Would you/do you let other people ride your horse?

charlie76

charlie76

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My horse needs to do some pole work as she is a little tight over he back and it has been suggested that pole work may help. Also I feel she could benefit from some jumping as she enjoys it and it will give her some variety to her work.

As I am on my own when I ride and I am not the greatest fan of jumping I am going to get a friend to ride her on a lesson tonight which I am teaching to enable me to do the poles and fences. Would others do the same?
 
I like to do things myself, and Flash is very much a one person horse, but I do let my instructor get on him if we're having problems, and I have let my sister ride him, but he plays up and then it takes me ages to get him working properly again!
 
I can only afford 1 lesson a week with I have with a BD trainer which I really benefit from- also I don't really like jumping TBH.
 
Only 4 people have ever ridden my horse
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One to break him, a friend, me and my auntie.

I wouldn't mind others riding him at all-as long as I knew they were capable of riding well.
 
I let my mum and my 'instructor' ride Oscar. My instructor being my mum's friend who teaches me, and she taught him pretty much everything he knows
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No-one else though! He's all mine!
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He doesn't like changes in riders anyway, he's really spooky if he doesn't know his rider very well.

I'd let anyone ride Jayjay though
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He's so safe, and couldn't care less who's sitting on him, he just trundles along happily, and I know he can look after himself.

My sister's horse Solo is a bit of a drama-queen, but she doesn't mind others riding him either!
 
I will let anyone ride my horses as long as I think they are capable. But then I only have horses on loan so they aren't mine anyway.
 
I let my brother ride my big horse, but only because of the fact he has longer legs hence horse takes the mick out of him less!
He is the ONLY other person allowed to ride The Cheekster, he has a similar riding style to me and is the only person I can trust to get on him and leave his leg off (hence not upsetting him for a week).
 
She doesn't mind different riders if they have a 'go' on her for a few minutes but I am just wondering about a whole lesson.
 
I have a lovely horse, he is generally very easy on the flat and over a fence. Hardley anyone else rides him but that is due to the fact that there is only 1 other person at my yard at the moment!
Saying that I would have no problem letting a friend or instructor ride him, he is old enough and established enough that it would make no difference in the long term who rode him!

ETS I would be a bit more careful who I let ride a younger/greener horse but would still let trusted friends on board
 
interesting topic. now this is not aimed at everyone (obviously) but I think alot of people think that they're more competent than they are and that other people will 'ruin' their horse.

I've had a few people pop on Ty since I've had him - think it does the horse good and sometimes you'll find someone who's ridden a similar horse and knows which buttons to press!

My YO is schooling Ty for me and has made such a difference to his way of going.

I personally don't think it's healthy for a horse to only have one rider unless they have serious problems - makes them a one trick pony (see what I did there) x
 
The only people who ever sit on my horse are my trainers and im very picky about who i train with also.

Its taken me a long, long time to get my horse pinging off my leg and he's also incredibly fussy in his mouth.

The head groom at my last yard rode him once to get the feeling of a few higher level dressage moves and i spent the next day battling for an hour trying to get him responsive to my leg again and back onto his haunches.

I already have regular lessons but personally, if i wasnt and i hit a problem, id be more inclined to book some than hand the reins over
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Depends on the horse. My mare has only had one other person ride as under too much pressure she rears and I know how to ride her and keep her manageable
 
If your friend is competent then why not. I am in a similar posibion I do jump Molly but I have lost my nerve and she loves it so if I found someone who wanted to jump her I would let them.
 
as long as you trust the person and they are sympathetic and capable then i dont thinkits a problem

i never minded decent riders on my mare, or even less decent ones as long as they have light hands!!
 
Goddy has had me, person who broke him, 2friends and a person on the yard on him. Dont mind people to ride him but for teaching new things or doing something new, only I will ride him. It is part of my learning process as much as his
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I agree- the last horse i had i would have let anyone ride! a friend who had a long break from riding did some c/r showjumping on him as well!
I was so proud of him as he really looked after her!
I had 1 horse who i would only let capable/brave riders ride because he was very sharp! but in the school etc he was anyones ride!
I actually liked watching people ride my horses! i am not selfish and i dont think one sit is going to ruin (most) horses!
 
It all depends on the horse and the other rider. If they are capable riders I have no worries about letting other people ride Honey, in fact I think it is good for other people to ride your horse, they may pick up something you haven't.

As I am away at uni I have to let mum ride Honey to keep Honey fit, mum is not capable enough to school her but will ride and lunge her for 30 minutes 4 times a week and my trainer will school her once a week.

My previous horse, nobody wanted to ride so I was the only person to ride him.
 
I have no problems with it, I can put anyone on my pony in the school for a wander round. He looks after complete novices and is only naughty for my boyfriend (who is a novice too). Boyfriend's 7 year old niece rides my pony occassionally too. He just adapts himself to whoever gets on.

I think you are being very sensible and un-selfish by letting your friend do poles and jumps on your horse. If you don't want to that's fair enough, and you're making sure your horse gets the work it wants and needs.
 
i have a hunter which i show so it is better for me to let other people ride him as the judge rides him at the shows. It is good for him to have different weights and styles of riding as everyone rides differently and that way hes used to them and then will always give the judge a good ride x
 
"now this is not aimed at everyone (obviously) but I think alot of people think that they're more competent than they are and that other people will 'ruin' their horse."

Yeah, I know what you mean!
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I doubt Oscar would be ruined, it's just that he's a funny thing to ride (he needs reassurance CONSTANTLY) and I'd rather he didn't work himself up, when my sister last rode him she almost came off, he was skittering around and panicing, and she's just as good a rider as I am! I suppose no-one can ride your horse just like you though, simply because they don't know him and he doesn't know them.
 
I have a sharer for my horse, so do let other people ride him! My sharer knows not to let anyone else ride him without my permission though.

I felt that it was important for my horses education to have other people ride him. He was a gawky 3 year old when I bought him and I didn't have a sharer until he was nearly 5. He is as happy as larry with others riding him now (he is now just 7) and adapts to their level of riding.
 
Me and my sister jointly own our horse so we both ride, but have lessons with the same instructor (or will do when hes fixed again) to ensure we both ride the same. A friend of ours has also ridden him and shes a fab rider when it comes to jumping, which Oscar loves and we arent so hot on, so shes giving him confidence. Works out quite well for all of us!
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Im fussy aboout who rides Jess, just because she is so young and not used to other people riding her but it does her good to experience different people.

I share my other pony but also let other people ride her. I get jelous when they are on her though because she is my baby but then think, well she is MINE so why not show her off!!!!
 
I don't like other people riding Chex, my mum does occasionally, like when I broke my leg, but only because she's a novice so listens to me and rides how I do. I just get get irritated when other people ride him, they always hang onto his mouth or use to much leg. I don't think for a minute they'll ruin him, just hate to see him ridden like that
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. Plus its taken me 9 years to get him exactly how I like him (almost
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), and I don't want that changed!
 
When I was younger my friends and I used to all swap ponies for fun and it was really useful to ride somethinig different - there's nothing better than jumping on a "new" horse!

Since then I have had a few bad experiences (well two) of people taking the p**s with regards to riding my horse and it has made me really nervous and funny about it. Not so much that I'm worried about the ability of the rider, just an anxiety - not sure why!!???
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Have just got a sharer - I've seen her ride and I don't think she will "damage" him in any way so that's taking a bit of getting used to.

I have let friends jump on him and PR has hacked him out a couple of times......

Spose what it boils down to is that he's MY BABY
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so v overprotective
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will do neddy good.

T has me at weekends to compete, a sharer who hacks in the week and friend also schools him for me, he has not suffered at all from all our various styles in fact I'd say it has done him good and he is fit as a fiddle.

Fred only myself and Tom ride him to be honest, purely becauase he is so unpredictable and I cant risk it until I know him better myself.
 
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