Riding where there are untethered horses?

[bobbo]

I had my first lesson today and enjoyed it totally. I was a little nervy, and the part that scared me the most was when some horses that were loose on the common, started to run together. The instructors said that our horses might want to run with them.

If this happens, what should I do, and is there a way to avoid it (apart from avoiding the horses of course)?

[Wally]

You, as a novice, should not be put in such a situation! If you are unable to control you horse with reasonable confidence you should not be put on a horse that would run away with you.

We sometimes end up with a possy of 20 hill ponies following us. We don't put novice people on horses which would try to follow them, it's not fair or safe! If there was any risk that a first time rider had to ride through loose horses I would have them on the leading rein. My nerves would not stand it! Thankfully all ours ignore the herd of ankle biters and walk quietly past them. But novices are on a leading rein.

If you do find youself in this situation I'd question the professionalism of the school you are riding at!

[Hayleyb277]

Hear Hear Wally

[bobbo]

in all fairness wally,(and thanks for your reply) i was on a rein. i think the instructors were just trying to let us know what might happen. i did feel quite confident with my horse, just a little unnerved by the initial thought of it.

i think the instructors were pretty confident that we wouldn't all go running off.

[Kris]

It's usually not a good idea to go riding in a field full of horses. I know of a girl who was riding through a field where a small herd lives. One of the horses partially jumped on her horse's back end, her horse bucked, and she was thrown. It was a nasty accident that could have been prevented.

[Miriam]

I have been in this situation whilst out on a hack and I found it very unnerving. My pony nearly reared with me (partly my fault for tensing up and not letting her have enough head). I swear I would never do it again. In the end I had to get off and lead my horse over the field as she was more interested in watching the loose horses than concentrating on what I wanted from her.


Miriam

[FRED]

Hi bobbo,welcome to NR, BUT 1ST WHAT ARE YOU TRYING TO DO,
i looked at your web site last night and it got me drueling :D ,I thought I had got over Nortons, my favourite Norton is the 850 Commando Fast Back.Sadly a friend had his Domi nicked Last year and another friend had his Triton nicked,what can we say!!! I was going to get a Laverda Jota from Greenlooms, but I have read so much about them, that you have to be so carefull with these,I chickened out for the sake of my wallet.My Beeza is a 250,it has been in the family 30 years,and you would not believe how many times I blew it up,poor engine, and wallet of course.
Anyway, Horses,its amazing how much there is to learn,like all say you do have to be very carefull,it was good that the trainer warned you,riders take note.Its not easy to hold back a horse that wants to fly, and certainly not something you could do in your 1st lessons.Any way,I would have replied sooner,but last night I was looking at your web site. One day I will grow up.
Good luck with your lessons, take care.
Fred

[bobbo]

It's very good of u all 2 reply. I have cancelled my second lesson with the riding school I first tried, and booked another at a different school. they have one of those circular type riding doofers (?!) so it should be a little better.

When I told the new school that my first lesson was a little less than ideal, they immediately guessed who the school was without me saying a word, I guess they are famous for their dodgy standards!

Fred, I think it's great that you enjoyed the motorcycling site. Perhaps there are similarities between riding horses and motorcycles, my best piece of riding advice has been not to lean horses round corners! Keep your eye out for the new modern bike section coming soon, maybe you will enjoy that too. And stop blowing up your bike you nutter!!

[Wally]

Nothing wrong with blowing up the odd bike here and there, you have to see just how fast they can go once in a while!! Best thing I ever did to a CX500 was to write it off! What did you think of the Norton Wankel FRED and bobbo? I thought they sounded like an old fashioned fridge but they did go a bit faster! I lusted after a Jota in my youth but as you say they are a bit on the exotic side, and pricey, I made do with my old Le Mans Mk1. Also got a Spada and a V50, an XJ600 and an old RS250 Honda. Got a few horses too!!

So pleased to hear you were on a leadrein, I can breathe easy again.

Sadly we have no choice about riding through loose horses, all our road are through open hill where folk have rights to graze their horses, we have to run the gauntlet, since ours are 13.2 and up in height a 34 inch herd of Shetlands would have problems springboarding onto their backs, I wouldn't put it past some of them though!

[Hayleyb277]

Wally you make me die :D I have this image of our 12.2 pony mare trying to springboard under Lenny who's 16.3 (and besotted) so he has a bit of a chance (he covered a couple of times before gelding and thinks he can remember a little about what he should do then forgets after he's had a sniff!!). I can see Shetland freestyle springboard contests becoming a national event, watch out Shetland pony Grand National!!!

H

[FRED]

Hi bobbo and dear Wally,motorbikes;
Wally,my friend who's Domi was nicked bought a Norton Wankel,these type of engines are great in theory.They did have some racing succes,but more probably due to the exhaust flame's burning other riders knee caps !!!, they were very quick too.
They sound strange,reminded me of the Suzi kettle :o ,I could tell mad stories about them, also Honda CB1100R.
So you owned a plastic magot too Wally, you kept that very quiet,Idon't blame you.My dad went nuts when I bought mine.
I changed it at 46000miles for a Katana,odd styling but it was good.And now, I still have my 1983 GSX1100ESD.
Its a tank,but it goes of the clock,shh.My friends all have modern stuff now,they call my bike the 'diesel'
Todays bikes are amazing, in the right hands.
Anyway, luck forward to seeing your additions to the web site bobbo.
I have a friend who owns draft horses and one shetland, it just turned up on the farm one day,it is allowed in their kitchen,honest.It is fearless,it ranaway from its owner and knew where to find a good new home.

Any way,horses.I have been learning since late last year,I have wanted to ride horses since I was 16,it must be in my blood because the desire has never left me,just took a long time to start,a bit like my beeza.
There is so much to learn,its a good thing if you can spend some time around horses bobbo,you can learn much about horse
behaviour,unless the poor horses are in stables all year round,but take care,humans are no match for a horse and you will be surprised at some of the antics they can get up to.
Wally has a amazing knowledge about horses.
Me, well one day perhaps,sometimes I read my posts and am glad people have not took offence at what I have said when it all comes out wrong.
Anway good luck and take care.
Fred

[Miriam]

It is not just the horses that can get up to some antics (I should know about antics with my mare). Foals can be just as bad. We have a five week old foal on the yard who is trying to mount 16hh horses.

[bobbo]

Perhaps some of u guys should register here too :

http://www.totalbikebits.com/forum/index.php

my first bike was a plastic maggot too. great, a 5 foot nothing girl's first bike, not ideal, but nice and smooth though.

Looking forward to my next lesson on a horse now.

[Wally]

No no no no no!! It wasn't mine, I never bought the CX, it was a company bike, I wouldn't do such a thing! Buy a CX, me? I have to admit it was comfy on a long run but drop it at your peril. It's like falling off an 18 hand horse and not being able to get back on by yourself, if you drop a CX you need an army to get it upright again. As for bobbo, how does a 5feet nothing girl ride a CX, I had bother and I'm 5 feet 8!!

FRED, I saw the Wankel in action on the race track, as you say like the proverbial off the shovel on the straight, but everyone zoomed past on bends! You are showing your age mentioning Kettles,........ oh my goodness so am I admitting to know what you're talking about! but know what you mean about the Wankel sounding like them.

[FRED]

Hi bobbo and dear Wally,who cares about age,thank goodness for the spirit of youth. ok so we are a little wiser.I have seen some wonderfull mature riders, and i mean mature only in years .
I know what you mean about big horses,yesterday some poor chap fell off doing canter, as always you hold your breath and hope all is ok, thank goodness it was, more pride hurt and some minor cuts and possible brusies,any way,10 mins latter,I give him a leg up and he does just a little more work, the best way to to things,he was on a very big horse.
Suzi Kettles,there is a phaze in my life I have nightmares about,
definately they were designed by a Roman, they could not go round a bend,and in the wet yikes!!! a bit like me in the menage when its wet, thank goodness the horse understands.
Good kuck bobbo and keep us up to date :)
Fred

[Wally]

You sound like someone who knows about Kawasaki triple riders! The old brain cell joke!! :D

[FRED]

See what I mean bobbo, its all your fault :)
Anyway, those triples, oddly ,round hear all the 'posh kids' had them. They made my beeza look very dated, but I would never part with it.I did see at the clasisc Jap bike show this guy who turns them into a six !,
please don't ask how they corner :eek: I would not like to try.
Talk about polution too ,when the things started up.
Brain cells? what are these ?
Fred

[KarlR]

After many years of riding bikes, I had great difficulty adapting to horses. The number of times, particularly in canter that both the horse and I were happily banked over on a corner only to hear my instructor shout "sit upright!" :o

Anyway. This thread is off topic and I've taken a dislike to it :( (The two things aren't related - I've taken a displike to it because it is highly critical of that great old bike, the CX500. Smooth, quiet, stylish)...and no comments please saying that I could never have learned to bank on a CX!! Thats's only partly true! ;) In truth I will admit that it spent long on a bench than it did parked up. :(

[Wally]

Don't tell me, the generator packed up! and they went much better if you threw the air filter away!

[FRED]

KarlR,well if it were not for the styling,I could never get used to that, but they were great bikes,mine was anyway , I did become a expert at fixing it, biggest problem after cam chains finally sorted,was the water pump seals.
Did you ever have to change the rev counter cable, this was fun.
Some times I get remined during training,Fred! you are not on a motorbike !!, I just hope I dont forget to lean next time out on the bike :eek:
Did any of you ever get to try the CX 650 Turbo, I always wanted to try one, just to compare.
Anyway hope you don't mind there is not much horses content,
its really why we are here :)
Fred

[Wally]

My man and I are laughing so much about this, Honda camchains and the mechanical seal, oh yes out comes the engine at the drop of a hat to do such a small job.

Sorry, we've hijacked this thread, I appologise.

Never got a go on the 650 turbo, they were not much faster, I hear, but twice the price.

[FRED]

I'm so sorry to carry on, but I just remembered, I was going to buy one of those 1st Honda V4s,a 750 I think. Thank goodnes the dealer was rood about my CX,I bought a Suzuki,I believe Honda never did cure that cam and chain problem,some times fate can work out to your benefit,thank heavens I never bought one.

Anyway, to keep a balance,I'm looking forward to Saturday,
and my lesson,on a horse:) and possible a trekk too.
I could go on about horses and bikes all day and night,and work too. Anyway, I never make promises,but if I ever get to Shetland,I would love to try one of your Icelandics.
bobbo, its odd sometimes how memories can come flooding back, its all your fault :)
Fred

[bobbo]

please please join the bike forum, u sound like much fun and i could do with a bit of that!

cheers guys it's at
http://www.totalbikebits.com/forum/index.php

same format as this one so there's nothing new/complicated!

[Wally]

Oh yes, come and have a go on an Icelandic, we have all sorts from Kvikur who is a CG 125, to Ljossie who is an RDLC powervalve with nitro injection!

I'll have a lok at the forum and tell my man about it too, he says there are not many biking forums.

But oh those memories!

[FRED]

I recon something like a 400 Super Dream would suit me best {the crank cases on those were very hairy too, but there is a difference between corrosion and hair,mr H*nd* take note, even the balance shafts fell to bits,I doubt Icelandics need balance shafts}

I was looking at a link the other night about Icelandics.
Its rare to see them round here, sometimes there is one on the Chase, rider and horse look in perfect harmony, they are wonderfull to watch, and no doubt ride.
Ljossie sounds very much like the Boss's horse :)
Take care.
Anyway, bobbo I will see if my plate can hold a bit more although its pretty full:)

[Wally]

Cringe, Eek! cringe! I had a 400 Super Dream, I cannot tel a lie, I didn't own a CX but I did own a Super Dream!! :o

[FRED]

I recon we can agree on a Le Mans:) oh if I knew what I was in for when I went into business,holidays? what are these.