Do you let other people ride your horse?

[tinyrider]

I bought my pony about a month ago from a well respected trainer in my area. My pony was used as a schooling mount for many of her students, he was a favorite and they all loved riding him.

This morning, I received a facebook message from the mother of one of the students that used to ride him. The trainer and I are now ‘friends’ on facebook, so I’m assuming that’s how she was able to contact me. All the students have their big winter show coming up next month, and she wanted to know if I would consider bringing my pony to the show and letting her daughter ride him. She said that she had been training on my pony for months and was terribly disappointed that he sold and she wouldn’t get to show him. While I sympathize with the poor girl (I certainly know what it’s like to train for a show, then have your horse come up lame or something just beforehand…), my inclination is to politely say no. First and foremost, I am worried about liability issues. But secondly, and maybe this makes me a horribly selfish person, but… he’s my pony now, and I’m not sure I want anybody else riding him. We are still in our honeymoon/bonding phase, and I think he’s quite enjoying being a one-person pleasure pony.

I haven’t replied yet, just wondering if others could help me think out the pros and cons of such an arrangement. In general, do you allow others to ride your horse? Would you let your horse be ridden in a show by somebody you never met?

[_OakleyOaks]

While it’s a shame the kid lost her ride for the show, I wouldn’t say yes if I were you. I only let my two sisters ride my horse and would never even entertain the idea of trailering him to a show so someone I’ve never met could ride. I don’t think you’re selfish at all if you say no. It’s kind of odd the mother would even track you down!

[ladymcts]

Sounds like you’ve already got a good pro\con list going … at least with the cons.

Under no circumstances, even if you’re leaning strongly toward yes, should you agree to anything right off the bat. But sounds like you probably know that. First and foremost you want to know if you’re dealing with a sane person. And if she comes back at you right away with how the poor kid can’t take no for an answer, would be devastated, etc. then that’s a big red flag you may not want to go any further. Or at least I wouldn’t. Getting a “no” and disappointment is part of life. Kid needs to know that.

Now for some “pros” for your list … I for one lead a pretty busy life. As much as I try to simplify and un-busy it, I still find that I can’t get rid of some of that busy. For the right, sane person, I am happy to share my critters out because my critters could easily take up a LOT more attention time than I can give them. I have two now, one who’s 90% retired (light short rides around a flat arena), and one who’s up and coming needing more work than I can find time to give him. So I offer my retired guy to a college student who doesn’t have her own. After a few supervised rides I see that she treats him well, follows my rules (doesn’t push him beyond what he can do), and he gets a little exercise and I sleep better knowing he’s not wasting away in the pasture feeling neglected.

So in your case … could you benefit from a potential longer term arrangement where you’ve got another reliable person to either exerice or fill in with care when you’re on vacation, or tend to injuries when maybe they need daily visits?

[rhymeswithfizz]

No. If she had been training on that pony for months, she had plenty of opportunity to buy him herself. Unless this benefits you and pony somehow, you do not need to be financing someone else’s show career.

[JanM]

As you probably know, no good deed goes unpunished. The horse is now yours, and it’s too bad the student doesn’t have a horse to ride now, but it’s not your problem. Plus, if the student rode, and something happened, you know what would happen next, so just say No.

[californianinkansas]

It sets up a potentially bad precedent. If you let this young lady ride Saintly Pony, then every other child that took lessons on your pony at that barn will want to know why they can’t show Saintly Pony too.

If you say No, you can always blame it on your insurance.

[Bluey]

[QUOTE=OakleyOaks;7880998]
While it’s a shame the kid lost her ride for the show, I wouldn’t say yes if I were you. I only let my two sisters ride my horse and would never even entertain the idea of trailering him to a show so someone I’ve never met could ride. I don’t think you’re selfish at all if you say no. It’s kind of odd the mother would even track you down![/QUOTE]

I agree, if that was a concern, the trainer you bought the horse from should have mentioned this.
Kind of cheeky to do so by the mother, not sure what this is teaching the kid about horses and the horse world.
This is putting you in such an awkward situation, being the meany to disappoint the girl, really by no fault of your own.

I have let others when it was sensible ride and even show some horse I owned, but it was special situations, not like you have there.

I don’t see much sense in letting the girl show this once, why not move on to another horse for her showing?
Not that there are not other horses out there.
Definitely not right to expect you do it time and again either, it is your horse now.

[PonyTales]

IMO Your not being selfish @ all. I see no problem w/politely declining. For the many reason as posted above.
OR
On the other hand if you choose to let the girl ride, but was worried about liability issues. I would consider that to be fair to the pony the best scenerio is not to trailer up on show day. Personally I would require the student to lease the pony/plus board for a month (2 weeks minimum) @ trainers locations. That way the pony & rider can be properly prepared. The lease can cover all the liability issues. The trainer will be supervising the entire situation, therefore less worries.

I personally have let other people show or ride my horses & never had any bad happenings result of it. At the time my horses were ridden by others they were either leased out or on trial. Your situation is much different as this is your personal horse. The reason of loaning your pony out is simply a gesture of kindness. Regardless - Ultimately you are the one who has to feel comfortable with the situation. I would contact the trainer for some input & ask her how she feels about the situation. Then I would mull it around for a couple days before I responded. If After then I felt totally comfortable w/the ENTIRE situation I would let the rider show my pony.
I wouldnt worry too much about other riders asking to ride in the future. Once you say NO the word will spread around quickly enuff. Lol. Word tends to spread quick in horsey communities.

Either way GOOD LUCK & CONGRATULATIONS to you on getting a new pony

[Bluey]

[QUOTE=PonyTales;7881033]
IMO Your not being selfish @ all. I see no problem w/politely declining.For the many reason as posted above.
OR
On the other hand if you wanted to let the girl ride. I would consider that to be fair to the pony the best scenerio is not to trailer up on show day. Personally I would require the student to lease the pony/plus board for a month (2 weeks minimum) @ trainers locations. That way the pony & rider can be properly prepared. The lease can cover all the liability issues. The trainer will be supervising the entire situation, therefore less worries.[/QUOTE]

Then, if you just bought a horse and are enjoying him as your horse, why would you let it go on any kind of lease?

[JBD]

I’d say no. Neither you nor your pony would benefit from it. It’s not like you’re denying someone food. Thank the Mom for the nice compliment but you don’t think it’s a good idea as pony is just getting settled in with you.

[clanter]

We knew everyone we loaned our horse to, Foxie was the same mount for three different kids that were high point junior exhibitor at the same Class A show three years straight … has to be some sort of record I guess

[ThisTooShallPass]

In the scenario you presented, a strong NO.

[Wellspotted]

If it were me I’d probably let the child ride pony. I’m not saying that’s what I think you should do, just that I probably would.

Provided the trainer was the one who was at the barn where I used to ride and where I’d bought the pony. That’s the kind of barn it was. Very generous, we often rode each other’s horses to get the experience of different horses and also to maybe help school the horse for a friend. Barn shows were very low-key affairs and it probably wouldn’t have been out of the ordinary to let another rider ride your horse in a class, especially if it had been a lesson horse with whom the rider had bonded. Especially a child whose parents might not be fortunate enough to be able to buy a horse.

I was a horse loving child whose parents could not/did not buy me a horse so I know what it’s like to be a lesson child bonded with a favorite lesson horse. And if my favorite horse had been bought out from under me by someone “rich” I would be heartbroken especially when the first show came up.

I would be there at the barn show with pony, grooming him, tacking him up, braiding if that were the way to go, and I would be supervising that child’s ride from the moment she mounted 'til the moment she went into the arena. Trainer would be there too, we would all be working together, pony, trainer, child, me, even the child’s non-horsey parent.

I know that can backfire. I do NOT believe “no good deed goes unpunished.” That is totally the opposite of my philosophy. I know the parent could then start expecting child would be able to ride your pony at future shows and parent and child could turn into pests. But I would trust trainer to find them another good lesson horse and not to go behind my back to them in any way.

But that is just me. And I know nothing about liability insurance, just how it feels to not have a horse, and to lose one that was mine in every sense but fact.

[ryansgirl]

No. He’s yours now and you are under no obligation to let others ride him now (not to mention the liability!).

:no:

[ryansgirl]

No. He’s yours now and you are under no obligation to let others ride him now (not to mention the liability!).

:no:

[CHT]

I agree with NO. It might be different if the kid rode at the same barn as you, or if your pony was bored, but you just bought it AND would have to haul it for some kid you don’t even know? For all you know she is a spoiled brat who will jerk on his mouth or otherwise behave obnoxiously. There is NO benefit for you or the pony, and the kid won’t suffer if they have to ride something else…maybe it will get the parents to step up and buy/lease her a pony of her own!

Enjoy your pony. Don’t feel guilty.

[KIloBright]

I agree with the no in this case/
Do i let others ride my horses? Depends on the person and the situation and which horse
Not even my husband rides my show horses. At one time we had less horses then now, or esp at the time we were actively breeding and raising horses. Thus I used my show horses for some pretty tough trail riding
(even rode my one mare with minimum slide plates in the mountains, which worked great, until needing to come off a ridge, after a hail storm-but that is another story!
My husband is someone who uses a horse to get into wilderness-enough said!
He now has a trail horse that just he rides
I have let someone buying a horse of ours, try them out at a show, if they were buying a show horse, or take one for sale as a trail horse for a ride out, but basically I’m very particular as to who I let ride any of my horses.
Horses can be come un trained as well as trained, and often, easier!

[BrokenArrow]

There’s also the question of, what happens if he gets hurt while the kid is riding him? If the parents didn’t fork out money to buy him when he was for sale, I’m pretty sure they wouldn’t if he got injured either.

I would also politely say no. I usually don’t have problems with people riding my horses, however it’s always at my place and under supervision. It’s a bit rude of the mother to even ask to be honest.

[ThisTooShallPass]

Legal liability. Run. Run way as fast as you can from this mother.

[Bluey]

[QUOTE=CHT;7881079]
I agree with NO. It might be different if the kid rode at the same barn as you, or if your pony was bored, but you just bought it AND would have to haul it for some kid you don’t even know? For all you know she is a spoiled brat who will jerk on his mouth or otherwise behave obnoxiously. There is NO benefit for you or the pony, and the kid won’t suffer if they have to ride something else…maybe it will get the parents to step up and buy/lease her a pony of her own!

Enjoy your pony. Don’t feel guilty.[/QUOTE]

Even if the kid is a perfectly good rider, the OP is not part of that barn, is a new horse for her she is enjoying and doesn’t want to have to take it somewhere else for someone else, anyone else to ride.

If all are part of the same barn or show circuit, trainers for both in the middle of this, maybe, but that is not so, the mother, not the trainer is who asked here.

That is a whole different scenario than people with similar horse history behind them.
They are strangers to each other and, more important, the OP is not comfortable sharing the pony right now.
The OP is being guilted into agreeing to something it doesn’t consider quite right in this circumstance.