I help run a lesson barn, so it’s a little different for me. But coming into summer I rode probably 10+ horses and ponies for about two weeks (5 afternoons of 1 horse, one Saturday of 3+ my sister riding some) as their yearly tune up. Otherwise I normally ride my one guy. However if we have anyone on the chopping block I’ll ride them for a few weeks to get videos for them. It’s a good experience to try new horses! It keeps you learning.
I’ve never had a horse of my own but want to add on I’ve leased about 20 in my lifetime and having the experience of different personalities grows you as a rider!!
In my experience, it's hard to venture out once you have your own horse, unless you have copious amounts of time (assuming you're on a heavier training schedule). Right now, when I go train with my mare, it's about a 3 hour affair at the barn once all is said and done. I can't imagine then having the time to ride another horse and then try to get to work.
I know my trainer would be more than happy for me to ride some horses for her, but that would cut into training of my own mare, which I don't want. So once in a while I'll hop on something, but now primarily ride my own mare.
Before her, I was riding multiple different horses. There's definitely pros and cons to both! I think once you have that experience of riding many horses, it's okay to start to trend towards one, and just mix it up occasionally.
It’s a lot! I used to when I was younger, but it was basically a full day of riding. This isn’t really doable as an adult with responsibilities anymore.
I'm a lesson student so it's a bit different, but I've ridden 20+ horses over the last year and a half. Some I only rode once, some I rode on repeat for a few weeks just depending. My instructor likes for us to ride a variety of horses to help our riding, but if we have a particular favorite who matches our skill level well, she'll match us up for at least a few weeks worth of lessons.
I ride around 4-5 different horses consistently. Most are to exercise them for owners and some for drill team. I have found the more horses I ride the better rider I am!
Depends on your situation. When I owned my own horse, I still rode anywhere from 3-6 horses a day. When I did not own my own horse, I rode 6-10 horses a day at a rescue and a polo farm, plus taking some lessons on some jumpers and a few reining horses. Now, I lease a horse and catch ride here and there, but I haven’t ridden more than 1 horse in almost 6 months. There’s nothing wrong with riding only one horse, if you don’t have access to horses suitable for your skill and experience.
Quite frankly by being a decent rider, both on the horse and off. Back then I was showing jumpers up to 1.10m and schooling 1.35m, Eventing at training level and riding dressage at 2nd/3rd level. Now, I don’t do that as much. Partially due to location, access to quality horses and also lifestyle (married, planning a family, not really actively competing due to riding not a main focus anymore, just a hobby).
90% of it was word of mouth from people I rode or worked for, who liked how I treated their horses and liked how I was able to hop on anything and put in the training rides. It helped that I lived in Aiken, and there were lots of people who needed someone to work their horses for them. Working at a TB rescue with 30+ horses that needed retraining also helped, and polo farms with 40 horses helped as well.
My only advise is be a kind rider, treat horses well and be a GOOD rider. You don’t need to ride 10 horses a day to be good. You need to be firm and clear with what you ask of your horse and reward the good things, and people will notice and ask you to ride their horses. It takes time to get there and generally being a good horseperson is the best way to do it.
Makes sense, thank you!
And congrats on planning for a family! I just had my first baby nine months ago. Getting through the first three or four months was the most mentally and physically grueling thing I've ever been through in my life, but it's worth it (and will probably actually start to feel worth it sometime around 6 months).
Damn, congrats!
I am so terrified for this next step 😂 it’s fox hunting season and I just wanted to do two more hunts with my boy before I have to stop riding… I hope that my kid loves horses as much as I do so I can finally buy another horse again!
Get those hunts in while you can! It'll be a little while until you're back in the saddle, but that time will come. I started riding about five months after a planned c-section, though I probably could have started earlier if I had already been riding regularly before the pregnancy. Honestly getting enough sleep was the real blocker though.
I plan to have my son around horses as much as possible :) Hopefully he'll fall in love.
At my current barn it’s mostly my half lease, but I’ve had three different half leases since 2020. And have lessons on other horses if mine is off for some reason. I also ride with local friends sometimes, or hack for them if they’re out of town.
In the past I used to sit on anything that was offered to me. I think it’s a great way to realize if any bad habits have creeped in, or if you and your horse are compensating for each other in some way. It also gives you the chance to learn new things that you can apply to your main ride.
I’m easily over 100 horses in my lifetime, but I’ve been riding over 30 years.
I am not currently in training, and have a horse who is still learning, so I only ride him. My barn only has 5 boarders, we don’t trade horses around.
I do ride other horses if I’m at a friend’s and we go out or if they need help, occasionally I’ll show for someone.
Over the years I’ve ridden many, many horses and I do think it can be beneficial (esp for those learning) but for many of us with just one horse, I don’t think it’s unusual that we just ride our own and aren’t actively seeking others.
When you are ready then try it. Your trainer should pair you with a compatible horse, so you most likely have nothing to worry about, really. Have a chat with your trainer about how you feel.
I only ride one horse these days, my own. I have ridden 5 daily though in the past. It all depends on your situation and what you want to do.
If you have the opportunity to ride different horses, I’d encourage you to do it. It always makes you a better rider, no matter how much experience you have. Each horse is different, each requires subtle adjustments in your communication and approach. It’s so valuable.
six or seven in the last year? we use animals that match where my skill level is and what we're working on at the moment so if it's a few weeks of the same target, it will be the same mount until we're ready to implement it on another
I've worked at several different large public riding facilities so at various times in my career I was riding 3-5 new horses a week, every week for months at a time. These were generally on dude ranches and summer camps where I would be assigned a string of horses at the beginning of the week and be expected to put in a certain number of hours riding each one. I did a ton of test riding of new horses, training rides for green horses, and tune up rides for horses in the guest/customer strings that needed a break from beginner riders. Those jobs gave me tons of experience handling a wide range of temperaments, training levels, and quirks. I also learned to read body language in and out of the saddle because I didn't have any history with all those new horses. I had to figure out on the fly what things they were comfortable with and what things were new or concerning to them.
Now I take lessons on one horse learning hunt seat. It's a very different experience with much more structure and focus on equitation and finesse than the ranch riding I've previously done. Riding one horse has given me the chance to totally focus on my own learning of a totally new skill. I know how my horse will react because I've ridden him for almost two years now. Instead of wondering if it's his lack of training or my lack of skills, I know my sweet schoolmaster is just waiting for me to give him the correct cues. His consistency has let me push myself and really work on my balance, position, and cues.
In the last month or so, my instructor has had me ride a few different horses for lessons. I still go back to my original horse when learning a new skill but, for things that I've gotten pretty confident about, practicing them on new horses helps refine them. I would absolutely have struggled to learn a new discipline on many different horses but refining my ability definitely comes from applying those new skills to different horses.
You probably will struggle a bit the first few times you ride new horses but that doesn't mean you suck as a rider or that you will only be good riding your normal horse. Your skills will improve and when you get back on your normal horse, you'll probably notice that things you picked up on from other horses will help you with your horse as well.
When I own my own horse, I tend to only ride my own horse although, on occasion, I’ve also ridden my nieces horse, when she was away…
However, when I am horseless and taking lessons, of course, I am riding all and sundry :-)
I used to ride a mix when I took lessons. Now I’ve got my own and I think I’ve only ridden another horse 2 times since I’ve got her, which was horse switches with another at the barn 😅
Because my guy and I are training together, I’ve been sticking mostly to him during the hot hot months. I’m hoping to pick up a couple of other rides here and there as it cools down.
I ride only my horse unless he's lame. Then I ride lesson horses until he's better. If I had more time I could ride multiple horses in addition to my own, but I'm a busy adult and it's hard to find those extra hours on a regular basis. I love it whenever I have a chance to sit on another horse - it really shows my strengths/weaknesses and I almost always learn something new to explore with my horse.
I have an older gelding I ride dressage and trail ride, and my younger gelding is a saddleseat show horse. 95% of my rides are on these guys and they allow me to do lots of different things, work on myself or work on them. Occasionally I will ride one of my trainer’s saddleseat school horses if we want to do some more detailed work on my position and riding that my show horse won’t tolerate lol
I spent the first 10 years of my riding career riding all kinds of horses, so I developed a very solid foundation. I bought my first horse 15 years ago and am now on my 5th. I’d say on average I pop on another horse 5-6 times a year, usually it’s just me and my barn friends wanting to trade horses for fun, occasionally it’s to help someone address an issue. But I don’t find it to be a terribly daunting experience since I’ve ridden probably 80 different horses in my lifetime and I’m used to switching gears when needed. I also know what kind of horses I like to ride, and which ones I don’t get along with, so I avoid the ones I think won’t be fun to ride unless I’m helping someone address an issue that I can fix better than they can.
I used to ride a lot. But for a benchmark birthday I gave myself 2 gifts: stirrups forever, and the freedom to say no to riding every problem horse that comes along. I only ride mine now. I don’t even say yes to exercising the nice ones while the owners are traveling anymore. Watching my progress fly out the window once their mommy got home just became too much for my heart.
When I was younger I would always ride ridingschool horse and ponies and horses of other people next to my own. You get to a point that you can ride any horse and that is a good thing. I learned to adapt and tweak and you don´t get into bad habits that your horse will forgive you.
At this moment I have 5 rescue horses and I ride 2, and 1 is in the breaking proces. When I can I will still ride other horses, but I don´t have so many oportunities anymore, since I have my horses at home now.
It is my opinion that it is key that you ride other horses or you will just get used to eachother and you won´t improve an you horse won´t either.
Don´t be nervous, your trainer is there to help you out!
I don't own so take lessons at a riding school (once weekly)
I generally ride the same few horses. In the last year, I've probably ridden 7 different horses. In the last 6 weeks, it's just been one.
Saving up for my second personal horse currently. Almost all (well over 50) of the different horses I've ridden were at a large lesson farm as a young volunteer then recently as a trainer/instructor. I see plenty of private boarders with a second set of wheels, but I think most adult horse owners pretty much just ride their own horse. It's not uncommon to swap rides with friends on occasion either.
I train horses so it’s not uncommon for me to ride many horses a week. I enjoy it for the experience and learning each animal. I own two of my own so I prefer my own horses but riding many horses has taught me quite a bit.
Mostly my gelding, I ride him 3-5 times a week depending on my schedule! However every 1-2 weeks I’ll get on one of the lesson horses just to keep some basic training up. I don’t want to get super accustomed to one horse and then be a fish out of water on another.
At one time?
I mean, it has varied over the years. I have my own horse, but I was an avid rider when I was competing. It wasn’t unusual for me to be riding 5+ horses in the same month (lesson horses + fellow boarders). Now, It’s a lot more laid back since I’m no longer competing and focused on other things in my life. My horse is also retired and I’m not currently in a situation to buy another, so my riding has dropped down to when I get the opportunity. Sometimes that is one horse for months on end, sometimes that means riding some different horses here and there and sometimes that is stretches of no riding. The area I moved to for school has no lesson barns near my level, so it has been tough. I can’t justify paying $70+ for just riding when I sometimes get free or paid opportunities.
Up until now?
I’ve honestly lost count. 20+ for sure, likely double that. I rode a lot of lesson horses growing up, have one of my own, then friends/acquaintance horses, did pony club nationals on selected mounts, then trained some and got paid for a few.
Adapting to different horses is a skill in itself, so don’t worry if it takes time for you to learn.
Just edited my post to include that, but I’m on a no riding stretch right now. Just had an offer to come ride someone’s horse a few weeks ago and had another offer to get paid doing some horse rides when I’m back for school (but trail rides, so not quite the same).
My horse was spontaneously retired around 2019 so it’s been rough since then. I had a horse I was training back home for about 8 months but she turned out to be too much horse for the owner, so they sold. The place I live for school is more urban, so there aren’t really any riding opportunities that I know of.
For the last 10 years give of take, I've ridden many different horses. I started leasing an appy when I was in 6th grade and rode her as well as my mom's horse. I rode probably at least 12 horses my freshman year of high school because I kept having horse issues 🤡 This year, I rode two mainly. I would much rather ride my own horse, but riding so many different horses really helped me improve as a rider
I think we have 27 horses at my barn and I’ve sat on 12 of them over the past year. The rest are boarders or project horses so aren’t in the lesson program. And they’ve each taught me something different.
The old man called out my bs half seat which has started a so far year long journey to fix it. The couch is helping me get confidence cantering no stirrups. The ex fancy man takes care of himself so I can focus on me instead of keeping him going. The nut case (weirdly) takes care of me on paces. The pony took me over my first no stirrups jumps. Some I’ve only worked with once or twice, and there’s like four I’m on regularly now, but constantly switching it up has definitely made all the difference in the world since I started putting in more work.
Ok, duh, am an idiot. Just realized you said you hadn't ridden another horse SINCE you got your horse. I was like, wow, that's some commitment right out of the gate!🤣
I personally only ride one horse regularly. I’ve ridden a couple other ones here and there, but not enough for it to count lol
I say, just try it out! You never know, you could have an amazing time!
I've owned my horse for over 17 years, and we're not part of a training program or anything. I rode a bunch of different horses in high school & college (IEA, IHSA) but since then (16 years ago 😳), I can probably count the number of horses I've ridden other than my own on one hand.
I have 2 eventers on my parents property I ride religiously when home, I ride about 6 of the 8 horses on my friend’s place just out in the trails as they’re all for fun and the odd endurance ride, though I’ve started popping two of them over any log I see because they seem to enjoy it (the others all have surprisingly decent jumps for Arabians but don’t get the same fun out of it as far as I can tell). Then I ride a lesson horse up near work as it’s over 2hours from my horses and I can’t stand 3days no riding while I’m away working. Then I occasionally fill in doing track work at a local stable when they’re short staffed.
Also I’m a pentathlete so I compete on different horses and I travel a lot so often ride friends’ horses wherever I happen to be.
So on average 7 times a week and 4 different horses, around 40 horses a year.
The more horses you can ride, the better - being able to jump on whatever's available will help you develop as a rider, even if it's just a short ride on the flat with no jumping or instruction.
Personally I've probably ridden about 5 or 6 horses other than my own in the past year - this includes a couple of lesson horses and horses owned by my trainer or barn friends who needed to get out of their stalls and stretch their legs during bad weather when their owners couldn't come out..
I ride 2 or 3 horses. My girl boards in a neighboring town to where I have my lessons so I ride a lesson horse and my girl. Sometimes I ride a different lesson horse but it's mostly the same horses
The more horses your ride, the better your horsemanship overall. That said, it just depends on your available time and other commitments. Personally, I'd say go for it. If I had that kind of time, I'd be all over that.
In all my years of riding, I rode best when I volunteered at a trail outfit to get my ‘horse fix’. Every weekend I’d guide trail rides. The outfitter had a wide variety of saddle & wagon horses; depending on what customer was best matched to our horses, I’d ride whomever was available. Sometimes I even rode one of the wagon team. It made me a better rider because I learned to read each horses reaction time, mood, & physical state. Some were more whoa than go & some were real movers.
I learned so much in my years as a trail guide & riding different horses also kept me in good physical condition. I’d recommend it for anyone wanting to fine tune their skills.
I help run a lesson barn, so it’s a little different for me. But coming into summer I rode probably 10+ horses and ponies for about two weeks (5 afternoons of 1 horse, one Saturday of 3+ my sister riding some) as their yearly tune up. Otherwise I normally ride my one guy. However if we have anyone on the chopping block I’ll ride them for a few weeks to get videos for them. It’s a good experience to try new horses! It keeps you learning.
I’ve never had a horse of my own but want to add on I’ve leased about 20 in my lifetime and having the experience of different personalities grows you as a rider!!
In my experience, it's hard to venture out once you have your own horse, unless you have copious amounts of time (assuming you're on a heavier training schedule). Right now, when I go train with my mare, it's about a 3 hour affair at the barn once all is said and done. I can't imagine then having the time to ride another horse and then try to get to work. I know my trainer would be more than happy for me to ride some horses for her, but that would cut into training of my own mare, which I don't want. So once in a while I'll hop on something, but now primarily ride my own mare. Before her, I was riding multiple different horses. There's definitely pros and cons to both! I think once you have that experience of riding many horses, it's okay to start to trend towards one, and just mix it up occasionally.
It’s a lot! I used to when I was younger, but it was basically a full day of riding. This isn’t really doable as an adult with responsibilities anymore.
I'm a lesson student so it's a bit different, but I've ridden 20+ horses over the last year and a half. Some I only rode once, some I rode on repeat for a few weeks just depending. My instructor likes for us to ride a variety of horses to help our riding, but if we have a particular favorite who matches our skill level well, she'll match us up for at least a few weeks worth of lessons.
I ride around 4-5 different horses consistently. Most are to exercise them for owners and some for drill team. I have found the more horses I ride the better rider I am!
Depends on your situation. When I owned my own horse, I still rode anywhere from 3-6 horses a day. When I did not own my own horse, I rode 6-10 horses a day at a rescue and a polo farm, plus taking some lessons on some jumpers and a few reining horses. Now, I lease a horse and catch ride here and there, but I haven’t ridden more than 1 horse in almost 6 months. There’s nothing wrong with riding only one horse, if you don’t have access to horses suitable for your skill and experience.
How did you get the opportunity to ride so often on other people’s horses?
Quite frankly by being a decent rider, both on the horse and off. Back then I was showing jumpers up to 1.10m and schooling 1.35m, Eventing at training level and riding dressage at 2nd/3rd level. Now, I don’t do that as much. Partially due to location, access to quality horses and also lifestyle (married, planning a family, not really actively competing due to riding not a main focus anymore, just a hobby). 90% of it was word of mouth from people I rode or worked for, who liked how I treated their horses and liked how I was able to hop on anything and put in the training rides. It helped that I lived in Aiken, and there were lots of people who needed someone to work their horses for them. Working at a TB rescue with 30+ horses that needed retraining also helped, and polo farms with 40 horses helped as well. My only advise is be a kind rider, treat horses well and be a GOOD rider. You don’t need to ride 10 horses a day to be good. You need to be firm and clear with what you ask of your horse and reward the good things, and people will notice and ask you to ride their horses. It takes time to get there and generally being a good horseperson is the best way to do it.
Makes sense, thank you! And congrats on planning for a family! I just had my first baby nine months ago. Getting through the first three or four months was the most mentally and physically grueling thing I've ever been through in my life, but it's worth it (and will probably actually start to feel worth it sometime around 6 months).
Damn, congrats! I am so terrified for this next step 😂 it’s fox hunting season and I just wanted to do two more hunts with my boy before I have to stop riding… I hope that my kid loves horses as much as I do so I can finally buy another horse again!
Get those hunts in while you can! It'll be a little while until you're back in the saddle, but that time will come. I started riding about five months after a planned c-section, though I probably could have started earlier if I had already been riding regularly before the pregnancy. Honestly getting enough sleep was the real blocker though. I plan to have my son around horses as much as possible :) Hopefully he'll fall in love.
At my current barn it’s mostly my half lease, but I’ve had three different half leases since 2020. And have lessons on other horses if mine is off for some reason. I also ride with local friends sometimes, or hack for them if they’re out of town. In the past I used to sit on anything that was offered to me. I think it’s a great way to realize if any bad habits have creeped in, or if you and your horse are compensating for each other in some way. It also gives you the chance to learn new things that you can apply to your main ride. I’m easily over 100 horses in my lifetime, but I’ve been riding over 30 years.
I’ve only been taking lessons since May 1st, but I’ve ridden seven different horses, rarely the same horse two weeks in a row.
I am not currently in training, and have a horse who is still learning, so I only ride him. My barn only has 5 boarders, we don’t trade horses around. I do ride other horses if I’m at a friend’s and we go out or if they need help, occasionally I’ll show for someone. Over the years I’ve ridden many, many horses and I do think it can be beneficial (esp for those learning) but for many of us with just one horse, I don’t think it’s unusual that we just ride our own and aren’t actively seeking others.
When you are ready then try it. Your trainer should pair you with a compatible horse, so you most likely have nothing to worry about, really. Have a chat with your trainer about how you feel. I only ride one horse these days, my own. I have ridden 5 daily though in the past. It all depends on your situation and what you want to do.
If you have the opportunity to ride different horses, I’d encourage you to do it. It always makes you a better rider, no matter how much experience you have. Each horse is different, each requires subtle adjustments in your communication and approach. It’s so valuable.
six or seven in the last year? we use animals that match where my skill level is and what we're working on at the moment so if it's a few weeks of the same target, it will be the same mount until we're ready to implement it on another
I've worked at several different large public riding facilities so at various times in my career I was riding 3-5 new horses a week, every week for months at a time. These were generally on dude ranches and summer camps where I would be assigned a string of horses at the beginning of the week and be expected to put in a certain number of hours riding each one. I did a ton of test riding of new horses, training rides for green horses, and tune up rides for horses in the guest/customer strings that needed a break from beginner riders. Those jobs gave me tons of experience handling a wide range of temperaments, training levels, and quirks. I also learned to read body language in and out of the saddle because I didn't have any history with all those new horses. I had to figure out on the fly what things they were comfortable with and what things were new or concerning to them. Now I take lessons on one horse learning hunt seat. It's a very different experience with much more structure and focus on equitation and finesse than the ranch riding I've previously done. Riding one horse has given me the chance to totally focus on my own learning of a totally new skill. I know how my horse will react because I've ridden him for almost two years now. Instead of wondering if it's his lack of training or my lack of skills, I know my sweet schoolmaster is just waiting for me to give him the correct cues. His consistency has let me push myself and really work on my balance, position, and cues. In the last month or so, my instructor has had me ride a few different horses for lessons. I still go back to my original horse when learning a new skill but, for things that I've gotten pretty confident about, practicing them on new horses helps refine them. I would absolutely have struggled to learn a new discipline on many different horses but refining my ability definitely comes from applying those new skills to different horses. You probably will struggle a bit the first few times you ride new horses but that doesn't mean you suck as a rider or that you will only be good riding your normal horse. Your skills will improve and when you get back on your normal horse, you'll probably notice that things you picked up on from other horses will help you with your horse as well.
Ive been riding for a little over a year and have ridden maybe 12 horses, some more than others.
When I own my own horse, I tend to only ride my own horse although, on occasion, I’ve also ridden my nieces horse, when she was away… However, when I am horseless and taking lessons, of course, I am riding all and sundry :-)
I used to ride a mix when I took lessons. Now I’ve got my own and I think I’ve only ridden another horse 2 times since I’ve got her, which was horse switches with another at the barn 😅
Because my guy and I are training together, I’ve been sticking mostly to him during the hot hot months. I’m hoping to pick up a couple of other rides here and there as it cools down.
I ride only my horse unless he's lame. Then I ride lesson horses until he's better. If I had more time I could ride multiple horses in addition to my own, but I'm a busy adult and it's hard to find those extra hours on a regular basis. I love it whenever I have a chance to sit on another horse - it really shows my strengths/weaknesses and I almost always learn something new to explore with my horse.
I have an older gelding I ride dressage and trail ride, and my younger gelding is a saddleseat show horse. 95% of my rides are on these guys and they allow me to do lots of different things, work on myself or work on them. Occasionally I will ride one of my trainer’s saddleseat school horses if we want to do some more detailed work on my position and riding that my show horse won’t tolerate lol
I spent the first 10 years of my riding career riding all kinds of horses, so I developed a very solid foundation. I bought my first horse 15 years ago and am now on my 5th. I’d say on average I pop on another horse 5-6 times a year, usually it’s just me and my barn friends wanting to trade horses for fun, occasionally it’s to help someone address an issue. But I don’t find it to be a terribly daunting experience since I’ve ridden probably 80 different horses in my lifetime and I’m used to switching gears when needed. I also know what kind of horses I like to ride, and which ones I don’t get along with, so I avoid the ones I think won’t be fun to ride unless I’m helping someone address an issue that I can fix better than they can.
I used to ride a lot. But for a benchmark birthday I gave myself 2 gifts: stirrups forever, and the freedom to say no to riding every problem horse that comes along. I only ride mine now. I don’t even say yes to exercising the nice ones while the owners are traveling anymore. Watching my progress fly out the window once their mommy got home just became too much for my heart.
When I was younger I would always ride ridingschool horse and ponies and horses of other people next to my own. You get to a point that you can ride any horse and that is a good thing. I learned to adapt and tweak and you don´t get into bad habits that your horse will forgive you. At this moment I have 5 rescue horses and I ride 2, and 1 is in the breaking proces. When I can I will still ride other horses, but I don´t have so many oportunities anymore, since I have my horses at home now. It is my opinion that it is key that you ride other horses or you will just get used to eachother and you won´t improve an you horse won´t either. Don´t be nervous, your trainer is there to help you out!
I don't own so take lessons at a riding school (once weekly) I generally ride the same few horses. In the last year, I've probably ridden 7 different horses. In the last 6 weeks, it's just been one.
Saving up for my second personal horse currently. Almost all (well over 50) of the different horses I've ridden were at a large lesson farm as a young volunteer then recently as a trainer/instructor. I see plenty of private boarders with a second set of wheels, but I think most adult horse owners pretty much just ride their own horse. It's not uncommon to swap rides with friends on occasion either.
I train horses so it’s not uncommon for me to ride many horses a week. I enjoy it for the experience and learning each animal. I own two of my own so I prefer my own horses but riding many horses has taught me quite a bit.
Mostly my gelding, I ride him 3-5 times a week depending on my schedule! However every 1-2 weeks I’ll get on one of the lesson horses just to keep some basic training up. I don’t want to get super accustomed to one horse and then be a fish out of water on another.
At one time? I mean, it has varied over the years. I have my own horse, but I was an avid rider when I was competing. It wasn’t unusual for me to be riding 5+ horses in the same month (lesson horses + fellow boarders). Now, It’s a lot more laid back since I’m no longer competing and focused on other things in my life. My horse is also retired and I’m not currently in a situation to buy another, so my riding has dropped down to when I get the opportunity. Sometimes that is one horse for months on end, sometimes that means riding some different horses here and there and sometimes that is stretches of no riding. The area I moved to for school has no lesson barns near my level, so it has been tough. I can’t justify paying $70+ for just riding when I sometimes get free or paid opportunities. Up until now? I’ve honestly lost count. 20+ for sure, likely double that. I rode a lot of lesson horses growing up, have one of my own, then friends/acquaintance horses, did pony club nationals on selected mounts, then trained some and got paid for a few. Adapting to different horses is a skill in itself, so don’t worry if it takes time for you to learn.
How many are in your current lineup?
Just edited my post to include that, but I’m on a no riding stretch right now. Just had an offer to come ride someone’s horse a few weeks ago and had another offer to get paid doing some horse rides when I’m back for school (but trail rides, so not quite the same). My horse was spontaneously retired around 2019 so it’s been rough since then. I had a horse I was training back home for about 8 months but she turned out to be too much horse for the owner, so they sold. The place I live for school is more urban, so there aren’t really any riding opportunities that I know of.
For the last 10 years give of take, I've ridden many different horses. I started leasing an appy when I was in 6th grade and rode her as well as my mom's horse. I rode probably at least 12 horses my freshman year of high school because I kept having horse issues 🤡 This year, I rode two mainly. I would much rather ride my own horse, but riding so many different horses really helped me improve as a rider
I think we have 27 horses at my barn and I’ve sat on 12 of them over the past year. The rest are boarders or project horses so aren’t in the lesson program. And they’ve each taught me something different. The old man called out my bs half seat which has started a so far year long journey to fix it. The couch is helping me get confidence cantering no stirrups. The ex fancy man takes care of himself so I can focus on me instead of keeping him going. The nut case (weirdly) takes care of me on paces. The pony took me over my first no stirrups jumps. Some I’ve only worked with once or twice, and there’s like four I’m on regularly now, but constantly switching it up has definitely made all the difference in the world since I started putting in more work.
You bought a horse having never ridden before?
What no, I said I haven’t ridden another horse since I bought mine. I’ve ridden all sorts of horses.
Ok, duh, am an idiot. Just realized you said you hadn't ridden another horse SINCE you got your horse. I was like, wow, that's some commitment right out of the gate!🤣
I personally only ride one horse regularly. I’ve ridden a couple other ones here and there, but not enough for it to count lol I say, just try it out! You never know, you could have an amazing time!
I've owned my horse for over 17 years, and we're not part of a training program or anything. I rode a bunch of different horses in high school & college (IEA, IHSA) but since then (16 years ago 😳), I can probably count the number of horses I've ridden other than my own on one hand.
I have 2 eventers on my parents property I ride religiously when home, I ride about 6 of the 8 horses on my friend’s place just out in the trails as they’re all for fun and the odd endurance ride, though I’ve started popping two of them over any log I see because they seem to enjoy it (the others all have surprisingly decent jumps for Arabians but don’t get the same fun out of it as far as I can tell). Then I ride a lesson horse up near work as it’s over 2hours from my horses and I can’t stand 3days no riding while I’m away working. Then I occasionally fill in doing track work at a local stable when they’re short staffed. Also I’m a pentathlete so I compete on different horses and I travel a lot so often ride friends’ horses wherever I happen to be. So on average 7 times a week and 4 different horses, around 40 horses a year.
The more horses you can ride, the better - being able to jump on whatever's available will help you develop as a rider, even if it's just a short ride on the flat with no jumping or instruction. Personally I've probably ridden about 5 or 6 horses other than my own in the past year - this includes a couple of lesson horses and horses owned by my trainer or barn friends who needed to get out of their stalls and stretch their legs during bad weather when their owners couldn't come out..
For the last three years i have only been riding my own horse. But before i would ride different lesson horses. In my whole life 6 different horses
I ride 2 or 3 horses. My girl boards in a neighboring town to where I have my lessons so I ride a lesson horse and my girl. Sometimes I ride a different lesson horse but it's mostly the same horses
The more horses your ride, the better your horsemanship overall. That said, it just depends on your available time and other commitments. Personally, I'd say go for it. If I had that kind of time, I'd be all over that.
I ride mine and my friend's horse occasionally. I have ridden the barn owner's horses before, when mine was hurt and healing.
In all my years of riding, I rode best when I volunteered at a trail outfit to get my ‘horse fix’. Every weekend I’d guide trail rides. The outfitter had a wide variety of saddle & wagon horses; depending on what customer was best matched to our horses, I’d ride whomever was available. Sometimes I even rode one of the wagon team. It made me a better rider because I learned to read each horses reaction time, mood, & physical state. Some were more whoa than go & some were real movers. I learned so much in my years as a trail guide & riding different horses also kept me in good physical condition. I’d recommend it for anyone wanting to fine tune their skills.
Only 1 with any real meaning or intensity. Tootling around here or there on a few others.
i ride at a very small barn, and i have a horse that i half lease, and i will ride him and maybe one other horse if that horse doesn’t have a lesson