make it under the barbed wire top line, being 5yrs old and tiny, so didnt duck and scraped my forehead on the barbs. Blood poured down my face. My friend aborted mission and we went back home. Her mum gave her a roasting about the whole thing after seeing my bloodied face and grounded her!
I felt so sad for her...and us, never to have had that pony ride.
Since then i’ve never retrieved the full bravery of being in a field with horses galloping around me...i just fake it hoping ill make it! ?
We entered the gate to the field, the herd were way off in the distance at the far fence....i saw them all and got so excited i instantly ran towards them shrieking “ohhh horseeeees!” with the pellets in the bucket rattling up and down. ALL the horses heard the bucket feed and galloped toward us. I was over-joyed they were running, in my naive mind, to me!! My friend however, instantly freaked out and dragged me sideways to the edge of the field, heading for the fence line for cover.
As the horses got closer i saw how big and fast they were, and was quite overwhelmed! Gulp!
We were running like mad, briefly snatching glances back to see them closing in on us fast and i then ran for my life, made it to the fence, thought i would make it under the barbed wire top line, being 5yrs old and tiny, so didnt duck and scraped my forehead on the barbs. Blood poured down my face. My friend aborted mission and we went back home. Her mum gave her a roasting about the whole thing after seeing my bloodied face and grounded her!
I felt so sad for her...and us, never to have had that pony ride.
Since then i’ve never retrieved the full bravery of being in a field with horses galloping around me...i just fake it hoping ill make it! ?