My horses are not a ferris wheel!

[Palogal]

I came to a realization....
Everyone that is not a horse person that has friends that are think that the horse is a source of entertainment. They assume that they can come over and ride the horse. So, my Stetson, a very sweet well mannered 3 1/2 year old is the popular mount because he's very calm and gentle, he never does anything mean....
So I get on him the other day and....

He's pulling, leaning, ignoring my outside leg and acting like he can't do any of the (basic) movements I've taught him.

GRRRRRR, he's about to be come a member of the "MINE MINE MINE" collection. The palo in my avatar is the only member of this collection so far.:mad:

[cloedoll]

I can totally relate with ya, it's very frustrating! I have had to make both of my horses apart of the "MINE MINE MINE" collection ya speak of because it was just getting out of hand. I sympathize for you...I do.

[Diane of Buck's Hollow]

I worry about that all the time when others who may not be experienced riders ride Buck. But I don't have that many riders for him, not as many as it sounds like you have.

Nothing wrong with the mine, mine, mine club.

[OwnedByOurHorses]

I agree with the mine mine mine thing... out of 5 horses I have only one that I will let others ride. and that's only because he is a gentle giant that adjust himself to each rider..

[PatriotsDreamer]

well he is only 3 1/2 and needs to be a mine mine mine horse. He cant possibly have had that much training and its a critical time to reinforce the good habits so he doesnt learn life long bad ones!

[FatSpottedAppy]

My Tyke is set in his ways I believe, no matter how many beginners ride him he is always the same. I can't see it being that way with any of my other horses though so I tend to keep all of the new ones off of them. If I do let the newbies ride them I have an eye like a hawk on them to make sure they dont do anything that'd cause any bad effects.

Good luck on his training though.. :( I hope everything gets worked out.

[Palogal]

Yes, I know. My husband however who isn't necessarily a horse person just knows we have a really gentle horse that is nice to ride. The palo in my avitar is 13 however he stands 17h and he is a dressage horse and more importantly he's afraid of most people.

[cloedoll]

well he is only 3 1/2 and needs to be a mine mine mine horse. He cant possibly have had that much training and its a critical time to reinforce the good habits so he doesnt learn life long bad ones!

See, I have the same problem with Cloe, except she's eleven, but she is definitely a green horse! So when my little cousins want to ride her, she just needs a more advanced rider and has bucked people off...I warned them, they just don't listen. It's not fair to Cloe either! So, I'm all for the mine mine mine club, it's a safety thing and just personal choice...

[Palogal]

It also doesn't help that he's such a cute little ****! He's a very loud palo paint.

[MileHighOlli]

This is why I have a 'lunge line only' policy for anyone who wants to ride my horse. Unless I have known them for a while and have seen their expirence level it is just not worth the hassle. I agree it is so frustrating that people think when someone owns a horse it equals a community pony ride.

My four year old is totally a part of the 'MINE,MINE,MINE' club. Its just not worth the risks.

[lovesfortune]

Ugh. I know what you are talking about. Lots of my hubby's cousins etc. come up to visit and they are all "let's go for a ride"... hubby is okay with it, but he's more laid back. Yes our horses are older, 13 and 17, but his family has either "never ridden" or "ridden once or twice".

I'm just not kosher with this. Too many variables. Even if they are family. If someone where to get hurt I would feel bad, if something were to happen to my horse, I would be upset and feel bad.... just not worth it.

[Cat]

There are only a very, very select few who ever get to ride any of my horses.

[Equine_Woman]

My horses only ever do 'pony' rides which is where I lead the horse and the kids ride with someone walking beside them. My husband rides with me on trails every now and then but the horses he rides are easy going and set in their ways so he doesn't ruin them at all.

[Vibe]

It is a good thing I don't have that problem, No one really wants to ride Dolly seeing as she is pretty spunky. There is nothing wrong with the mine, mine, mine club.. haha

[oursarge]

I have two mine mine mine. I hardly ride them so nobody else will unless it's someone who is a very good rider and I know they know what they are doing like my friends who trained them. They are both friendly and cute but when it comes to riding I don't trust myself to be able to stop an accident if someone did something wrong. Most of the people in my family are terrified of horses. If they come to visit and do go to the barn [Barns smell bad you know! No I don't know I'd rather be in a barn than a store where there is perfume] they sort of look at the horses for 2 minutes, they get scared if the boys move and then we come back in the house! When I had my old boy he'd really scare them because if I called him he'd come galloping as fast as he could up to the barn and put his breaks on right at the door where I'd be standing, they thought he'd come in the tack room. He never did. He was big and he did scare them big time, he was so gentle but they were still scared. The boys I have now aren't as big, they are really ponies, big ponies. They WILL come into the tack room so I have to put the rope across.

Our mare lives at the stable and she has had many people riding her, she goes on trail rides and I told them to use her if they need an extra horse, I like when she goes because it gives her more experience then I'll feel more comfortable since trail rides make me a little nervous. Except for my father none of my family has ever met her.

[lisakaye]

Both of my horses are in the mine, mine, mine group except that Katie and I are the only ones who ride Easter and everyone rides Brutus. Meaning that all of us in my family ride Brutus that is. :rolleyes:

[shewasmyshadow]

Yes, but when you go to sell you can't have the same rules. You never know what people's experiences are until they are already riding your horse. It doesn't matter what they tell you, because some people can talk the talk, but can't RIDE. Some folks can't talk horses well at all, but they are decent riders. I thought Sombra would be ruined by all the stupid riders that came out to see her. The worst is when they are "bigger" riders. It's one thing to put a balanced large rider on your horse. It's quite another to put an unbalanced one up there. The problem is sometimes you can't tell until they're up there! I'm one you can't tell someone they are too big or too bad of a rider. At least, not once they are riding.

Anyway, I'm just glad my horse is sold and I don't have to deal with the MINE problem. Farmers has my gelding and he's so old and set in his ways it really doesn't matter who rides him. He probably shouldn't have a large rider, as he's pretty old, but he can handle pretty much everyone else. He's a good guy.

[KCandAllegro'sMom]

I pretty much don't let anyone ride either of my boys. Maybe I'm selfish - but I just don't trust people, even when I'm there to watch. They're my babies!
Plus Allegro is only greenbroke so no one is touching him. KC can take care of himself - he will let someone know if they are doing something he doesn't like, but I"m not going to put him through that. Besides, he does'nt really like to be handled by other people.

I will give "pony" rides where I will lead kids around on them, but thats it as far as letting someone else actually ride them.

[Palogal]

It's kind of hard to explain to someone who doesn't know horses that no, you can't just jump on a 3 1/2 year old esecially when my husband doesn't see a problem with it. Stetson is such a sweet guy, and he re-learned all of his stuff in the last couple of rides. hmmm maybe I can spray paint him...camoflage...maybe if he looksl ike he's part of the tree no one will know he's there.

[WashingtonBay]

We've only rarely had this come up around here, usually if someone wants to ride the horsie it's kids, and we're usually all for leading them around a bit on the horse. If their parents want a ride, we do the same thing... lead them around, while saying we just want to be sure they're safe, we don't let non-horse people ride them 'free'. That usually keeps the grownups from being very interested.

[AppyLover]

Our stables here on base are now surounded by base housing :mad: and we have had people coming over "that never knew the stables were here" and want to ride or through their little brats on for a pony ride. I just walk away or tell them to leave. I'm tired of the housing coming over and thinking the stables are a petting zoo. But I am kinda lucky with Abby's rep. people seem to think she is a "crazy" horse. Hmmmmm I wonder what makes them think that.....? :innocent: heehee

[gabhainn]

I have a standard answer for that "I am sorry my horse is a working cow horse not a pleasure horse" then I will usu add but I have a little saddle mule that you can ride and that usu works seems every one wants to be Matt Dillon and nobody wants to be Festus Hagen works out

[dustys_girlly]

i have a VERY firm rule...no one but me is allowed to ride dusty! end of story. my husband might get on her to try out a saddle but her just sits there with me holding her. she had bucked way to many people off for me to let it happen again. and people just dont listen when i tell them something important about riding her. and with my husbands mare the only time someone else can ride her is if they are going to be riding along side me and i can tell them what they need to do. i am very picky about my horses.

[Palogal]

hmmmm....Maybe Stetson has developed a bucking problem...and he's rearing and he bites and he's not safe to ride at all. I just have that "horse whisperer" thing going on so he's nice when I ride him. He will buck anyone off that isn't me....
:cool:

You all buy this right?:innocent:

[Mandzanita]

Biggs is the first horse I've owned that I can trust with a "non-horse" person. Of course he'll totally take advantage of them but not in a dangerous way. He'll decide where they go and when but I've never seen him buck or take off with anyone. I always get on after and remind him that his play-time is over...:)

[magayle]

nope..no one rides our horses but us....if a visitor was around long enough to spend time with them and was interested in getting to know them from the ground, i may consider it....but no our horses aren't entertainment for anyone...their routines, comfort and safety is top priority here:cowboy:

[Pinky]

Sams owner uses him for giving lessons every other week :/
Unfortunately, I have no say and I'm very thankful she trusts me with him enough to ride him without supervision :)
The only thing is, as soon as I teach him something (like how to go in an outline!) the learner girl rides him in such a way that he can't; and then he won't do it with me :(
*le sigh*

I want to buy him :(

[ImaBronsonBear]

It he's smart, he'll learn to adjust to new people.;) I use my darling Bronson for lessons, and Brig too for that matter. Bronson will be the worst horse (in a good way) for my intermediate riders when they're ready. Unless you are consistent every single time time you ask him to _______ (fill in the blank; walk, trot, canter, turn, stop, etc.) he will not do it for you. He teaches his riders to be consistent, fair, stay off his face, etc. But the other day a girl was having a very hard time getting him to canter, he just wouldn't do it. I got on him, and he immediately picked it up from a walk. When i first had other people ride him, he was just as bratty with me as he had been with them, but after i'd whipped him into shape a couple times, he learned. He's learned that when i get on, i mean business, but when other people get on, he can push the envelope. He's a great trainer, but he'll always be my light, soft boy that i love.:)

Of course, i do have my limits. People will not bump my horses mouth, so they stay on a lunge line until they can post in their sleep without reins. They also use a side pull so that they don't ruin my horse's mouth, and Bronson doesn't get conflicting signals between when i'm riding and when they're riding.

[HeartofSteel]

No one but me has ever rode Niko and probably won't unless it's my best friend who ride very similary to me. I didn't mind if people rode my old horse because she was a good "lesson" horse and would listen to me from the ground and kinda tune out the people on top unless I was on top lol.

[MyHorseBiggs]

Yeah I think the thing with Biggs may be a lot of people ride him who don't know how to ride and he's got a mind of his own now, but I'm slowly getting him out of that. So I don't let anyone ride him unless they really know how to ride. So he's blocked off from my mom, brothers, and most friends unless it's just for a short walk on a lead line.

[Sparrk]

I HATE when people say "oh you have horses, can I come over and ride them?"

I want to reply "Ummm, can I come over and take your car for a spin? Heck, can my 4 y/o niece, take it for a spin too"?