When people say I'm going ache a lot, how much is a lot?

[QueenOfIce]

1st lesson coming up in a few weeks, haven't ridden since I was 16 am now 40. Consider myself a novice, so when I've had my lesson and I walk bow legged home how much am I going to ache the next day? Should I get a stairlift installed, will it be that bad?

For me it wasn't so much the aching but the jelly legs when I got off!

With the gym I ache the next day, but with riding it’s two days later. Very odd.

Yep, two days later!

Yeah. Ya gonna ache like mad.

I am also 40. Have ponies for the dcs and have done for years but hadn't ridden for 20 years. Just started backing baby pony to be a mother daughter share. Been on a few times for a few minutes each time and I ached after that.

I will be seriously riding out in September hopefully (dd currently riding her but she back at school then) and expecting severe ouch.

The biggest problem I have had is knowing what I should be doing but not physically having the strength to do it. I used to ride about 20 hours a week so had thighs of steel. I never had to move my leg hardly as a squeeze with iron thighs and calves was enough.

I know I will end up doing pony club style flapping which will throw me off balance. And also make me ache.

So it's going to be like my old PT sessions then. Can't walk for days and have to slide down the banister. Will it be my thighs bum and stomach? Or just legs?

I suppose it depends on what you are doing on your lesson, if you're just getting back into it and bobbing around for an hour you'll be achy but nothing severe. If you're having a proper lesson and getting the horse to work etc you will probably be pretty achy a couple of days after.
I went on a riding weekend (8 hours hacking for 2 days) after not riding for a year or two and it was safe to say a couple of days later I was incredibly achy. I actually did have to walk like John Wayne lol.

I haven't ridden for many many years and they weren't proper lessons. So I will be starting out as a complete novice. I am stupidly excited and a little terrified!

I started again last year after a 20-year break.

It is exciting! Just wish I had the time and the money to do it more

Radox in the blue box and a good long soak

Ooh how exciting! Good luck and enjoy! I would say if you are reasonably fit and flexible and just doing a half hour initial sessions, your thighs and calfs are going to ache quite a lot but not to the point of not being able to walk and yes to the pp who said it's always 2 days after, I've been riding all my life and still get the 48-hour delayed aches sometimes, esp if I ride a wider horse than my regular mare!

I’ve found doing a basic lower-body stretch routine afterwards takes the edge off.

Is it possible to own a horse that you never ride? I love being around them my best friend has her own horses and she has been teaching me stable management. I absolutely love the times I go with her and bring in the horses, groom them feed them, mucking out, poo picking etc though I do get a bit nervy still.

I'm not sure I'll ever feel confidant enough to ride other than in lessons but I would love to own my own one day. Maybe an old timer who just wants lots of love?

I will be buying radox very shortly!

Of course it's possible - there's no law that says you have to ride, although how brilliant would it be if there was

The reality is that most people have horses because they want to ride, horses are very expensive and a lot of work to have just as pets (!) so you might get the odd look from people if you keep a horse on a livery yard and never ride, but then again livery yards are notoriously full of people giving you that face and useful 'advice' over anything and everything (horsey people are not usually reticent!) , so it really shouldn't make a difference providing you are not very thin skinned!

Plenty of people I know have horses that are not ridden due to their age or health conditions that mean they can't cope with ridden work (usually these started off as ridden horses and had to be retired rather than specifically being acquired that way though). There are rescue centres up and down the country filled with horses that can't be ridden so if you wanted to acquire a horse/pony just to fuss over I'm sure you'd have your hand bitten off! But then you may find you catch the riding bug and want to be going round Badminton in a few years, wait and see!

Definitely!

Currently own four. Currently ride none!

Two are retired and are big lawnmowers, one has just been backed so who knows he might be ridden one day, and one is lightly backed amd someone someday might ride him. They all make us smile and we just enjoy their company.

I've just had a look at our local rescue and pretty much fallen in love with all of them. Best friend has 1 stable unused..oh dear.

A lot! For about three days!

I have returned to riding after spinal surgery and a twenty year gap. Now have my own horse and I am doing more than I did as a kid.

Don't write yourself off as a rider just yet 😉

It depends on my flexibility over the strength in my legs for me

If I've not kept on top of stretching I ache like a bastard two days later but if I'm reasonably bendy I tend to not feel it too much, even doing a bit of work

It won't just be your legs.... tummy, arms etc. Also your bum and your lady bits!

I hardly ride mine... the vet refers to her as 'the very expensive lawnmower'!

Is there anything I need to do before my first lesson to hopefully make the ache less? Stretching? I can't wait!

Stretching might help a bit, make sure you warm up before you get on (something riders are terrible about in general, might explain why we're all so achey all the time!) but also make sure you are wearing comfy trousers and pants, no prominent seams and don't wear jeans!

I have some thick leggings will they be ok? Also can I ride in my Ariat Windermere boots?

I'm nervous that I'll be a big heavy heap and the poor horse will suffer, really conscious of getting my posture right.

Frouby I went back to riding after a 15-ish year gap. Instructor said 'your brain knows what it wants to do, but your body doesn't know what's hit it...'

That's going to be me Squirrel. Sigh.

Sat on pony a few weeks ago and squeezed a bit too enthusiastically and nearly got a cramp in my calf muscle.

And am worried about trotting and erm, leakage. Trampolines are out for me these days (doing pelvic floor exercises now as I type, bet you all are as well now).

Fortunately dpony is a highland and like me built for comfort not speed. But she did an alarming spook on the lunge the other day. I calculated I could have definitely sat it when I was younger, possibly sat it now but would probably have piddled a little bit. Possibly.

The plan was to lightly back her over summer using dd as jockey then finish off building up gradually to trot and canter in September. However dd has really taken to her and pony is doing very well so by the time I get on in September she will be well established in trot and should be well on her way to cantering.

I on the other hand won't be 😂.

We have 2 ex riding school ponies. Safe in all circumstances. We range from 49 to 9!! And we all share them. Eldest DD and I share one and the other 4 pretty much share the other. He's 14hh (approx) Fjord cross.

We have 2 hectares of good grass land and apart from the farrier our costs are pretty low. Vaccinations annually. Worming 3x year. Some hay and a bit of hard food, maybe six sacks a year (not strictly necessary).

Bits of kit. Synthetic saddles (but fitted). Leather bridles. They live out all year, so some winter rugs.

It takes about a year for them to click that you are their humans. It's a lovely process.