What would you do? uni, competing, someone else riding your horse

[Rachaelpink]

Hi, I'm currently 26 working full time and do a part time Postgrad course. In September I'm doing a primary PGCE. I have a small horse who I try and ride more or less daily but nothing strenous e.g. few days schooling, few hacking, mixed in with a bit of jumping. I competed her in 2009 in 75cm and 85cm classes with success but towards end of summer she started refusing. Reason for this not entirely known. Before this I'd not really done much competing, got her my first horse at 21 but been riding for yrs before that. For one reason and another, injuries, box not working, etc I've not had the time, money or resources to regularly have lessons and compete her and sort her out so not really competed her since then. Also I am lacking confidence as my last saddle was old and had no knee roll so I came off a lot when she stopped and it became a bit of a viscous cycle.
I had about 4 or 5 lessons near each other at one point and we did make progress but then had to stop the lessons for reasons listed above and for last 10 months I've only jumped small jumps at home (she's not been refusing) as box not been avalible as my mechanic has taken the mic. Now selling box as going back to uni so can't do anything for another year. Took her for a lesson yest, as got box back finally and it was mixed, jumped 7 smaller jumps in a course clear but then refusing some individual ones after.

My instructor has suggested I could let a teenage girl who she teaches who is at yard accross the road from me ride her to get her confidence back and that would hopefully get mine back. She was talking about her taking her in bigger classes like 1.05.I don't know if she could jump that bigger tracks. She's only just 14.3hh and 16 yrs old. I doubt I'd want to compete her that big, I'd be happy doing 75cm, 85cm and maybe trying BN. She's only done the competing I did with her. I won't have a box and this girl does so she said I could then probably take her out myself some weekends and her others and split entries.

I was hoping to get another box next summer and have regular lessons and sort her out, but that is a year away and there are no gurantees but I feel like if I had the time, transport and money I could do it, but it would be at least a year off and she'd be 17 then. I can totally see what she means but from a pride point of view I'm not sure if I would want someone else sorting her out and being more successful with her than I'll be. What do people think?

 

[Ginge Crosby]

i've recently been in a vaguely similar situation - i fell pregnant at 25 shortly after graduating from uni, just as my horse started going really well at dressage and jumping competitions (and i'd put in alot of hard work to get him there). I rode for as long as i could, but started getting pelvic pain which only got worse with riding, so at 5 months gone i had to give up. During that time, my OH wasnt happy with me riding at all whilst pregnant, so we were only lightly schooling and no competing or jumping at all.

I had a younger student from uni riding him for me for a while; i was gutted to relinquish him to someone else, as he can be quite difficult and also i had put in so much effort and paid for lessons to get him to that stage. But i was really pleasantly suprised to find that he went beautifully for her, she rode him so quietly and they really got on. Made me feel like the groundwork i had laid really benefitted him. (i thought i'd be a complete jealous nightmare, but found that i really enjoyed quietly watching from the tearoom unnoticed!). she's had to stop riding him for me, as she had to go back home for the summer, but we had discussed the prospect of her competing him for me as i'd qualified him for some local championships. I've been looking for someone to take him over for me, but sadly have had to put him on holiday in the paddock as where i am goes dead over the summer, being a student town, and i couldnt find anyone else to ride him.

I think it can be very beneficial for someone else to ride for you whilst you're otherwise engaged; the horse gets exercised, and with the right rider, will benefit from some extra schooling. Its hard at first, i wont lie, and i had many a cry over it in the early stages. but in the long run, it would have made things much easier for me if he'd been kept 'ticking over' whilst i was unable to ride; I'd have to do less preparation and fitness work after i have the baby in august.

Discuss it with the potential rider; if you're not happy her doing those heights, say so. maybe you could start her off smaller, and work up to a middle ground. as for worrying about her age, i wouldnt; think of the event horses who don't retire until 18/19 yrs old. Same with height - mark todds charisma was tiny and did very well at badminton, if the horse is capable then go for it. My horse is capable of doing much more than the 2ft 3 classes i do with him, it's me that's the problem not him
also, dont think of it as someone being more successful than you; its not that at all, its someone educating your horse for you so you could both benefit from it!

 

[LiveryList]

It really depends on what you want from the horse. I would totally understand that you want to keep her for yourself and dont want anyone else potentially doing better with your horse and them taking all of the glory. I am sure you would feel much happier and prouder if you work through the issues you have with the mare yourself and dont get anyone else involved with riding her. If it were me i would just set myself some goals to work towards by the time i was in a position to be out competing and had the lorry again.

 

[ngrace]

It would be nice for you to achieve it yourseld with the horse, but if your limited on time and resources it might be better to have this other rider - if they are good, and ride the way you like, handle the way you like etc then your horse will benefit from extra schooling, which some people pay for And yes if she gets more confidence you will get yours back more easily.
Have a think about how it would work eg. days she rides etc, and watch her ride and then think about it some more!
You can always stop if you feel uncomfortable with it too.

 

[DuckToller]

If you enjoy your horse, and she is now 16, I personally don't see any advantages to getting someone else to compete her, unless the girl is going to take over some of the daily expenses and workload for you.

At 16 she could be refusing for a health-related issue, so to have someone else riding and jumping her won't do her any favours. My instructor always says a horse only has so many jumps in it, ie they only last so long, and we don't know how many jumps each individual horse can manage in a lifetime, until they throw the towel in.

I would save her legs for you to enjoy, have a few lessons with a good instructor (an unbiased one too) and see if the stopping issues are rider related or not. If your saddle has no knee rolls it might be you are getting in front of her (if she is only 14.3 and you are average height or taller, then that could be happening) then that is a good reason for stopping for any horse. As you have come off a few times your confidence will not be high, so it becomes a vicious circle. Get that sorted, and you might find you both enjoy jumping again.

But if she is stopping because her feet hurt occasionally, then getting someone else to jump her over 1.05 will finish her off. At 16 a year off from competing won't hurt her at all and might mean she is better for it. I am wary about your instructor getting involved as she should be helping you, not providing a horse for someone else to compete!

 

[Rachaelpink]

Thanks for replies. After reading them and talking to a few friends I think I'm probably going to try it, it could benefit everyone potentially.

Llewlwyn, I'm not entirely sure why the refusing started it could be partly the mouth ulcer she had, it could be we went too fast or turned too tightly in jump offs, no-one knows for sure. I could sort her myself eventually but as I say couldn't do that or have lessons for at least another year due, to time, money, no transport etc (and my manage is too small and deep). I think the girl would ride her at other times as well for fitness. her feet are fine at the moment, that was last year. She does enjoy jumping and in last lesson she jumped a 7 jump course clear, but it's progressing with that for reasons just described that I just can't do at the moment. If I had the time, money, tranport then I would definately want to do it, but I don't and won't for a good while.