Would you let anyone rode your horse

My boy is on working livery so lots of people ride him, in the school I would pretty much let anyone on him, he is a total beginners horse and just waunders round like a donkey unless the right buttons are pushed. My uncle who had never ridden before and could happily stear and walk around :) However hacking am a bit more picky as he can be strong, have let a few HHO'ers hack him, however have seen them all ride anyway.
 
I'm suprised at the amount of people who wouldn't let anyone ride their horse.
I let non horsey relatives and friends ride her on occation for like pony rides round the block on the lead rein, which pony doesn't really mind as all she has to do is walk and she usually gets loads of treats and cuddles from non horsey family, which she loves lol!
I have let a few people at the yard ride her, but I know their riding ability and am always pressent, the only person I trust 100% to ride my horse when I'm not there is my sister. But TBH, I'd let most people ride her in the school if I they were a quiet rider.
 
I like this post, it's made me feel a bit better! I was only grumbling this weekend that I don't have anyone else to ride my young lad...in that A) no one wants to, he has a bit of a bad rep. and B) none of my friends/fellow liverys would be able to get him out of a walk. There is one lady I would really like to see on him, she's pushed for time though and I'm not sure she wants to due to his reputation!! I would like to see him from the ground once in a while though, at the moment I'm considering just getting someone to video us so I can watch that instead!! I am fussy about who I would let on him though, there's no point letting someone else ride them unless you know both parties are going to be safe. No one wants to ride the mare either apart from my RI who gets on as well as I do with her (same RI will not get on my gelding though!!)
 
Mine is the sort that is fine with a novice (a real novice) on board - he's a real sweetie and looks after his rider well; but with everyone else he takes the P**s big-time. I had someone riding him who'd been to equestrian college and got all her certificates to proove it, but who couldn't ride for toffee; and he managed to decant her twice during a lesson in virtually the same spot! I think her problem was that she thought she could ride, and as far as His Nibs is concerned, when he gets someone like this on board he will soon show them (and anyone else around!) that they can't!!! Whatta monkey!

But I'd certainly now be much more discerning who I put up on him. He was in a trekking centre before I had him so the poor old chap had everyone up there using his mouth as a balance strap, but for his sake I would need someone who's sensitive, confident and who can work with the quirkiness and occasional sheer damn stubborn-ness of a cob and isn't fazed by it but takes it all in their stride and who can bring out the best in him.
 
I wouldn't let just anybody get on either of my two, some horses make their riders look far better than they are, and vice versa, but I'm far too over protective of the Fogey and the Baby!

My sister once sat on Ballet, asked for trot, got a very long large canter, sister who has been riding ponies panicked, and faced her at a gate to stop. She now loves riding her, but will not ride her out of a enclosed field as she can be difficult.

Spanner (4 y/o) has only had the person that broke her in and myself ever sit on her, and I'd hate to see anyone who didn't know what they were doing 100% of the time mess her up, + there used to be a good chance they'd come off. Even now, I look at how some of my riding affects her way of going and hang my head in shame....
 
Only my Mum and my best friend (who is horsey) ride Fly. She can be a bit of a handful and they are confident enough to ride her. I don't let others on her incase I hear of mouth pulling/leg flapping stories.
 
I would let other people ride mine within reason.

I'm buying as a share with DH so will let him ride obviously, and he's a fab rider anyway. I'll let my sister ride too but will probably restrict her to hacking or lessons as whilst competant she isn't very technical and wouldn't really have much of a clue about schooling at the moment.

I'd let my instructor obviously and other people if I knew what their riding was like. For example I plan to let the lady I share a semi private lesson ride our horse when we get it but I know her level and that she is very much on the same wave length as me.

I wouldn't want to let a stranger/acquaintence get on my horse unless I'd seen them ride. If I was looking for a sharer or something I'd prefer to see them on the horse they are used to or on a riding school horse so I knew their level. I realise that I have been lucky to be allowed to ride other peoples horses and they have been lucky that I'm honest about my abilities! I remember one of my old shares, the owner let me take the horse for a hack alone when she had never seen me ride! I was a work colleague so she knew I wasn't going to steal her horse but she only had my word about my riding and her horse was an ex-racer!!!
 
yes...everyone has had a go on murphy, from 5 year old complete beginners, to my 60 yr old dad who has never been on a horse before but went for a plod round the fields. It is lovely having a horse you can invite friends and family to have a ride on even if they've never ridden before. One of my friends has been riding him once a week for nearly 3 years and he enjoys her visits because we always do something fun and he gets loads of attention. However, at the moment if someone who can ride rides him, I have to insist that they work hard and don't let him get away with being lazy!!
 
Unfortunately i wouldnt let anyone else ride paddy at the moment. He is not dangerous or anything but he is a nappy/stroppy little git and has been passed from pillar to post and has been allowed to get away with murder for pretty much the whole of his 12 years! I only got him 6 weeks ago. But if he doesnt want to do something he will spin, do a mini rear and buck....and we are not talking a little buck either! he does napp out on a hack but im slowly getting him going better. But if he knows he can get away with something then he will just do whatever he wants. So i dont let anyone else ride him as i would a) be worried he would buck them off or b) i dont want someone to get on him who wont stand up to him and his tantrums!
Only my riding instructor has ridden him when he wouldnt go out of the yard and bucked me off 3 times lol! So its only her i would let ride. Its a shame because i would have loved to have had a sharer for him. Still its only been 6 weeks.....i could come on hear in a years time and say that i let anyone ride him.......FINGERS CROSSED!!!!! :-D
 
My aim with my horse is for him to become any one’s ride. I want him to be able to plod about with a novice or perform with an experienced rider. I wouldn’t accept bad riding from either, excess kicking or pulling on his mouth won’t be tolerated from anyone. If you ride my horse you do it under my direction.
 
I too only let a select few ride my horse as hes still young. However i do get a lot of satisfaction out of watching a real good rider riding him.
 
Much to my annoyance I have to let my other half ride my current horse. I also have a dressage instructor and a jumping instructor ride him, but other than that I wouldn't let anyone else because I am too worried about me being sued if he dumped them!

It depends on the horse. We used to let anyone have a go on my old shire cross. He was as solid as a rock, but my current 17.2 ex racehorse can be 'a little s**t at times' - as my dressage instructor would say LOL :D
 
Last edited:
Slightly different for me - there aren't any real novices at my yard and the horses are all pretty nice - so from time to time we will have a sit on some one elses. Good for me to ride something different and good for me to see another rider working him. Had a bit of a wake up call on a friends bouncy and well bred dressage pony - forgotten what it was to sit on something with such an energetic back end and it was lovely. Took me a while to give HIM back to my friend! I also really enjoyed my sit on another friends horse who rode completely differently to how I thought he would be and time permitting, will swap again. However I know these riders well. A stranger would be a no no - and the only person I let ride my horse "unseen" was the mother of a good friend - mother has horses and had previously evented - it was an opportunity for her to hack out with her daughter. Friend is such a superb rider (and knows my horse very well) so I had no problem handing my horse over to her.
 
Last edited:
i think for me the important thing is whether you know you wont be sued!

people dont ride either of ours, they're at home and there is no need (obviously we ride them though!). but when our (completely novice) friend came down, stuck a hat on him and walked him rode the field in a lead rein - and I think they had a very quiet trot - but I konw that even if he fell off he would see the funny side!

I could never let a child ride any of ours, or any future ones. Tbh, I worry about the little ones being around our two even in the fields - they are animals and they are unpredictable - even the best of them! - and I'm not sure you could ever forgive yourself if something happened to someone elses child xxxx
 
no ive only ever let 2 people ride my horse and both are friends that i know their style of riding, other than them i wont let anyone else near him. That way if anything goes wrong, im the only one to blame. Plus hes too precious to me :D
 
No one else wants to ride Horrid Herbie. :(

Any offers. Your more than welcome if you wish. :p;):D

Everyone wants to ride Lucy but i don't like anyone else riding her :rolleyes::p:D
 
As I have my own little yard, there isn't anyone around who asks me. Some times friends with little or no experience might express an interest in giving it a go, but I just explain that my horses aren't the 'learning to ride' type as they are very forward going. If any of my horsey friend wanted to, or have wanted to, then I have no problems though :)
 
no infact I think only about 5 people have ridden Fleur ever to my knowledge and she is now 10!

She is very sensitive though and although improved beyond all measures at one point as a 4yo she was branded unrideable! She is a rearer and although the worst she has done for several years now (touches wood!) is a small tigger type bounce, normally when very excited, given the right (or should that be wrong?) conditions she would easily revert back to old ways though. I have spent so many years working on her and gaining her trust there is no way I would let just anyone ride her! And even some riders who you would consider v good riders I wouldn't let on her back especially those who 'tell' their horses rather than 'ask'. You can't 'tell' Fleur what to do, you have to make her think what you want was her idea in the first place ;)

Edit to say never been an issue though. At old yard most people had seen her from when she was 4 so knew what she was capable of so wouldn't dare ask even when she was in donkey mode.

New yard I would let YO ride her but thats about it, poss groom as well actually as althoughonly seen her ride once she rides sympathetically and seeing as she rides ex-racers she not afraid of something being a bit silly ;) The others have seen her Tigger display and any desire to sit on her disappeared very soon after I think!
 
Last edited:
I'm not very good at sharing :rolleyes: so no one else except my instructor rides my horse! This has been the case for the last 6 years so we are very finely tuned to one another now which I like - I understand other people who have said it's good for horses to be ridden by other people, but I intend to keep her forever so I don't think it matters in my case. I'm sure she would cope just fine, but I'm too protective/mean to let anyone else have a sit on!! :D
 
The ride judge at a show. Apart from that I wouldn't let ANYBODY ride him but I do let some people - especially if they're a better rider than me!
 
Have to say- having read this I feel really lucky as I've never had a huge problem finding horses to ride for other people yet it seems most people [understandably] don't like letting other people ride for them.
But of course, as with everyone else, no-one else really rides my boy. We've popped friends kids on him from time to time as he's a dope on a rope when he's on the leid rein and my ex sat on him once or twice and he tolerates that sort of stuff really well. That's never been for more than like 5 minutes at a time tho.
When he was in full work my instructor would ride him- he's one of the few horses she'd insist on wearing her hat on- but I haven't been on a livery yard for many years now so no-ones really asked. Mum rode him for me when he was at home but I didn't mind that as she was tougher on him than me and would actually make him work whilst out hacking! Lol.
Think if anyone asked nowadays I'd say no- he's still settling into his new home and doesn't get enough work to not be unpredictable, so 9 times out of 10 he's totally fine, s0ds law dictates the one time some-one else got on him he'd play up and that's not worth the risk.
 
I have 3 ridden horses one is a 17h belgian bred rig, who is a total git at times and very big so wouldnt want him to hurt anyone, one 5 yo who broncs at random intervals and a 4yo who is just being introduced to competition so ionly myself and occasionally the OH ride them, although i am hoping to get a new instructor soon and if they are good I would want them to sit on to see what feel they get.
Although I would like other people to be able to sit on occasionally in case I ever have to sell or I cant ride due to illness I just dont believe my horses are up for that yet.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top