Would YOU refuse a hack?

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mollymum

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This morning - 11 am - I asked my 15 yr old daughter if she would hack out my bombproof 14.2 cob, as I have a bad back and cannot ride for the foreseeable future. What would you have said? Because I know that at 15, I would have leapt out of my pit and gone. But no, she just rolled over in bed and said 'No'. Is it just my age; are teenagers really no longer so horsemad they'd sell their own granny for the chance to ride?
 
I think alot of it is spoilt children, as we all now have the opportunity to give them almost everything they want.

Did she stay up late on the internet last night? i think video games and internet are another issue.
 
I would have given anything to be offered a ride at that age, I was horseless and desperate! I'm sure there are still plenty of children out there that would jump at the chance if they were offered but for some children who have been brought up around horses or always had the option of riding the 'need' to ride won't necessarily be there.
 
I have boys so at the risk of sounding sexist I assumed it was just that. However my 15 year old son willingly came and groomed for me at dressage in the freezing cold this morning and my 9 year old son happily jumped in the freezing cold yesterday evening. I know when I was 15 I would have been there like a shot.
 
At 15 I definitely went through a stage where I would rather stay in bed than ride especially first thing in the morning. Used to drive my mum mad :D
 
I'm not so sure, when I was a kid I remember my dad screaming at me to get outside and feed my pony's on a winters night and I'd refused to go as it was cold and I was watching home and away.

He shout well then they can starve - but if course he'd sneak out in his wellys to feed them pure raging at his lazy daughter.

Must admit I was a right pony club brat.
 
My 16 year old daughter is still horsemad - she might be a little slow getting out of bed in the morning to feed her horse but she always does it! Plus exercised her Dad's horse this morning even though she will be riding her own horse later. If she turned down the chance of a ride I think I would take her to the doctors!

But all children are different and some are not as keen as others - perhaps your daughter is not really that into riding and prefers other activities.
 
I think it is a case of being able to take it or leave it. When I was younger there was nobody else to do the horse if I didnt go up there and I knew if I didnt look after the horse it would be gone as nobody else in my family was particularly horsey (my mums horse is in full livery and she occassionally goes and pats him) whereas if my family were into horses also I may not have been quite so driven knowing that I could always get me horsey fix through them.
 
Teenagers aren't ll like that - my daughter is 14 & her horses come 1st ,
she has the odd grumble but is up every morning to sort them out if its the weekend or holidays & shes not riding -sorts horses & then goes back to bed
- infact last week (in the afternoon) I think she had a nap in the stable :)
 
I would have done anything to ride at her age (I'm only 22, so it wasn't that long ago)
However, quite a few of the girls have quit and taken to partying, boys and drinking instead. One girl even abandoned her horse! Thankfully her little sister loved the horse and has taken it over, she's much nicer and a much better rider, so it was a blessing for the horse!
 
My daughters 12 so a few years to go yet but she'd have said yes (in fact she did hack one of mine this morning for me and accompanied me on the other first!)
However a lot i know wouldnt no, they are so used to being around horses and one in particular had them forced upon her that no in reality she'd probably rather never get on one again!
It may not be a teenager thing or a bad thing tbh not everyone enjoys horses and riding!
 
Does she have anyone to ride with? I'd imagine that when it's cold and she has to hack alone, it sounds less appealing than staying in bed!

My boy is off at the moment after tweaking his fetlock joint. With the weather the way it is, it's a blooming blessing! I went and cuddled him at lunch time and that's all. I'm only 22, so not much older in the grand scheme of it all. My friends offered me a ride out with her today and I turned it down. The good hacking is too wet, so it will be road only. I left the yard as they were wrapping up like the Michelin man to hack out! I have since come home and am sat in front of the fire. Absolutely no regrets!
 
Trolt said:
Does she have anyone to ride with? I'd imagine that when it's cold and she has to hack alone, it sounds less appealing than staying in bed!

My boy is off at the moment after tweaking his fetlock joint. With the weather the way it is, it's a blooming blessing! I went and cuddled him at lunch time and that's all. I'm only 22, so not much older in the grand scheme of it all. My friends offered me a ride out with her today and I turned it down. The good hacking is too wet, so it will be road only. I left the yard as they were wrapping up like the Michelin man to hack out! I have since come home and am sat in front of the fire. Absolutely no regrets!
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No! This is terrible news. I wanted you to escort me on madam!!

I had to take BH out on the roads this morning. It was bl00dy busy, you didn't miss much!
 
well you wouldn't have been able to ask me when I was that age beause I would have been out already, young people these days really not as keen as we used to be unfortunatey !
 
jesstickle said:
No! This is terrible news. I wanted you to escort me on madam!!

I had to take BH out on the roads this morning. It was bl00dy busy, you didn't miss much!
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I have the kids pony to hack out still - so can accompany you at any time. I just don't feel quite to obligated to ride him :p My boy should be back in work in a week anyway so I'll need someone to ride out with in order to get some form of enthusiasm back :o
 
im 17 and would jump out of bed at any mention of riding- the best hacks are alone on a cold morning!! I guess maybe its cause im horse mad but horse-less! I get the chance to ride about twice a week, hopefully going up to 4 times a week as someone wants me to ride their pony for them :D
 
I have been known to not ride if it is too cold/too wet/I'm too hungover or just don't want too!

I am terrible at getting out of bed at the weekend - after a week of getting up early for work, so often leave feed and hay for YM to put in for him until I get there.

It's a hobby at the end if the day, not the end of the world if I don't ride!
 
I think its fair enough, some kids just aren't interested in horses or riding. Nothing to do with being spoilt or anything else, just not interested same as I'm not in football or cricket. The fact I or anyone else love riding doesn't mean everyone should.
 
I have not had a proper lie in apart from on holiday since i was 6 now nearly 23. I got the pony i wanted so badly but had to do him every day. And i spent everyday at yard at weekend with few other girls my age- up there early left late and rode either one long 5hr plus hack or two short schooling sessions- we had fit horses! Its still stuck with me now, my boy comes first. When i was 16 i went to Australia for 4 weeks when i got back after 36 hours travelling due to delays first thing i did at 9 pm was get my mum to drive me to stables for a kiss from my horse!
Although i do no others who at that age decided boys and sleep was more important i wouldn't worry too much- at least it is your horse not hers and leaving you to exercise two!
 
When I stopped looking after my pony at 14 he was sold, my parents had horses but they weren't keeping one just for me. (I appreciate that isn't the case here as it is your horse).
My sons, 18 and 11, would rather stay in bed. At the yard I work at though there is a girl who walks 3 miles there every Saturday and mucks out all day for a ride, she is like me when I was young! I think the ones that have it on a plate (like my boys) take it for granted, ones that have to work for it are much more driven.
I tried to opt out of a hack today but was bullied into it and I'm 42!!
 
My 15 year old son had to get ME out of bed this morning so we could go do the field jobs! I'm suffering with a cold and horrid sore throat, but he was getting the kettle on whilst I got up. :D

....he wanted to go and fuss the kitties, bless him!
 
i will never forget the day my daughter turned down the ride of her life! teenagers are horrid sometimes! i would still to this day have given my eye teeth for a walk (never mind a full private lesson) on the said horse, excellent breeding and valued well into 6 figures. when i was a kid i used to love going into pet shops buying a pounds worth of pony nuts , shows you how things have changed
:(
 
When I was that age i was horsemad but horseless. I volunteered weekends and holidays at a riding stables. Would spend 8 hrs + per day mucking out, grooming and walking miles leading beginners on a purely voluntary basis just so I could get a freebie ride at the end of the day. But then that was a loooong time ago and times have changed......
 
hmmmm if I had a choice I would have said no, But then that's just me! I'm not a huge hacking fan, let alone early on this cold morning.
But this is nothing to do with me not being an early morning horse fan because I was up at 7.30, feeding and mucking out, and not because I HAD to, I actually could have had a lie in this morning.
 
All kids are different. Maybe she just didn't feel like it? I don't understand what the big deal is. My 13 year old is out in all weathers and her pony comes first whatever. My middle daughter can take them or leave them.
 
When I was 16/17 I lost interest as I discovered alcohol. I still spoilt the horses but rode a lot less. Slept in a little but always fed extra haylage whilst I went through that phase as I knew I would sleep in. Then 18-21 went through a snobby phase and got back into riding big style eventing anf hunting and I fell in with a posh set of friends. Now loving riding but perfectly normal!!... I think
 
I would have been more than happy to do it at 15 - I was completely dedicated to my horses all through my teenage years! The more I saw my friends go off them, the more determined I was to stick at it!
 
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