Thinking of finding an additional rider for my horse

[Lunabear1988]

So I’m thinking of finding an additional rider for my horse. I was in a car accident in December and while I’m healing, my inside calves were severely bruised and still hurt. My doctor said no riding yet, maybe not for 6 more weeks (hopefully less.)

My trainer has been riding him once a week. I’ve been trying to keep up on ground work. But he has mild kissing spine and weak stifles. I’m not sure if it’s enough work and I think he’d be better off being ridden a little more. Unfortunately, until we get closer to summer, I don’t really have the funds to pay my trainer to ride any more than she is.

I’m thinking about seeing if anyone wants to ride him for free since he’s still kind of in rehab mode and it would be helping me out. He’s fairly straightforward to ride, a little looky sometimes but good natured. He has some fancy dressage buttons too as far as lateral work.

Thoughts? It would need to be the right person, obviously. Someone experienced enough. Do you think I could find this or just stick with groundwork?

One of the reasons this popped into my head was I saw a post from a Silver Medalist looking to ride but not enough time or money for a lease. Unfortunately I was a bit far from her and she found something closer to her. But that would have been perfect.

[LCDR]

Perhaps you are setting the bar too high. IMO during your own down time is an opportunity for the horse to have relaxing rides on a loose rein, and do enough daily low stress work to maintain physical condition. He might even relax into being less looky.

[Lunabear1988]

I’m not allowed to ride at all yet, unfortunately.
He’s pretty good most days as far as being looky- he is 6 years old now and off course feeling better now that we addressed things. Thankfully he’s never naughty!

[Lunabear1988]

He’s a super fun horse I just can’t physically ride but he really needs more fitness than I can give while I’m healing

[Lunabear1988]

He’s a good enough boy that my 12 year old could hop on but she doesn’t yet know how to get a horse really through their back which he needs more of right now. Maybe next year she could do more though.

[atr]

If you can find that person who wants some extra saddle time and isn’t going to get too ambitious, I think it’s a great idea. There’s bound to be someone around whose own horse is recovering from some injury or other or who is between horses, who just wants to keep their hand in.

No harm in looking for someone! In our barn, there would be any number of people lined up to help you out.

[Lunabear1988]

That was my thought. Someone who wants a little horse time would enjoy him.

I was going to post on my barn’s page first (and ask my trainer.)

[Bogie]

Two thoughts: Are you able to do ground work? This would be a great time to teach your horse how to long line and/or work in hand. It would help build his topline and create a deeper relationship with him.

If you do find someone to ride him, make sure you trainer works with them so they continue to ride him in the way that you have trained him. I have part leased my horses over the years and with some riders, I felt like I had to keep retuning them to my aides. Not a huge deal, but annoying. I had a friend with a dressage horse showing I-1. When she couldn’t ride him, she let a friend hack him on a loose rein. It was good for him to get out and about and she didn’t have to worry about him developing any bad habits.

[RMJacobs]

@M_al, did you see this? She is local to us, yes? Do you have any interest?

@Lunabear1988 I have no idea whether she would be a good fit for your horse, but she still rides and I think we’re all fairly near each other. And I know she would treat him right.

Rebecca

[Lunabear1988]

He’s near Firestone. If that’s within a reasonable distance she’s welcome to message me.

[2DogsFarm]

Does your trainer have any lesson clients she’d want to ride him?
IIWM (& in the past it has) I’d want the rider to take at least a weekly lesson from my trainer.
You could even “audit” the lesson.
I always found it fun to watch my horse go when someone else rode.

[Lunabear1988]

I am able to do ground work, thankfully. He’s just bored with it lol. And I’m getting ready to start physical therapy for my shoulder which will eat into my already busy schedule. But hopefully only a few visits .

And at least occasionally lessons with my trainer would be ideal unless they are just super experienced. She’s wonderful and reasonable priced for a GP dressage trainer.

We have a field someone could hack him around in too …

[Lunabear1988]

I texted her. That would be a great and safe option too. But again for the right person.

[Lunabear1988]

[Lunabear1988]

[Lunabear1988]

He’s such a a good guy. I can’t wait to ride him myself again Maybe I’ll find the right situation but if not I’ll keep trucking along on the ground.

[TheHotSensitiveType]

I would ask your trainer if there is anyone at the appropriate skill level that is looking for more saddle time. At my barn, I have had several opportunities to get more saddle time from owners that can’t make it out as much as they would like, and the extra time is always appreciated! These were mostly green horses where they benefited from my training them, and I benefited from more practice.

When my horse was out with an injury, a kind lady at another barn needed her horse exercised more than she could do so I got 2 rides a week on her horse. That helped me process my horse’s injury in a better mindset than doom and gloom…

ETA: Your horse is super cute!

[Lunabear1988]

Yeah I just reached out to her but I haven’t heard back. She’s not the best at texting back sometimes though so I might just talk to her about it later this week.

I used to exercise horses for people and I certainly would have been willing to ride a horse like mine for somebody. So I’m sure there’s somebody out there. Just has to be the right person and the right fit for it to be worth it.

Thank you! He’s cute and such a good boy.

[M_al]

DM-ed … it could work. I spent YEARS driving to a barn in Firestone for DD so can tell you it’s exactly 25 minutes from my door to a major barn there. I had a great ride on my “challenging” lesson horse yesterday (somewhat unexpectedly as the weather/wind had us both a bit kerfuffled to start).

[RMJacobs]

I figured it was my turn to enable you a bit since you so successfully do it to me. Of course, I’m not hard to persuade: “want to do driving lessons?” “sure!” “want to do a half lease?” “sure!” “want to buy a new trike?” “meh, not so sure.”

Rebecca