Editing this since it did not come across as intended the first time, and to add additional context: I have been leasing a horse for about 6 months now. I have been feeling a little self-conscious about him going so much differently with me versus other riders. With others, he tends to be quite forward and bold to the fences, but with me he is super lazy. I suspect it is partially due to the fact that I jump much smaller than others who ride him and he seems to love jumping the bigger fences. He probably just figured out that his job is packing me around lower levels while I’m learning, and I ride more timidly than others with more jumping experience. Since people often comment on how differently he goes with me versus his owner, I worry that I am a negative influence on him. I recognize I should discuss any concerns with his owner and trainer rather than here. I was just curious if others have experience with this as I am somewhat new to riding and haven’t experienced this yet. I see from responses that, yes, it is normal for horses to respond differently based on their rider, so thank you for the feedback.
Some horses are very sensitive to different rider’s styles and will go very differently depending on who is riding.
If everyone in this equation are happy, I wouldn’t change anything.
Maybe I’m just a cynic, but this post reads like what I’d get if I asked AI to write a humble brag about riding a lease horse better than its owner.
Yes, very common for horses to respond differently to different riders. Sometimes it’s just a matter of different riding styles and sometimes the horses learn which riders will hold them accountable and which will let them get away with slacking off. A lot of horses are smart enough to give only exactly as much effort as the rider demands and no more. I’ve also known a few who were hotter or more difficult with more advanced riders and super chill for beginners, because the beginners never asked for anything hard.
If you’re having to work that hard to get him going when you know he’s willing to do it for his owner then it sounds like he’s learned he can ignore your aids and phone it in when you’re in the saddle. He probably knows his owner wouldn’t let him get away with that so he doesn’t try it with her. If you’re new to jumping that’s not a bad thing for your situation right now, you need quiet more than responsive while you’re learning, but in the long run it’s something you’ll want to work towards improving. A horse can be calm and relaxed AND still be energetic and responsive.
I had a large pony that was like this. During my last year riding him, I was competing (and very competitive) in the children’s jumper division and the girl who was leasing him did the short stirrup. Same pony, two completely different rides. He knew his job in both rings.
Totally normal. Horses go very differently for different people, even bomb proof lesson horses go better for the coach than the students.
If horse goes worse for you, that’s only an issue if the owner is concerned. Meanwhile pay attention in lessons. Most owners assume the leaser is still on the upward trajectory in terms of skills. They may not even want you attempting some stuff.
If the horse goes “better” for you, if the horse is a problem for an overwhelmed owner, they are likely happy to have a competent rider. I would however STFU and not throw it in their face.
Especially if you are all 14 year olds. I’ve watched young women into their 20s get possessive over lease horses and think the lease horse loves them more etc. it’s not your horse, don’t get big ideas you can fix him.
And also “better” can be subjective. Sometimes a less skilled rider asking less of a horse makes for a happier more willing horse on simple tasks.
Or you weigh a lot less than the owner. Or you have less anxiety. Or owner is over horsed.
Basically you focus on you, and don’t let the adolescent self conscious social anxiety envy possessiveness start infecting your situation. And this is true even if you are a 55 year old returning riders because the horse world can bring out our inner 11 year old in both positive and toxic ways.
Horses are not bicycles. As sentient creatures they have their own views, opinions and ideas and that is why building a relationship with a horse is so interesting. It is inevitable that a horse will go differently when ridden by a different rider.
Before I can comment, I need to know how you’re defining “differently”.
Without that info , all I can do is agree horses aren’t machines & are very sensitive to changes in how each rider signals things.
Years ago I had a shareboarder who was a new rider.
She was a Type A personality, practicing attorney who’d left her job to go to Med school to earn an MD so she could practice Medical Law.
But I could tell when she’d ridden my horse before me.
He’d tell me turning left was no longer required.
Rather than spend my time reinstalling that left turn every ride, I told our mutual trainer what she needed to work on.
I used to think that “only I can ride my horse” could be translated into “my horse isn’t well trained.” In my earlier experience with horses (up until Bob came into my life), our horses were all trained and used by many people --the draft went to an Amish neighbor when he needed a replacement horse --kept him fit and reminded him that even though the kids rode him, he was a draft horse --and the mounted posse used him for crowd control because on a horse that size (and bright white) -crowds were easy to control! --the 3-Day horses spent time at trainers and were sometimes loaned out to lower level riders just starting out. My fox hunting packer took many a novice on a first hunt --so in my opinion --a well trained horse went well for any good rider.
Then Bob came into my life a year ago. [It would be a long story to explain why] Bob is more comfortable with me than with another rider --three other people have ridden Bob since I got him in Nov. 23. He was not good for them. At first I thought it was lack of training --but after the time we have spent together, I think Bob has “bonded” with me as much as a horse can. When his cow coach rode him --he complained that Bob was “stiff” and wouldn’t “follow his nose” cutting. Twenty minutes later, when I rode Bob doing the same practice, the cow coach said, “He’s a lot better for you than he was for me --he really follows his nose!” --second instance was at a Mounted Archery meet (true, Bob’s first official after months of practice with me). I loaned him to another archer. He ran three times for her, did well, then wouldn’t go smoothly again (slight buck or two when asked to canter). I took him back and he was fine for me the next three days of the match, although I didn’t compete on him as I had my back up horse with me. Other competitor described him as “stubborn.”
BUT --I work with a trainer --she is my size and 55 years younger. She is a very skilled horsewoman. She and Bob get along fine when I am not there. When I am present, Bob watches me. He doesn’t seem to focus on what trainer is doing.
Will Bob only perform well for me? Bob and I are scheduled for our first (and maybe last) Ranch Horse Show May 9-11. Bob is spending 30 days with his trainer before then (I am out of the US).
We will see how it goes --I do know that I ride Bob each time to the best of my ability --if he’s going to improve, he needs a more skilled rider than me. So, 30 days at the trainers . …
I do now believe that horses can become attached to one person.
… because the horse world can bring out our inner 11 year old in both positive and toxic ways.
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I can’t love this enough! Made my day!
@Foxglove I do believe horses have definite preference for certain people. It is one reason why a good school horse is such a valuable person: they tolerate and can cope with multiple riders.
Yes, what is different about when OP rides and when owner rides? Without that info, there is no question we can answer. Just the vague and very generalized observation horses are not machines.
Such a good example! My horse is leased out currently to a novice rider. Of course he goes differently for me than he does for his lease rider. I’ve been riding for 30+ years, longer than his lease kid has been alive, and my rides on him are “you are a show horse who knows his job and needs to be tuned up so you can be your very best self and feel your very best for your lease kid.” His lease kid does not have the same skill set or expectations when riding (which is purposeful - my dude is leaning in to his loose rein teacher life.) he looks like a different horse when we both ride him and that’s 10000% as expected. I am certainly not upset about it as an owner. I just want my horse loved.
OP, do not overthink it. I am sure both the horses owner and your trainer do not expect you to ride 100% alike. We, just like horses, are not machines either. If you and owner have different skill levels, that’s certainly ok! Trust your trainer to help if there’s an issue and if there isn’t, just enjoy the ride.
Do you use the owner’s tack? Have you considered that maybe your saddle fits him differently? Just something to look into.
There was a very long original post outlining the differences OP deleted most of. Essentially, horse rushes and is tense with owner and goes very nice and soft with OP. Trainer has told OP they are the only one who can get horse going so quiet and slow. Tone was very much “horse goes best for me and only me.” Hence the skepticism about it being a genuine post when originally posted.
The owner is likely happy to see the horse going quietly for a beginner leaser. Don’t worry about that.
There is a great deal in how you assemble your aids for a horse that can influence their way of going and energy. You aren’t ready to ride this horse at his most revved up anyhow.
Haha the current post is the opposite, so I agree there could be something imaginary going on. But I do try to respond honestly to such posts because someone else with a legitimate issue might be helped.
Many horses go differently for different riders.
The horse I had as a teenager (in the late '60s) was competing with me at 3’6" (hunters and jumpers) and was very forward. But at the same time I was teaching “up-down” lessons on him, and he was very careful and slow with my students.
Similarly, as an adult, my sister had a horse who was a real handful. But if you put a beginer on him, he would go very carefuly, as if carrying eggs.
Neither way is “better”, just different.
My saddle fit suggestion was responding to the OP 2.0 wherein she said horse was lazy with her but forward with owner. So I thought the saddle may be crimping his style. Thanks for clarifying that it’s the opposite situation.
Completely normal! I make everything dead, my best friend makes everything electric. I always thought my eq horse was the laziest horse on the planet, but it just turns out that I put him to sleep 
She’s taking him to his first three phase this weekend and we had to change out his jumping bit so she doesn’t leave a stride out of every line. And to be clear, she’s an extremely accomplished 3* rider and I’m a very consistent adult amy who has jumped through the 1.30s and the A/O hunters; we’re just dead opposites in the saddle!
