To cheer us up - some of the nice things said about our horses

catkin

catkin

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I'm saddened to read some of the things people have said about other's horses so to cheer us all up what about some of the nice stuff we hear:

Here's one for starters:
When I ride through our local village I often stop to chat to an old chap who loves pottering in his garden. Although not horsey as such, he was particularly fond of my old horse, a huge friendly TB.
One day he told me "I always know when it's your horse coming along the road, he's so light on his feet he sounds like a dancer".
Really made my day.
 
Richard Maxwell said he thought my horse was a really nice stamp and is tough and clever - he seemed to like her. He probably says that to all his clients, but it made my day! She is a bit of a marmite horse it seems, as she is very opinionated and I usually end up defending her and why I have her, so it's nice to hear positive things for a change!
 
I've had a non-horsey lady tell me what a lovely sound it is, hearing a horse ride through the village. Pone was barefoot at the time. We also had "wow"s off pedestrians, and kiddies insist on saying hi to "the one with the fluffy feet".

Best one was his first outing, where we did Trec. We'd been there about 15mins when the lady organising it nicknamed him "supercob". She didn't believe me when I told her he'd never been out before. Fab feel-goods.
 
I like it when people tell me 'it must be nice to have a nicely behaved horse'- I think it's ment to justify the problems they have with theirs - like his behaviour just fell out of the sky - as I was given him because he was 'dangerous' these snide comments always make me smile.
 
From a gentleman who has a house that backs onto our land who we thought we would have problems with, he came outside while I was poop picking just because he had to tell me what a great job I do of looking after my horses and how hard I work, and what a credit they are to me. Actually made my whole winter bearable that someone completely unhorsey noticed :)
 
There's a lady in the village who wants Henry. Never ridden a horse in her life, but she loves him. She's a complete fruitcake, but you can't help but warm to her!

A girl on my yard walks through the same village with her boy and was chatting to a lady in her garden. When the lady found at that I was at the same yard (I used to be in the centre of the village), she said to say hello and that she really misses seeing Henry go past all the time. I thought that was a lovely thing to say, because a LOT of horses go through the village.

I keep getting stopped by people who know us, but forget how old Henry is. When I remind them (he's 21) they're always taken aback, including the guy with his own livery yard. My YM has said he's amazing and that it's hilarious how fit he is and how much stamina he has as the smallest pony there.

Withe my mare, the most recent thing was when I posted on Facebook that we'd been on our first proper hack. I have a friend who has travelled globally with a well known charity and is a well respected behaviourist. She replied that I've done brilliantly with her and should be proud. It means a lot when people you respect say things like that! Otherwise I know they don't mean is as a compliment as such, but when I say Chloe has sweet itch, people look at her and say she doesn't, because I've got it under control. That's quite a big one. :)
 
Well people keep telling me to give them my horse as he's wasted? So take that as he is so amazing and I want him all to myself! X
 
On one of my hacking routes there's a bridlepath that runs through a golf course...now when we go there's usually one or two golfers about and my loan cob isn't particularly keen! I thought we might have problems with the golfers not wanting us on the course but all the ones I've met have been so lovely and polite, they usually stop playing when they see us coming over the hill, and last week one actually came up, gave the pony a pat and asked me a few polite questions about him :) Not one specifically nice comment as such but I still thought it was nice of him :)
 
I was hacking along the village road, slopping along on a long rein as per usual, and a passing driver stopped, rolled down her window, and said, "You have such a lovely horse. I wish I could ride my horse like that, but he'd just take off with me!"
 
Polos Mum said:
I like it when people tell me 'it must be nice to have a nicely behaved horse'- I think it's ment to justify the problems they have with theirs - like his behaviour just fell out of the sky - as I was given him because he was 'dangerous' these snide comments always make me smile.
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I'd forgotten that one! The other is how lucky I am to have a pony who is traffic proof. Oh if they'd only seen him in the days he tanked off at the sight of a motor bike, a van, or God forbid, a bus!! Last time a lorry passed on the narrow lane, he was more interested in finishing his poo. Nothing must be allowed to disturb a good defaecation.
 
It's really nice to hear people say my horse only looks about 6 when really he's 21 :) My lovely saddle fitter said he's a credit to me and he's never looked so well (she's known him for over 10 years)
 
My mare is very dark bay with a big white blaze so is quite a head turner, especially with a summer coat. Its such a lovely feeling when people stop to comment, or smile with that nod of approval! We tend to get lovely comments in dressage tests, not about the actual dressage but saying what a pretty mare she is. I don't mind not having wonderful comments about our test when there is a nice remark like that :p

I had a lesson with Lucinda Green last year and she asked to ride her. It was probably because I was riding like cr*p but I like to think its because she liked my moody mare! :D
 
I was hacking out (With mum walking alongside as she has taken to coming on hacks now!) and a lady stopped her car coming towards us to tell me what a beautiful horse I had, it still makes me feel all warm and fuzzy a month later.

Also had the vet out for vacs (I bough him just after his vacs last year) and she said how wonderful he was looking, so well and a lovely weight (he arrived obese and now is at perfect athlete weight :D)

Generally people do like Arnie though as he is so big and ginger but I always make sure to compliment other people's horses as I know how much it means to me when people do it to me :)
 
A older lady who's house backs onto my 'jumping field' always says how she loves to watch me jump in the summer she also says what a brilliant rider I am.......
and loves seeing the Friesian trotting around the field - horse is an all black welsh d, but I just agree ;)

She's been ill recently so we always take one of the horses on a walk to her house to see her! She loves to give them carrots and sugar cubs :D
 
Batgirl said:
Generally people do like Arnie though as he is so big and ginger but I always make sure to compliment other people's horses as I know how much it means to me when people do it to me :)
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I had a friend of a friend over to come on a pub ride with me...I kept saying how lovely her horse was sort of expecting a nice compliment back or at least some form of conversation and do you know what she said??........ I Know....... i just thought big head much ... ;)
 
One fine, slightly misty morning I was out hacking my KWPN mare, who was full of the joys of spring, snorting like an engine, tail flying high. I had put her exercise bandages on because I had stupidly taken my boots home to wash. They were white.

As R was being a bit of a loon, dancing on her toes I thought I'd take advantage of the coiled spring beneath me and was doing half passes, shoulder in, canter pirouettes and two step tempi changes down the tracks. We got to the end of the track and rounded the corner where she stopped dead, threw her head up and snorted, at which point I promptly flew up her neck. Never mind, the reason was that there was a gaggle of girls on their ponies behind the hedge all clapping and hailing compliments. The best one was 'Wow, your horse is gorgeous. Are you practicing for the the Olympics?' I smile, because I am a dreadful rider these days and never got further than prelim with her.
 
I often have a gentleman pass in his car on the lanes around me, he's always friendly and slows down. Today he has his window open and commented on the sunshine, then stopped and said the my horse was stunning and he loved seeing her out and about!! She is a bit of a diva I have to say!!
 
Its Lovely reading these comments!
My mare is a plain dark bay, so not much of a head turner!
But I had the saddle fitter out a few weeks ago, who not only kept calling her a little cherub (which i thought was so sweet) as pud is an angel in stable to lead etc, but once I'd got on and started riding her, commented on what a lovely forward mover she was. I was really chuffed. Everyone see's pud in her stable where she is literally a big dog, so its nice for someone to see she isn't the plod everyone thinks :)
 
A lady on my yard just loves my pony to bits. Every day she tells me how gorgeous and well behaved he is.

I took him to a local show a few weeks back and lots of people said how beautiful he is :D Makes your day doesn't it x
 
I sent my horse away on Sunday to be schooled and started over jumps by one of my best friends who is a freelance trainer. I've told her how much I enjoy riding Big Ears and how comfy her paces are, plus how much work I've put into her trot and canter. But I am one of only three people who has ridden her ever (the guy who broke her to saddle, my dad who rode her up and down our lane once, and obviously myself).

On Monday I had a text to say 'Oh my god! Her canter is to die for!' and all I could do for about half an hour was walk around with a stupid grin on my face. It sounds silly but people have said plenty of horrible things about her (she's not fast enough, she's lazy, she has a horrible eye, her ears are too big, she's a b****) and I was a tad worried that my friend would sit on her and think 'What was Sarah on about? She's not nice to ride at all'; I had to thoroughly convince myself that it didn't matter what anyone thought because I'll be riding her forever and if I like her that's all that matters.

Still nice for someone to say something nice all the same :)
 
I had an unexpected compliment for my cob/dartmoor cross the other day. He is a lovely boy, never seems to mind anything or anybody. All the kids want to ride him and he seems to really enjoy being ridden by them. Anyway the vet came out to do his teeth this week and he has never had them done before. He stood perfectly still and didnt make any fuss. When she had finished she said what a good boy he was and that he was a handsome lad. This made my day as being the only cross bred horse at the yard I always feel he is the odd one out. I think he is handsome but I am biased.
 
trefnantblackknight said:
I had a friend of a friend over to come on a pub ride with me...I kept saying how lovely her horse was sort of expecting a nice compliment back or at least some form of conversation and do you know what she said??........ I Know....... i just thought big head much ... ;)
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Gutted! That is hilarious. The art of polite conversation is lost these days!
 
My horse is always admired when I take him anywhere (god, hope that doesn't sound big headed!) he has a lot of presence I suppose. One woman asked if he was a stallion, he has a very muscled neck and holds himself as if he owns the place :D I always appreciate any lovely comments, horses are so personal and it's so nice when people make an effort to come over and chat and be complimentary.
 
I once had a dressage judge rush out after I'd finished my test (we were the last in, so not unprofessional of her!) to demand where I'd bought " the gorgeous big handsome grey"!
When she got up to us, she realised he's only 15.1hh....and confessed when she'd been judging us she'd thought he was 16.2 :D
SuperCob - he grows a couple of hands at shows as clearly they are there just for everyone to look at him!
Made my week :)
 
A lady at the yard pulled me aside, being my usual paranoid self, I thought I was in trouble!
She said she had been looking at Ned (more alarm bells! I thought something was wrong with him LOL) and she was so impressed about how well he looks now and can't believe he's the same horse! I was almost in tears by the time she'd finished!
 
its the fact that someone takes the time to say something nice about my young horse that I appreciate more than what they say, I really lack confidence in my self so am always worried that im not doing the right thing for her. there are so many people who's life work seems to be undermining your confidence/ability that when someone says something nice it makes my day seem so much brighter and all my hard work worthwhile. I always make a point to say something nice when I see a rider and the other day I complemented a lady about her well behaved mare and she burst into tears! I turns out that she has been struggling to get her horse out on its own and that day was the first time she had managed it in twelve months and it was nice to share the achievement.:)
 
Just had a lesson with new instructor who says my mare is so genuine she can see why I continued with her. And that you can tell she loves getting getting it right for when doing new things.

Also Richard maxwell said if I can get her cracked she will be something amazing as we are already so bonded.
 
Really nice to read this thread! :D

I had a proud moment after I was told my boy could easily be an eventer if I trained him up, this was from a person who up until that day wasn't fond of him and didn't think he had any potential made me have a bit of a warm glow :D

He's had lots of kids fall in love with him and really miss him up at the yard, he's a proper gentleman when it comes to the kiddies :D

And most people who ride him comment on how comfy a canter he's got. I know it's not a massive thing but it's one of my favourite things about riding him, canter feels completely effortless!
 
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