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Readers Respond: Your Most Embarrassing Moments with Horses

Responses: 51

By , About.com Guide

What a fun..

I was 9 on my first pony I had been riding a few years, and was the youngest in my lesson, they were all like 14! So I didn’t get on well with them, they were interested in boys and my parents had still convinced me they had cooties :L! Anyway, I was on this new pony Foxy. She was not the best at jumping and often bolted, though I could control her. Though one day I got told to take the lead, I suddenly did not feel up for it, though I did what my instructor said, I had first canter in a sequence of triangle, square circle, I got my triangle and square amazing though circles Foxy hates circles. There was an unknown crowd watching us, as we where passing them Foxy saw the oldest man with a burger in his hand, Foxy suddenly halted, downed the burger and when she halted, I went over her head and straight into hay! I felt so embarrassed, and my mum made me buy the man a new burger :L! xo
—Guest stupid sammie

Dressage Failure

At my riding club we had a 2 day camp on the holidays. I got put on my favourite horse named Sonnett. Sonnett's a 14-15hh chestnut gelding about 20years or more. We had a gymkhana and one of the activities was dressage. I had never done dressage before and was really nervous, but I was told it was a simple test. As I entered, I indicated for Sonnett to walk in a straight line. He looked like he was drunk as he staggered in an uneven line to the middle of the ring. I then told him to trot to the end and go around in a circle, of which he wouldn't go faster than a walk. As we went to do another circle, he bolted out of the arena. I didn't like when he got bossy so I made him go back in and when I tried to do the circle, he bolted out again. My riding instructor told me to take him for a canter along the side to finish on a good note.(he behaved and did the canter) When I left the ring, I realised that everyone from the club including parents had seen this!
—Guest Tayz

Redskin

I went on a 3 day ride up in the Mamauku Ranges with the local riding club. All went well till the third day and my little Morgan mare decided to lay down in the middle of a lovely big flat paddock. Me on board in saddle and she decided to lay flat on ground. I was a bit stunned, then, kick kick, get up. Which she did, but that night over the camp fire and a wine or two- I was teased, laughed and mad a fool of. A neat night had by all, we all have to have our turn. Haha. A great weekend, magnificent views, fantastic riding and neat people. NZ riding one of the best in the world.
—Guest luandbruce@hotmail.com

getting bucked off a well broke horse

I have this appaloosa/thoroughbred mare that was a school horse in the past, she is a 10 year old mare who is well broke, I had her on a trail ride a few weeks ago and she performed as great as anyone could expect, this morning my wife and I went to saddle her up and go for a ride, and for some odd reason she decided to rear, and buck, I got bucked off twice, I checked for any soar spots on her back, and I couldn't seem to find any sensitive areas, I also checked the cinch tightness, and everything seemed to be fine, luckily it was me on the horse and not my wife. I was so embarrassed, I was just telling my wife how well behaved this mare was, and how much fun it was to go riding, I think I might have changed her mind on the whole riding idea.
—Guest Johnny

Practice what you preach

I was riding my horse Levi with some friends of ours. My husband and I had been watching the t.v. show that talk about how to ride your horse, how to stay seated in the saddle and other helpful hints. Of course I was telling our friends the correct way to stay in your saddle while loping. Well Levi stopped dead in his tracks both hind feet kick out I went forward, his head came up and I flew OUT OF MY SADDLE and on the ground. After I realized I wasn't dead I was very embarrassed, but my husband pick me up and put me back in the saddle and we finished the ride. Needless to say I didn't give any more riding lessons that day.
—ladymedic19

Crash and Burn.

I have been riding for about 6 years when this happened. I was at my club's 4-H gaming show. I was on a new horse and we doing this game and she decided that she wanted to make her own rules. She takes off towards the gate. I'm doing everything that I have been told to stop a horse but she had her mind set. I really thought we were going to go through the gate but at the last second she turns and slows down. Well, I really didn't make the turn with her. I ended up hitting the gate. I'm laying there for a second like this didn't really happen. I wanted to get up but someone's dad wasn't going to let me until he knew I was okay. I finally get up and my concern was on my horse to make sure she didn't hurt herself. Now, I have earned the name Crash and Burn. :) The next day was my first day of Freshman year with scraps on my arm. What a way to start a year in a school?
—Guest George, Bob, and Frank

back-seat blunder

I was giving carriage rides and the horse I was working with wanted attention as I was talking to some prospective passengers. She started to softly nip me in the back for attention. When I didn't respond she got hold of my back pocket and ripped the seat of my pants almost down to my knee. I had to wear my long coat and it was a balmy 80 outside. I was so embarrassed when the prospective passengers asked me what the noise was and I had to tell them that it was my pants. They ended up taking a ride and gave me a good tip.
—Guest Christine

Jump, Me?

I was riding my horse Candi and telling my bestfriend that she couldn't jump to save her life (i love her but it was true) and was lopeing her around a huge outdoor arena when something spooked her and she jumped the gate that was about 3 or 4 feet. i was so amazed... man i felt stupid!!
—Guest Kelley

embarrassing moments

I was at Horse Camp, and I was riding a horse named Prince, an ex-racer. So anywhy, I was trying to get him to trot, but he would not trot. My friend had to help me make him trot on. I got frustrated so I asked for my favorite horse, Carina. I got off of Prince and on to Carina. I signaled her to trot, and she spurted into a nice fast trot. I was racing my friend and her horse. But then, Harley got to close to Carina and she put her ears back. I soothed her and resumed talking to Sonia. Then Carina got really mad and bucked high into the air. The bad thing, I was in western saddle, so it wasn't pretty. I screamed and hit my stomach on the saddle horn. When I managed to pull Carina's head up, Sonia was laughing so hard at me. Then, I started laughing as well.
—posygirl.ross

SOOOOOOOO emabarrsing

my usually well behaved thoroughbred stallion and i were out on a trail ride when a bus full of tourist happened to pass by. so my little darling took it upon himself to welcome them to the neighbourhood by putting on a bucking show so off we go. the bus stops. one last hard twisting buck im off. and into a fresh horsey doo doo. at least the tourist enjoyed the show. *sigh*
—Guest peter

minx the mess

when i was littler me and my friends decided to use our ponies for pony rides and charge people to have a ride on them as they were usually very well mannered.me tammy and jess had our three horses all tied up waiting(becky was waiting with us as she had no horse) but tammy got bored so decided she wanted to go for a quick ride along the beach on her horse, and convinced jess and becky too as well(becky rode my horse)...Not long after they left some tourists pulled up and were asking if the horses were well mannered and would buck their sister off..so i said "no they are very well trained horses and they wont buck anyone off" Just after i said that my pony comes galloping around the corner with becky following shortly after limping and crying.... lets just say the tourists didn't stay for long
—Guest glenorchy

Fortunes first showm

my home bred filly made a fool out of me at her first show under saddle.IT was an intro class for four to six year olds.She marched up towards the judge and got down and rolled .
—Guest janet

More hysterically funny than embarrassin

My little Sweeheart Rubie and I are very bonded. When I injured my back and had to literally crawl around on my hands and knees in order to get horse chores done. I had crawled the 200 yards to the barn, when I got into the barn to feed Rubie she positioned herself..hindquarter near my head and her head near my hindquarter, After positioning herself this way, she very abruptly reached back and bit me on the hindquarter...as if to make me begin to nurse, like all mares do with newborn babes!! Luckily, we have such a wonderful bond and understanding of one another that I knew what she was trying to do and I love her that much more for wanting to take care of me as her baby. And she has never had any little ones!!1
—Guest rubiegirl1

Friends

I had just gotten a beautiful morgan quarter horse cross for my 15th birthday present and my step dad got one too. me and my friend decided to take them out into the pasture and ride them bare back seeing as how i hadent gotten saddles yet. i walked crimson onto a mound of dirt created by a dug out and proclaimed that i was king of the world. on the way down though she went into a trot and i fell off...my friend said that i was officially dethrowned at that point an to be honest with her laughing and all i was glad!
—Guest kit

Most Embarrassing and Humiliating

I took my new horse out for ride to the local park. Good trail horse, safe on roads, etc.. As we're quietly walking along the road my horse all of a sudden bolts to the right and took off running with me through a thick patch of woods, totally catching me off guard. I didn't expected it because nothing had spooked him, and he wasn't acting up at all. It was completely out of the blue. After he made that quick right turn, I slipped, lost my balance and was now hanging halfway over the left side of the saddle. As he takes me for the "Ride of my Life" through the woods, I had to eventually bail out in a patch of sticker bushes and painful Florida underbrush. I was all cut up, scraped, bleeding. However, I got up and went looking for my horse so I could kill it (just kidding). My neighbors were riding their horses in the woods and they saw the whole thing. They had to help me catch my horse too. I think my new horse was trying to get to the others in the woods and just couldn't wait.
—lurban3

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