My show horse I don’t usually let anyone ride him, unless they ride on a loose rein and neck rein him. I’ve put to much energy and money into dressage training for someone to hang on his mouth etc… Now I do let my trainer ride him 
My daughters pony I’d let anyone ride but liabilty wise now I’ve decided not to do it anymore. It just scares me that he might hurt someone. Now my friend can ride him because she knows how to ride but most of our friends are very non-horsie and I don’t want someone flopping off of him. Not worth the stress. Now my old barrel racer only let me and my little girl ride him. He didn’t care for anyone else at all. After years of abuse and being put on the line he was tired of it and when he finally got a rider that loved him and was nice he was sooo over anyone else :lol: My husbands horse I will not let ANYONE ride, even riders that know what they are doing. He was abused for years before we got him and he has got some quirks that we know how to work with but others will be left on the ground if they even put leg on him. (Have a feeling he was spurred pretty bad) He is finally letting us put some leg on him but still now squeeze or he bolts forward like a mad horse. He also tends to have a standing still problem and well until that is fixed just can’t let anyone try to ride him for safety. Now he has never thrown us or bucked or anything he just has a lot of fear.
I let people ride my horse- uneducated riders get a pony ride. LOL, my mare took my brother for his second ride ever (first was at Disney like 25 years ago). Good riders get “just go along on a very light contact and don’t futz with her”. Really good riders get…“errr… could you work on this for me?” :winkgrin:
It works for me- my horse is simple and friendly for a light hacking. And she needs regular work- I can’t afford a week of trainer rides when I am out of town. Also, people have been generous to me with their horses.
That said… I can see where some people don’t allow others to ride their horses.A highly tuned competitive animal isn’t necessarily going to be much fun for someone looking for a pleasant hack. And horses with bad habits can put people at risk.
I’ve taught lessons on a couple of my horses, but my 8 yo Appendix is mine alone. He’s out of my mare, I’ve done every scrap of training from the ground up, and he’s been ridden by 3 other people in those 8 yrs. The 1st was a “trainer” I tried a lesson with who shut him down totally - pissed him off and he grew roots. The 2nd was a FABULOUS trainer/clinician from Alabama, and she was on for about 15 min testing something (and should she ever suggest she ride him again I’d be all for it - I’d kill to ride as well!). The 3rd rider was Denny Emerson, who liked him a lot and said “never sell this horse…” 
He’s not a complicated horse, and I have horsey friends who would probably do just fine with him, but they all have their own beasts and don’t need mine. Also I keep my horses at home, out 24/7, so even when I’m away it’s not as though he’s stuck in a stall and needs a leg-stretch ride. He’s not complicated or spooky, he’s happy on a long rein, so he might even pack a beginner around too but that’s not something I plan to test :winkgrin:
So no, I don’t share MY horse. I’ve brought him along to Training Level (in eventing) by myself, and while I may ask a trainer/clinician to get on him for me if I need help, I don’t see why I should let just anyone on him.
I’ve always been really protective of Sam… even though I’m a novice and he’s green, I never wanted to send him off to someone for training, but instead took the slow road and took lessons on him as well as lessons on lesson horses. It’s always worked well up until now, because his issues early on were things I was capable enough to fix when talked through them by a competent trainer. Now he’s at the point where his issues are things that I can’t work on as well–like being strung out at the canter; I’m weaker myself at the canter so it’s harder for me to pull him together while keeping myself together too. So I’m going to ask one of the Maclay kids at my barn to ride him this week while he’s there, with my trainer… I’ll be there to see what she’s doing, my trainer will let her know what he needs to work on, and she’s got the experience and skills to work with him in a way that I can’t quite do yet. So it breaks my heart a little to let someone else get on my horse to train him, but I’ve gone so slow so long that it would be nice to just get on him and have one less issue. (:
I wouldn’t mind letting someone I trusted ride him… but I get a little jealous. d;
I am really weird about my show horses being ridden by other people. Especially the more valuable ones.
Howver, I usually let lots of friends ride my OTSTB- he’s very sensible, a good size for most people, and I trust him.
However, I am seriously considering putting an end to that. My boy was a racing pacer and it has taken me many, many, many hours of work to get him to trot vs. pace under saddle. We are now starting to school the canter and it is a long, very trying process. I have noticed that whenever anyone else rides him, we regress immensley on his proress. Like, back to the point where he can no longer trot a full lap around the arena before switching to pace. This is EXTREMELY frustrating!
So I have decided that from now on, I am the only one riding him. Period. Even the advanced riders in this area are simply not used to gaited horses, let alone standardbreds (they are a very rare breed in these parts) and have no idea how to ride for a trot vs. pace (I was in the same school which is why my STB’s progress is so slow- I’m learning along with him!)
I just hate these drawbacks and so, at least until further notice, he is only to be ridden by me. I feel mean, but in the end I want what is best for the horse and I think that progressing with his training (instead of regressing) is the best choice.
I am not sure that not having a bunch of people on a horse necessarily results in the horse not accepting other riders. I board, and I really haven’t had requests to ride my horse. I did “trade” horses with a young girl once a few years back, and everything went just fine - even though he hadn’t had anyone else on him in a long time. I think he would accept different riders just fine - but of course I haven’t been his only owner.
However, when I took lessons, there was a lesson horse there who they had to sell because after he’d been in lessons for a while, he didn’t want anything to do with beginner riders. I heard that he did much better and was much happier once he became a one-owner horse. Could have more to do with the horse’s temperament than the training?
If I kept a horse at home, I doubt I would let anyone else ride my horse because I am not an instructor and I wouldn’t want the responsibility.
[QUOTE=rainechyldes;4262198]
I have 2 rules on who can ride on our farm.
1 horse is mine - no one has ever ridden him, and no one probably ever will, I started him myself. - Reason: - he’s my horse:)
the rest of my horses are ridden by me and my children. no one else
reason :they are my horses:)
I don’t feel that to be a bad thing, I pay for the horses and their upkeep, that means I decide who gets to ride them - it’s pretty basic.[/QUOTE]
:yes: I agree. I don’t see anything wrong in not letting other people ride your horses if that is ones choice.
I don’t get it. People are alright with saying no to others using/riding their cars, bikes, motorcycles, boats, etc., but some people think if you have a horse, you are obligated to let them ride and if you don’t you are being silly or selfish.
I don’t think that it is selfish at all to not let other people ride your horse. I just personally don’t care if other (hand picked ) people ride mine. Kind of like wearing a helmet-- I don’t care if other people don’t wear a helmet, but I always strap one on.
If anything should happen to me, both mares are to be put down. No one would want them, it’s the only way I can be certain they will not come to harm given their temperaments, and the rescue is just fine with me putting down the rescue mare.
While no one else has ridden my gelding, finding him a home shouldn’t be a problem. He’s just Mr. Mellow Oh, OK, fine, lalalalala, is this what you wanted?. Talented to boot. 
IMO most one-person horses are born, not made, and a one-person horse is not the same as a very difficult horse. I appreciate shareable horses and people who are happy to share them, and I also appreciate the many reasons why people don’t care to share their horses.
My first horse was a big 18-y.o. OTTB who’d been evented and later schooled dressage through 3rd level. VERY cool horse, not spooky but extremely sensitive and energetic under saddle; a little leg went a LONG way with him. 
Whenever I or any other experienced riders would hop on him, he was always go-go-go, but for whatever reason, if a KID was on him, he turned into an old plow horse. My favorite memory of him was when my 7-year old cousin came to see him at the barn; kiddo LOVED horses and wanted to ride in the worst way. I borrowed a Western saddle and put it on him so she’d have a horn to hold onto, plopped kiddo up there, led her around a few times, and then turned them loose in the outdoor ring. For an HOUR, my normally-hot TB plodded around the ring with kiddo onboard while she steered him around barrels, over ground poles, etc., etc, legs bumping him on and off the whole time, and not ONCE did he go faster than a snail-speed walk.
That horse just had a thing for babies… when I later retired him to my parents’ farm, he was pastured out with a herd of beef cattle; he was Herd Boss even over the bull, but the baby calves could hang out underneath him and he wouldn’t flinch. He was the same way with lambs, too. He was a real gem… :sadsmile:
It’s really a good idea for a horse to be able to accept another person, whether it’s a trainer applying a little tuning or a demonstration of “this is what it feels like.”
My best horse rarely had anyone else in his saddle except for the above, and the same applied for him in harness. I had borrowed the barn manager as a groom for a training session (not a good idea to drive alone, it’s always nice to have a holder/helper) and was cooling him down when she mentioned that she had never driven a horse. She had greatly enjoyed the tour of the paddocks and the brisk gaits of a carriage horse, including his road trot. I decided she should take the lines for a few minutes and learn what it was like, giving her a chance to decide whether she might want to drive her young horse someday.
The instant we changed drivers, my horse switched from dynamic single carriage horse to Amish school bus. He plonked around the ring in a jog trot that had her thrilled but not overfaced. After a few minutes we traded back, and the “on” switch came right back on.
It was good to know that there was another gear inside his head that knew the difference.
When our daughter was in Pony Club, horses were lent freely by parents and friends for horse trials, dressage and show jumping by C and D riders, and there was never any concern about anyone getting ruined, though we had a few qualms about one hot mare that rushed her fences, but we had the right rider who dealt with the issue without fear. If there was a kid who needed mount for a rally, someone found one, and the rider understood that things might not go quite perfectly, but no one got hurt, no horses came to harm, and everyone had a good time.
Granted, none of us were lending out Olympic contenders, but some of the horses had evented to preliminary with success, and others had competitive experience at higher levels.
I don’t know if we’d do it now, with all of the increased concerns about liability, but I am happy with the memories of our horses at rallies and shows with other people’s kids, and vice versa.
Karmic debt…
I want other people ride my horse. Way back when dirt was new, a young girl brushed and saddled her horse for me, an unhorsed adult newbie. Now, that I’ve owned horses for decades, I can recognize the horse crazed look from ten paces away. With a nod from mama, I offer a ride to the afflicted. Each time, I’m rewarded by the look of bliss and a huge smile. Liability is just a risk, like life.
I do not like other people to ride my mare. mostly because she is not as fine tuned as she needs to be and requires a bit firmer hand and stronger leg and when other people get on they usually let her get away with a lot (which slows down training progress imensly). I used to let people ride such as my non-horsey friends but now I don’t so much anymore. She has a lot of training to do that I didn’t realize because I was a newbie into horses at the time. I got her when I was nine and she is now six. I definitely know a lot more now than I did and I know what and how to train her what she needs to know but the thing is teaching her these things and preventing her from getting away with stuff that she’s gotten away with for 4 years. She’s great on the ground and respecting your space and such for the most part but under saddle she is always testing authority which not many of the other people that ride her know and they let her disrespect them a lot, but they don’t realize it.
Right now I am especially not letting anyone ride her because I am trying to fix all of the mistakes and crap that I unknowingly let her get away with for so long. I have one friend that is very horsey and also has horses that she has trained that I sometimes let ride her but even now, while I’m trying to fix everything, I’m not letting her ride her. She’s one of the only people that really knows how to handle my horse the way she needs to be handled.
My other two horses I definitely don’t let anyone ride. of course one is too young but the other is a mare that the owners let sit out to pasture with no daily handling at all whatsoever for 5 years. SHe’s a good horse as the people that had her before trained her very well and she remembers a lot, but I don’t even ride her that much. She has a lot of groundwork to get out of the way first and is very jumpy.
Other than the fact that I’m retraining my trusty mare I wouldn’t mind letting CAPABLE people who understand how she needs to be handled ride her and I’ll occasionally lead a little kid around on her or my nephew but thats it. I like to see my horsey-friend ride her because she’s been riding longer than me and can do a lot more so when she rides I can see where I’m lacking in my riding if she is doing something with my horse that I’'ve never done before. It can be very helpful.
“I don’t get it. People are alright with saying no to others using/riding their cars, bikes, motorcycles, boats, etc., but some people think if you have a horse, you are obligated to let them ride and if you don’t you are being silly or selfish.”
You can thank dude ranches for that. They are ok but then people get it into their mind that all horses are supposed to do are plunkaround with them on their back.
My one horse is voice trained so when I told the little girl on board to ask him to trot, she kicked his sides. I yelled “no, ASK him”. So she said “trot” and he obliged. I like his voice buttons (especially halt) so if you ride him, I prefer you ride him with voice. Guess I never graduated from the baby training stage of talking to him.
Years ago, a friend of mine used to let me take her Prix St George confirmed (scores in the 60s) horse out for a spin occasionally and I am far from that kind of rider. It was an incredible privilege for me but I asked her sincerely one day if there was any possibility that I might ruin her horse.
“Oh for crying out loud, they aren’t made of china glass! As long as you don’t try to put him in a frame or make him do his tricks, he’s fine. Going around a training level test and trying to figure out someone else’s mistakes for a change is a great break for him. Every upper level horse should get to wear their hair down and be a buddy’s horse. It’s good for them.”
Anyway that was her philosophy and I was pretty darn grateful for it.
Of my 4 horses two I don’t mind sharing with anyone (even beginners), there is 1 that because he is VERY green I wouldrather no one else ride (I want to get his training more established first) and there is 1 that NO ONE RIDES BUT ME EVER!!! but then I don’t think anyone really wants to ride her either after they see some of the S**t she pulls with me.
My two that anyone can ride have been known to take first time riders out on the trail they are bomb proof and completely trustworthy. I know that one day my baby will be like this just right now.
I really like to see other people ride my horses as it is one of the few times I get to see how they go. I have no problems sharing.
Middy, can you give us an update on Sophie? I was wondering how she was doing, hasn’t it been over a year now since she came to you?
My 18 YO mare Cheyenne is a steady eddy anyone can ride type. I will admit two things though: 1) I feel like I might burst with pride when I watch other people riding her and she is so good with them. I wonder how on earth she ended up that way in spite of me. LOL 2) I feel badly for her because sometimes, people really don’t have the foggiest notion what they’re doing and she STILL is so patient.
Within reason, I will let nearly anyone ride her. I do have some limitations on weight and I certainly won’t just let some random individual hop on. But if people are willing to listen to me and really want to see what it feels like to ride or already know how to ride? Sure.
My other mare? Nope. No way. Not gonna happen again for a long time. I used to think that all horses should be able to be ridden by several people of comparable or more skill than the primary rider. What I learned was that some horses just get mind blown with variations between riders. So…if it’s going to be anything more than a trail ride at the WT? I’m probably not going to let anyone else ride her.
the first two years I had my jumper I did not let anyone but my trainer ride him. He was my first horse coming off a pony and being a bit of a control freak I didn’t want anyone else on him. He was a very green, hot, big warmblood so he was not ready for a beginner yet, and I didn’t want one of the other high school/university students (the ones that could ride him) on him because I didn’t want them trying to train him and teach him a bunch of bad habits, or start asking too much from him that he didn’t know yet.
Over time I started to let a couple of the people at the barn flat him when I couldn’t make it out, but only the ones I really trusted. One of the girls at the barn was asked to flat a horse one time and she started trying to do leg yields, flying changes (from a horse who did not know how to lead change), etc and got the horse completely spun, so I am very careful of who flats him for me, I want him walked, trotted, and cantered and when I get back on the next day he’d better not feel any different than before, because he is so sensitive I can tell if someone has tried to tune on him thinking they know how to fix things, because he doesn’t take punishment well and will be tense and nervous after because of it.
Now, five years later I love letting more beginner types ride him when I am there, he’s a star and I’m so proud I put all the work into him I’ve let some of my friends get on and go for a hack when I’m on my other horse, and even though it’s just a walk trot through the woods it’s so fun for them, and it’s a great feeling, my mom is also starting to ride him when I’m getting too busy with school and he’s an angel, it’s like he knows when he has a beginner on him.
Some horses are too high strung (Casper) to be ridden by just anyone.
My trainer and I have an agreement that the ONLY two people allowed to ride Casper are she and I. Her because she’s a trainer and one of the best riders I’ve ever known, and me because I’m his owner.
I can’t afford the liability if he spooks, and someone comes unseated and gets hurt. He’s not mean and won’t deliberately dump anyone, but he has a GIANT spook when he takes it into his head to be stupid. Round bales at the edge of trees are extremely likely to eat horses, don’tcha know.
He unseated me a week ago, but I figure I was due since I hadn’t taken a fall since before Conny died, and I’d gotten a little too cocky when riding him.
Literally anyone can ride Cloud, and the more people on him the better as far as I’m concerned.
I’m not selfish when it comes to my horses, but I’m not about to let someone who has an unsteady seat and hands, as well as confidence issues, on an animal who can be uber-sensitive.
