Or when you tell them what you are doing, get a lecture that what you are doing is “wrong.” And how their plan is much better. And their horse still looks like crap. But you’re wrong. 
I want to say Ok. Sure. You go on with your bad self. Meanwhile I’ll be over here with my well, shiny and happy horse who is twice your horse’s age but looks half.
I was about to go into the ring at a dressage show when I realized I still had my baseball cap on. Luckily my friend alerted me to the situation. 
Continuing the helmet topic… not me, and no one was hurt - just something I saw last night. I went out to WEC to watch the GP jumping (AaronVale won it). Really big and tight course. One competitor came past us at a big combination and I could see daylight between her chinstrap and her chin. Geeze, these were BIG JUMPS and FAST RIDES. WOuld have been rung out in a dressage arena…
I was driving to my lesson a few weeks ago and just had this nagging feeling I was forgetting something. Then I had this brief panic attack where I wondered if I’d forgotten to put my breeches on. Not sure why my mind went there! The good news is that I did, in fact, remember to put on pants before leaving home.
I’m needed something, that’s for sure! Not sure coffee would have been enough yesterday…I probably needed an entire new brain 
My helmet is my most forgotten thing. When I do remember, I usually put it on while I’m getting ready and then forget to fasten the chin strap before I mount 
So now I make myself put it on and fasten the chin strap then, even if I have more to do before I’m ready.
@chestnutmarebeware, I can’t tell you how many times I have dreamed I’m at a show and can’t find the HORSE! 
Can’t remember if I shared this one or not… But first night with my first ever lease horse…I had a nightmare I forgot to lock the stall, maresy got loose on the road and got hit by a car. So I rush in my pjs an hour drive to the barn at stupid a.m. only to find maresy safely locked in her stall looking at me like wtf are you doing here.
I’m so paranoid about this! Haven’t drive out to the barn in the middle of the night (yet), but I have gone out to my car then back to check the stall latch multiples times before leaving.
I have, twice in the last couple months, left a gate unlatched and each horse has had a turn going for a wander! 5yo hung around cause she won’t leave her friend…21yo said lol byeeeee and went to see the neighbours! I’ve never ever left gates unlatched before.
I often fall victim to going to mount, and realising I’ve forgotten to put my tall boots on! Fortunately if that’s the case, I’m probably wearing my mid calf paddock boots which are also designed for riding.
The 5yo regularly teleports me halfway across the arena because a leaf moved in the scary corner. Yesterday while riding, a sizable tree branch in the neighbours paddock came down and spooked the living daylights out of all their horses…I thought I was about to eat dirt. 5yo didn’t so much as blink.
And today…21yo has just come back into work after yet more eye ulcer fun…dunno what she spooked at but hey I got it on video 
She barely ever spooks at anything, let alone nothing!
Looks like it is the box thing on the ground. Because. You know - it’s there.
My last horse would do that, too. Any time the “furniture” around or in the arena had been changed he would leap around and act like a ninny.
Haha if this horse is spooking at my mounting block that has been there for 9 years and have never once caused her to spook…she and I need to have a serious discussion When I say she doesn’t spook, I mean it! Last weekend we went for a trail and as we were near and I was hungry, we rode into the local town to find some lunch.
I didn’t realise it would be quite so packed on a Saturday…cue screams of about 50 kids yelling “HORSIE!”. Apparently it’s become a weekend picnic hotspot for people from the suburbs…being in a very horsey area, I didn’t think our presence would raise any eyebrows. I was wrong Anyway, we rode up the very busy main street, she ground tied outside while I ordered, then happily grazed in the park while I ate, accepted pats from a bunch of kids and grandmas, then we hopped back on and left. She didn’t bat an eye at a single thing!
Just to add to the fun…I was bareback because I always trail ride her bareback! She’s a good old girl most of the time! I wouldn’t for one second consider doing the same on the 5y because I would definitely die
@JBCool, we did actually forget a horse on the way to an IHSA show once…
Brought 7 horses up to the barn. Groomed 7 horses and wrapped 7 sets of legs. Packed tack and equipment for 7 horses. Loaded 6 horses.
We were almost an hour down the road when another rider called and asked, “So, why is Honey tied in her stall with wraps on?”
I’ve got a few…
Mustang girl has a sign on the stall now: “Horsie can go outside. Use your best judgement, and use gloves.” Mind you, the stall and turnout kids are NOT horse people. They’re homeschooled high school aged girls. What the heck is she thinking? She herself can barely lead the horse in or out, and the horse is explosive when his ears are touched.
Trainer Man is leaving at the end of the month. Says that the increase in board to $400 a month is just OUTRAGEOUS and said to the barn owner, and I quote, “you’re living high on the hog.” Trainer Man feeds on some mornings, and he had the gall to ask if the board increase would result in a raise for him. Right now, he thinks he’s still going to be feeding a whole lot to make some side money. He’s in for a rude surprise come July 1…
Last night, I’m riding the young mare in the indoor (too many fireworks right now to chance it in the outdoor). I’m riding with just the aisle lights, not the big arena lights, because it’s a short ride and I don’t have poles or jumps out - plus it’s still twilight and it’s not dark yet. Another person asks - hey do you want the big lights on? I answer no, that I’m good. About 10 minutes later, on come the big arena lights. I ask her - hey are you going to ride? She says - I don’t know, maybe. So those lights were on for over 2 hours. She never rode. The aisles are well lit. She literally turned them on because ??. If people ever wonder why their board goes up, please see Exhibit A.
I hope you were ordering from an outside window 
While you were ordering, did you never worry any of the "HORSIE! screamers might get too close or otherwise do something that could spook her or make her move?
& Then Loose Horse in a crowded place full of non-horsey Dumb?
That’s a whole lotta Trust I don’t think I’d want to put my faith in.
This comes to mind:
“The minute you say ‘My horse never’, here they come, nevering like they never nevered before”
I once agreed to take my then young ottb to be part of the hunting demonstration at Mount Vernon. It was a wonderful, fun experience and I’m so glad we went. However, I didn’t know what I was getting into. A LOT of people came to see the horses and hounds. We did an exhibition on the front lawn in a big loop, and as per instruction went “really fast, they like to see that”. We pulled up after about ten loops in the first time slot of three, and the announcer finished up his lecture, and then said “and now it’s time to meet the horses and hounds” as the entire crowd simultaneously stepped over the barrier, lifted up their baby carriages, and surged on out into the field en masse. Before I knew it I had a kid on her father’s shoulders about to climb into the saddle with me, and one wrapped around my horse’s front leg, as we were swarmed on all sides. Horse was brilliant but I maybe wouldn’t have signed up for that had I known…
My BIL’s girlfriend has…well, about 7 kids I know of for sure. Six are his. Sore subject as they don’t provide for their kids. Anyway, we always know when she’s pregnant because she literally starts carrying an old grocery bag full of dirt around and eats from it. Yes, this is a human I’m talking about, not my 5 month old puppy. Though it’d make more sense if it were the puppy.
wtf?
"Hear the echo of hunting horns
and the thunder of horses’ hooves
and the squashing of babies’ skulls…"
BTW, is that you in the picture?
To be fair it might be a cultural thing??? She’s from another country. Yeah I know it still sounds odd but it’s my best guess. I just get so disgusted when there’s another kid on the way that we have to help support so I don’t ask.
Ha fortunately where I ordered was down the street and away from screaming hordes. I’ve discovered most people around here who’ve never really been around horses, are actually quite wary of them (apparently my 13.2 pony is big! ) and won’t just approach. Even the kids who did want to pat asked first (good on them).
I probably do trust her too much but she’s a good old girl with impeccable ground manners and after 13 years together I’m pretty confident in what I can and can’t trust her with! I’d neeevverrrrr with the 5yo haha
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