Really irritated with this girls mother.

[Balloonhearts]

More of a vent than anything.

I work at a riding school who do weekend pony clubs in the summer, and a longer one over the holidays.

We match the riders to their ponies based on height, weight and experience/temperament.

One of my group is very overweight. Three stone heavier than her mother said she is on her form. She cannot ride the pony assigned to her or any of the ponies. She needs a horse. Which would have been fine if we knew when she booked.

Now I'm desperately trying to find a suitable mount before the 3 o clock hack so I don't have to tell this sweet girl that she is unable to go on the hack due to her weight.

WHY do people do this? Just be honest ffs! If we had the right numbers, she would have been given one of the horses but now there is no one suitable left.

I wish it was my arm. He bit me right in the side boob, the massive, orange twat.

I remember the days when it was widely 'known' that little Highland ponies (13-14hh?) could easily carry grown men, reportedly up to around 16 stone ish. Has this changed now, I always used to feel really sorry for them plodding along with this huge human on them!

Eeep!

I'm picturing this as a series of Thelwell cartoons.

You need to have a read of the thread @allmymonkeysit’s and entertaining read but it did all get sorted.

We also have to think about the poor animals poor back!

My old mare would just run off with anyone lightweight. She was more of a man’s horse TBF but as I’m heavy and 5ft 10 she did listen to me
anyone under about 11 stone and she just took the piss

I loved reading this. You made me feel like I was there with your writing - fantastic. As a horsewoman myself I felt every dilemma and emotion. Well done to you for pulling this mammoth situation out of the bag. Awesome!

Me thinks @MasterBeth is the entitled mother 😂

The thought did cross my mind 😂

If you are the mother, please leave us a sign. A 5 star review would be nice.😆

OP, I'm sorry you had such a ballache of a day. But just wanted to say that your follow up on your solution had me creased 🤣🤣

I love your turn of phrase, you should write a book 🤣

It sounds like you went well above and beyond, and I hope that the girl's mum appreciates it!

Oh, and Major Tom is a gorgeous old boy 😍

@mrsCtheRed

"I love your turn of phrase, you should write a book 🤣"

Agreed!

I was a stable rat as a kid, my parents were glad to get rid of me and didn't have to pay, I just worked my socks off and ended up taking on the alloted horses of whoever was on their day off.
I often escorted rides and often on one of the bigger horses because I was a 'chunky monkey', and I loved it. Infact I learnt to stay on because it was further to fall!
Thank you for handling this so well and I hope your old boy enjoyed the opportunity to stretch his legs

In your last paragraph you say "Just be honest FFS". I think you need to take your own advice and tell the mother straight-up but, hopefully, not in front of the child.

We did. Perhaps you missed that post?

Fabulous post, which brought back lovely memories of my riding days. You were very kind and resourceful. The mother was irresponsible but may have also misrepresented her daughter's weight because she was embarrassed. 5ft and 13 stone is obese and I feel for the girl, especially as someone who has struggled with my weight.

OP I needed a laugh and came back to read your hilarious re-count once more, of how you managed that impossible day and was just wonderful. Another poster said it made them think of the scenario in Thelwell illustrations and totally agree!

Also (sorry, as honestly that must have been painful!) but the description of side boob biting and James had me laughing out loud too 😂

Honesty you’ve got such a talent with words OP, if you have the time (and inclination) to write a book pls come back and tell us!

Hope you and the hoofy crew are doing ok in this heat x

Glad it gave you a good laugh. They're all fine, not doing too much in this heat. Evening hacks mostly.

Major Tom's paddock has a little stream running through it at the back which he is currently rolling in, the ponies are bickering, Knobhead has just been caught eating hay through a missing plamk in the back of the hay store that backs onto his stable and James is in absolute disgrace, having bitten an unsuspecting parent because he was in a mood after being escorted from the tack room, where he was searching bags for food and eating someone's chicken tikka salad.

How did he get in there, you ask? Well he has apparently learned that if he bites his door and lifts it a little, he can unhook the kick latch. Which is the only thing keeping him in, now that he has taught himself to undo a carabiner clip.

James and Knobbish asked me to request that someone call horseline because they haven't been fed in at least six months and this miserable bitch (me) ruined their game by taking away the fly sheet they were playing tug of war with. (Beause its 3 weeks old and we like it in one piece.)

😂

Derinitely Thelwell, to the life, @Balloonhearts! I hope your side boob is recovering from the ginger twat’s assault.

Please please Ballonhearts write a book!
You have a real talent for bringing scenes to life.
💖🐎💖

I agree, @IamEarthymama!

Yep, if I see a book by @Balloonhearts in Waterstones...

this may have been answered and I’ve missed it, yes shires will hack out, but although they have a good amount of bone beneath the knee, so can carry a reasonable weight, they still have a limit, heavy horses (shires, Bretons, Clydesdale etc) are bred for pulling strength rather than carrying heavy weights; think of it like this, you’d easily push/ pull a wheel barrow with a 30kg weight 500 meters, but carrying 30Kg weight 500meters would be totally different, and quite possible result in a back injury.
you’re a ⭐ OP. This is such a lovely thread.

This has made my day 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣