You Don't Have To Ride Your Horses To Enjoy Them!

Recently there has been much discussion around rider weight and along with my own post ‘The Elephant In The Room’, there have been several interesting replies, writes Master Saddler and Master Saddle Fitter Kay Hastilow, pictured left.

 Many have recognised the problem and have taken steps to remedy this, which is a perfect example of the mantra ‘RECOGNITION, RESPONSIBILITY, ACTION, SATISFACTION’ and my congratulations to all of those that have acted on this and succeeded in shedding weight and getting fitter, to their own benefit as well as that of their horse.

Many though have said that they simply found it impossible to lose weight despite having tried just about every diet known to man. It certainly isn’t easy and as several have said, sometimes it just isn’t possible as health issues and conditions can mean it is unachievable. I have felt a great deal of  sympathy for such people and have the greatest respect for those who have stopped riding, having recognised that this is a welfare issue for their horse. Heart-breaking, but you don’t have to ride your horses to enjoy them as there is much that we can do that will give pleasure to both horse and rider.

Let us think about horse ownership and what it entails. Yes, there is lots of boring stuff like poo picking, mucking out, turning out and bringing in but you can get great satisfaction and pleasure from grooming your horse. Most  horses will enjoy it as well, so long as it isn’t rushed and you do the job well. It can really build a bond with your horse that is equally as strong as any that you could have built by riding him or her - and the horse will look fantastic.  

I had one client who didn’t ride at all (I fitted saddles for him so that others could ride his horse occasionally so that she didn’t get out of the habit) but he and she would go for long walks together. Good and enjoyable exercise for both as they walked over hill and dale, through woodland and fields. A pause so that she could pick at some grass and admire the scenery. I don’t think that any of my clients have been happier than this pair.

There are many games that you can play with your horses, training them to be very responsive to your voice. So long as you have a safe, enclosed area (a small field if you don’t have an arena to use), you will find that horses just love playing with large balls, rather like yoga balls, and will play tag, learn to come and back away from you, move away or towards you, all to voice command. It really is amazing just how much horses recognise and respond to voice commands. The possibilities are huge.

Some will mention driving, but this will have a number of safety-related factors to be considered. I wouldn’t consider driving where I live because although this is a country lane, we have so many drivers going too fast, cutting blind corners with no thought that a horse and trap might be just around the bend. Likewise there are many tractors and a lot of farming machinery and whilst the drivers are great when I’m riding and we get out of each other’s way, this really wouldn’t be possible with a horse and trap. Also, this can be a very costly pursuit as you need safe harness (synthetic is fine if well-made but it’s still expensive) and some form of cart or trap. You also need to learn properly how to fit and put the harness on, put to (that’s attaching horse to cart) and actually drive. Your horse will need to be suitable too, as I don’t think that an ex racer would take kindly to this but if of a suitable type, your horse will also need to be taught– two novices together in this setting is a recipe for disaster. This would ideally mean the horse going away to be broken to harness then some training for both of you at that yard.

If you have the money and suitable facilities to do this, then go for it and I believe that both of you will enjoy it, which should be what this is all about, but it really is not the easiest option.

I am certain that there are many more things that can be enjoyed by both parties in this partnership and I hope that you will mention what you enjoy doing in the comments but be assured that horses can be enjoyed and enjoy life without having to be ridden - and so can you.

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