This morning at church my mother was asked by a couple that my parents only know from church if their adult son who is a bull rider from Texas, whom we have never even met, could borrow two of our horses and our trailer to take trail riding while he is in town visiting.
Mom said No of course!
Wow!
People are amazing.
I used to get so fed up with women who found out I had a horse (I used to work in a bar) asking if they could ride âitâ that I just started replying âonly if I can ride your husbandâ.
Just as important a relationship to me!
At least there was some sort of connection there.
I had a stranger behind me at a Big Box Store notice my riding clothes and ask where I kept my horse. Because her daughter would be coming out to ride it.
To be clear: she didnât ASK if her daughter could ride my horse. She told me it was happening. And she was pissed that I didnât give her directions.
Daughter looked mortified, but I had the impression this was not the first time her mother pulled something like that.
Oh wow!
I constantly have Co workers asking if I have my horses home yet so they can bring their kids out to ride.
My horses are currently in Ocala at my parents farm and will be moving up in a month or so to my farm in TN as soon as we finish the fences. We just bought the farm last year and have been doing the work ourselves. They have actually gotten upset with me that my horses arenât here yet. I asked them when would they like to bring a load of fence posts and boards and if they can bring extra tools. It shut them up fairly quickly. No one seems to want to put in real manual labor anymoreâŠ
Oh wow!
I constantly have Co workers asking if I have my horses home yet so they can bring their kids out to ride.
My horses are currently in Ocala at my parents farm and will be moving up in a month or so to my farm in TN as soon as we finish the fences. We just bought the farm last year and have been doing the work ourselves. They have actually gotten upset with me that my horses arenât here yet. I asked them when would they like to bring a load of fence posts and boards and if they can bring extra tools. It shut them up fairly quickly. No one seems to want to put in real manual labor anymoreâŠ
My favourite, in a lifetime of horse ownership, was a woman I hardly knew saying âIâve decided to let you teach my daughter to rideâ. Shades of Hyacinthe Bucket, for those of you who remember âKeeping Up Appearancesâ.
Many people used to loan their horses. I suppose some still do. They did when I was a child. Not, of course, their show horses.
Complete strangers asking is really VERY odd thoughâŠ
Co-workers probably have no idea how much training many horses require and how easily it can be undone by an inexperienced rider, so it probably is just a matter of ignorance as to the enormity of what they are asking of you and your horse(s). :yes:
They probably think that all horses are quiet lesson types.
Instead of being offended you might educate them and explain that there are horses that almost everyone can ride and there are horses that require skill to ride. Then explain to them (in excruciating detail) the dire consequences that result when the requisite skill is lacking.
I was kindly indulged as a child by neighbors who allowed me to âborrowâ their horses for hacking. They were not show horses.
I repaid their kindness in turn when as an adult ,the neighbor kid asked me if he could ride. I did not know them well, and he had never been on a horse before but I had one that was suitable, so after checking with his mom he accompanied me hacking a few times, being ponied by me just to make sure.
He was thrilled and I was happy to give him that experienceâŠ
He and his mom moved away so he had only a few times riding, but I remember well his happy, beaming little face. 
:yes:
I went out this morning to ride a friendâs big greenie and my aunt asked me this afternoon why I hadnât brought my (beginner who thinks she knows waaaaay more than she does) with me. âArenât they the type of horses [beginner cousin] can ride?â Um, no. Because theyâre not mine to pass around!
When I was in college the school mascot whom I didnât know called me out of the blue to see if he could use my horse for the Homecoming Parade.
This was a large Big Ten university with a history of problems during homecoming.
UM NO
[QUOTE=roseymare;8216706]
When I was in college the school mascot whom I didnât know called me out of the blue to see if he could use my horse for the Homecoming Parade.
This was a large Big Ten university with a history of problems during homecoming.
UM NO[/QUOTE]
:eek::eek:
A few years ago I had a couple ask if they could use one of my horses for a wedding photo shoot. The wife really liked my black horse with the big white star and thought she would look stunning on him with her wedding dress. âoh he is short so I wonât fall offâ umm he is a year old and not broke to ride⊠âIt is only for photoâs silly, not real ridingâ. After I said no a few times-more than five- she started with the water works, balling her eyes out. The husband then offers me $200 for the horse lol The wine was sure tasty that night!
I am rather petite in stature and typically ride/train ponies. One of my co-workers who is always talking up her âhorze whizperingâ daughter decided to bring said daughter into the office for a visit when she was home from university for a extended weekend.
After a brief greeting, co-worker mentiones to daughter that I ride, and invites daughter over to my place (!!) for a ride. Um, what!?. I politely, but awkwardly decline, stating that I only have ponies and theyâre not suitable mounts currently. Daughters response âOh, thatâs ok! Maybe Iâll come show you how to train them when they grow into bigger horsesâ :eek: Is there a stronger word than âNo!â?
[QUOTE=mscho;8216777]
Daughters response âOh, thatâs ok! Maybe Iâll come show you how to train them when they grow into bigger horsesâ :eek: [/QUOTE]
Wow⊠just wowâŠ
[QUOTE=melhorse;8216770]
A few years ago I had a couple ask if they could use one of my horses for a wedding photo shoot. The wife really liked my black horse with the big white star and thought she would look stunning on him with her wedding dress. âoh he is short so I wonât fall offâ umm he is a year old and not broke to ride⊠âIt is only for photoâs silly, not real ridingâ. After I said no a few times-more than five- she started with the water works, balling her eyes out. The husband then offers me $200 for the horse lol The wine was sure tasty that night![/QUOTE
Jeheebers⊠show her this⊠https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ihXQKVaLbE
(edited to add link) horse is black/dark with a big white face, although that sure is a mega wrangler-fail - to be fair I believe they were just riding along the beach and after seeing the photo shoot offered the horse for photos. What a wedding story though eh!! Iâm picking the sequence went something like this = :congratulatory: :yes: :eek: :concern:
[QUOTE=shelly;8216786]
Wow⊠just wowâŠ[/QUOTE]
I think the scary part is that those paragraphs also included âhome from universityâ
[QUOTE=Diamontaire;8216788]
I think the scary part is that those paragraphs also included âhome from universityâ[/QUOTE]
Right? This happened a few years back. Iâm sure no one will be shocked to find that she has since dropped out of universityâŠ
My husband delights in introducing me to acquaintances and co-workers who say they ârideâ and then standing back. Thus far (for the last 30+ years) 98% have been the âOH we go for a trail ride at those trail riding places every year!â -type. The second stage is when they announce they should bring all their family out to ride my horses with me - since I have enough to go around. Some of them ask every time I encounter them - for years. Funny: the ârealâ riders do not suggest anything of the sort.
Third stage is when I get even with beloved hubby for setting me up.
My sister (non rider) was coming to visit and wanted to know if we could take my two horses out on trail with her two kids (we would ride double). I explained that it wasnât safe and when that wasnât a good enough answer told her that because both are Paint/TB crosses, they tend to be hot (they are actually super quiet). 
How does everyone handle to people from work that ask to ride? I bought a third horse at one point for this reason, but she ended up being really nice and I sold her to a lady who does western dressage. Any polite suggestions? I am a teacher and one person who asked was my assistant principal. I even had district persons askâŠ
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