Riding other peoples horses?

[Daffy Dilly]

After I rode somebody elses this morning, I wondered what other peoples horses make you think about your own!

I for one, an extremely glad that Daffy understands basic aids and isn't incapable of working into the corners, or scared of poles on the ground, even if we are reschooling him to new aids.

I'm also glad, that whilst the other horse lowered its head without being asked, Daffy is able to move freely and with impulsion, and is starting to lift him back rather than just lower his nose and plod along like a stuffy robot with it's rear in the next county.

Daffy rocks

 

[Morganna]

Having ridden a few of my friends horses Im glad that Sam doesnt have the bounciest trot in the world, my friends horse trots as though she is on springs. I'm also glad that he doesnt rear, or canter diagonally up a path trying to stay on the grass (pony at the yard did this to me and everyone thought it was hilarious), and Im glad he doesnt put in dirty stops at jumps (ouch!)

 

[coss]

riding other peoples horses often makes me appriciate how my horses respond to subtle aids. mine are happy opening and closing gates and yield to the leg very well - leg yield, shoudler in, haunches in, turns about etc.
Having said that, both my horses don't jump so i appreciate my friends horses for that, and my RI lets me ride her horse sometimes and i can appreciate how obedient he is (most of the time)
I thought my RI phrased it very well when she was talking about riding a plod - "it has been a long time since i rode that calibre of horse".
that is how i feel sometimes!

 

[Vez]

Riding my sisters makes me relise that Willow is actually well behaved when riden but an absoulute devil to lead and tack up! My friends horse who i have never ridden, is always well behaved and I have seen her do no wrong which makes me relise just how naughty Willow and my sisters horse Lisa is! My other friends horse is always getting injured so it makes me be more grateful that I have hardly any problems with Willow ( touch wood nothing has happened today or going to soon!)

 

[Plopple]

i love riding my friends pony but after riding her in the school it always makes me thing how i love the way my horse really strides out and how i know how to make him work properly. shes really really really forward and its hard for me to get used to her striding .. but she is just great fun!!

 

[Keket]

Every time I ride someone else's horse, I come back and hug Coquette. She's just so much lighter and more senstive then they are! I don't need to constantly squeeze her to get a proper trot. She does flying lead changes. She's got brakes. She canters on a light touch. And she's scared of nothing. We've yet to find something she spooked at and didn't get over in a manner of minutes.

 

[Bebe]

Riding other people's horses recently made me realise just how tuned in my own horse is to me, and vice versa. It made me really appreciate her! As much as it's nice to ride other horses there's nothing quite like riding your own.

It did also, however, make me realise that I really do need to keep riding different horses if I don't want my riding ability, and confidence on other horses, to decline.

 

[smaggi]

I rode someone's horse last weekend. We were at a ranch where the horse was in "training" for the last 2 months. The horse lifted it's head so high that I could not reach it when I tried to put a bridle on. I tried to get her to drop her head by putting pressure on the poll, but she would not drop it. The owner was a tall man so he just put the bridle on while the head was in the air. The horse squirmed the entire time he was putting the saddle on her. Then I tried to mount and she would not stand still and she was very tall so I had to have someone hold her so that I could get on. She walked off on her own without a cue from me as soon as the person holding her released her.

I tried to back her when she walked off, but she had a terrible back. The next thing I did was try to flex her neck at the walk and do a one rein stop. All she did was constantly give her hip in a circle. She also had no whoa. The only leg cue she would respond to was giving her hip, so that is pretty much how I got her to turn the rest of the evening. I rode her with a loose rein and she was pretty relaxed on the ride.

What the heck had the trainer been doing for 2 months. Later in the day I told a friend that worked there that I rode that horse. I didn't tell him how it went, but he told me that the trainer had barely ridden her at all. I said that it took me about 30 seconds to figure that out.

My OH rode 2 other horses that evening that were used in barrel racing. They were both used to being pulled on because he rode with a loose rein and as soon as put light contact on them, both of them would put their head up to evade the bit. They both wanted to go go go until my OH made them go for a bit, then they relaxed a little.

It really made me appreciate our horses. They have great manners. When you put a bridle or halter in front of them they bow their heads and stick their nose in. We always stand after we mount and correct them if they move so they always stand until they are cued to go forward. They back from seat and leg cues and I can control their shoulds or hips with my legs. They leg yield, two track, side pass and are very calm around other horses, gates, and on the trail in general. When I got home I gave Cisco a BIG HUG. I had forgotten how smart and well behaved he is!

 

[Teehee]

I have to admit that after riding RS horses... I realize all the work that has to be done on mine!!!

 

[Ms Kitty]

It can go both ways. You can ride a horse for someone else, come back home and thank the Lord for your own horse or think "Hmm, maybe it is time to get something else for myself". Been through both..

Nina x

 

[jenmac_85]

I am going up to see Nik-n -Kia on Friday to swap horses for a bit. It will be interesting to see how Tyler reacts to someone else as I am far too soft on him. Tyler knows he can take the mickey out of me. He responds far better to verbal instructions than leg aids. So I know alot of the work is not due to him but because of me. Can't wait to see how someone more experienced rides him.

When I worked at the local RS I found it beneficial to exercise various horses as it gave me an idea of how different horses are. I knew roughly, but going from one horse with a soft trot to one that felt like a rocket launcher I felt improved what little riding skill I had lol. Does allow areas to be highlighted to you that you need to work on.

Just read that and it makes me sound quite bad, I'm not really. Just a soft touch when it comes to Tyler lol

 

[Blair Witch]

I ride a lot of horses other than my own. I train horses for other people sometimes and I sometimes come home appreciating my own horses or being disappointed in them. Each horse has its own qualities and personality. IMO, a horse can't be good in everything, just like us. I like to focus on the good qualities other than the bad. It does get frustrating sometimes though, especially when I get a lot of improvement on someone else's horse and not my own. But, at least I helped them out. That makes me feel good.

 

[JustJas]

Riding other peoples' horses makes me realise how stubborn, scatty, spooky and plain daft Jazzmyn is... still would not swap her for the world.

 

[Alle]

It usually makes me realize or appreciate once again, something about my own horse. Lately, I have had several lessons on my friend's Dutch WB, who is greener, much bigger and much lazier then my mare. While I love riding this horse, as I have learned a lot from him (and hopefully helped him too), I LOVE how forward and sensitive my mare is. Oh, and she has a much smoother trot too. This gelding's trot is so bouncy...a huge incentive to get him working correctly because it smooths out somewhat then.

 

[Alex T]

yep i rode a friends horse recently !it was so embarrising i couldnt even get it to go to the end of the school let alone around corners
iv also been riding my OH loan horse whos obviously fairly lazy as OH is novice !!couldnt belive how forward my boy is when i got back on.
where i have two horses who are very different i can see how schooling makes the horse easier to ride!my gelding is an ex showjumper he bombs at the jumps and corners like a motorbike. this is ok once you get used to him and as hes pretty much taught me all he knows and all i know im pretty comfortable with it !!
my mare however (iv had sinse she was 5) iv spent many years schooling her and teaching her to jump (shes now 11).she couldnt jump without being taught to use herself properly!!
well ths differance is amazing my mare goes into a jump balanced and off the leg and usualy gets the stride right it is also easier for me to see the stride.
i love my gelding he could jump the world but riding a balanced horse at a jump is alot easier and gives me alot more confidence!!

 

[horseygirl123]

I have to admit that after riding RS horses... I realize all the work that has to be done on mine!!!

I'm with you on that one !!!!

Tara is still in the process of learning to balance herself especially in canter and sometimes I forget she isnt that well schooled and expect her to go around the corners without opening my inside hand, instead she stops at the end of the long side as if to say, well, you didnt tell me you wanted me to keep going !!!!