It doesn’t matter if you’re a beginner rider, if you’ve been riding all your life, you may be a professional instructor, no matter how experienced you are, when it comes to Awkward Horse Moments, they’re unavoidable and we all have experienced them at least once in our daily life. So, if you sometimes feel like you’re doing something wrong and think that these things only happen to you, find comfort in knowing that you’re not alone.
Just out of nowhere, your horse may decide he simply doesn’t want to ride anymore. Similar to humans, horses also have their mood swings. Some days they are devoted and excited to work, and other days they appear to wake up with their ears pinned and their teeth crunching! Below we have compiled a list with six awkward horse moments all horse owners have experienced. If you have any other suggestions that you would like to add, please do so in the comment section below.
1) Falling Off Your Horse
Falling off your horse it’s something that has happened to anyone, it’s something you can avoid when you choose to ride horses, at some point you are going to fall off your horse. Even if you’re not harmed physically, a fall can leave you feeling emotionally insecure and you’ll need to recover lost confidence. Most people, particularly inexperienced riders, can fall off their horse, immediately pick themselves up, scatter themselves off, get back on their horse and move on as if nothing had ever occurred. But most people, especially as we age, find it very difficult to do so. Even if you’re not seriously wounded from the fall, you’ll probably be tense, sore and injured. But don’t worry because this thing has happened even to the most professional riders and it’s considered amongst the most common awkward horse moments that occur to every equestrian.
2) Chasing Your Horse
A frequent addition to falling off from your horse is inevitably chasing a loose horse. But a thrown rider is only one way a horse can get away from us. Let’s admit it, whether it’s in the field or an unbound horse at a race, this always feels humiliating and like you just lost a battle. And on top of that, the horse trots away gleefully jumping and, or even worse, he waits for you to get near him, and as soon as you do, he then races away cheerfully.
3) Weeping
Another familiar moment for most riders is weeping. I know it seems weird but sometimes you feel so frustrated, irritated, ashamed, hurt by a horse that you can’t help yourself but just weep. It can be chest-heaving cries or a light tear flowing down the cheek, but the worst part comes when you do so in front of your trainer or some people.
4) Embarrassing Bodily Functions
Horses, just like all the other animals, have their awkward bodily functions, that sometimes they can’t control it. I don’t think I know a single horse person who’s bothered by their horse’s bodily functions. It is very awkward, but there is nothing we can do. We’re talking about those awkward moments when your horse farts in your front or poops on your head as you pluck out a back hoof. If these things haven’t happened to you, then you should consider yourself lucky.
5) Physical Pain
Sometimes, horses bring us moments that are both awkward and painful. While some horses are continuing abusers, even the most well-mannered horse will grind, hit, strike or run over a nearby human in the right moment.
6) Horses Behaving Badly
All horse owners know that horses stand amongst the most unpredictable animals and taking care of them it’s not as easy as you make think. There are horses who are very agitated, threatening or even traumatized, therefore it is very challenging to work with them. There are many motives why some horses behave badly and get spooky very frequently. They are frightened to ride on some specific roads, there are several objects some horses find scary, they are inexperienced, etc. If you respond to these situations by punishing your horse or even worse by stroking him, it’s safe to assure you that you are not solving anything. Instead, in these kinds of situations, you have to stay calm and ride positively forward when your horse spooks. If you’re afraid, you will only be adding to your horse’s anger. There are times when your horse will show signs of being nervous and agitated, you simply have to learn how to behave in these kinds of situations.
