Hacking thread update

Skib

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Dec 21, 2003
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The hacking thread seems to be in a public area. And tho nothing on the net is private. I prefer to post here that my happiness was short lived.
It was problems with riding schools that brought me to NR. And here we go again. Every time I go to the share yard there is a new shock in store. Am close to tears.
Apparently YO who has never met me nor seen me ride stepped in and ordered I should not hack alone, may be not ever. Love the mare, have now got her going just as I like (glorious canter transitions, reminds me of Maisie). So big dilemma. Grin and bear it, find another share or buy a horse. His reason turned out to be that I had never hacked solo in that area before - only down the road in another area.
 
The hacking thread seems to be in a public area. And tho nothing on the net is private. I prefer to post here that my happiness was short lived.
It was problems with riding schools that brought me to NR. And here we go again. Every time I go to the share yard there is a new shock in store. Am close to tears.
Apparently YO who has never met me nor seen me ride stepped in and ordered I should not hack alone, may be not ever. Love the mare, have now got her going just as I like (glorious canter transitions, reminds me of Maisie). So big dilemma. Grin and bear it, find another share or buy a horse. His reason turned out to be that I had never hacked solo in that area before - only down the road in another area.
I can understand the frustration Skib, but it would appear that the YO is probably only covering themselves for any potential problems - I say this as we are such a culture now of 'ambulance chasers' should anything go wrong.

If you love the mare and everything else about the share is to your liking and ability then I would grin and bare it, the YO has not declared this is an indefinite view (I assume ?) so I would go out with another rider to be familiar with the area, 3 or 4 hacks should do it then I would revisit this 'rule' and say you are comfortable now to go out alone. I would find it hard as I prefer my own company when out riding, I can decide the pace and where I want to ride, my time alone is precious and when around the horses I don't particularly want to share it all the time, you maybe similar? I don't know.

Having said all this though, I would still feel a bit put out that someone who has never seen me ride has made the rule that I am not to go out alone, I'm an adult after all who is responsible for their own actions! But as this decision is out of your hands *for the moment* I'd grin and bare it for it a short while.
 
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Perhaps it is time to consider buying your own horse Skib - I can't see you getting any real enjoyment or pleasure from this loan situation at all if the YO is now saying you cant even leave the yard on the horse! Can he even do that, have you asked his reasons etc.? Perhaps consider putting a wanted ad around the various online sites and see if anyone is looking for a one to one new home for a safe hacker or similar - its the only way you will have absolute control over what and when you do stuff with your horse - if you own it and foot the livery bills for it.
 
Perhaps it is time to consider buying your own horse Skib - I can't see you getting any real enjoyment or pleasure from this loan situation at all if the YO is now saying you cant even leave the yard on the horse! Can he even do that, have you asked his reasons etc.? Perhaps consider putting a wanted ad around the various online sites and see if anyone is looking for a one to one new home for a safe hacker or similar - its the only way you will have absolute control over what and when you do stuff with your horse - if you own it and foot the livery bills for it.

This^^^^ totally. Appreciate you may not want to own but if you really want full control and to decide what when and where, owning is really the only answer.
 
I agree with Cortrasna and Trewsers, I think that the only way you'll have the control you want is to own your own.

If you have limited hacking experience outside of a riding school I can - just - see his concern about hacking solo until you have some more miles on the clock. You say he's never seen you ride, but are you sure he hasn't driven past you or seen you in the school without you being aware and seen something that, rightly or wrongly, concerns him? Does he know something about the horse that you don't and is actually looking out for your best interests? Alternatively might one of the other liveries have expressed concerns? If you really like this horse and don't want to stop riding her then I would try to sit down with him calmly and discuss it further, though understand that if another livery is involved he may feel he can't name names or say anything that would give away who they are.
 
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If you're happy with this share other than the no solo hacking I wouldn't rush straight into buying your own or giving up on this horse. Talk to the owner, explain that you are interested long term in hacking alone (I assume you are, I didn't see your other thread) and ask if there are steps you can take to be able to do this. Does he want to see you ride first, have more lessons, go out in company X amount of times. If he says no then you have your answer and can walk away or accept that you'll always have to go in company. If I'm honest without knowing the whole story I can see where he's coming from, I wouldn't let a sharer take a horse out alone straight away.

Did you hear the words you may never be able to hack alone direct from him? If not I'd be concerned it could just be someone else getting involved in it all and twisting what he said.

Talk to the owner and see what they say.
 
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If you're happy with this share other than the no solo hacking I wouldn't rush straight into buying your own or giving up on this horse. Talk to the owner, explain that you are interested long term in hacking alone (I assume you are, I didn't see your other thread) and ask if there are steps you can take to be able to do this. Does he want to see you ride first, have more lessons, go out in company X amount of times. If he says no then you have your answer and can walk away or accept that you'll always have to go in company. If I'm honest without knowing the whole story I can see where he's coming from, I wouldn't let a sharer take a horse out alone straight away.

Did you hear the words you may never be able to hack alone direct from him? If not I'd be concerned it could just be someone else getting involved in it all and twisting what he said.

Talk to the owner and see what they say.

That's a good point ale, could be someone just twisting it all - tittle tattle and all that.
 
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Who actually owns the horse. Is it the yard owner or a livery. If yo hasn't met you who has told you you are not allowed to ride out. Sorry I'm not familiar with your share arrangement so confused.
 
To be totally honest, I can see their point both a mitigation of liability POV but also a safety aspect to you. I can see why someone would be concerned until they knew you better.

Could you look at taking your BHS riding and road safety exam to allay concerns?

It could be that after a few rides out in company, he's satisfied in your ability and commom sense and you can hack alone again - so I wouldn't worry too much at this stage.
 
Thank you for all the input and wisdom. Such a comfort.
I had seriously intended to buy a horse this autumn. And my RI did not dissuade me. But it is very expensive in London and I am particularly busy with work. We could just about afford it, but if my elderly OH died then the horse would have to go.

I followed sales ads and also have two phone numbers of people near here looking for sharers.

But this share came up at a share yard where my RI is known. It seemed a safer idea. It is the equivalent of a hunt hire yard. The clients are all sharers. And all are very nice. I had ridden the mare escorted for 2 months before I went out on my own.
You are right Ale, and when told it was an error and I could never hack alone I said I would terminate the contract. They backtracked then. But what the yard manager tells me cant be relied on. It is the YO who gives the orders. I did the BHS riding and road safety course years ago at my old RS.
But thank you all. I am no longer upset.NR is brilliant.
 
The hacking thread seems to be in a public area. And tho nothing on the net is private. I prefer to post here that my happiness was short lived.
It was problems with riding schools that brought me to NR. And here we go again. Every time I go to the share yard there is a new shock in store. Am close to tears.
Apparently YO who has never met me nor seen me ride stepped in and ordered I should not hack alone, may be not ever. Love the mare, have now got her going just as I like (glorious canter transitions, reminds me of Maisie). So big dilemma. Grin and bear it, find another share or buy a horse. His reason turned out to be that I had never hacked solo in that area before - only down the road in another area.
Oh goodness what a shame, and what an unnecessary restriction. I can't advise on what to do - I think I would stick with the horse, having fallen for her - but then you have the trouble fo finding company to ride with... So sorry this has happened.
 
Thanks to your support, I decided (absent) YO was Voldemort and I was going to be Herminone and not melt in tears .

However things are never as planned the week before. Today to my astonishment, I was allowed to hack her alone again.
And this time fully authorised. I passed some sort of test by all the sublime cantering last week.
Horse was grumpier - but I went a bit further than last time and am pretty happy.

It was such a glorious day for riding too.
 
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Coincidence - I now have a Hermione wand - 80th birthday present from my daughter.
Since I now ride a new younger horse, our combined ages have fallen to 93. Proper horsemen are aiming for a total of 100.
 
I am glad you have it sorted but I am stunned that you were even told this. Does he tell any new liveries that they can't hack alone on arrival? as I don't see the difference.

If you arrived with your horse would you be banned from hacking alone, if he is saying it because you don't know the horse well yet that is also rubbish. What if a livery sold their horse and got a new one would he impose the same rule. Total rubbish but glad it seems to be sorted
 
Coincidence - I now have a Hermione wand - 80th birthday present from my daughter.
Since I now ride a new younger horse, our combined ages have fallen to 93. Proper horsemen are aiming for a total of 100.

Happy birthday!

Where do you get the combined number quote from? Almost no hope for most riders, though we have one on our yard with a total of 97 (same age as you), one at at least 113 and another that is mid 90s. No hope for anyone with youngsters lol and I think our older riders would dispute that they are "proper" horsemen since they are quite rightly careful about what they handle and ride.
 
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I used the term proper horsemen because I gathered that a legendary WW1 Officer had managed it. I forget his name.My own grandfather had been killed with one of his horses in 1916.
Is it an army thing? There was a thread on it once on the H&H forum.
I did almost get there with my previous share as she was an old mare when we were paired together.
My OH points out that if I continue with the new share mare (fingers crossed) we will get there in three years time!

I am very glad you have a rider of 80 on your yard. Please give her my regards. I have been through a rough 18 months but am back in action and actually I think it is a mark of proper horsemanship to keep safe.
 
I'm so glad you have a horse to enjoy, Skib. I was a sharer for many years, and have shared quite a few different horses at different yards. I have found that there is quite often an assumption that as a sharer I am likely to be a very inexperienced rider. Other owners and yard staff would question what I was doing, sometimes kindly checking I was okay, sometimes with a "should you be doing that?!" tone.

So I have experienced something like the kind of interference you describe and it can be frustrating, but it usually settles down once people get to know me a bit better. I've been riding for 28 years, I'm no expert and should probably be much better than I am, but a certain amount of knowledge has sunk in over time! I expect that you have now shown the yard owner you are capable and trustworthy.

I suspect that as a "new" horse owner I might go through similar when I move Levi onto a livery yard.

Good luck with your share and happy riding
 
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