The best compliment you have ever had

[KBC]

You know maybe the best compliment that I have ever had, was the first day that the Red Giraffe walked towards me, rather than away, when I went to catch her........it was a turning point day...

[xeroxchick]

Once, on my little stock horse Appaloosa, was hunting a trappy plantation. A former Olympic rider was along on an elegant bay. When asked how she liked her horse she looked at us and said "I want to be on THAT horse!" Wow! Was very proud of my super heart horse.

[Renn/aissance]

I love this thread- so nice to read something so joyful.

I rode with a trainer of the old school type, a well-educated horsewoman, who took meticulous care of her horses and had the whole barn in wonderful condition. Boy, she was tough. We did not fit into her program and she's the only person ever to have reduced me to tears in a lesson. I took care of my own horse in the barn and she had a thing or two to say about everything I did. As far as she was concerned, whenever I started to do something, I couldn't bandage legs, wrap a foot, clip, or anything else, and whatever I did was bound to go wrong in dire ways. But by the time I was done she usually had a grudging "Hmm" or something like that, as if she'd have given a compliment had she not already dealt out her opinion. One day, though, a friend gave my trainer a call regarding a horse for sale, and made mention that she knew me. My friend relayed back to me that the trainer said "She loves that horse and she is a fine horsewoman." I didn't stay with that trainer for long- we were square pegs in her barn- but I respect her knowledge and her care and that stuck with me.

The other one is that George Morris signed my book saying I am "an excellent student." I haven't got two ounces of talent to rub together but I've always worked hard and tried to learn as much as I can. To have that recognized by someone of his caliber meant a lot.

My horse nickers when I come into the barn, though, and that tells me everything I need to know about the kind of horsewoman I want to be.

[Field of Dreams Mini Horses]

The one compliment we get pretty often is how well behaved our Minis are. Especially at our vet clinic- they get a lot of interns, and invariably when we pull in for their first appointment with us, we hear a groan and "oh, boy- minis". The vet on duty always corrects them and says "No, these are GOOD Minis!" We do warn them, though, when we bring young or green horses. Or known PITA ones....

[shortenmyreins]

I did a one day clinic with a former show jumping world champion and was told that I should be riding in the Adult Equitation division. I had worked hard on my Equitation so I took that as a huge compliment!

[SuzieQNutter]

My sister won a showjumping round once. A high known rider in the class and just a case of my sisters horse went over a jump and his knocked it down.

He said he didn't mind being beaten but being beaten by a kid on a shetland pony was a bit much. (Red wasn't a shetland or a pony).

[Abracadabra]

Walter Zettl said I had a nice position, on my GREEN TB!!

[rockonxox]

"You two make a great team" from peers (especially those that have seen our low points as well). It's taken time to get to where I feel we make a great team, and for others to see and voice that it means so much to me.

[SuzieQNutter]

I had a lesson with the new instructor at our riding school last night. My instructor was sick so I joined in the group lesson. After the warm up she said, "I haven't seen Ben work like that before. He looks so different". Half way through the lesson. She said, "You really like that horse."

[KBC]

I had a lesson with the new instructor at our riding school last night. My instructor was sick so I joined in the group lesson. After the warm up she said, "I haven't seen Ben work like that before. He looks so different". Half way through the lesson. She said, "You really like that horse."

LOL, that reminds me, when we decided that arena work didn't suit my QH anymore, and there was a show coming up, I was told to go and get 'the big guy' TBxClyde....went and caught him with some trepidation, but took him in the school and started warming up, kind of amazed at the size of his paces compared to 15.1hh short legged QH.

After a few minutes I noticed we had gained an audience, and heard someone ask "Who is that horse" and the reply "Oh that's Troy"

"What, our Troy???? I never knew he could look like that"

[SuzieQNutter]

LOL that reminds me of a horse that was given to us. An old red coat horse. A grey but he did have some arab in him. Under our care he just got younger and younger and younger. Suddenly he could trot again.

He was our horse now, ridden on the property, kept in a paddock, taken to ponyclub etc.

I was standing with the guy who owns the horse in the next paddock looking down and Tom cantered across. He asked who the horse was. I looked at him funny and said, "You know who that is." He guessed all kinds and would not believe me when I said it was Tom.

The funny thing is that we had the exact same conversation in the exact same spot exactly one week later and he still coud not believe that was Tommy.

[pony grandma]

I had a cowboy horseman walk into my backyard barn one time and exclaim that all my horses had the same eye. The same eager friendly trusting healthy open expressions on their faces.

[Mondo]

I was selling a horse I had trained from green to 3rd level and beyond. The trainer got on and rode him very well. Then her client got on and rode him very well. The trainer asked me, "Who trained your horse?" I said, "I did." She said, "Anybody can get on this horse and look like a million bucks. You did a great job!"

I was so flattered that I made it my mission - when I train a horse I want anyone to be able to ride it when I'm finished.
(Hasn't always worked out that way, but it's a good mission to have.) And yes, that person did buy the horse.

[shiloh]

I think the best compliments are the ones we get from our horses. (But these ones are pretty great, too!)

[Bozilla]

"You've increased that horses value, by a lot!" The horse I've been leasing for the past 4 yrs was just hanging out and doing the occasional lesson before I got on her. I'm hoping the owner doesn't expect me to invest what she thinks the horse is now worth!

[sdlbredfan]

I had a cowboy horseman walk into my backyard barn one time and exclaim that all my horses had the same eye. The same eager friendly trusting healthy open expressions on their faces.

Wow, that is indeed special! Keep on doing whatever you are doing!

[hairystockings]

I have a couple I can think of. Many years ago I did a GM clinic. He told me I was a good student and my pony was a decent, very nice pony or something like that. I was pretty pleased with that considering I was on a draft breed pony with shaved legs. He also told me I should make sure I ride horses, not just ponies. I ignored that advice and have a sport pony for jumpers now, so now I'm "that adult on the pony". One trainer told her kids at a show they needed to "ride more like that adult on that pony" and that it's frustrating when we show up because they "just can't beat us". I only show at 3' but we work real hard (and it's been a long, difficult road to get here) to be competitive so it was really gratifying.

[dressurrider]

From Alex G you obviously know how to train a horse, from german trainer you have a good seat and can follow my directions?

After a horrid test when my mare was not wanting to play at championships, I had someone come up and compliment me on how i dealt with it. It was a nice change to hear a pleasant railbird comment

The funniest was at Equine Affaire and Linda P., natural horseperson, told me I had such a nice relationship with my horse. Now if Hilda said that, I would have been happy{

[mscapen]

My first ever compliment as I was a little french girl from nowhere working student to an UL eventer back in the days of long format, of no cells, of cotton bandages for transport a well know peer of my then boss said, as we where getting ready to load the horses at an international venu: "Who did the bandages on this horse? " in a loud tone, about the horse I was grooming. I said I did: "mighty fine" he repllied. I had a smile stamped on my face for 3 days.
Compliments of any kind in those days in my carreer where few and far beetween.
Then a few years ago I was in a clinic on an odd ball Canadian Horse with an international rider ( I was coming back from an injury and was half leasing her under the guidance of a lovely coach) the mare was not the most talented could spook at pretty much anything even her own shadow... as we where ending the 45 minutes she had spend with me the clinician said: " You do right by that mare, she gives you her all because you ask well and are generous with your expectations" . Wow that makes me smile to this day.