Whinge, moan, God I hate people 😤

[millreef]

Many years ago we went to visit a horse we had sold to Germany. The purchaser was on the German team training. We were taken to the livery yard where he kept the horse. It was a huge yard with a huge variety of clients. He tacked the horse up and took it into the indoor school to flat shcool it. There were kids practising mounted games, screaming etc, other not so serious adults doing whatever and this guy working a young horse at a high level. We asked if he did not find all the goings on distracting? No not all was the reply. The horse will be going to competitions and will have to learn to cope with distractions so it may as well learn at home. He ended up being long listed for the German Olympic Three Day Event team. Lesson? Just get on with things - you will meet all sorts of things wherever you go so best dealt with at home.

This is the silver lining. Yes I should look at these things as practice for competition. I really should just get on with it. You’re right.

 

[millreef]

This 100%.
What is so wrong with people watching? Or children having fun (as long as supervised)?
Learn to control your horse and your focus and stop thinking about outside influences you can't control.

OMG you sound just like my trainer That’s exactly what he tells me to do.

 

[AShetlandBitMeOnce]

My YO's constantly apologise if they have done something spooky like the lawn mower, angle grinder, digger or the dog is herding Dex or whatever, I always reply not to worry and that it's all good practise for things he will see out and about; and I genuinely relish the training opportunity.

 

[PinkvSantaboots]

It can be annoying though if there is constantly a distraction the school I use is on a busy farm and there is alot going on, the worst thing is the 10 peacocks that hang out in the arena jumping on and off the fence and flapping around, and when the males do the mating feather shake neither of mine like that much.

 

[toppedoff]

It can be annoying though if there is constantly a distraction the school I use is on a busy farm and there is alot going on, the worst thing is the 10 peacocks that hang out in the arena jumping on and off the fence and flapping around, and when the males do the mating feather shake neither of mine like that much.

Peacocks I want one!

 

[BigRedDog]

 

[PinkvSantaboots]

Peacocks I want one!

Noooo they are a pita look pretty but dumb and my horses hate them

 

[The Xmas Furry]

It can be annoying though if there is constantly a distraction the school I use is on a busy farm and there is alot going on, the worst thing is the 10 peacocks that hang out in the arena jumping on and off the fence and flapping around, and when the males do the mating feather shake neither of mine like that much.

You win!

We just chase pheasants. I instigated this after B had a melt down at one soon after she arrived, we have a few locally so she had to get over herself. Scared the crap out of an experienced friend who rode her back in the summer, when the mare saw a pheasant and got a bit more keen

 

[Lois Lame]

You win!

Yes, especially the jumping on and off the fence. Ha ha.

 

[DabDab]

You win!

We just chase pheasants. I instigated this after B had a melt down at one soon after she arrived, we have a few locally so she had to get over herself. Scared the crap out of an experienced friend who rode her back in the summer, when the mare saw a pheasant and got a bit more keen

I used this technique with Dabs and sheep when he was young and we used to ride on common land. Worked marvellously until the day we came across one with its head in a road salt bin mutant salt-bin-head sheep are not ok

 

[PinkvSantaboots]

You win!

We just chase pheasants. I instigated this after B had a melt down at one soon after she arrived, we have a few locally so she had to get over herself. Scared the crap out of an experienced friend who rode her back in the summer, when the mare saw a pheasant and got a bit more keen

See pheasants they are not that much of an issue as I have resident ones so mine live alongside them happily, although the bloody peacocks often just rock up at my place they like to sit on my muck heap and on top of our cars so I have to let the dogs see them off.

They had more babies this year so we will probably have 15 of the things next year I actually liked them before they started terrorising us in the arena.

 

[PinkvSantaboots]

Yes, especially the jumping on and off the fence. Ha ha.

My horses are Arab's and it doesn't take much for them to spook at the best of times

 

[Christmascinnamoncookie]

It’s all very well saying ‘Treat it as a distraction for great training’ but when you’re literally paralysed with the thought of your horse spooking and hurting you and the kids are being deliberately obnoxious knowing you had a really horrible accident, it’s a different matter, plus I think basic manners come into it. The arena is not a playground, kids shouldn’t be throwing themselves over jumps in there, without a horse!

 

[PinkvSantaboots]

I used this technique with Dabs and sheep when he was young and we used to ride on common land. Worked marvellously until the day we came across one with its head in a road salt bin mutant salt-bin-head sheep are not ok

Arabi can't deal with birds drinking from the horse trough in the field next to the school, he has a proper melt down with it I literally have to cut off that end of the school until they go.

 

[PinkvSantaboots]

It’s all very well saying ‘Treat it as a distraction for great training’ but when you’re literally paralysed with the thought of your horse spooking and hurting you and the kids are being deliberately obnoxious knowing you had a really horrible accident, it’s a different matter, plus I think basic manners come into it. The arena is not a playground, kids shouldn’t be throwing themselves over jumps in there, without a horse!

We also get a non horsey nan picking up conkers along the edge of the school while your trying to school, I mean who thought it was a good idea to plant conker trees along the edge of a school, had loads just land on my head over the years it ain't much fun I can tell you!

 

[Christmascinnamoncookie]

We also get a non horsey nan picking up conkers along the edge of the school while your trying to school, I mean who thought it was a good idea to plant conker trees along the edge of a school, had loads just land on my head over the years it ain't much fun I can tell you!

A few weeks back, I was dodging the edible chestnuts in the woods. They tend to come down in clumps and are very spiky!

 

[Lois Lame]

We also get a non horsey nan picking up conkers along the edge of the school while your trying to school, I mean who thought it was a good idea to plant conker trees along the edge of a school, had loads just land on my head over the years it ain't much fun I can tell you!

Non horsey nan. She sounds lovely. (I have a suspicion she planted the trees) : D

I love peacocks. Even when they are trying to walk normally, they cannot. They must strut and look self-important. My partner and I, and one of our daughters, went for a walk in a nearby suburb some months ago, where the street trees are very tall and the houses impressive (not hideous, like a lot of them these days, but impressive). And who should come out from a driveway but a peacock! He was going for a walk to who knows where, but he knew where. Apparently it's not unusual to see this in that area. Wonderful. But I wouldn't fancy them in a riding arena.

 

[PinkvSantaboots]

A few weeks back, I was dodging the edible chestnuts in the woods. They tend to come down in clumps and are very spiky!

Winnie refuses to walk near the trees when the spiky bits are on the floor I have to carry her

 

[PinkvSantaboots]

Non horsey nan. She sounds lovely. (I have a suspicion she planted the trees) : D

I love peacocks. Even when they are trying to walk normally, they cannot. They must strut and look self-important. My partner and I, and one of our daughters, went for a walk in a nearby suburb some months ago, where the street trees are very tall and the houses impressive (not hideous, like a lot of them these days, but impressive). And who should come out from a driveway but a peacock! He was going for a walk to who knows where, but he knew where. Apparently it's not unusual to see this in that area. Wonderful. But I wouldn't fancy them in a riding arena.

I used to like them I even had some really nice cushions with peacocks on but after trying to school with them terrifying my horses I hate the bloody things now, I even took the cushions away I am going to try and flog the covers on ebay

 

[humblepie]

It’s all very well saying ‘Treat it as a distraction for great training’ but when you’re literally paralysed with the thought of your horse spooking and hurting you and the kids are being deliberately obnoxious knowing you had a really horrible accident, it’s a different matter, plus I think basic manners come into it. The arena is not a playground, kids shouldn’t be throwing themselves over jumps in there, without a horse!

I totally agree that no one expects everyone to be silent and still around you and yes horses have to get used to life but there is being considerate to others. We have someone with a horse that is very spooky when being led, so yes if I know that horse is being got in from the field there are some things I might refrain from doing for a couple of minutes which I know the others horses wouldn't mind as I think that is the polite thing to do. I had one who was fine with the peacock we used to meet out until we met the peacock sitting on a wall. Peacocks shouldn't sit on walls and they are very large that close up!

 

[PinkvSantaboots]

I totally agree that no one expects everyone to be silent and still around you and yes horses have to get used to life but there is being considerate to others. We have someone with a horse that is very spooky when being led, so yes if I know that horse is being got in from the field there are some things I might refrain from doing for a couple of minutes which I know the others horses wouldn't mind as I think that is the polite thing to do. I had one who was fine with the peacock we used to meet out until we met the peacock sitting on a wall. Peacocks shouldn't sit on walls and they are very large that close up!

Yes and should definitely not sit on arena fencing either or another nice one they do is sit on top of the horseboxes parked opposite arena flap about a bit then just take off towards you making the most horrendous noise I don't know why I'm laughing because it drives me mad.

 

[Winters100]

Many years ago we went to visit a horse we had sold to Germany. The purchaser was on the German team training. We were taken to the livery yard where he kept the horse. It was a huge yard with a huge variety of clients. He tacked the horse up and took it into the indoor school to flat shcool it. There were kids practising mounted games, screaming etc, other not so serious adults doing whatever and this guy working a young horse at a high level. We asked if he did not find all the goings on distracting? No not all was the reply. The horse will be going to competitions and will have to learn to cope with distractions so it may as well learn at home. He ended up being long listed for the German Olympic Three Day Event team. Lesson? Just get on with things - you will meet all sorts of things wherever you go so best dealt with at home.

Totally agree with this. I had a similar experience last year. I had taken the horses to another yard for a few weeks, a huge complex which was built partly for the training of the National team, so plenty of top riders there. A friend went to fetch something from my car and accidently set off the panic alarm - flashing lights and horn - and since she could not stop it she had to come and fetch me. I ran to deal with it, and profusely apologised to the lady nearby, whose horse was obviously upset. I had half expected to be yelled at, she is a top rider and it is a serious place. Instead she asked me if I could please do it again, because the horse has to get used to it.

With my own horses I agree that seeing all sorts at home is good for them, and if they cannot cope with unexpected activity at home then how can we expect them to cope with it elsewhere.

 

[Alwaysmoretoknow]

Guinea fowl are the pits 'cos they look like vultures and love perching round the arena seemingly waiting for some unlucky rider to stack it. Very off-putting.

 

[Cloball]

I prefer to ride with people there in case I fall off and no one finds me for several days (no one else uses the school)

 

[Lois Lame]

Yes and should definitely not sit on arena fencing either or another nice one they do is sit on top of the horseboxes parked opposite arena flap about a bit then just take off towards you making the most horrendous noise I don't know why I'm laughing because it drives me mad.

What sort of noise do they make? The only sound that I have heard from them was kind of wailing, "Heeeeellllp..... heeellllllp... heelllllp... " We were mystified for a while as we lay in bed listening to this when we stayed for a little while at a place that had, among other things, peacocks. They roamed freely.

 

[McGrools]

This reminds me of a time at a BE event when it was peeing rain and one of the competitors warming up for dressage was struggling with her horse spooking at an umbrella. She wanted the supporter to put the umbrella down, but really is it fair to expect bystanders to get p wet through cos your horse can’t cope?

 

[PinkvSantaboots]

What sort of noise do they make? The only sound that I have heard from them was kind of wailing, "Heeeeellllp..... heeellllllp... heelllllp... " We were mystified for a while as we lay in bed listening to this when we stayed for a little while at a place that had, among other things, peacocks. They roamed freely.

Exactly that a high pitched wailing

 

[humblepie]

This reminds me of a time at a BE event when it was peeing rain and one of the competitors warming up for dressage was struggling with her horse spooking at an umbrella. She wanted the supporter to put the umbrella down, but really is it fair to expect bystanders to get p wet through cos your horse can’t cope?

A couple of years back I was at a big championship running dressage and showing. I heard someone doing dressage berating a person for holding an umbrella then we had a downpour and going into the supreme showing the steward holding the rope at the entrance had an umbrella up. We all just trotted by thanking him . Mind you my previous horse wasn’t an umbrella fan so I took him down the village pub with its sun shades over the tables to chill so I do know where they are coming from.

 

[expanding_horizon]

A couple of years back I was at a big championship running dressage and showing. I heard someone doing dressage berating a person for holding an umbrella then we had a downpour and going into the supreme showing the steward holding the rope at the entrance had an umbrella up. We all just trotted by thanking him . Mind you my previous horse wasn’t an umbrella fan so I took him down the village pub with its sun shades over the tables to chill so I do know where they are coming from.

I ride where lots of race horses are exercised, and in quite a windy location. There is pub garden that a lot of racehorses pass. The pub umbrellas are tied shut with shrink wrap plastic when not inuse after a few incidents. A local trainer a few years back had a exercise rider fall from horse off spooking at umbrellas in the wind. He came back in the dead of night and taped all umbrellas shut! Unfortunately the pub cameras caught him doing it, and the pub rang his wife!

 

[Bonnie Allie]

This reminds me of a time at a BE event when it was peeing rain and one of the competitors warming up for dressage was struggling with her horse spooking at an umbrella. She wanted the supporter to put the umbrella down, but really is it fair to expect bystanders to get p wet through cos your horse can’t cope?

That’s hilarious. I hear you and raise you………………at a dressage comp my children were on their ponies as they were also competing, I walked them over to the warm up area. I was on foot, in between the two of them and suddenly an adult (female) of a certain age lost her s*** at us, screaming at the top of her voice to stay away from her and her horse as he would be frightened. I reckon the screaming was what was upsetting her horse.

Thankfully the steward was exceptional at managing the situation. My son said “mummy what was wrong with that lady, why was she shouting”.