Am I going to out myself as an old fuddy-duddy when I say that I prefer not to have screeching harpies descend upon the arena while I'm riding?
An instructor was giving a lesson this weekend while I was schooling Marve. (Not my instructor. My instructor is cool and knows to speak in a reasonable voice during lessons.) I was the only other rider in the ring.
The instructor was screaming her instructions in the loudest, most shrill, grating voice ever. She wasn't angry. She wasn't upset. And she was even sitting in the special instructor zone near the center of the ring...you know, the place where students are best able to hear you from anywhere in the ring, even if you are not yelling?
It was just annoying, plain and simple. I'm not really a fan of high-pitched shrieking sounds akin to nails on a chalkboard in the first place, but especially not around horses. I guess that's just me. Marve wasn't thrilled with it, either. It wasn't spook-worthy, but it was distracting and made both of us tense. Just to be clear, I wasn't worried about him spooking. I was worried about my eardrums.
There are a handful of other boarders/riders at the barn who like to yell and scream in the ring -- and it's often this terrible part baby voice, part macho yelling tone. Fortunately, it's not so common that I have to deal with it very often, but it's still a pain. And I'm not sure if there is any way to deal with it. "Excuse me, but I thought someone should tell you that you're socially inept and don't realize you are being freaking annoying with that loud screechy voice. K?"
I guess I'm old fashioned and just think, you know, that horses and screaming your head off for no good reason don't mix. Not that we need to tiptoe around and be feather quiet for our precious ponies, but still. Loud and unexpected noises can and do spook horses. And at the least, it stresses some of us out.
Anyway else have this issue? Am I alone here? Are you yourself a screamer and have an excuse?
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4 comments:
Have I mentioned how much I like having my horses at home? I will trade no indoor arena for having to deal with annoying people any day of the week. That said, it is good for Marve to have to work under those conditions (if annoying for you). The best thing you can do for a spook-prone horse is to to make them work successfully through situations in which they might be tempted to lose their heads. Although it's bad manners and very irritating, your horse and your riding experience are not their problems -- my best advice is to form a bubble and ride on as if you don't know they are there. You will be happier and Marve will reap the benefits of being ridden through such nonsense.
I agree with you there- I had this instructor that did the exact same thing, only worse. Sometimes (we were a beginner class), she'd chase us with a lunge whip or a manure fork, or throw bits of the arena around to... motivate the horses..
I don't ride there anymore.
You are right, I should look at it as an opportunity to get Marve used to all sorts of things...though of course it's hard to think that way when there is nothing but a high-pitched scream in my ear. :)
screaming, overly loud laughing -- that screeching wannabe heard stuff-- i cant stand it. it is unacceptable around any animal. when people - man, woman, teenage girls -- are too loud i do judge them. what is wrong with you? its so arrogant and self-absorbed. so wrong. as i get older though i have no problem with telling people to tone it down.
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