our kids often had friends over back in the days of last century
this was oldest daughter’s horse who was at the middle school so often the principal was going to give her a diploma
today just the miniatures might be used for a school event
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That sounds SO REFRESHING! Both physically and spiritually. I am so glad you got to experience that!
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Your #1, which I bolded, reminds me of this:
Mandalorian and Grogu in the new ship - Book of Boba Fett (youtube.com)
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This thread is just another testament to why the endurance world is my happy place lol. It is totally normal to be like I have an extra horse who wants to come ride it, whether it be a conditioning ride or a race. My one mare has taken 5 different people on their first endurance ride and I love getting catch rides- you always learn something.
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But this is something different than what we are talking about.
I have loaned my horse to friends for various things. Riding friends. One friend took her to a little show even.
That is different than your coworker that you may talk to once a month about something work related who rode a horse once as a child inviting themselves over to your house to ride your horse and acting like you should appreciate them doing that.
Sharing with other horse people you trust is very different.
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Her Majesty has said she doesn’t ride anymore anyway. But she is a good horsewoman.
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Yes but the discussion has, in part, also been about no one else riding your horse and not riding other peoples horses.
For the record, I’m also happy to at least give a pony ride to anyone who asks me
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We like to share our horses too; we take all things into account and sometimes it’s a pony ride on a lead in the pasture but it’s so fun to share them with people that are truly interested. We’ve given rides to hikers we met in the mountains. Once we were way back and a jeep came up trying to get Great Grandma to her childhood cabin home but the road was washed out by the creek. My husband lifted GG onto his good old horse and led her across the creek so she could see the homestead. GG’s daughter was a little concerned but GG was SO HAPPY to be on a horse again and then to see the cabin. Our horses aren’t so fancy or fierce that they can’t be shared in some way and we enjoy it.
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That is a heart warming story. 
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It’s a wonderful memory; our kids were there too and we were all proud of DH and his good horse Sarge.
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one of our mares was the mount for three different riders in three years straight at the same Class A show winning High Point Youth at that show, each year there were about 40 youth trying to win.
Often since we are close to where our breed’s end of the year show is held we loaned horses to young riders who were competing for youth of the years awards, it really did not make sense to ship their horse across the country for those classes
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I post a lot of horsey pictures on SM. Very few people ask to ride my horses, I think because a lot of my posts involve how sensitive they are and particular they are about who rides them lol
I have offered to people to ride a few of them but I am particular about it. One gal I offered and won’t offer again to flopped on his back so heavily he audibly groaned and then she was in his face constantly the whole ride. Took me awhile to fix his mounting block issues after that.
Another friend frequently rides my guys and is soft and sensitive and follows instructions so she is welcome. I love to share them with people who will honor them, and with children.
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I think this question has answers that depend on what the situation is.
OP is asking about, not sharing your horses with people you want to do so with, but about where are boundaries and how some crosses them when it comes to people asking to use what is yours, here horses.
There are some people short on Theory of Mind, the ability to understand where others come from, that others have feelings and desires and each one of us are individuals, that the whole world around us is not for us to do as we wish, we can’t follow our whims when those trample on other’s lives.
There was in our little town this older very proper lady that would go visit others and then walk around their houses, look at their rooms and furniture and open drawers and cabinets and, if she found something she liked, inform you that since you were obviously not using it, she was taking it.
You learned to politely keep her confined and help her out of the house before she started her walk-abouts.
I think those that without context just ask you to ride your horse to be like that addled brained lady.
They think the world revolves around them and all is there for them to grab and use, no boundaries.
Trying to find a reasonable, polite way to say no may just not get thru to them, reasoning with them rarely works, the wavelengths they work on too far off from the rest of ours.
Some times being sociable is hard when some don’t honor boundaries.
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That’s so awesome
We came across a group of kids in a program that teaches mountain biking to inner city kids the other day. They were absolutely fascinated by the horses and we probably spent about 30 minutes letting them pet the horses, posing for photos and answering the questions. I was riding my mare with one eye and a little boy was like I can tell you really love that horse. I asked him how so and he said because you didn’t get rid of her when she lost her eye 
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Mum grew up in England. There is a photo of a horse at an event. In the crowd is Her Majesty. You wouldn’t know if it wasn’t pointed out to you.
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None of my horses have been speshul or untouchable but still won’t let total strangers fool with or ride them. Friends I know can ride and know how to act around them? Sure, if and when appropriate. I understood the OP to be asking about random strangers, barely known co workers or seldom seen extended family members. Thats a no.
Most of us board out, most boarding barns require signed releases from all riders, even guests, on file as required by their liability insurance. YMMV depending on where your horse lives.
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That is great! Thanks for sharing! I am glad you have opportunities to make wonderul memories. The purple looks great in your hair!
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I am at a small private barn next to a walking trail. My barnmate has a very kind Bashkir Curly horse. One day she arrived to find one of the neighbor’s children riding her horse bareback in the snow, with the father taking photos. I kid you not. Thank goodness the kid wasn’t hurt because all hell would have broken loose.
She was much more restrained than I would have been and told them not to do it again. Then she installed cameras. We talk about asking for the keys to their sports car, which we see parked in the driveway.
God help them if they ever try that with my 17.1 OTTB. However, he has such prominent withers that it would be a very painful experience even if he didn’t take off.
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Her Majesty has passed, so I imagine she’s only riding in heaven, if you believe it exists. Unless you are talking about Camilla.
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And where was the barn owner? They would have as much right (if not more) to go apeshit on someone who broke into her barn or trespassed onto her property and rode a horse. And most likely would have been the one who would have been sued, not the horse owner.
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