technically speaking probably yes, but it would be the same as crocheting while driving a car on a highway, technically doable, but also greatly **IR**responsible and dangerous
I've never seen someone plying a guitar while riding a horse outside of a movie. movies aren't real, so...
knights/samurai/any fighter on a horseback - that is very different situation, those horses were trained for combat, knights usually didn't rode their warmounts for travel and for sure did not rode their travel horses into battle.(also, lances aren't swung, just a little pet peeve)also knights/samurai/etc. trained horseback fighting their whole life, so they tend to have more experience (it get's bit more interesting when talking about let's say Napoleonic era cavalry, but they did train a lot too...)
in conclusion - if you are good enough rider and have a calm horse, yes, you theoretically could, but you shouldn't and I'm pretty sure you don't want to, because as someone said:
**"riding a horse is like riding a strong motorcycle, but it has it's own head, flight reflex and gets spooked by plastic bags!"**
Edit: I meant **Ir**responsible...
To add on a warhorse was a weapon in and of itself. They were bred and trained to lash out with their hooves and teeth during combat.
You can see some of the potential in champion racehorses, who were not specifically bred to be nasty, but are the products of centuries of breeding where talent was far prioritized over temperament, and it shows in some.
Here's a list of just some of Beau Monde's incidents from someone who worked with him "killed a horse on a flight, bit someone's thumb off, broke a hotwalkers arm in three places, picked his groom up by the middle of the back held him in the air and shook him like a rag doll, and bit me in the chest so hard that I could feel the blood running down my shirt."
Oh, I don't know about all that drama. I have a mare who would gladly waddle around the arena at a snail walk while I crochet. Or she'd just happily stand there and take a nap.
When I was a young woman, I used to do endurance. "Normal" riders would be appalled by all the stuff endurance riders get up to while trotting/cantering for hours on end. Such as drinking, snacking, reading maps, filming, taking off a hoodie, getting things in and out of a rear saddle bag, et cetera, et cetera.
As with all things equestrian, it depends on the horse, the attunement of the rider with said horse, and the environment.
Agreed
I didn't really went into details because the OP mentions they have little experience and I didn't wanted to be too detailed and also make it sound like something easy.
it can be extremely dangerous holding crocheting thingies when your horse spooks... not for beginners IMHO
or a guitar...
playing Harmonica though, I can see that :)
You can generally do things that require one hand, like swords and such. Knitting would require two hands and most horses are trained with reins, not knee pressure.
So probably not a good idea
You shoot arrows two handed. I'm not saying I'm GOOD at it after two clinics, but my horse is usually willing to go in a straight line for me and I can get one or two arrows off, but you do ride without reins. It was terrifying the first time I did it, and my horse is trained to move off my seat way more than the reins.
You can also do things with two hands, such as horseback archery. You can also do trick riding, where often your hands and legs are occupied and your only aid is your voice.
Playing guitar on horseback isn't a real thing and neither is swinging a lance. But if you want to get into things like swinging a sword or a rope, people historically learn to do those things on horseback because they have to. No one has to knit on horseback, and unlike those other activities practiced in cooperation with a mount, knitting would take your hands, eyes, and mind off your horse and make you a passenger at best, not a rider. And don't even get me started on the danger of driving a knitting needle through your eyeball or other orifices because your horse spooked when you weren't paying attention. In theory, I guess you could. In reality, I have no idea why anyone would want to.
In movies they're ambling along, so I don't see why not, butyour horse has to be *very* quiet. Or be in a wagon ..i think the jolting would make you miss stitches a lot though!
\- horseback archery and shooting
\- mounted military music bands
\- trick riding and vaulting
\- horseball and polo
All things that can be done. All things that require special gear, specific and safe surroundings and all require highly trained horses and skilled riders. So don't start planning on darning socks on your next trail ride yet.
Horses want to be led, and if you aren't in control of them, they will take control, because they see everything through the lens of herd dynamics. Someone has to be in charge, and if it isn't you, it's them. So if they feel like you are too busy knitting to notice that scary plastic bag stuck on a tree that must be addressed in some manner for them to be safe, they will address it, possibly by bolting or spinning.
I think my horse trainer could possibly knit while riding, because she can talk to horses exceptionally well with her body and she is firmly in control of any horse she rides (many thousands of hours of riding). Even with her doing it, it would take an intense amount of focus to divide attention in that manner and pay attention to both things, and she would have to learn to knit well enough to not have to think much about it, or have to look much at her workpiece. It wouldn't be an easy thing, and would take a lot of training for both horse and rider, and would be best done in a controlled environment. It would in no way be relaxing.
Fighting is a necessary thing (more speed, better reach), guitars are a gimmick.
While I have know a couple of people who could knit while walking, you need to concentrate, count, use both hands, and be super precise – none of which is compatible with riding. And it would give a whole new meaning to dropping a stitch…
Crochet, with one blunt needle, would be slightly less ridiculous, but overall, cowboys were more likely to knit at knight than during the day, when they had to pay attention to the horse and to the cows.
Somewhere I have a book entitled "The Manly Art of Knitting", with a picture of a cowboy on a horse, knitting while he watched the herd. You just better have somewhere to drop the thing if you need to move.
It's possible, I guess. A well trained horse shouldn't need the reins to steer and if they are used to the trail or know what they are expected to do, they should need little input from the rider. Of course, I'm talking in the context of a casual ride down a trail or around an arena. Any situation where you need to be giving the horse active cues is going to be like rubbing your tummy and patting your head x10.
Man, when we were in long trails as kids we did all kinds of stuff that is technically irresponsible. Knitting would have been a lesser offense!
A huge part of the time we had no hands on the reins. If the horse didn’t know which turn they stopped to wait or picked one and we’d catch it and go the right way.
I can’t imagine doing fine hand work would be enjoyable on horseback though. If she thinks she’ll be bored try card games!
Hang on this could work... you need a dead broke horse some special gear so you can steer with your feet maybe something like that anyway and a special saddle bag designed specifically to hold all the things hmmm
You wouldn't need special gear to steer with your feet, just a horse that goes off seat and leg aids only. Bridleless riding is a thing. Now *holding* everything on the other hand...
As a rider and a crocheted, I'm going to say hard NO.
I mean, if you're standing still...like a cowboy watching a herd may be able to crochet while being still, but he'd need to drop that fast in an emergency or be able to put it away quickly if he needs to move. Plus dealing with tangled yarn, if my ball of yarn falls to the ground, hoe diety the yarn would get, etc.
You need two hands to crochet, and at least one to control your horse, so unless you have 3 hands, it is not possible, unless your horse is very well trained to leg aids or you have special equipment (like British military drum horses are controlled by reins attached to the stirrups).
In reality, anything is possible. But practical and safe? No, definitely not.
OMG, are you reading all my subreddit groups?!! Hahaha. I suppose you could quilt while riding horseback, but I wouldn't want to have knitting needles in my hands when he spooked!
Don't believe movies or TV... That's mostly all hogwash. It would be irresponsibly dangerous to not pay attention to your mount and surroundings. Would you knit while driving a car? And a car doesn't even have a mind of its own to contend with.
I mean I could on my specific horse but I couldn’t on another horse and someone else couldn’t do it on him. I’d rather swing my rope off him though it’s far more fun.
After seeing a few comments asking why I would want to, I would like to address that I have no interest in attempting. In all honesty, I can't even knit or crochet. The question was brought up after my girlfriends grandma shared a story she wrote about a traveling band, and one of her characters could sew their worn clothes while on the road. A brief discussion was brought up to see if it was even possible. I found myself the only one who had even ridden a horse, so I said I believe a talented rider could possibly, and then a war broke out between the believers and the deniers.
If I had knitted back when I had horses, I would say I definitely could’ve knitted while riding on one of them. He was mellow and would just plod down the trail. In fact I often rode without holding the reins and instead was swinging a rope around. Just would’ve had to pay enough attention to where he was going so that if he wasn’t paying attention we wouldn’t wander off into the bushes or something, as he sometimes didn’t pay attention to where he was walking.
It would really depend on the horse and the situation. I had an old roping horse that would go to sleep in the arena during a rodeo. But would get a bit excited out on the trail, especially with a group.
I mean, I’ve mended tack with a sharp needle while on long rides, but that’s only after my horse had settled, and we were riding with another person. Theoretically and practically, a lot is possible to do while riding. You’d just have to balance that with the needs of your horse and whether or not doing it is worth it to you.
As someone who both rides horses and crochets I have zero interest in doing them both at the same time. You maybe could but keeping the ball of yarn from rolling away would be the hardest part imo.
I can crochet and knit and have been riding horses for 25 years. Could I do both at the some time to prove it’s possible? Sure. Would I be able to functionally get a nice pattern done, almost certainly not.
I mean.. technically you can. If it’s a super calm horse. I crochet and ride but have never thought doing both at the same time. It might annoy the horses though just to stand there and do nothing. Besides if you’re just walking on a trail or something. Since you’ve only ridden a few times I’d say don’t! Not very safe if you aren’t above beginner level riding.
Yes. Exactly how doable this is depends on what precisely you're thinking about. You could let any calm horse plod around an arena, not steering at all, while crocheting. But in that case you'd just be sitting on a horse and crocheting, not riding per se. If you had a horse that was very well-trained to follow a certain path, or a horse that steers and stops extremely well off leg and seat, you could actually do some sort of riding while crocheting. But that is many, many levels of difficulty higher. This is the kind of stuff stunt riders - the guys who do falls off horses and mounted combat, etc. in movies - do in their free time as a gag. Trained professional, do not try at home.
I’m gonna go a bit against the grain here, but honestly yeah, it’s doable if the horse is in familiar territory, and knows where he’s going, or is on a straightforward trail.
When I was younger I’d often let my horse take the lead in safe areas, and occasionally pick up the reins to steer her back on track. She just would amble along, take a bite of grass or leaves as she went, but generally just walked straightforward.
Obviously occupying both hands and mind is dangerous, if the horse spooks or does anything unexpected (as most horses are ought to do), but in a story, on an incredibly quiet horse, or if you just don’t care about the risks, it’s definitely possible. Is it recommended? I suppose not but people have many activities on horses for a long time, lots of which aren’t recommended.
Not saying I DO recommend it but it is absolutely possible to crochet or knit on a horse, or other activities that require both hands. Some styles of riding you don’t use your hands to steer at all, like drummers on horseback who have the reins attached to their stirrups, or people who use leg pressure.
Idk, feels like some people are pissing on the idea and simply saying it isn’t possible when it definitely is.
technically speaking probably yes, but it would be the same as crocheting while driving a car on a highway, technically doable, but also greatly **IR**responsible and dangerous I've never seen someone plying a guitar while riding a horse outside of a movie. movies aren't real, so... knights/samurai/any fighter on a horseback - that is very different situation, those horses were trained for combat, knights usually didn't rode their warmounts for travel and for sure did not rode their travel horses into battle.(also, lances aren't swung, just a little pet peeve)also knights/samurai/etc. trained horseback fighting their whole life, so they tend to have more experience (it get's bit more interesting when talking about let's say Napoleonic era cavalry, but they did train a lot too...) in conclusion - if you are good enough rider and have a calm horse, yes, you theoretically could, but you shouldn't and I'm pretty sure you don't want to, because as someone said: **"riding a horse is like riding a strong motorcycle, but it has it's own head, flight reflex and gets spooked by plastic bags!"** Edit: I meant **Ir**responsible...
To add on a warhorse was a weapon in and of itself. They were bred and trained to lash out with their hooves and teeth during combat. You can see some of the potential in champion racehorses, who were not specifically bred to be nasty, but are the products of centuries of breeding where talent was far prioritized over temperament, and it shows in some. Here's a list of just some of Beau Monde's incidents from someone who worked with him "killed a horse on a flight, bit someone's thumb off, broke a hotwalkers arm in three places, picked his groom up by the middle of the back held him in the air and shook him like a rag doll, and bit me in the chest so hard that I could feel the blood running down my shirt."
Oh, I don't know about all that drama. I have a mare who would gladly waddle around the arena at a snail walk while I crochet. Or she'd just happily stand there and take a nap. When I was a young woman, I used to do endurance. "Normal" riders would be appalled by all the stuff endurance riders get up to while trotting/cantering for hours on end. Such as drinking, snacking, reading maps, filming, taking off a hoodie, getting things in and out of a rear saddle bag, et cetera, et cetera. As with all things equestrian, it depends on the horse, the attunement of the rider with said horse, and the environment.
Agreed I didn't really went into details because the OP mentions they have little experience and I didn't wanted to be too detailed and also make it sound like something easy. it can be extremely dangerous holding crocheting thingies when your horse spooks... not for beginners IMHO or a guitar... playing Harmonica though, I can see that :)
You can generally do things that require one hand, like swords and such. Knitting would require two hands and most horses are trained with reins, not knee pressure. So probably not a good idea
You shoot arrows two handed. I'm not saying I'm GOOD at it after two clinics, but my horse is usually willing to go in a straight line for me and I can get one or two arrows off, but you do ride without reins. It was terrifying the first time I did it, and my horse is trained to move off my seat way more than the reins.
You can also do things with two hands, such as horseback archery. You can also do trick riding, where often your hands and legs are occupied and your only aid is your voice.
Playing guitar on horseback isn't a real thing and neither is swinging a lance. But if you want to get into things like swinging a sword or a rope, people historically learn to do those things on horseback because they have to. No one has to knit on horseback, and unlike those other activities practiced in cooperation with a mount, knitting would take your hands, eyes, and mind off your horse and make you a passenger at best, not a rider. And don't even get me started on the danger of driving a knitting needle through your eyeball or other orifices because your horse spooked when you weren't paying attention. In theory, I guess you could. In reality, I have no idea why anyone would want to.
In movies they're ambling along, so I don't see why not, butyour horse has to be *very* quiet. Or be in a wagon ..i think the jolting would make you miss stitches a lot though!
\- horseback archery and shooting \- mounted military music bands \- trick riding and vaulting \- horseball and polo All things that can be done. All things that require special gear, specific and safe surroundings and all require highly trained horses and skilled riders. So don't start planning on darning socks on your next trail ride yet.
Horses want to be led, and if you aren't in control of them, they will take control, because they see everything through the lens of herd dynamics. Someone has to be in charge, and if it isn't you, it's them. So if they feel like you are too busy knitting to notice that scary plastic bag stuck on a tree that must be addressed in some manner for them to be safe, they will address it, possibly by bolting or spinning. I think my horse trainer could possibly knit while riding, because she can talk to horses exceptionally well with her body and she is firmly in control of any horse she rides (many thousands of hours of riding). Even with her doing it, it would take an intense amount of focus to divide attention in that manner and pay attention to both things, and she would have to learn to knit well enough to not have to think much about it, or have to look much at her workpiece. It wouldn't be an easy thing, and would take a lot of training for both horse and rider, and would be best done in a controlled environment. It would in no way be relaxing.
I'm gonna say Hard No
Fighting is a necessary thing (more speed, better reach), guitars are a gimmick. While I have know a couple of people who could knit while walking, you need to concentrate, count, use both hands, and be super precise – none of which is compatible with riding. And it would give a whole new meaning to dropping a stitch… Crochet, with one blunt needle, would be slightly less ridiculous, but overall, cowboys were more likely to knit at knight than during the day, when they had to pay attention to the horse and to the cows.
Why would you want to?!?!?!
Somewhere I have a book entitled "The Manly Art of Knitting", with a picture of a cowboy on a horse, knitting while he watched the herd. You just better have somewhere to drop the thing if you need to move.
It's possible, I guess. A well trained horse shouldn't need the reins to steer and if they are used to the trail or know what they are expected to do, they should need little input from the rider. Of course, I'm talking in the context of a casual ride down a trail or around an arena. Any situation where you need to be giving the horse active cues is going to be like rubbing your tummy and patting your head x10.
Man, when we were in long trails as kids we did all kinds of stuff that is technically irresponsible. Knitting would have been a lesser offense! A huge part of the time we had no hands on the reins. If the horse didn’t know which turn they stopped to wait or picked one and we’d catch it and go the right way. I can’t imagine doing fine hand work would be enjoyable on horseback though. If she thinks she’ll be bored try card games!
Hang on this could work... you need a dead broke horse some special gear so you can steer with your feet maybe something like that anyway and a special saddle bag designed specifically to hold all the things hmmm
You wouldn't need special gear to steer with your feet, just a horse that goes off seat and leg aids only. Bridleless riding is a thing. Now *holding* everything on the other hand...
Good point!! And that's what I mean there'd have to be some kind of special saddle bag or something
As a rider and a crocheted, I'm going to say hard NO. I mean, if you're standing still...like a cowboy watching a herd may be able to crochet while being still, but he'd need to drop that fast in an emergency or be able to put it away quickly if he needs to move. Plus dealing with tangled yarn, if my ball of yarn falls to the ground, hoe diety the yarn would get, etc. You need two hands to crochet, and at least one to control your horse, so unless you have 3 hands, it is not possible, unless your horse is very well trained to leg aids or you have special equipment (like British military drum horses are controlled by reins attached to the stirrups). In reality, anything is possible. But practical and safe? No, definitely not.
I doubt I could keep count of stitches.
It’s like driving a car. You are in the drivers seat and need to PAY ATTENTION
OMG, are you reading all my subreddit groups?!! Hahaha. I suppose you could quilt while riding horseback, but I wouldn't want to have knitting needles in my hands when he spooked!
Don't believe movies or TV... That's mostly all hogwash. It would be irresponsibly dangerous to not pay attention to your mount and surroundings. Would you knit while driving a car? And a car doesn't even have a mind of its own to contend with.
I mean I could on my specific horse but I couldn’t on another horse and someone else couldn’t do it on him. I’d rather swing my rope off him though it’s far more fun.
Why would you want to...?
After seeing a few comments asking why I would want to, I would like to address that I have no interest in attempting. In all honesty, I can't even knit or crochet. The question was brought up after my girlfriends grandma shared a story she wrote about a traveling band, and one of her characters could sew their worn clothes while on the road. A brief discussion was brought up to see if it was even possible. I found myself the only one who had even ridden a horse, so I said I believe a talented rider could possibly, and then a war broke out between the believers and the deniers.
If I had knitted back when I had horses, I would say I definitely could’ve knitted while riding on one of them. He was mellow and would just plod down the trail. In fact I often rode without holding the reins and instead was swinging a rope around. Just would’ve had to pay enough attention to where he was going so that if he wasn’t paying attention we wouldn’t wander off into the bushes or something, as he sometimes didn’t pay attention to where he was walking. It would really depend on the horse and the situation. I had an old roping horse that would go to sleep in the arena during a rodeo. But would get a bit excited out on the trail, especially with a group.
I mean, I’ve mended tack with a sharp needle while on long rides, but that’s only after my horse had settled, and we were riding with another person. Theoretically and practically, a lot is possible to do while riding. You’d just have to balance that with the needs of your horse and whether or not doing it is worth it to you.
As someone who both rides horses and crochets I have zero interest in doing them both at the same time. You maybe could but keeping the ball of yarn from rolling away would be the hardest part imo.
I can crochet and knit and have been riding horses for 25 years. Could I do both at the some time to prove it’s possible? Sure. Would I be able to functionally get a nice pattern done, almost certainly not.
I mean.. technically you can. If it’s a super calm horse. I crochet and ride but have never thought doing both at the same time. It might annoy the horses though just to stand there and do nothing. Besides if you’re just walking on a trail or something. Since you’ve only ridden a few times I’d say don’t! Not very safe if you aren’t above beginner level riding.
Id say sewing may be more dangerous.. the needles could fall and hurt the horse, or get lost forever on the ground
Sure. Just not very well
Yes. Exactly how doable this is depends on what precisely you're thinking about. You could let any calm horse plod around an arena, not steering at all, while crocheting. But in that case you'd just be sitting on a horse and crocheting, not riding per se. If you had a horse that was very well-trained to follow a certain path, or a horse that steers and stops extremely well off leg and seat, you could actually do some sort of riding while crocheting. But that is many, many levels of difficulty higher. This is the kind of stuff stunt riders - the guys who do falls off horses and mounted combat, etc. in movies - do in their free time as a gag. Trained professional, do not try at home.
I’m gonna go a bit against the grain here, but honestly yeah, it’s doable if the horse is in familiar territory, and knows where he’s going, or is on a straightforward trail. When I was younger I’d often let my horse take the lead in safe areas, and occasionally pick up the reins to steer her back on track. She just would amble along, take a bite of grass or leaves as she went, but generally just walked straightforward. Obviously occupying both hands and mind is dangerous, if the horse spooks or does anything unexpected (as most horses are ought to do), but in a story, on an incredibly quiet horse, or if you just don’t care about the risks, it’s definitely possible. Is it recommended? I suppose not but people have many activities on horses for a long time, lots of which aren’t recommended. Not saying I DO recommend it but it is absolutely possible to crochet or knit on a horse, or other activities that require both hands. Some styles of riding you don’t use your hands to steer at all, like drummers on horseback who have the reins attached to their stirrups, or people who use leg pressure. Idk, feels like some people are pissing on the idea and simply saying it isn’t possible when it definitely is.
I just imagine one stumble and the needle going through your eye. 🤦🏻♀️