1st lesson, I have found my happy place!

[QueenOfIce]

I am obsessed! I had a rather horrible experience when I was 17 with a thoroughbred and I vowed never to ride again, in fact up until a few months ago I was terrified of being near a horse if there was no stable door between us.

No 40 I decided to have a word with myself get a grip and so I have been learning stable management at my best friends stables and after gaining some confidence finally had my 1st lesson and loved it!

I need to relax a bit more and I found during my rising trot my legs would slip forward so I struggled to keep the trot going but I really really enjoyed myself and surprisingly although I ached it wasn't bad at all.

Cannot wait for lesson 2!

Wishing you many happy hours in the saddle.

It is the wind of heaven that blows between a horse's ears.

2nd lesson today, horse wasn't playing ball kept stopping refusing to turn, taking me into the side found it quite hard. Canter was enjoyable but took me a couple of times to get the rhythm. Bit demoralising when you can't seem to give clear instructions and when you do the horse blatantly ignores you! Hopefully next week will be better.

I was the same, nasty accident, started again in my 40s. I loved my lessons when I started again but they were often very demoralising. I think because I knew I used to be better and I lacked the strength and confidence of my youth. It does get better so stick at it

I am the same. My instructor says ‘you expect massive improvements and it doesn’t work like that. It happens gradually.’ Which is good advice for life in general, I suppose.

Is riding meant to be such hard work? I'm struggling to get the horse to listen to me. Can't keep him in a fast trot to go into canter, when I do get him into a canter he only does a few steps then goes back to trot.

Canter after three lessons?! Were you capable of three paces when younger (so have experience/good idea of what to do, just rusty)? It sounds like you’re being pushed too quickly. More work in walk and trot with emphasis on control would be what my riding instructor would probably be doing.

But yes, going back to it after a break (I did this at 50) is amazing fun 😎

And you don't want a fast trot for canter.

Don't worry. Be patient. It will come.

Can do some hacking as well?

Yep I was just wondering at canter after 3 lessons. Especially if not got to grips with trot. And the fast trot I to canter doesn’t sound right. You need a calm controlled impulsive Bouncy trot to get into Canter. Fast trot usually means the energy is running out of the forehand.

But agree, rusty is very different to compete novice. So perhaps not unrealistic. So glad you have found your happy place. Stick at it. Maybe spend a few lessons just in walk really getting your balance and practicing half halts and transitions etc so the horse is really attuned to you. Then perfect the trot. If your legs are going forward and you can’t keep it up then sounds like you need some time before canter.

Good luck with it all, horses are the best. Enjoy

I'm rusty, have got my riding trot down what I mean is he is a massive plod and he is barely trotting. I am constantly nagging him to pick up the pace and then go into canter so it's taking out all the fun.

I much prefer canter to trot just wish I could keep him going!

What is the horse like for others? Rusty notwithstanding, there are some RS horses that have very bad habits/ are dead to the leg. Good to get experience of all sorts but it can be frustrating if you only ride that type. My RS has talented ex-BSJA showjumpers to relatively unschooled types. All useful for your learning but I certainly get more enjoyment out of the former!

Agree with others that a fast trot tends to lead to a faster flatter trot rather than a nice canter transition. How is your position when you try to pick up canter?

Also nothing wrong with just working on trot for now!

Also what exercises are you doing to improve the trot? Lots of transitions should get him more off your leg walk-trot-walk or even halt-trot if you can. Plus try extending and collecting the trot as you go round rather than just nagging all the time.

Well done! It's great that you are cantering so early on after re-starting so it sounds like you are doing great. I agree with others that the horse you are riding is probably quite dead to the leg and lazy, riding schools deliberately keep their steady eddys that beginners or those who are a bit nervous/rusty ride this way. If you think about it novices tend not to have very stable lower legs so you wouldn't want the horse swinging off straight into canter as soon as the leg goes back the way a very well trained horse would do, it would be carnage!

Don't worry though, I'm sure the school has something a bit more lively you can move onto in due course. In the meantime start as others have said from a forward, bouncy but not fast trot, its easiest to ask in a corner. To get the canter strike off you need to give the leg aid lightly but firmly (just move the outside leg back slightly and squeeze), if you are sure you are asking in the right place and he ignores you you may need to give a swift back up by giving a flick with the whip (be aware you may then get a rush or overreaction forwards so make sure to give with the hands and not sock him in the mouth or lose balance as that will be counter productive! If this happens just praise him for moving forwards, quietly bring him back to trot and ask for the canter again when ready).

Then to maintain him in canter you shouldn't need to kick him along at all, you are probably slightly blocking him from the seat and/or hands at the moment and he is using that as an excuse to drop out of canter, you need to get the feeling of moving your hips and seat in the rhythm of the movement whilst not bouncing out of the saddle - the best way to get the feeling is to either ask your instructor to pop you on the lunge so she is in charge of the pace and you just concentrate on your seat, or alternatively find a centre with a mechanical horse for a few sessions, it's hard work but does wonders for your seat and position...