As someone who’s worked as a horse trainer, I’d say that’s a confused but obedient horse struggling to understand the direction of a hesitant, inexpert pilot and to carry about double the weight that’s normally considered safe for the animal. With a rider’s rear extending so far beyond the cantle, and the riders clearly so clueless about how to adjust to make their weight easier to carry uphill, there was no chance of the horse keeping its balance up that slope.
They are lucky that they didn’t pull him over backwards on top of them, that he didn’t dig in and scramble harder to get up the bank, and that he didn’t, in fact, buck their sorry asses off long before that point.
The only thing funny here is that people who would put a certified good boy horse in that position got a bit of a comeuppance.
How very well said. And cantle, my new word of the day. Thank you.
I was surprised how the good boy horse was finally convinced to cross the water, after displaying such hesitant behavior. And yes, those riders were lucky that they, and the horse, didn’t seem to experience any serious physical injury from that episode.
Wow. I mean, wow. Especially once you realize that it’s entirely feasible to ride one at a time, after which you dismount and send the horse back over to the other side, no?!
Even the horse is probably thinking, “you know, there’s better ways to do this!”
I bet that stable’s insurer would love to see two riders without helmets. Sheesh. And that poor horse with too much weight to bear safely. Idiot horse handlers.
Yeah, I don’t so much blame the amateur riders who wouldn’t be expected to know better, but the stable staff who allowed two full grown adults to ride tandem on a mid-sized horse should be sued for animal abuse. Also, don’t kick the flank of the haunches, and only kick lightly as a signal.
It’s pretty clear these people weren’t checked out on proper riding technique, which, again, is the stable’s fault, not their own.
It’s a cultural divide within the US, more than between US and other countries.
In general, US riders in English disciplines are more likely to wear a helmet religiously, and certified helmets are required in most competitions in these disciplines.
In western riding, though, helmet use is far less common. There’s been a pretty vitriolic backlash to the suggestion that all riders should wear helmets, and western riders have been particularly vocal on that side of the debate.
There’s also a bit of regional variation in the US.
People who learn to ride in schooling programs typically learn to wear helmets, as insurance for riding schools in our litigious society generally requires a helmet rule for at least those under 18, if not all riders. That is not a factor for those who learn to ride in backyards or on private ranches, so habitual helmet use tends not to be as commonly taught among those without formal riding training. Helmets are thus more common in parts of the country where riding is pursued as a sport more than an at-home leisure activity. I suspect there’s more to it than that (education, local norms and values), but it goes beyond disciplines of riding.
Equestrian accidents make up something like 45% of all sports-related TBI hospital admissions in the US. Way more than American football, or boxing, or other sports that have come under fire for brain risks. Making good decisions is clearly not the forte of the people in this video, but foregoing helmets on top of all of the other dumb risks these people are taking is really stupid.
I was thinking, if I was the horse, I’d dump the riders in the middle of the stream for maximum sploosh, but judging by how muddy they were climbing out, I cede to the horse’s judgement. Also, props for taking advantage of the angle of the bank for maximal ejection power!
I think you’re right- that horse figured out that by going up the bank just enough, it could use the angle to eject that too-heavy load without too much risk to it’s back legs. The horse got just far enough onto stable ground and then dumped them. He or she deserves a big juicy apple, some sugar cubes, and a new owner.
