Littlelegs
Well-Known Member
Can't quote but know exactly what you mean polar skye. Money doesn't solve the problem & most people are happy to help for free. I meant it more as others have said: i've
There are so many horse that are too difficult for the average rider. Sigh....
- Thread starter kippen64
- Start date
Littlelegs
Well-Known Member
Stupid phone. I've met many people who spend a few hundred on a young or unsuitable horse for a child or a novice & then expected others to school it & teach them for nothing more than the pleasure of it. I'm more than happy to help if i'm asked but draw the line at running a free breaking & schooling service. From what you've said you're definitely not one of those lol.
Ibblebibble
Well-Known Member
MissMincePie&Brandy
Well-Known Member
I think there's loads of reasons why there seem to be so many horses that take advantage of their owners. I've noticed this. In fact half the owners and their horses at my yard fit into the above description. A few of those reasons I think are:
* An increasingly large number of people seem to want flashy horses, but so many of those people are not disciplined or capable enough to handle or ride athletic horses correctly.
* Another reason is that I think many horses seem to be stabled for too long and have too little exercise. (maybe not everywhere, but particularly in the south east, where there's a lot of horses kept on less land - horses at our yard for example are out for 4-5 hours a day in pairs, or individual t/o in small paddocks, and the majority of those horses are in very little or virtually no ridden work)
* I think the exercise many horses have nowadays is not consistent or varied enough. That sounds like a contradiction, but what I mean is; if you ride at the same time every day and vary the type of work you do, the horse is going to be a lot more amenable and will be calmer and more rounded in his outlook, compared to one who's either rarely ever worked, or one that is only ever schooled day, in day out.
* It's not as safe to go out hacking nowadays because of increased traffic speeds and the sheer amount of traffic, compared to, say, 20 years ago. Taking a 'lookey' horse out for a hack may not be a problem, but put heavy traffic into that scenario and it's potentially dangerous. There are many owners where I live, who just don't dare to go out hacking because of the traffic, and tbh I don't blame them for that, but I do think it's quite sad.)
* An increasingly large number of people seem to want flashy horses, but so many of those people are not disciplined or capable enough to handle or ride athletic horses correctly.
* Another reason is that I think many horses seem to be stabled for too long and have too little exercise. (maybe not everywhere, but particularly in the south east, where there's a lot of horses kept on less land - horses at our yard for example are out for 4-5 hours a day in pairs, or individual t/o in small paddocks, and the majority of those horses are in very little or virtually no ridden work)
* I think the exercise many horses have nowadays is not consistent or varied enough. That sounds like a contradiction, but what I mean is; if you ride at the same time every day and vary the type of work you do, the horse is going to be a lot more amenable and will be calmer and more rounded in his outlook, compared to one who's either rarely ever worked, or one that is only ever schooled day, in day out.
* It's not as safe to go out hacking nowadays because of increased traffic speeds and the sheer amount of traffic, compared to, say, 20 years ago. Taking a 'lookey' horse out for a hack may not be a problem, but put heavy traffic into that scenario and it's potentially dangerous. There are many owners where I live, who just don't dare to go out hacking because of the traffic, and tbh I don't blame them for that, but I do think it's quite sad.)
Wizzkid
Well-Known Member
This post is odd
PinkCob
Well-Known Member
Same here! I have ridden for 11 years but I still consider myself a novice as my balance is terrible and i always flap about in sitting trot -.-
Renvers
Well-Known Member
I do have to take issue with what you term an average rider, I think the problem is when novice standard riders - who maybe called intermediate/advanced in RS terms buy horses.
Consider how many posts we see on HHO regarding the lack of good, reliable RC level horses out there? I think when people have them they hang on to them so novices have to take what they can get from the market. Also how many people nowadays hope to turn a quick profit on selling on a problem/ex racer/ ex hunter horse they have done some work on...
When I was a pony-owning child in the 80's people tended to sell horses every few years, as they improved and wanted to compete at a higher level. I know of very few who had a 'home for life' unlike these days. So the novice end of the market always had a greater pool of horses of the type a novice needs.
As good novice horses are like hen's teeth novices won't pay the money for them and would rather get something flashier for their money.
Afterall why spend £6k (for e.g.) on a cob, idx when you can get a totilas lookalike for the same money!! A novice without good advice may not see that the supposedly dull looking cob (not my opinion
) is a much better buy than the flashy wb.
A novice once admitted to me her problem that she had bought a ferrari but was better suited to an astra. made sense to me and then for her to admit that in dressage circles was a brave thing to do
Consider how many posts we see on HHO regarding the lack of good, reliable RC level horses out there? I think when people have them they hang on to them so novices have to take what they can get from the market. Also how many people nowadays hope to turn a quick profit on selling on a problem/ex racer/ ex hunter horse they have done some work on...
When I was a pony-owning child in the 80's people tended to sell horses every few years, as they improved and wanted to compete at a higher level. I know of very few who had a 'home for life' unlike these days. So the novice end of the market always had a greater pool of horses of the type a novice needs.
As good novice horses are like hen's teeth novices won't pay the money for them and would rather get something flashier for their money.
Afterall why spend £6k (for e.g.) on a cob, idx when you can get a totilas lookalike for the same money!! A novice without good advice may not see that the supposedly dull looking cob (not my opinion
) is a much better buy than the flashy wb.A novice once admitted to me her problem that she had bought a ferrari but was better suited to an astra. made sense to me and then for her to admit that in dressage circles was a brave thing to do
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marmalade76
Well-Known Member
Excellent post and I totally agree! And as another poster said, confidence plays an important part when dealing with horses, and I think most of us woud agree that we had that in spades as kids!
However, I have to disagree with the OP, a rider of average ability should be able to ride most horses, they might not be able to get the best out of them, but they should be able to ride most horses in most situations relatively safely. Afterall, not that many horses are lunatics!
The trouble we have today, IMO, is the ratio of good/average to poor riders has changed considerably, there are far more poor riders out there owning horses these days.
JFTDWS
+++ Out of Cheese Error +++
Paris1
Well-Known Member
Fab analogy. Overhorsing likened to learning to drive in a formula one racing car.
MissMincePie&Brandy
Well-Known Member
Does anyone remember the Countryfile episode, when Matt announced that he was an experienced rider, then went for a hack and fell off?
He looked very novicey to me. IMO part of the reason why that horse went up was because it was panicking about a very wobbly, insecure rider on board?
He looked very novicey to me. IMO part of the reason why that horse went up was because it was panicking about a very wobbly, insecure rider on board?