Can you take me riding? - a cranky rant

[candyappy]

@Blueeyedroan

I am very active on social media with my horsey adventures. Most of my riding is riding out, riding on crazy terrain, mounted views from mountain lookouts, crossing rivers, swimming, galloping on river beaches. Sometimes it’s bareback riding, sometimes even bridleless. With the odd show or XC clinic sprinkled in for reminding myself to be civilized.

Well, when you put your life on social media and show your well behaved ridable horses doing all that fun, exciting stuff what do you expect? Just be flattered and say " no ".

People asking to ride is nothing new. It has been a while but I was asked all the time " can I ( someone they know, family etc) ride your horse?" I just politely said “no, I don’t let other people ride my horses” ( which was and still is true) and moved on.

What is new is people putting their life on SM for the world to see. That is something I don’t understand??

[trubandloki]

@candyappy

What is new is people putting their life on SM for the world to see. That is something I don’t understand??

So you do not consider this horse forum as a form of social media?

[candyappy]

@trubandloki

So you do not consider this horse forum as a form of social media?

It is but not like the things people do on Facebook or blogs etc… Here you are nameless, faceless.

A nude person on horseback in a public place is just not something I find share worthy?

[ParadoxFarm]

@findeight

Oh…those equine liability signs in many states do not protect everybody in all situations, they can claim negligence or lack of foresight on your part for over mounting them/their kid.

And a kid cannot waive their rights (nor can a parent waive their kids’ rights).

[JanM]

Yes, there have been a lot of cases of children who were injured while a parent waived it, and when the child becomes a legal adult they sue the parents, and whatever authority was supervising the activity. Some states have tried to do legislation to prevent that, but I’m guessing that won’t hold up.

[ParadoxFarm]

And the kid’s “next friend” can sue on their behalf (another adult).

[aregard]

“I know a great instructor who has really quiet horses.”

[dacasodivine]

I don’t put my entire life on social media but if I have a nice ride and take some nice photos, why shouldn’t I post that I had a nice ride and share pretty photos from whatever park I trailered out to?

I have a guy I’m “friends” with on FB that I worked with 30 years ago, and have seen maybe once since, hinting he would like to ride my horses when I post about my horses. “That looks like fun. I sure would like to ride.” I would love to take my girl riding." Etc I keep telling him places he can go to ride and telling him my horses are unsuitable. I get the usual “I used to ride when I was a kid.”

What I’d really like to say - Dude, I don’t know you! I didn’t like you when I worked with you 30 years ago! Just no!

I think I finally unfriended him. He actually is still friends with my husband or I would have blocked him a while back.

[RhythmNCruise]

In the past when I’ve had more difficult horses I’d say, “Eh, he’s not really that kind of horse.” Meaning, if you can’t ride, he’ll know it and it won’t go well and you’ll likely get hurt.

My current horse is pretty darn safe as long as nothing scares him or makes him start questioning his eyesight (What…what the…what the hELL is THaT, MoM???) These moments are rare for him but he can still go from a slug that a dog could ride to a snorting dragon that requires magical abilities to tame in the blink of an eye of the situation presents itself. I raised him so I can read him like a book and know when sh*t’s about to get real with him. But an unsuspecting newb who’s lulled into complacency by said horse’s docile, slow demeanor would be in mortal peril because when the dragon awakes, look the hell out

I have an opposite problem. I have a lovely fellow boarder who always wants me to ride HER horse. She rides him a lot, he’s an older horse and she’s had him pretty much his entire life and he’s a very successful former show horse. He’s a lovely guy, but…I don’t really want to ride him. I’m lucky when I get time to ride MY horse, I don’t want to spend that time riding somebody else’s horse. He’s kind of creaky and old and she rides him in a huge bit of some sort that looks medieval because he can be a bit headstrong. But she’s always talking about how great he is and how much I’d love him and I really need to ride him some time because he’s so awesome, blah blah blah. I’ve smiled and nodded and kind of said, “Sure maybe one day,” and tried to change the subject. She kept at it and kept at it, and I think she’s finally gotten the message that I have no interest in riding him. I like riding MY horse. I’ve been riding for 36 freaking years and I’ve ridden LOTS of horses. I don’t understand why she thinks I’d be so impressed with hers (again, nothing against him, he’s a cool old dude, but…so?)

I like riding MY horse because he’s mine and I raised and broke and trained him. He’ll be 16 next year (I just turned 50) and we’re very well-suited to one another. Other people’s horses just don’t interest me, sorry. LOL.

[Salty]

“Ooh, you have a Delahaye! Can I drive it?”. No.

“Ooh, you have a horsie! Can I ride?”. No.

I might refer them to a lesson barn, but there’s no reason for any answer other than NO.

[Jo]

I tell them my horses aren’t safe and then show them a pic of my foot hanging off my leg from when I had an easy fall and landed on my feet…

[trubandloki]

@candyappy

A nude person on horseback in a public place is just not something I find share worthy?

I would not do it either.
But I am never going to tell others that if that is what they think is the best thing ever, that it is not OK. No harm was done, so enjoy what you enjoy.

Heck, I itch just thinking about it.

[RMJacobs]

I gave up riding in 2000 because my balance had become impossible to deal with, and sold the one horse I had at the time. We got the Paint mare and two ponies in 2003, and I took up driving. The mare was my husband’s riding horse, but he didn’t ride very often–mostly just to look after our daughter while she was riding her pony. I would occasionally get on the mare and plod around on our property. She definitely moved to help me if she felt me going off balance. She was very much a been there, done that horse. We didn’t know her background because she came through an auction, but the day my neighbors got some cattle, she was eyeing them like she was thinking “I know what to do with those suckers!” She was a smart girl and kept the ponies in line.

Rebecca

[Texarkana]

@Alterwho

A real horse person would never ask to ride a stranger’s horse. Someone asking me that tells me all I need to know about their horse experience

Right?

I hear it from adults who say things like, “I used to ride when I was younger and miss it so much!”

But like you say, they probably were never real horse people if they think after years of not riding they can just get on a strange horse and everything will be fine. You can usually tell their experience pretty quickly by their expectations.

[Blueeyedroan]

I see people with boats, vacation homes and sports cars posting on SM all the time. Yet I don’t ask to take their boat out, stay at their cabin, or drive their car. That’s generally considered socially unacceptable.
So I don’t understand why it’s okay to not only ask but pressure someone into sharing their horses?

[Blueeyedroan]

I can remove the photo if you’re bothered. Not here to offend anyone… didn’t think my back was that inapropriate. The only difference between that photo and when I had my bikini on was one string across my back. That’s it.
Also this was not in a “public” place. I was lucky enough to be invited to a multi-million dollar private property with acres of beach. No children were flashed or beachgoers disturbed. I’m not into upsetting people.

[McGurk]

Please don’t remove your photo!

I think it’s awesome, a great capture of a joyful moment.

And I think it’s high time we normalized bodies that are real, lived in, useful bodies, not airbrushed perfection.

[trubandloki]

No reason to remove your photo.

I think it is great.

[RMJacobs]

I love your photo!

Rebecca

[McGurk]

Weird edit/addition to your post.

Post divorce, and in the recovery process, my dog and I took an extended hiking vacation in the Blue Ridge Mountains. There is a particular spot, close to where we were staying, with a natural rock flume. I stripped naked, and rode that rock slide, screaming and shouting, over and over again, until I was tired, with my dog keeping watch.

It was cathartic in a way I can’t explain. If I had a photo of that moment, I would cherish it. And if no naughty bits were visible, as I was younger and better looking then, though not gym fit and airbrushed, I would post it to my social media. As a testament to joy.

PS - I still grieve that dog.