Would you ride ANYTHING?

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MizElz

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I seem to be full of questions today!

Kind of following on from my other thread, I'm interested to know how many of us here would happily get on ANY horse. (ok, within reason - maybe not a wild mustang - but you know what I mean, horses that perhaps other people have had problems with, or even horses you've been to look at and seen ridden for you first.) I have a feeling that those people who scrimped, saved and worked for rides as kids are probably likely to be the kind who still have the guts to ride any horse, whilst those who have been lucky enough to have our own ponies/horses all our lives are a little more reticent.

Again, I know a few who would (and they deserve a medal for some of the things they've ridden!), but also a fair number who wouldnt, myself being one of them. I would draw the line at a horse with any major issues - persistent, dangerous rearing, or constant bucking for instance. I've also drawn the line at riding top class horses, even though I've been given the opportunity, for fear that I would ruin or upset them through my nervousness/incapability.

So.....
 
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I have a feeling that those people who scrimped, saved and worked for rides as kids are probably likely to be the kind who still have the guts to ride any horse,

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Ah... that'd be me then
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Rides on anything going, all dealers of various descriptions some nice some awful!
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I have had my own horses / ponies all my life and even though i said earlier that i don't think i'm natural, i would ride anything, and i have recently been riding other peoples horses because they have gotten scared of them. I have ridden some complete B********s and they have been my own ones too.

I have also had a very bad accident 8 years ago but i would still get on anything, maybe i'm completely mad
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I have put yes - but my exception would be one that constantly rears (mainly because I have seen a rearer go over backwards with one of my friends).
My mare is not the most sensible of animals but learning to cope with all her "little quirks" has now put me in the position where if someone was having issues with a horse my instructor advises they let me get on it (as I am not so easy to unseat anymore) and as a result it has made me more confident in my ability (although you still wouldn't catch me going around a cross country course anytime soon !!!!! )
 
I think your right about those who worked to ride horses etc. have the guts. I know that since I got my share a few years ago and then onto my own horse I have lost a bit of my guts.
However when I used to work at the RS I was up for anything. I was the crash test dummy on more than one occasion. Hacking out horses for the first time, XCing nutcases and trying to ride in a ride with something I am sure must have raced.
Saying that, when I went on a riding holiday 2 years ago, there was a french girl who was having real trouble with a big (nearly 18hands) gelding, he was rearing, spooking etc, I was on a plod which the instructor wanted her to go on instead. I was asked if I wanted to ride the nutcase and I did. So glad I did too,turns out he was a dressage schoolmaster and I learned SO much from him!
 
There needs to be an in between option!!

I will ride anything on the flat in a school, ridden quite a few 'nutters' and seem to be able to calm them down.

However I have confidence issues with jumping so will only jump my own horse (who has brought me from shaking at the thought of a tiny X-pole to jumping 3' and doing XC).

I wouldn't take a strange or potentially dangerous horse out hacking either - just too risky IMO.
 
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Yes - I'd ride anything!

[/ QUOTE ] But that should be: I USED to!

Not that long ago, I got on anything... I was talking about this with my daughter and said i used to ride: a young Highland, on his toes, had good speed running backwards and was very green. No problem ... A TB mare, also quite springy and not novice ride.. a cob, nappy bargy hard to get going, hard to stop type .. a very nervous on his toes in the air, shied at anything horse.. Eric, my 16.3 TB...and more..

Sigh. Now I am just a complete and utter wuss about riding anything....my confidence has been battered and wont come back
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beginning to think i should let my horse go, my daughter rides him, I can't. My head wont let me
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Been there, done that and have the battle scars to prove it.
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Now I'm very happy to say "No thanks, not my problem".

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Ditto!!!
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I have a feeling that those people who scrimped, saved and worked for rides as kids are probably likely to be the kind who still have the guts to ride any horse,

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Ah... that'd be me then
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Rides on anything going, all dealers of various descriptions some nice some awful!
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That WAS me!

Now I'm very choosy and it must be good in traffic, have brakes, steering and a 'safe brain' else I don't want to know.
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I no longer ride as such. I have always been for one rideing anything.
I will always be the first to get on any that come to us when the time is right. To protect my daughters more than anything.
We took one in and i was told never to let anyone ride him as he would kill them. I thought i better see what was wrong and got on him - after he had been with us a bit and we had worked with him. Fantastic horse. I would ride him still if he was not sensitive and my signals through old injuries asked him to go sideways - which he does beautifully - even when i want to go straight
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My eldest daughter has taken over him now. We tried to re-home him but people that came to see him were not willing to work around his funny articles but force him. In that situation he would kill himself or someone so he will stay with us for life.
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i used to ride anything when i was younger
but now i am more choosey-as in i wont get on the raving nutters anymore unless they are mine, as i cant afford to be off work injured with 3 horses to look after!!!
 
I am a dressage freak and have owned horses since I was 11 so you'd expect me to have a bias towards nice flashy but safe WBs... But I am happy to ride most things and learn along the way. The so called difficult horses are often like that for a reason (caused by people/bad riding/ill fitting tack/not ideal lifestyles) so once you show them the correct "easy" way and ride them quietly and confidently they can really improve.

I am not keen when people will ride a difficult horse for a dare or to prove something to themselves, it is not nice for the horse when what would really benefit him would be some schooling by a decent rider.
 
Three years ago I would def have put "yes get on anything"

Having worked now in a dealer/reschooling yard for the last 2 and a half years and seen just what a range of behaviours 'ANYTHING' encompasses (!) - plus had a nasty fall a couple of years back off a serious nutter, I am definitely more choosy. :P

I don't mind the naughty ones, the sharp ones, the askward, ignorant ones but the ones that seriously want you OFF NOW I will not ride. Fortunately we have a far braver and more tallented rider than me who rides all these types
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Used to - I was one of those 'work for rides' types....I would excerise the demented RS horses that hadn't been excercised cos no-one wanted to ride them - 'cos anything was better than nothing in those days!

I have my own now, plus OH's mare ( who used to belong to a friend of mine) and now our youngster.

I'm not one for 'joyriding' . I'm not even that keen on riding OH's horse- compared to mine its like steering an armchair.
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TBH, my horse is very sharp,very well-schooled (not all down to me, I may add!) - I get all my kicks riding him, anything else just doesnt compare!
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No, I am older and more choosy. I think people that say they will ride anything have possibly never ridden a truly dangerous horse - either that or its their profession to help these types of horses.

I used to ride a warmblood stallion that would buck/rear until he had his rider off, he would then turn round and jump on them. He put a number of very good professional riders in hospital with serious injuries. I was 17 and stupid so I rode him and he never hurt me or had me off. Would I ride him these days - no. And anyone other than a pro riding these type of horses day in day out would be stupid to get on something like that either. Horses can kill and its not worth risking your life to show off or be brave for the sake of it!!!!
 
As a kid who never had her own pony, I was only ever offered rides on difficult ones. Now I am a self confessed wuss but will still get on anything as long as it's not dangerous, although I no longer jump, I used to help out at a dealers yard and also a rescue sanctury. It upsets me more when my own horse is badly behaved.
 
I am definitely very choosy, out of necessity. I can be a nervous rider sometimes. I hate nappy horses, and persistent buckers. I've never sat on a rearer, or a serious bolter. I put up with strong, spooky, hot, sharp, lazy, etc. The big thing with me is that I trust my boss completely not to put me on something I couldn't cope with, so anything she says I can ride is something I will get on and be confident on.
I have always been like that though (well I suppose I've become more fussy over the years) - I was never the fearless small child rider! I used to love jumping though, and have now ditched that in favour of dressage. I would only jump something I knew would take me over the fence carefully and safely regardless of what I was doing on top!
 
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