Wednesday, February 24, 2010

Boots and Saddles Blog

Fall Apart and Annoyed
Tuesday, February 23 2010 

On one of the boards I follow and post, someone asked the question of what annoys you the most when new people show horses.  Along with the more predictable responses of "I'm annoyed when the veterans aren't nice to use newbies!", there were a lot of complains about newbie turnout and horse cleanliness. 
 
Now - before you get all hot and bothered, I will admit that there is a LOT veteran riders can do to make a newbie's experience enjoyable.  HOWEVER, I remember as a newbie being very concerned about being a "nuisance" and really wanting to do the right thing....if I just knew what was expected.  Lists like this one really helped me ride courteously at my first ride and as a result, people were more likely to stick around and help me out and explain stuff. 
 
Here are my top 10 pet peeves in the endurance world (no matter if it's a veteran OR a newbie:
 
First my list of caveats:  Sometimes "stuff" happens.  I totally understand.  We are all human.  An apology and a quick smile goes a long way.  I don't expect any horse to be perfectly behaved and I've been horrified at behavior that has NEVER happened at home.  I think we've all been surprised......however how the offending rider handles such a situation in recognizing and rectifying it counts for a LOT.  So please don't' assume if some poor innocent person accidentally does one of these, I automatically roar and singe the whiskers off the horses face in rage!
 

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