whats the worst thing you've done? riding someone else's horse?eek!

[NeverSayNever]

another thread on here about someone riding a horse without permission got me thinking, and remembering... totally different situation, but made me wonder whats the baddest most cringeworthy thing you have done?

here's mine; *cringe*

aged 10 - pony-less and desperate, had had a few lessons and could WTC. My lucky day came when I came across a tacked up highland pony grazing at the verge (id been at a local farm fruit picking for pocket money) ad i took her along to the next farm, knowing she was prob from there. Long story short - owner moving away to get married from parents farm, leaving her 3 horses for the time being; said I could go up, help myself to tack and afore mentioned pony and ride when I wanted!! (when does that ever happen? it was a dream come true!) The other 2 ponies were a retired over height, HUGE to me, gelding, and a 3 year old, the foal of the pony I was riding. I vauguely remember being told not to do anything with the other 2.

I had been going up and riding this pony for months - hacking for miles, taught myself to jump on her! No one ever supervised me, asked what I was doing! And it was before the days of mobiles as well!

One day I decided to mess about with the 3 year old, groomed him etc. And I decided just to tack him up, with the other pony's tack and ride him along the road!!! Dont even think I knew if the tack fitted or was appropriate for him. Just shows the ignorance and foolhardiness of youth eh? He didnt put a foot wrong but thinking back, I knew nothing about him, even if he was properly broken!

Turns out the girls mother had seen me and I remember getting in so much trouble but at the time I didnt see the big deal and I went home and pleaded with my parents to buy him for me!!

If that were me now , ummm- 23 years on - i would go up and not come down if anyone had been near my horse without asking. Whooops!

 

[E_Lister]

I was once given permission by a friend to exercise her mums horse (who I regularly exercised when they were around) when the family were on holiday. I knew the horse well and the family, so that part wasn't a problem...

I took her out in the cart (ride and drive fjord...ace!!) as I had done in the past with another horse friend familiar to the family. There were no problems and in my eyes, I had permission, having been given it by the daughter.

It turns out the daughter hadn't gained permission from her mother for me to ride the horse that week. The horse was kept at the girl's grandma's house, and she too hadn't been told that I was coming to ride it.

Obviously, what she saw was me "pinching" the horse, whilst it's owner was away. She didn't bring it up with me but told the owner when she got back off holiday as she didn't know me very well.

I didn't get in any trouble myself... the daughter was nearly hung drawn and quartered. What I didn't know at the time was the grandma was ill and me riding Rally was stressing her out and making her worse.

Obviously, I had no idea and would never have dreamed of taking the horse without permission. I just kick myself nowthat I didn't double check with the girls parents! I still ride the horse, I love her to bits, and the family all know and trust me... it was just a giant misunderstanding!

 

[camilla4]

Tuesday morning this week - managed to pull someone's rather nice dressage horse over on top of me! He was only bunny-hopping and I don't think he meant to go up as high as he did - I didn't release in time and down we came. I was terrified I'd broken him but he's fine (I'm a different story but there we go!). Felt horrible about it....

 

[fabulous_fi]

Talking bout the foolhardiness of youth.... when i was little..bout 7 i used to go to my papa's field and jump on whatever horse was nearest, no tack, no hat and happily canter round and have a jolly good time. Fall alseep on them while they grazed and basically be a bit of a pain to my papa. Afterall he was breaking some and selling most of these horses on. And every day I would get shouted at and told to stay away

Then I never went on a horse for many years and now struggle to canter lmao

 

[hannabanana]

I used to canter on the road when I was 9 :O:O:O!!!!!!!!! I didnt know that it was bad or wrong. I sharp got told..woops!

 

[MrsMozart]

Hm. Galloping and jumping without a hat (many years ago).

Friend losing the key to her field and us riding in the dark because going back for it made us so late.

Jumping the five bar gate into the field because we were too lazy to open it.

Oh dear. The memories are tumbling back now lol . Too many things

 

[QUICKFIRE]

A friend of mine had been given permission from my father to ride one of the ponies on a pleasure ride to Sutton Park in the Midlands, and on the entrance to the park were cattle grids........yep you guessed, she rode the pony over the cattle grid, later she said she didn't know what they were!!!!!!! we were all aged about 13/14 at the time.
Some how, and to this day, it still amazes me that the pony was a jig-joggy type and managed to get across with out so much as a scratch. Was it bad of me to tell the girl to get off the pony and that she could walk home, maybe it was at least 8 mile.

 

[misterjinglejay]

At my old dressage yard, the YO and I had finished putting together a bench at the side of the arena - Yippee, we thought, time for champers and chocs.

Alnong came my OH and the dreesage instructor who was a livery there and joined in the celebration. Cue more champagne, more chocs and the fab idea of riding each others horses - we were vewwy vewwy dwunk by now.

Off we went to 'tack up' - a slightly farcicle exercise that had the poor horses very confused and us even more so.

The riding bit went very well (from what I remember) and more alcohol was consumed whilst mounted; sitting trot on a bouncey german warmblood, whilst drinking was a skill I was proud to discover I had.

Soon it was my OH's turn to ride the grand prix dutch wb: we hoisted him up, and off they went. my Oh was a good rider, very concientious and gentle, so imagine his horror when Matador started doing a strange jumpy gait. OH panicked and was very concerned, thinking he'd broken the horse. Haha Matador was doing one tempi changes and loving showing off-bless him!!!

That was cause for another celebration!

 

[Hullabaloo]

On Christmas Eve a few years ago I borrowed my friend's horse to take one of the kids on our yard for a hack (her horse being better behaved than mine). On the way down a narrow bridleway the girl's pony slipped and fell on her leg. There was nothing to tie the horse to and I couldn't get near her without risking her being trampled so I had to let go of my friend's horse to see to the girl. It was a really horrible decision but I had to look after the child.
The pony sensibly went into the field at the side. My friend's horse went up the dentist's drive and decorated his grass with hoofprints. Luckily neither of them were any the worse for the experience and the girl was fine apart from a very badly bruised leg.