Hope Price

Well known member
Mar 21, 2016
43
14
8
Colorado
So this has happened in an ever increasing number, I'm talking about riding and someones says "It's not a sport it's EASY!" "All you do is sit there" And VERY commonly "It shouldn't be in the olympics" So my question is, If this has happened to you how do you respond?

OR do you have any funny things to say back?
 
I just say on you go then! Show me how it's done!
My big sis came to ride my horse, she rode with me as kids when we had ponies but she went on to have her own kids and I went back to having my own horse in my 30s. I had a lot of bother with him and he caused me a trip to a&e at one point but we got things sorted. She was always a tiny bit dismissive of our problems - couldn't understand how I'd lost my confidence. She came, I tacked him up for her, brought him just out the field gate and said 'right lady muck, now you're in charge, take him to the block and get on'.
She tried for about five minutes to get him to move and he just stood there fixed to the spot. I had to laugh. Good old Flipo.
Same thing happens when someone inexperienced tries to lift his hooves. He just stands there and watches them as if to say 'what you doing down there?!' Had to take over from the vet once and show how to get them up.
Folk forget that it's not a bicycle they just have to get on and press the right button to go. There is a living breathing animal with their own opinion and it's a partnership they have to build.
My dad seems to think he could load my horse in a horsebox in two seconds flat and that I'm too soft with my boy. He's promised next time that he will get him in for me. Looking forward to flipo proving me right.
 
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May be the way you talk about it? No one ever said anything like that to me. Because you see, riding should look easy. Absolutely easy. On a well schooled horse that knows its rider. What was a challenge for me on a new horse 9 months ago is now totally easy.
If people say anything, I tell them how lucky I am to be riding a horse (because where we live it costs a lot) and to small kids, I tell them the name of the horse I am riding. So they know it is a living individual animal.
I would never do as Flippo's Mum s did and just sit someone on a horse to teach them a lesson. Because a safe horse does not move unless asked correctly, and sometimes not even then as Davidson's dressage instruction videos show. Non riders are very confused about the place of riding as competitive athletics when it is also used as therapy for the vulnerable. But then some expert riders are equally confused.
I would tell many people that riding is indeed easy, but only if you have a caring and knowledgeable teacher to show you how. And it is so easy to put people off both riding and horses - My most athletic grandchild was overfaced in as a 4 year old on a lead out pony ride and never rode again. The same with my younger daughter years ago. Given a pony ride by her uncle that put her off horses for life.
 
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I'd do the same as @Flipo's Mum - here you go then, you show me just how 'easy' it is. I do often get asked why I have lessons when I can already ride, that always makes me smile.
For the most part I just ignore it.
 
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One of OH's know it all relatives made a comment about Joe. He said "oh, you're just feeding him too much proven and you don't discipline him hard enough". I think he was under the impression (being a farmers son) that Joe was a cow or a bull that could be prodded into doing the right thing! Was funny when J came up close and personal with him at the fence line, all 16.2hh of him looking every bit the highly strung tb:p I don't think he fancied his chances leading him in hand never mind riding him!!! Mind you, he is the kind of person that thinks all animals must be harshly treated to keep them in line......sadly that kind of attitude with horses doesn't work and there's no point trying to explain. Some folk just have their own set agenda........o_O
 
Lol people are so annoying aren't they?! I get the 'I don't understand why you have lessons, can you not ride?' And that age old assumption that because you have horses you must be loaded or a snob. I am of course both of these things HAHA (joking!) xx
 
Don't they have a slight point though. Why should riding be viewed as difficult? Depending on what you ride it could be viewed as easy. You can make it as easy or as complex as you want to, depending on what you do, to what level?
Mine is seen as "easy", she is a placid type, however the not easy bit comes in when something upsets her.
 
I have been asked many times why I have lessons. I say Andy Murray has a coach to help him train. If I say I am having a coaching lessons does that make it easier to understand why? They seem to get that.

When ginger is being good I get lots of nice comments and I always say he is really easy to ride because actually he is. BUT I do also say riding is hard work he is lazy but I am fit and healthy. I watch a lot of lessons and see people struggle to trot a couple of circles
 
Yeah I have been known to say I'm taking my horse up for a jumping training session rather than a jumping lesson! It definitely seems to make more sense to them! Don't know how! xxx
 
Years ago we had a horrid parent who brought his son and daughter for lessons. He told the son, whose riding was coarse and uncaring ho clever he was and constantly belittled his daughter for not being brave enough etc etc. She was the much nicer rider and was kind and gentle in the saddle. He was vile telling this poor lass how bad she was.

Oh I got my revenge a year or so later when he turned up on a Christmas company team building day. I made sure I put him on a particular horse his daughter rode so well, and made him do what his daughter was doing at the time that he was so vile to her over. Funnily enough he stopped being so vile to her in lessons
 
Tell them how big the jumps are in the Olympics.

Describe something very technical.

Show them my leg muscles :p
 
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For my guys at work I like to have them get into heel, hip and ear alignment, a little bend at the knees and tell them I'll be back in a couple of hours, normally within 10 seconds they realize what I mean :D
 
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I believe it's dressage that people do not understand as being a Sport.
It's certainly what comedians take the P out of.
Dressage is the least watched by spectators, possibly the least understood if you don't ride. Or even if you do!!!

I recall looking back at my footage to see where the judge got her seven from. :)
 
Just one issue, I don't own a horse that I can put them on
Why would you actually put someone on a horse that can't ride to prove a point though?
Isn't that making us just as bad as the person who comments?

Strangely enough even as riders/owners we don't know everything about everything horse related.
If someone commented that riding a racehorse is easy, I can assure you the majority would fall off before the start of the gallops, probably when the horse goes round a corner :)
I've had the opportunity of watching jockeys train and I said "no thanks"
I said similar at Badminton :)

But as I said above I believe it's aimed at dressage. To non riders riding around an enclosed area probably does look easy, they won't understand the test sheet, I doubt I would either ;)
 
no not just dressage, People will come to a lesson of mine and I jump and say, Pff i'm not impressed, I'm not the best jumper I jump 2'5 but...
 
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