Video Calls on Horseback

[ElectricChampagne]

Does anyone do this? There's another livery on my yard that does this regularly, including when other people are riding in the arena and has no control of their horse, long rein yapping away. Does it out hacking on farmland too. often sending texts too.

What's your thoughts on this? I find it frustrating if I'm honest, arena rules not being followed and blocking others from working their horses when it's busy constantly getting in the way.

If you're down on the yard to ride your horse why would you have your head in your phone dangerously oblivious to what's going on around you?

 

[doodle]

I don’t see the point. Some people get on then spend ages wandering round on a long rein with head in phone. I guess better though than getting in and immediately trotting and cantering.

 

[Kizzy2004]

I did it once, it was for work so rather then a team meeting everyone went for a walk so everyone could see a bit of where everyone lived. My team wanted me to do it on horse back (not sure why) so I obliged as was effectively being given permission to ride during work time. I wouldn’t do it normally and certainly wouldn’t do it in the arena.

 

[Tash88]

I think it's fine if you're on your own and nobody (horse or human) is going to be in danger, I mean sometimes it happens that we are riding and need to take a quick call or check a message, but I wouldn't purposefully be on my phone whilst riding. And it's even worse if it affects others in the arena, just bad manners and she needs to be more considerate that her horse is a living animal with a mind of its own, they can spook out of nowhere!

The worst one I saw recently was an Instagram story of a few (clueless extra bespoke full livery) owners of a yard I used to work at riding their horses down a busy road in SW London going to Richmond Park - a selfie taken by the one in front with the caption 'Holding up traffic!', with a long queue behind them. Just irresponsible, but then if you have money how can you possibly be ignorant or do anything wrong! It probably irritated the drivers as well, and we have to try hard enough to keep them on side, passing wide & slow etc.

 

[Polos Mum]

I would speak to your YO and see if that can change the rules and let everyone know its not advisable to be on the phone in the school.

Out hacking - it's a bit daft (but I am guilty of it) but if they come off because they aren't in full control - that's their problem.

If it's causing a problem in the shared school YO should step in.

 

[ElectricChampagne]

YO already addressed it, and it's still happening. I suspect I'm not the only one having issues with it

 

[AmyMay]

YO already addressed it, and it's still happening. I suspect I'm not the only one having issues with it

What’s her response when you tell her to get out of your way? ((If you’re in the school at the same time..)

 

[Durhamchance]

I've answered the odd call on my apple watch while riding- but only ever on a hack on private farmland.

 

[Micropony]

Have you tried saying something like 'don't you think it would be safer for everyone if you hopped off for a moment to take your important call so others can continue working their horses?'
I think it's the height of bad manners myself, and my horse certainly wouldn't appreciate it, let alone anyone I was sharing the school with at the time!

 

[ElectricChampagne]

Usually the response is ignoring you or some passive aggressive riding on to of you afterwards.

 

[Pippity]

I've done it once in the school when there was nobody else there. My nieces wanted to see me riding, so I'd arranged a time to call them. I wouldn't do it hacking (too much chance of dropping my phone if anything unexpected happened!) or if there was anyone else in the school.

 

[The Xmas Furry]

I'm too interested in riding.....
Once tacked up, my phone gets switched to vibrate only, then gets zipped into inside pocket of whatever jacket I'm wearing. Nothing is that important that it cant wait for an hour or so.
Very rarely do I fish it out, usually only to take a between ears photo tho. It's such a palaver with glove off and rummaging in pocket, hence it's a rare event!

 

[Widgeon]

I'm too interested in riding.....
Once tacked up, my phone gets switched to vibrate only, then gets zipped into inside pocket of whatever jacket I'm wearing. Nothing is that important that it cant wait for an hour or so.
Very rarely do I fish it out, usually only to take a between ears photo tho. It's such a palaver with glove off and rummaging in pocket, hence it's a rare event!

Agreed. Such a faff having to wiggle it out of my pocket that I tend to ignore it unless I'm expecting something important. Besides, I'm not a good enough rider to be in control without having both hands at least *near* the reins....and my phone was expensive and my cob's feet are large and shod

 

[JulesRules]

It's the height of rudeness to not be paying attention to what others are doing while you are sharing an arena. I have s friend who is totally oblivious, not through being on the phone just because she's concentrating on herself. I hate riding in the school with her!

I'd probably let it go as a one off, report to YO ( as you have done) if it carried on and if it was still an ongoing issue I'm afraid I'd be telling the offender my thoughts in a very direct but polite ( think moral high ground) way every single time it happened.

Have you tried just saying "I'm sorry, but please can you pay attention to what you are doing as you are impacting my schooling" or something along those lines? Keeping the moral high ground whilst disrupting her calls to the extent she decides it's not worth it would probably the way I'd go. Lots of "excuse me, coming through", "please can you watch where you are going" , " if you are going to concentrate on your call, maybe you should leave the arena until you are finished" etc in a very loud voice might do it.

Are there other liveries having the same problem?

 

[Sprat]

Personally I relish not having my phone on me when riding. I tend to leave it in the yard so I have no distractions, it would irritate me endlessly if my phone kept buzzing and beeping while trying to ride. Unless hacking of course, when I would leave it on silent in a pocket in case of emergency.

Agree with JulesRules, I would be inclined to keep on at her until she got irritated by it.

 

[SOS]

I’d never video call or be on my phone whilst riding in the arena. Not only is it pointless (I’m in the arena for a reason) but the angle would be super unflattering haha!

I do sometimes take calls whilst hacking. I tuck my phone into my hat and talk through there. I avoid doing it on roads though and don’t do it when hacking fast. It makes walk work a lot less tiresome...

 

[Sail_away]

Sometimes on hacks if I’m just walking I’ll accept calls or text people if needed. Not in the arena though - I’d much rather be schooling my horse than texting!
It happens at my yard too though, mostly with the younger teenagers. What’s also not great is when people are chatting to each other on horseback, two or three of them side by side in our 40x30. Not big enough to work around people like that!

 

[ElectricChampagne]

It's the height of rudeness to not be paying attention to what others are doing while you are sharing an arena. I have s friend who is totally oblivious, not through being on the phone just because she's concentrating on herself. I hate riding in the school with her!

I'd probably let it go as a one off, report to YO ( as you have done) if it carried on and if it was still an ongoing issue I'm afraid I'd be telling the offender my thoughts in a very direct but polite ( think moral high ground) way every single time it happened.

Have you tried just saying "I'm sorry, but please can you pay attention to what you are doing as you are impacting my schooling" or something along those lines? Keeping the moral high ground whilst disrupting her calls to the extent she decides it's not worth it would probably the way I'd go. Lots of "excuse me, coming through", "please can you watch where you are going" , " if you are going to concentrate on your call, maybe you should leave the arena until you are finished" etc in a very loud voice might do it.

Are there other liveries having the same problem?

Yep that's exactly what I've done as have others, and the YO has already said it to them too.

I wouldn't mind if this one was a teenager, she's much older and should know better.

Im the same with routing my phone out, can't be arsed with the faff!!

 

[sherry90]

It’s an interesting point though and to someone’s point about if someone fell off (I often see a lot of vloggers on Instagram filming rides from a selfie angle) and wonder if their insurance would pay out? Particularly prolific/well known vloggers who might be seen by said insurance provider/employee!

 

[ElectricChampagne]

It’s an interesting point though and to someone’s point about if someone fell off (I often see a lot of vloggers on Instagram filming rides from a selfie angle) and wonder if their insurance would pay out? Particularly prolific/well known vloggers who might be seen by said insurance provider/employee!

Incidentally, that exact insurance question has come up on the yard because of it.

 

[Gloi]

Life is much better if you forget about what other people are doing or not doing and just concentrate on your own horse.

 

[JulesRules]

I get that you have made comments, but have you just said one thing and then left it, or have you kept on? If you interupt her conversation constantly with " excuse me", "Can you watch where you are going please?", "I'm doing lateral work now", "can you stay off the track in walk please" Etc does it not make her conversation almost impossible to hold and she'll give up? If all the liveries did the same surely she should get the message pretty quickly? You need to make it almost impossible for her to hold a conversation.

 

[JulesRules]

Life is much better if you forget about what other people are doing or not doing and just concentrate on your own horse.

What about when you can't do what you are doing because others are being totally thoughtless?

 

[Annagain]

Do you have her number? While she's video calling, call her, your name will flash up on the screen and seeing as she's staring at it she should get the message!

 

[ElectricChampagne]

What about when you can't do what you are doing because others are being totally thoughtless?

I have to agree here, she stops dead on the track to answer the calls, pulls into your circle last minute when you're trying to avoid her and generally has no situational awareness. She nearly caused a collision with her antics between three horses. She has bullied others out of the arena in the past so she can take these calls.

So I'm all for ignoring it, but when it's dangerous and rude, something has to be done.

 

[ElectricChampagne]

Do you have her number? While she's video calling, call her, your name will flash up on the screen and seeing as she's staring at it she should get the message!

Oh why didn't I think of that!!

 

[Annagain]

Oh why didn't I think of that!!

It's probably a bit pass ag but she sounds really annoying!

 

[ElectricChampagne]

She's quite passive aggressive herself!

 

[Crazy_cat_lady]

I saw a Facebook video of people from a shall we say less than reputable livery yard hacking down a narrow, busy high street taken in the selfie position, that was bad.

 

[Winters100]

I do it all the time, mainly to show my very bored Mother (high risk for Covid so has to stay home) how the horses are going. I would not do it anywhere that I was disturbing anyone else though.

Many people at our yard take calls when riding. To be honest I find it less irritating than those who don't seem to have proper control of their horse and constantly expect me to avoid them because they know that I can manage mine.