Is three years enough time to get back into the swing of things?

[ballinacup]

I am in a bit of a quandary.

I had my own pony or horse from being 11 to being 15. My last was an IDxTB and a complete mentalist. I began riding lessons at 4 and had a fair bit of help with my horses that I owned.

At 15 there were family changes that meant I had to give up riding and, aside from the odd go on a friend's pony, I haven't ridden since.

I'm currently pregnant with DC2 but was thinking about going back to my old riding school for lessons when DC is a few months old and then, when DC2 is around 3, getting a nice schoolmaster type.

Is three years enough time to get back into the swing of all things horsey? How do you fit your horses into your routine with young DCs and how old were your DC when you'd begin involving them (DC1 will be 5)?

Ample time I would say. I would advise a horse share after you've had a few lessons - there are lots of nice safe types looking for a sharer for a couple of days a week and that will get you back into things like stable management etc etc that you won't get at riding school. Plus, there is absolutely no comparison between riding in a school environment and riding a non-school horse.

Can't comment about how to manage with young dcs - mine where 8 and 11 when I started to get back into horses and DD was 12 and DS 15 when I took the plunge and bought our first horse (DD now 18 and we have 3 horses!). Probably the easiest option is to keep horse somewhere that offers lots of part livery services, or else make friends with other liveries and help each other out - this is what happens on my yard, we all turn out and bring in for each other as people work shifts, juggle work and the school run etc.

Yeap, managing little one, lol I kept my ponies near my dad and just dropped them off. The weather isn't always nice!

I had to reply as your situation is so similar to mine! I rode as a child, had my own horse in my early 20s, but then life got in the way and I didn't ride for 8ish years. Well, I started having lessons about a month and a half ago and I am LOVING it. Totally addicted and obsessed again!
My plan is to keep on having lessons for the next couple of years, then buy my own horse again (my little boy will be 6 then) and keep it on assisted DIY or possibly part-livery. Tbh, the stable management/tacking up/grooming side of things has come straight back to me - but I am finding that my muscles , particularly stomach, are totally out of practise and need building up again. My core strength is rubbish.
My main advice would be to choose your riding school carefully - I've tried 2 so far, but am trialling a 3rd tomorrow on the recommendation of a friend. I've found that lots of instructors aren't that good with adults returning to riding - we're in that weird place where we don't need treating like total beginners, but do need to recover some of the basics and need our confidence building up.
Good luck with your horsey journey!

Have to echo Lost's post! Strength just isn't there! And I found the riding school I went to just left me riding round and round-very little instruction which was frustrating (unless I was just so good ). We have land at home and kids' ponies so I took the plunge and bought one-then have knackered my knees so have had to find someone else to ride! Enjoy getting back into it-and really worth looking at riding for someone else or part loaning-the market is so depressed at the moment people can't see the point in selling so keep things on and share them.

I hadn't thought of a share but will definitely look into it once I've built my confidence and strength/muscle tone back up. Might be worth doing a bit of yoga as well to work on core strength!

I think getting your own when DC2 is about 3 is ideal. I had to take a break from horses while DD was tiny, but found once she started getting the free hours at pre school, then I had time to fill again, and I could use that time to ride. Getting a share in the mean time sounds like a good idea too. I'd imagine riding school horses would get a bit tedious after a while.

I'd also agree that strength is an issue. I found my brain remembered how to ride, but my body just couldn't do it, it was horrendous to begin with, I was all over the place, no balance. It did improve quite quickly though.