Am I too old and fat?!

[JoinTheMicrodots]

Please be kind... this is a tiny flame of hope I’ve got here, and it’d be easily extinguished!

Someone posted in a local FB group that they were looking for someone to exercise their horses during the week. Now there’s no way that I could do that at the moment, but it sparked a real yearning in me to get back on a horse. I’d have loved to ride as an adult, but have always been skint so could never afford to. I was a horse-crazy kid, had lessons up to age 12 or so and then a horse from then through to 15 or so. He was a bombproof, lazy, elderly gent, so that was really just hacking, bombing around fields herding sheep and jumping over combinations of hay bales. So I was fairly experienced, but at a pretty basic level, if that makes sense.

I rode from time to time in my later teens, occasionally in my twenties and haven’t sat in a horse for at least 15 years. I need to lose 4 stone. I’m incredibly unfit - back problems, hysterectomy a few years ago, laziness and depression have contributed to a perfect storm of blubber and flab. The only exercise I’ve ever enjoyed is riding (not that it felt like exercise, I just loved it), and when I had this little glimmer of ‘blimey, maybe someone like me could actually ride as an adult’, it made me feel that it would be something worth getting fit and losing weight for.

So (and if you’ve stuck with this tale of woe this far, thank you!) my questions are...

Is riding like the proverbial bike... ie. you never fully forget how to do it? Or would it be like starting from the beginning again?

I’m assuming that I’d need to lose a lot of weight and get much fitter (considering I’m starting from such a very low bar!) before getting to a point where I could go and have some riding lessons to brush on old skills and develop new ones? Any thoughts on that?

I’m assuming that core strength would be the thing to focus on? I was thinking I could start with just doing a minute or two of exercises frequently throughout the day - squats, standing press-ups, star jumps etc, as that feels doable. Also pilates/physio exercises for core strength that I was taught an age ago and couldn’t be arsed to keep doing. Does that sound sensible?

Is it a common thing that horse owners look for someone to exercise their horse? I realise I’d have a shedload of work to do before I was competent enough for someone to let me loose on their horse, but it would be a goal to motivate me, if that makes sense.

Would I have to lose most of the weight first, or is fitness more important? I have a couple of friends who are very horsey, and they’re both carrying a fair bit of weight, so is it more about strength and flexibility?

If you are anywhere near Cheshire I can recommend a trekking centre with a 15st weight limit - they have a lovely Belgian draught.

Go for it, OP. It might just be the thing that gives you the incentive to lose some weight. As you say, a lot of it is core strength. I'd work on getting down to 13/ 14 stone and being a bit fitter and then try. Ideally then you'd keep trying to get down to 11 or 12 stone but if you make that your goal before you start you may get demoralised.

around 21 stone

No horse should be carrying that. I suspect many do, particularly when you see two people riding one horse but really, I wouldn't let anyway that weight ride any horse of mine.

Get an i-joy electronic horse exercise thing from ebay for about £50, not really like a horse, but works the bits you need to while you watch the tv

@beingchampion thank you - the sight of that contraption really gave me a laugh! I may have to get one.

@Shanirae I’m down south, but thank you.

@Frouby that’s encouraging, thanks!

My enthusiasm has been slightly dented by falling down the stairs this week; both in terms of being too sore to do any exercise, and in terms of making me wonder whether it’s a good idea to take up an activity that could easily result in serious injury/broken bones. 🤔

If you think it's a funny thing to look at, then search on you tube for a room full of people using one - priceless! But they are good at working the bits that need to be worked.

Don't under-estimate back pain. I got back on after about 20 years and after 15 mins I had to get off again as my lower back was in agony from the jarring motion. I only did mostly walking and around 5 mins of rising trot

I rode again at Easter for the first time in 18 yrs , started with a private 30 minutes . I was reasonably fit and have some core strength due to doing Pilates , I was also a very competent rider back in the day . I was very surprised that it all came back to me straight away and, I was only slightly stiff the day after . I now ride at least 2 hours a week and it’s brilliant although I’m definitely not getting a horse ( been there , done it and not doing it again ! )

OP just do it. You fell down and hurt yourself in your own home. Obviously riding is a slightly riskier sport than some, but you could hurt yourself at anytime doing anything.

Don't take unnecessary risks, only do what you feel confident doing physically and try and ease yourself in gently at a reputable riding school.

But as I said up thread, it felt brilliant when I got on, have a saddle fitter due out Friday to buy a new saddle and I actually can't wait to get off aching and walking like a shit a hedgehog. Build up gradually and take it steady, but start as soon as you possibly can.

Years ago when I was a young 'un working in the local riding school for rides I used to take a lady out hacking once a week. She was 68 when she started riding. She didn't stop her weekly hack until she died well into her 70s. The Queen is regularly photographed out riding! Age is just a number. The older you get, the less well you bounce is true. But you also get wiser and less likely to take risks (says me who clambered on her unbroken pony to see if she could 🙈). So it's all relative really.

op Don’t waste a moment! Call all the riding stables near you today, find one that will take you and book a lesson. Order riding essentials off the very many equestrian websites-jodhpurs ( sticky bottom ones are fab) jodhpur boots and chaps or visit your local riding shop- and get going. Don’t wait until you’ve lost weight this will help you on your goal to get there. It’ll brighten your day, make you smile, give you something to look forward to weekly.
You’ll ache like hell to begin with and you’ll discover muscles, particularly those inner thigh ones, that you didn’t know existed but the pain is so worth it!! . I rode for a little bit as an child 11/12 years old, a little as a teenager, and then just a handful of times until I was 54. I just love it. I feel like I’m 12 again when I ride and I’ve learned so much in the last 4 years.
Dont waste a moment JointheMicrodots life is too short!!

Absolutely agree with pp. Just get on and do it now. I know quite a few older ladies (and younger ones) including me who won't see a s12 again and a few who won't see an 18 or 20. 15 stone on a heavy horse, or heavy hunter type would be no problem at all. But be prepared for a bit of a thigh muscle tenderness for a few days after! A pair of black jods and some jod boots and half chaps won't look terrible. It's a great way to exercise most muscles and that maybe combined with some pilates would do wonders. Go for it.

Go for it. Try and get fitter off the horse if you can too. There are plenty of companies that offer curvy wear for riders now, such as Equetech and you can get a nice type in a cob x or something of that nature. Good luck!

OP - go for it. Do some research and be honest with the instructor about where you are at.
Incase it helps - I took a long break. Then got the bug again. Found a lovely school with a really gentle instructor. Then sat my Stage 1 exams for fun. Now have my own horse again. I feel alive riding and it’s such a wonderful focus among the hard bits of life. Don’t waste a moment.

Late to this thread I know but having returned to riding after a
broken with odd episodes gap of over 25 years I really did find that fitness was important. It is hard to explain how a one hour group lesson can leave you feeling totally knackered and how my inner thighs in particular hurt from one week to the next. I'm not too heavy to ride a well built 14hh but ideally I'd like to lose another stone to make things easier for me. I'm 63 and have just come back from a riding holiday in India, which I really enjoyed, so it can be done if you stick at it. I think getting a good instructor is crucial, some leave you feeling like giving up again but a good one builds on all the positives and really helps with confidence.

I weigh 12.10 and think I'd be far too heavy to ride my dds 15.1. But I'm planning to lose a stone then I might start riding him rather than sell him.

I'd love to know if @JoinTheMicrodots is still about, and how she got on

You're the same age as me. After a break of 10 years I started riding lessons with my son 9 who has been riding for 3 years.

I am definitely fatter than I used to be!

I found it a really good work out and was stiff and sore afterwards. It is much harder than when you are younger. You use your core a lot. I wasn't able to mount without a mounting block, so definitely not as agile. However, the basics do come back to you, albeit a bit rusty.

You are never too old to start again. :)

Work at building up your core and losing some weight but don't let that stop you getting back onboard.

Hi reading with interest. I’m in similar position did a bit as a youngster and loved it but had a fall & knocked my confidence then went back as an adult happy hacker and again loved it but then became too expensive with 2 kids. Now my DD is 13 and super passionate she has ridden for 4 years and now has her own horse on loan & is starting to compete. I am also 15st and 42 and definitely looking to lose. It’s a good incentive I was thinking maybe try for a stone by Easter & book a hack with DD on one of the sturdy bigger riding school horses. I’ve been doing slimming world & a fitness class also trying to go longer walks with the dog. Think it will get easier in better weather . Good luck xxx

So, jointhemicrodots - how is it going? Hopefully you've improved your fitness and plucked up the courage to do it by now. If not, Id start by helping out in a yard - yard duties will help get you fit and toned, and get you back to being around horses.

As a rule of thumb, a horse shouldn't carry more than 15% of it's own body weight. so if you are 14 stone, you could ride a 600kg horse - that would translate to a 15.2 - 16hh hunter type - Irish Draught or so. Hope you get back to it, and enjoy!