What have your horses taught you?

W

Walrus

Well-Known Member
Joined
16 January 2007
Messages
2,434
Visit site
It'll be one year tomorrow since I got my first pony - me aged 25, having ridden since I was 8 and begged, borrowed and ridden anything I could get my hands on ever since but never had one of my own, him a 4.5 year old fell pony who'd done a bit of in-hand showing, long reining and lots of eating! He was the first pony I went to see (and the only one)! I can't believe I've had him a year and now I can't imagine what I'd do with myself if he wasn't around! Some things pony has taught me over the last year:

when buying pony-related gear always double your budget and add some!

never, ever, ever long rein without gloves on (ouch!)

if you have a furry pony a shedding blade is your best friend

bedding choice and mucking out technique is fascinating and can provide hours of debate and is an art form!

it is possible to function in a morning before you reach the office

pigs are not that scary to hack past, large round straw bales are and are out to get you!

canter your young pony on the same place on a hack twice and the third time he will go regardless!

snow is not fun, ever, nor is ice

you can never, ever fill a fell pony, he will always be hungry (and always on a diet)

it is a hundred times harder to manage a fat pony that you ever initially anticipate

that I have more patience that I ever thought possible!

Fingers crossed for another awesome year!

What have your horses taught you?

:D :D
 
That the reason I don't have new shoes costing £70 every six weeks is because he does.:o

Oh - and as an old rogue of a dealer said to me as a kid: "There's only one guarantee with 'osses. They'll mek you look stupid".
 
Last edited:
Patience....nothing good ever comes quickly

A good seat....and light hands

That I will never have decent nails.....

That non-horsey women are pretty poofy and cannot push a wheelbarrow full of horsemuck up a hill;)

Bailertwine is the answer to most things.

To have a reliable alarm clock.
 
My horses/ ponies have taught me so much over the years.

-Know when to quit, and know when to keep plugging away.
-Sometimes, all you can do is laugh!
-The people who say he's not right, not worth it, not going to do anything much? They may, technically, be right. But if you want to ride that horse- sod them all.
 
So much...

Patience,
Timing
Budgeting
How to get green stains out of your beige show breeches...

OH and just when you've given up and have no hope of getting that walk to canter, turn on the forehand, one time change (whatever) They do it perfectly - just once to prove it's you that's asking wrong not them that can't do it!!
 
horses have taught me the true meaning of being skint, cope with not having much of a social life, how to look good knee deep in mud & manure, how to embarrass myself, how to stay on an unsticky moment riding, how to never have a lie in, and the true meaning of smelling of horse pee all day no matter how much you shower /spray!

but you know what I wouldn't bl00dy change it for the world!!!!!!!!
 
Mine have taught me the art of functioning with barely any sleep, how endless jacket potatoes and baked beans are the only things I can afford to eat (except on the days when I splash out and have the beans on toast !), so they can have their branded feeds and supplements. How driving round in an ancient car can be fun, even though they travel in a nice fairly new horsebox. They have also taught me how to shower, get dressed and made up in 15 minutes, as that's all I have left by the time I get back from the yard in the mornings. And most importantly having horses has increased my financial awareness as I now manage to move the credit card debt every few months to yet another "0% on balance transfer" card!
 
Holly Hocks said:
Mine have taught me the art of functioning with barely any sleep, how endless jacket potatoes and baked beans are the only things I can afford to eat (except on the days when I splash out and have the beans on toast !), so they can have their branded feeds and supplements. How driving round in an ancient car can be fun, even though they travel in a nice fairly new horsebox. They have also taught me how to shower, get dressed and made up in 15 minutes, as that's all I have left by the time I get back from the yard in the mornings. And most importantly having horses has increased my financial awareness as I now manage to move the credit card debt every few months to yet another "0% on balance transfer" card!
Click to expand...

can relate to this too!! haha
 
So much; but here's a few...

Patience and humility

kindness will always be rewarded - eventually

love is unconditional

never lunge without gloves

600KG of cob can quiet easily pull you over! but yet will submit to your commands just because he loves and respects you

a piebald horse can only look clean for a maximum of thirty minutes

old ladies pulling those shopping bags on wheels and umbrellas are the scariest things in the world - FACT!!!
 
Lolo said:
The people who say he's not right, not worth it, not going to do anything much? They may, technically, be right. But if you want to ride that horse- sod them all.
Click to expand...

Ditto that, never a truer word spoken!

I have learned that although buying another youngster at my age probably wasnt the best idea, no regrets is the way to go.

That its not so hard to love the worst little monsters because they all come good with a little TLC and a lot of patience

Never to buy another grey (I made this decision when I bought a steel grey 14 yrs ago, and now have two)

Horse Snuffles are nature's remedy for stress

My grandma has a sense of humour (Have you just come from the stables kelly, or has your grandad had another accident)

Horses make very good listeners
 
Last edited:
1. That no matter how much money you think you have/can borrow - the vet bill will always exceed it :(
2. No matter what the vet bill comes to, you will alwys find a way to pay it - even if it means living on fresh air for a month (you, not the horse of course)
 
That even with no stable, no school, no electricity, no saddle that fits (riding bareback right now) and a muddy field you can build a bond that is amazing. And the biggest factors of this is patience, understanding and love. And it is this that will help you ride better.

I cant ride a dressage test, and would struggle to remember a SJ course now but Samba is pretty much my best friend and I hope we have many years of fun together.


Oh and that there is no point in being house or car proud :D Because A) you can't keep the mud out, and there is a guarenteed line of wellies in the hall B) you cant afford anything to put in it :D :D
 
Last edited:
My mare, Miska (now retired) taught me the first time I hacked her out....when a horse takes off with you, don't forget to duck when going under low branches :D

Ettie taught me...if you fall off after the finish line in a jump off it still counts as clear.

Ella taught me...always to take a spare pair of clothes when tackling water jumps.

Finally, all my horses have taught me that life would be an awful lot more boring if I didn't have them.

Not very serious but all true :D
 
Benson taught me that no matter what I done, I was needed, and loved.
And Donovan is teaching me that no matter how hard life can seem, it can be made better.
 
"Oh - and as an old rogue of a dealer said to me as a kid: "There's only one guarantee with 'osses. They'll mek you look stupid". "

Oh, this one!!! Time and time again have learned that horses keep you humble :p
(only last week - me at 5'9 tall, telling my sister to ride her 11.2hh pony through his little bronco sessions... she said 'ok, you get on him', and I proceeded to get bucked off into the fence... :o )
 
how to sit up approaching a fence - he stopped at a jump and I didn't (cue broken arm and dad having to drive his nice clean car into the sand paddock to take me to a&e)
you can ride three days after having a plate put into your arm.

patience and perseverance do pay off - it's taken six years to get the big man to jump at a show without having a hissy fit and getting eliminated.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top