Bad horse experiences?

[featherbabies]

My son does therapeutic riding and loves it. He is taking a break while his back heals after surgery, and I know he misses it. I've always been a bit scared around horses, never had a chance to learn to ride when I was little. We used to go visit the local riding place my friends rode at when we were kids. One day we were out in the field with the horses, and my friend had aggravated a horse. When she turned her back, he grabbed her hood, lifted her off the ground, and tossed her quite a distance!

 

[FreeByrd]

I've only had two experiences with horses. Well, the bad experience was actually with a little pony. And I mean LITTLE. He belonged to a friend of mine and he'd been giving all these giggly 11 year old girls rides for quite some time when it was my turn.... Well, it started off fine, but then he decided he wouldn't give rides anymore and bucked me off. It didn't hurt as he was itty bitty and I didn't have far to go to hit the grass. And he was also a sweetie who just casually walked off........... So while it was not a Good experience, it wasn't BAD either.

My only other experience riding a horse was when I was 21 and STUPID. But I like to think that the owner of the horse was even STUPIDER as she put me on the horse knowing I had no experience!!! God was looking out for me, and it turned into one of my very favorite memories!!!!!!

I got to ride on a five year old retired thoroughbred racehorse!!! He was huge and just drop dead gorgeous. I don't know why I wasn't afraid..... I mean, he was so tall.... But we rode trails for a bit and then came to a field where we stopped. She asked me if I wanted a memorable experience and I said something along the lines of "Sure." She told me to loosen the reins and hold on. We FLEW over that field........... it was MAGICAL. I didn't know how to ride, but for some reason I wasn't bouncing everywhere........ it was like I was part of this horse!! To this day I still grin and get goose bumps when I think of it..... Made me dream of taking him onto a track and doing the same thing!!!!

So that is my entire history with equines. Unless you count going to fairs and horse shows and petting anyone that wants love......

 

[SallyQZ]

Rachel, I never was the little girl who dreamed of the white pony either. I owned appaloosas, and bright chestnut quarter horses, and dark chocolate brown warmbloods. Then I realized that I'm getting too darn old to be falling off of large, powerful warmbloods. Leased my jumper out to a young rider who is showing him and loving every minute of it, and I ended up with a white pony. Well, actually he is around 15.2 hands tall, so technically not a pony, but feels that way after my 17 hand jumper. He's a pain in the rump to keep clean, but he has the best mind and best attitude and I feel so much safer on him. He isn't bombproof (no horse is completely bombproof) but his reaction is mild and he learns from his experience. A good horse is never a bad color!

So, when it comes time to look at horses, look beyond the color. "Black Beauty Syndrome" takes over when you're horse shopping and it's easy to make an unwise purchase simply because the horse is such a gorgeous color. Ask yourself "If this horse was a plain color, would I still love him?" - sometimes the answer surprises you.

Here's my baby:

 

[gibsongrrrl]

i think my worst riding accident was when i got a concussion because my horse fell on me. he was scared of other horses (this caused most of my falls to be at shows) and we were warming up at a show and someone else was taking a jump coming in our general direction and he started running sideways, tripped over his own legs and rolled over on me. unfortunately i had forgotten my helmet and borrowed one from someone that neglected to tell me that it wasn't regulation safety approved. i don't remember anything. i've had the wind knocked out of me, bruised kidneys, stitches, whiplash, black eyes, busted lips, been bitten/kicked, had my horse trot over my ribcage (left a hoof print) and my back will never be the same, but i managed to never break anything until i got weeble. which is surprising, because i started and rode many young horses and took lessons on either 3 year olds or studs when i moved to my trainers breeding facility during high school. i think the fist fall is the scariest. i had only been riding 3 weeks and the perfectly round horse i was riding spooked and the saddle slipped and i went down. it was really hard to get back on, but i was so horse crazy, i finally did. the next horse i rode (and ended up buying as my first horse) bucked me off and ran away more times than i can count. he was an ex-racehorse that did not want to be held back if other horses were ahead of him. he bucked me off so many times that i finally stopped fearing the fall. i do think that the fear of falling will make you more likely to fall. when your body is tense it's easier for a horse to dislodge/unbalance you. when i had the bucker, i learned that staying relaxed and supple is crucial to staying balanced and not getting bucked off.

Loree, i have a fun story about my first dressage show - that horses i was talking about was terrified of the judges booth, but i finally got him to go around it and in the arena to start my test, but when the judge saluted at our first halt, he spooked, took off, and jumped out of the dressage arenai was so mortified

man, i miss having horses!

 

[gibsongrrrl]

i've always been a sucker for a big dark bay. absolutely beautiful

 

[gibsongrrrl]

gorgeous farm and horse, Loree!

 

[TheBeesKnees]

I know. I love Pandora and still visit often, but it just was not the right fit on either side. So, I am still searching. It's been almost a year, and I am still searching for my next horse....I will take my time and I would advise anyone to do so...

I should say, that I won't end up getting another until I am settled somewhere warm where they can constantly enjoy outdoor gorgeous weather and never have to be kept indoors unless for sleeping....

 

[SallyQZ]

Loree, i have a fun story about my first dressage show - that horses i was talking about was terrified of the judges booth, but i finally got him to go around it and in the arena to start my test, but when the judge saluted at our first halt, he spooked, took off, and jumped out of the dressage arenai was so mortified

man, i miss having horses!

I can relate! On the 2nd day of my first dressage show, my horse had finally managed to get his brain unscrambled enough to deal with the judges stand. However, we were in a different ring, with a different judge. This one didn't just nod his head to acknowledge my salute. No, he had to stand up (with loud chair scraping sound), take off his hat (!), and nod at me. Then he remained standing while Courage stood paralyzed with horror - staring back at him.

He finally realized that I wasn't going anywhere until he sat down, so he did (with more loud chair scraping sounds) and we started our test - with Courage's head so high up in the air and his eyes WIDE open. I guess that's preferable to spooking and jumping out of the arena! LOL!!!

Dang horses ....

 

[SallyQZ]

gorgeous farm and horse, Loree!

Thanks! We live in a small community, in the middle of the hustle & bustle of Orange County, which is zoned for horses. Our lot is only one acre, but it has a 3 stall barn (with feedroom & tackroom) and 4 turnouts. The arena is a community area for our small neighborhood. I had been boarding my horses at various barns for years - it's such a relief to have them at home and be able to take care of them the way that I want to, instead of dealing with all the problems of boarding. I also love to sit on the patio, reading a book, and be able to look up and see my horses in my backyard!

 

[minirachie]

I lost Mikey Last January 11th,

Im So sorry for your loss, and same with Gimme, it must be tough. At least once you find the perfect land, you will find the perfect horse

 

[minirachie]

Barbara, good to hear your son enjoys it! And i got told LAWAYS be careful with horses, thanks to you I am now going to add, Always be careful around horse, oh and don't wear hoodies around them either . Hahaha.
Loree, I find all horses beautiful, I am just pulled to bays for some reason. But if I found the horse that I truly connected with, I wouldnt really care what colour. The connection is more important. Its better to have a connection than your favourite colour and no connection!
My least favourite is chestnut though, But, I was patting a horse in a paddock one day, and I might have looked like the owner or something, because we ( Friends and I ) We trying to see If the horse will follow us, so My 1st friend went, Nothing. 2nd, Nothing. Then it was my turn. It followed me. I started running and it ran with me! I felt such a bond, and I hadnt even ridden him/her yet. It may sound weird, but if I found a horse like that again, even if it was chestnut ( again) I would take it in a heartbeat!
Your baby is one of the prettiest white horses I have ever seen!!! The mane is beautiful! Very pretty horse!
Courtney! You had a few tough years with your horses! Thanks for the stories and LOL about the competition! Heehee! Cheeky horse!
And oh, the thought of horses in my backyard! I cant wait until christmas now!

 

[KatherinesBirds]

We had NO experience with horses, NONE, and we brought this poor thing home from an auction. She was $25. moth eaten looking and I think they should have paid us to take her home. She was a rescue. Our first rescue. It was an experience I will treasure forever! Gradually over months she filled out. She was treated for a bad skin conditon. We fed her, gave her lots of attention and she was so gentle. She went to a neighbor as a pet for the kids and was treated very well. Lilly was a small horse to this day. Maybe a product of the starvation she went through. I would do it again in a minute if I had the land to keep one on. Oh, and ALWAYS BE CAREFUL AROUND HORSES. A very strong and healthy one broke my big toe by stepping on it. Horses are incredibly strong animals and you can get injured by even a gentle one if you are in the wrong position at the wrong time. Always be careful.

 

[Archiesmom]

I have a couple pretty nasty experiences happen to me, but I used to help break young horses to saddle as well as work with green-broke horses as a disclaimer. The first one was when I was riding a nice mare who was a little skittish. We were bending through a corner and she was fighting the bridle and wanting to flex to the inside of the ring. She ended up ramming her side into the wall and there was an edge of aluminum siding that was sticking out from the frame that dug into my knee. She jumped forward and it tore right through. Fortunately I had no permanent damage, but I was laid out for a few weeks.

A second one was when I was riding my gelding. My parents had the horses out in the lawn grazing on lead lines, and I thought I would ride him out bareback and let him graze. I went to go and jump up onto his back and he took off. I just had his halter on him and I wasn't entirely on his back. I managed to get up onto his back, over-corrected and he swerved and I fell off and hit my head on a rock. I was unconscious for a while, but luckily my parents were right there when it happened and helped me catch him and everything. I ended up with a nasty concussion but thankfully no broken bones.

Another incident was when I was riding a mare who had only been ridden a couple of times. I was trying to get her to soften through the poll and stop fighting the bit, and all of the sudden she just threw it away and reared up. I figured she was going to go up and over, so I tried to bail but my foot got caught in the stirrup. She twisted away from me but ended up swinging me into a cement gate post, and that did some damage to my spine. That's probably the worst experience I've had.

But I've had WAY more awesome experiences in the saddle than I have bad ones, including today Riding is still my passion despite these things, and that's what is more important!

 

[KatherinesBirds]

Natalie, I am glad that you still ride and have no disabilities. Of course, when you love these animals you never stop