FFS! Relative upset after children could not ride my competition horses

Ridiculous. Does she not realise horses are actual animals not fairground rides? Pretty big, strong animals too and potentially dangerous if you are silly around them. My DD rides and I think any parent who has seen a child fall off a horse understands needing to be sensible!

Well, I'm not horsey and no way would I have asked if me or the kids could ride anyone's horses. If my kids want to ride we go to a stable where the horses and staff are trained for kids. No way would I let them go on OP's horses even if she would have been OK with it. And I wouldn't ask anyone- you get invited- or you're a CF.

Wow! You will never win with these cheeky Fs..

If their children are so into horses the parent should have treated this as a learning experience for them. Managed their expectations that these are not some cute ponies etc.

Say you had let the children sit on for a photo op and they fell offf - you totally would have been blamed for this also. You cannot beat this kind of entitlement.
You were totally right in your actions. Good for you. Imagine them complainig to your parents bcos you put their childrens safety and the welfare of the horses first. Cringing for them.

For heaven’s sake. Horses are animals, living creatures that deserve respect, not toys to be played with for their entertainment.

You have done nothing wrong.

I don't think it's that deep. Horses are beautiful animals, and relatively unusual in this day and age to meet you, if you're not a horsey person. And it's an even more lovely experience to get to ride one. If you're being cynical, it's also a thing particularly associated with wealth and the upper classes.

When people have nice experiences (or their kids do), they typically want a picture of them. Something to remember the nice experience by, if you're assuming the best, something to show off to their other friends or on social media, if you're being more negative. I'm not a huge photo taker myself but I do get it, if I see something beautiful or unusual or a particularly happy memory it is nice to get a snap of it (I generally prefer not to have my own ugly mug in it mind you, but my family/friends sure 😂)

Not saying all of us horsey folk need to immediately start offering a pony selfie service btw before anyone jumps on me!

Presumably she would have to pay at a riding school, easier to put their lives at risk for free.

I swear people are getting thicker.

Even Superman wasn't immune from paralysis.

Can someone please explain the obsession non horsey people have with sitting on a horse just for a photo? I don't get it.

To be fair, most people don't have much contact with horses so I get the idea of just sitting on one, just to see what it feels like. Maybe a photo is a nice thing in that situation. If the horse is suitable and the owner's OK with it, why not? But demanding and refusing to listen when told it's not possible isn't OK. And you just know that 'just sitting on' will morph into 'Can I just trot round a bit' which in turn moves into "Same time next week, yes?"...

God, I'm getting enraged on your behalf just reading this.

Reminds me a bit of when my friend's BIL was annoyed with her because she wouldn't let his eight-year-old take her dog for a walk on his own. The dog was a very large breed and a former police dog who had been retired from the police force because he was too stubborn and independent.

Could you imagine the uproar of turning up at a private member's club and saying, "I'm not paying for anything, I just want a picture." !?

😂 at rocking up to a golf course. Strike a pose. 📸

Glad this idiotic mother isn't related to Lewis Hamilton! Why is that so many parents expect their sprogs to have everything they demand? No wonder so many are utter brats.

The distant relative needs to keep her distance. She sounds like a bloody self entitled nightmare.

Can someone please explain the obsession non horsey people have with sitting on a horse just for a photo? I don't get it.

I wouldn't rock up to a golf course, borrow a set of clubs, and pose as if I played golf. I also wouldn't have my photo taken sitting on a Ducati if I didn't even have a motorbike licence and the bike wasn't mine.

If they're not actually into horse riding, why do they even want a picture on a horse in the first place?

Sounds like they wanted a free pony party day and it’s shame they didn’t appreciate the chance to be on a proper competition yard and didn’t want to take advantage of that opportunity to learn, a lot of kids Would have loved that opportunity.

I would absolutely send them a message telling them where to go.

Outrageously entitled behaviour.

If she was not able to set boundaries with her kids she should not have taken them to see the horses (and I say that as someone who had wild young 'uns and that absolutely meant I did not take them to some places until they were older and better able to regulate themselves).

I used to work with a lady who had horses all her life and had a massive show jumping horse (apparently, i never met him)

She would come in at least once a fortnight,moaning that yet another cf had wanted 'a quick sit on him for a picture' or 'a lovely ride around that field'

He cost her a fortune,was very funny about who rode him and he wasn't a toy

She didn't see why she should have to cough up a fortune to keep him and allow the world and his wife a free ride (same fools would look shocked when she mentioned paying for lessons-'but that costs loads!' Well yes,horses are not cheap)

And don't get her started on 'but he looks so hungry in that bare field' while they shoved treats in his mouth

It cost her a fortune in vet fees, he started to get aggressive about humans who didn't have food for him and she almost lost him more than once to colic

Some idiot even took to tipping veg waste in his field as he 'looked half staved'

He didnt-he was perfectly fed/exercised/looked after

Some people just see them as large and unusual but cute pets/the perfect picture for insta

I was horse bonkers as a child but my grandad explained they are strong animals and if I wanted lessons,I had to learn the rules about them first

Yes, there really are. Years ago I had to chuck someone off the yard who opened the yard gate, walked in and let her grandchild feed the horses. Even when I explained that it was a private yard and at least one had health problems related to food, she snuck into a different bit of the yard and carried on feeding them!

When I asked her to leave before I fetched the yard owner and the dogs, she got very nasty and said I was a stuck up cow denying her grandchild the joy of feeding the ponies!

Fucking idiots. This is why I’ve never let anyone ride my horses

Over and above the facts that you had clearly laid out re the visit, their behaviour was shocking. Both the DC and their mother. Not only did she not explain the rules clearly in advance, she then allowed them to be whiny nuisances. I’d have been mortified if my DC had behaved like that, and made sure it stopped quickly.

Put it out of your head, and don’t engage with them again.

This.
Push back hard and firmly.

I wouldn't allow some entitled cheeky cow lecture me via my parents.

People do this because they think they can.
Shut her down.

She embarrassed herself hugely by her behaviour and not preparing her children properly.

Sadly there's more than one entitled shitwit who thinks they/their kids can 'have a go on the pony', or who ignore signs saying 'Please don't feed the horses' etc. In fact, there's tons of the buggers.

What was going through that bloke's head?! Good grief.

It's the kids I feel sorry for. The chances of them getting to adulthood with a parent like that is low I imagine.