Sidesaddle? Polo? Your odd horse experiences?

[aregard]

I’ve tried fox hunting. Figured that would be an easy time after being an eventer, but it was quite different. (Funny story: We were moving from field to field, and I saw a coop ahead of me, and in my head, I’m thinking “I’m going to save my horse and go around”, only to realize at the last minute that it wasn’t a stand-alone coop, it was part of the fence line! Had to yank my horse to jump a corner of it at the last minute, which was quite embarrassing, or we would have gone over wire. Quite possible the horse was used to jumping wire, but I didn’t know so I was yanking instead. One does not want to return a livery horse with wire cuts on his legs.)

I’ve driven a few times as well, and wanted to take lessons in driving, but Covid…

Our riding association had an active Cowboy polo team (brooms and large ball) then a real polo team (had to haul to the big fields), then an arena polo team. I rode with them on a couple ‘try it!’ days. That was fun.

I’ve ridden quadrille, but never the drill team. Our association’s drill team went all over the area, so it was big and showy, but certainly not as disciplined as quadrille. Scared me a little.

Have taken my horses swimming.

Just as we left that area and the association, they began to have an active group of jousters come practice on the grounds. I would have liked to try that.

I’d run a bunch of Pony Club Games Days, and those were fun, but as an un-agile adult I was no good on the running mount and settled for being an official instead of participant.

I’ve ridden Icelandics and one Paso Fino in addition to a couple gaited horses (though I could not tell you what the gaits were that they were producing.)

I put Sidesaddle on my resume, but was lying.

[sophie]

@McGurk

Never tried polo, because I know I absolutely do not have the coordination.

LOL! That would be my problem too. I’d honestly be too worried that I would hit the horse with the mallet

I’ve never tried sidesaddle but would love to, some day.
I’ve ridden in a western saddle but only on trail rides out west. Felt weird to me.
I have driven a friend’s pony and that was scary. Felt like I had no control should the pony want to bolt. I didn’t enjoy it.
I’ve played horse ball on small, trained horses, and that was a blast.
I’ve been on week-long treks with my sister’s horses, and that was so much fun, even when we got a bit lost (but not too much, Sis is an excellent map-reader) and got caught in the middle of a huge thunderstorm. We saw such great scenery and met so many wonderful people along the way.
My Sister had an Icelandic horse that was a natural at all the flying paces, he was such a cool guy! Her current one is a totally different ride, you have to make him go into those special gaits.
Another “odd” (?) thing I did was swim with my horse.
Also, I did a bit of vaulting way back when I was young, nimble and good at gymnastics lol. That was great fun!
I fox hunted when I had my Morgan mare. She loved it. Fun times, fun people.

I would love to try mounted archery. But first I would need to learn ground archery, haha.

[SolarFlare]

@sophie

LOL! That would be my problem too. I’d honestly be too worried that I would hit the horse with the mallet

I might have done this (lightly). We started on the ground where they teach you how to properly swing the mallet and learn the different strokes, but you need to pretend the horse’s head is there. If you hit the imaginary horse, no big deal. But on the real horse you’re trying to be careful about their head and then you mess up your swing lol. In my case, I accidentally bumped my poor horse in the hocks when I tried to hit the ball backwards. I was on this Criollo pony and he just rolled his eyes at me he was amazing

[Angela_Freda]

I exercised and groomed for a polo player, and did try it.
I also rode (and showed) my ottb aside with my first riding instructor who had gotten her usdf bronze medal aside on her own trained ottb.
I rode drill at a barn locally on a fantastic ottb, who was by Unbridled Song
I started out riding western, and on vacay in the ADKs a few times got to ride saddlebreds western at a trail riding facility.

[yaya]

@sophie

LOL! That would be my problem too. I’d honestly be too worried that I would hit the horse with the mallet

Did that.
The only time I fell off playing polo was when my parents came up for parents weekend and came to our polo practice. Went for an offside backhand shot and clocked the horse right between the ears. She ducked her head and spun, and down I went. My parents were not amused.

[RMJacobs]

My large pony was a total jerk under saddle, but a dream to drive. It really annoyed my daughter, and I don’t blame her, as we got him to be her riding horse. I tried to get her to learn to drive once I trained the pony, but she wasn’t interested.

Rebecca

[OnAMission]

I bought a side saddle last year but haven’t ridden in it yet. I’ve ridden english and western, packed a pack horse, played cowboy polo, swam horses in the river and mountain lakes, worked cows, gathered horses off the mountain (in the snow, on a horse I had just met with absolutely no history-she was one of the dude horses we were moving, we went out and caught a horse out of the herd we were moving), driven a team to feed cows, helped run a dude horse string occasionally, sidekicked with the ranch owner when he bought horses out of the ring for the dude string, ridden bareback more than in a saddle probably, ridden through the wilderness by moonlight (left the trailhead at midnight on a full moon), jumped but it was logs (big ones!) and no arena for miles, chased a coyote in a local redneck version of fox hunting, and raced a black bear while bareback, when I was 12 and my parents had no idea where I was in the mountains ha ha. Jack of all trades, master of none but I can get around, or used to!

[Rackonteur]

It was fun and educational. The driving lessons were like a dream come true, because I’d always wanted to learn how to drive.
I took saddleseat lessons one year and that was fun too. Much as I’ve always loved riding huntseat, and the whole Hunters world of my youth*, i have felt most at home around Saddlebreds and their barns. I think it must be a lot down to 3/4 of my ancestors, who were all Southern country folk, and, if they rode much, probably rode a version of what became saddleseat, maybe on gaited horses.
I also enjoyed my western lessons, and wish i were young enough and rich enough to continue and learn more.

*The Hunters world of my youth was not at all like what young people call “The” Hunters now. Ours were real hunters and even those riders who didn’t get to ride to hounds did get to ride outside the ring and jump outside courses.

[Rackonteur]

I would love to do that too!

[ZuzusPetals]

@sophie

Also, I did a bit of vaulting way back when I was young, nimble and good at gymnastics lol.

Oooo. Vaulting. I’ve never seen it in person. Fascinating. Those horses must be a blast.

[2DogsFarm]

I had a German-educated trainer (he was born American of German parents, went to college in Germany) who had us 30-something clients vaulting on school horses. He had a leather Vaulting surcingle with handles.
DraftX paint was best, but he’d let us know when he’d had enough by gently bucking us off.
We had a 3-person team, Odd Triplets: 5’4" me, 5’-nothing gal & her 6’2" BF.
But we managed a pyramid - me in front, BF behind & tiny GF at the top.
Confession:
I was never able to mount by running alongside
I’d run, trainer would run with me & toss me up on the horse

I sat on a Cutting horse & nearly had a horn implant in my belly button
Once a Chic Olena-bred Reiner & almost got spun out of the saddle

I’d love to try riding aside.
& Hunting, but both probably pipedreams.

Re: Driving
My 1st lesson, I got off the cart & my legs were shaking.
Not from fear, I’d kept trying to.put them on the horse!
Once you realize you have only hands & voice, & a steady horse to drive it’s more fun than s/b legal

[RMJacobs]

You reminded me that I did a moonlight ride from Hollywood to Burbank and back in the 80s. We had a stop for dinner in Burbank at a Mexican restaurant with sufficient hitching posts for our group of about 20. It was organized by someone who was in HR at KTLA (I worked there at the time). I had zero respect for her as an HR rep, but man, could that woman ride! She kept us organized and moving and put together an amazing event.

Rebecca

[sophie]

@2DogsFarm

I was never able to mount by running alongside

LOL! I could do it if the horse wasn’t too big (I am 5’3 on a good day). I never vaulted with a team, but that would have been fun!
Vaulting is also a great tool when teaching anxious kids to ride. They get used to being on the horse with the handles, it boosts their confidence and helps them get in tune with the trot and canter, and they discover all they can do on that steady horse. I used to put 2 kids on the horse at a time and that was so much fun for them! Good vaulting horses are really priceless.

[2DogsFarm]

I remember reading about that ride when I visited my family in Encino!
Those livery horses must have been saints to tote margarita-filled non-riders safely back.

[RMJacobs]

I was surprised at the skill level I saw that night. I don’t know about other times it was done, but the night DH and I did it, people seemed to be pretty good riders. I brought two friends along, and both had ridden all their lives.

Rebecca

[2DogsFarm]

Whew!
Good to know.
From the account I read, it sounded like the ride back after the Mexican place was a bit unsober.

[RMJacobs]

Well, it was, but muscle memory seemed to take over.

Rebecca

[OnAMission]

It does have a way of doing that sometimes lol

[Baybear]

For a silent auction and if the activity is of interest and is close by why not give if a whirl. When I busted my right ankle I took up side saddle - I mean what can you do with an ankle that won’t flex but throw it over the side of a horse right LOL. My then trainer’s husband played polo so every now and then we stick and ball out in the field. I couldn’t hit a large beach ball… and then sometimes for grins we’d take our fancy show hunters over to barn that had team penning - that was fun! It’s fun to do some different things