Things I wish I could tell non horse people......

NO, your kid cannot sit on the weanling in the pen. Can I crush your obnoxios terrier that is terrorizing my horse? No? Oh, okay.

I wish I could tell people to leave their dogs at home. No matter how well trained they claim their dog is, and especially if it's never been to stables or a farm before.

My dogs go everywhere with me. I've got a pit bull and wolfhound mix that are very well behaved and most of the time I'm telling people to leave the dogs alone because my dogs are more prone to ignoring people than wanting to be around them. Thet had extensive training to be able to move around horses without getting stepped on or in the way.

Some more to add:
You need to STEER the horse. He won't magically turn by himself...usually.
I'm adding this because I was resting my mare (she was coughing so she didn't exactly want to move) and my friend rammed into me at a full on canter! She wasn't steering or anything, just laughing! Ugh!

Sure you can! Blue roans remember?

Haha!

Once, at my sisters school (she is 11) the teachers were asking around who would like to participate in an upcoming SHOWJUMPING competition and my sister told the teacher that she would maybe ride MY horse!!! Now for those who don't know Luca, he's a 6 year old, very green, recently broken in horse who trusts ONLY ME, and who hasn't jumped with a rider any higher than 30cm. My sis knows that . And to add to it all, her friend (also 11 yrs old) was very excited, saying that she would probably ride LUCA too! *MAJOR facepalm* she has been to my horse once, where she sat on Luca ONCE (not walking or anything) with me holding him. I also let her do a tiny bit of groundwork, and because he's such a gentleman when it comes to slaloming between car tyres, he followed her quietly, but still looking nervously at me once in a while. So I went and asked that girl why she wanted to ride Luca in this SHOWJUMPING COMP, and it went something like this:

Me: so why do you girl wanna ride Luca?
Sis: because he's so quiet and I've ridden him before.
Friend: because he really likes me and follows me!
Me: you do realise that this horse has only just been broken in...
Friend: I know, but he really trusts me!
Sis: yeah, and you can come and watch.
Me: he's never been to a show before!
Sis: you can do it too! And I go after.
Friend: so that he's experienced after you rode him then I can ride him as well!

Oh goodness.....

Horses cannot be trained like dogs. Most people can figure out basic training for a puppy. It is not the same with foals.

I know a person who is ruining an amazing colt because he is convinced that he is an expert. Before he got this colt, his experience was limited to petting zoos. He wants to keep it a breeding stallion because gelding it is wrong. He thinks that by the time his little girl is old enough to ride, so will the colt. A six year old can not break a horse!

The main pets people train are carnivores (dogs and cats). They are used to their instinctive reactions to training. Horses are prey animals, their reactions are much different, therefore they need a different method of training. More people need to understand this.

That must have been extremely awkward! My guy is like that to. He only trusts one person. It takes time to get his trust.

Yep. It took me AGES to get them to understand that they can't compete on Luca Yeah, and like your horse, Luca also needs some time to gain someone's trust...well, actually quite a long time. He trusts me so well because I'm the one who cared for him when I got him for free, scared, nervous and underweight. I was the only one there for him but it's kind of a nice feeling too, knowing that a horse has your trust.

I have one to add.
It's a lariat not a lasso. We rope the steer, not lasso the bull (which happens to be any bovine with horns)