Hello
Stumbled across the tack room and have been reading old posts all afternoon!
So my 8 year old has been having lessons for just under a year. He's loving it and doing really well. He badgered us for years before we gave in and let him have lessons. I was worried it would be all too expensive (which it is!) and that the other people would be a bit judgey of non-horsey people like us (they have been lovely).
Anyway watching my DS ride has woken up the 'want to have a go' in me that has always been there but never acted on. So far I have bought second hand boots and jodhpurs on eBay and I've decided this summer I'm going to have a go. Just need to borrow a hat from the riding school.
What advice would you give a 45 year old, not that fit but can run the odd 5-10k, whose 5'6" and a good size 12, 10st 10lber when learning to ride? My ambitions are modest - ultimately I'd like to be able to join a group hack for example.
Anybody done the same? Am I kidding myself at my age?
Thanks.
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The tack room
Too old to learn at 45?
cakeforme · 23/02/2019 17:23
Of course you can! You can start at any age, I’ve known women in their 60’s start.
You’ll love it. Then you can buy a horse to share with DS 
No advice, you just need to crack on. You should crack an independent seat and be confident hacking within a year. Just don’t be afraid to ask if you aren’t sure what the instructor means, things like “heels down” don’t always make sense. Ask to be shown if you can’t feel what’s wrong and if you can get someone to video your lessons now and again it really helps.
Oooh thanks for the quick replies and encouragement. @Megan2018 what do you mean by independent seat?
I'll probably book lessons at the yard where DS rides and you're right I will have to ask as the terminology baffles me - he'll be giving me advice about getting leg in and changing rein!
Well I’ve got ten years on you and I’ve just had my second lesson 
. I had lessons when I was a child but I was never very good - I’d got to the point of being able to canter and pop a small cross pole by the time I stopped having regular lessons. I did a few beach rides after that when we went on holiday but hadn’t been on a horse for 40 years 
. Dd’s been riding for years and a few months ago got her first horse so I’ve been spending quite a bit of time at the yard and really enjoying it. I decided to be brave and booked myself a private lesson - it was lovely getting back in the saddle - terrifying for the first couple of minutes but then I relaxed into it and remembered all the ‘heels down, elbows in’ instructions from my lessons as a child. I was on a lovely, kind, patient and extremely comfy cob. We took it steady and concentrated on starting, stopping and steering with a few trots towards the end. My aim is to be able to go on a hack with dd, which I think (hope) is doable! Good luck and let us know how you get on
Go for it! You’ll love it!! 
I rode a little bit as a 11/12 year old, and sporadically over the next 40 years and then at 54 I decided to learn properly. I love, love, love it despite the falls and injuries I’ve had. 
I was delighted the other day when my instructor told me I had really improved. I really need to get my brain to relax now and enjoy jumping.
I spend time watching You Tube videos by Your Riding Sucess, CRK Training and lots of other sites to learn more outside of my lessons.
Why don’t you start straight away and then when it comes to the summer you’ll be able to go out on those hacks!!
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