Adult new or returning riders up for a chat?

[Hereforthedramaz]

I have recently returned to riding after a very long gap.

I was a very casual rider as an early teen, happy hacking on plodding ponies rather than technical riding. I am thoroughly enjoying having proper lessons now.

I thought it might be nice to chat with other newbies or returners, all non-horsey people in my life and there is only so much they want to talk about it!!!

Also the stables I'm going to is so lovely and welcoming but, in their own words, aimed almost entirely at 8-12 year olds so it would be nice to talk to some adults!

@Shannith Thanks for replying. I just don't understand why I'm suddenly afraid of him. Even when giving him a treat I just call him, give it to him and walk away. The others I pet them but him I'm too nervous to. It really isn't his fault, he hasn't done anything wrong. Whereas the other horse, I trust even though he's the one who has spooked with me a few times.

@Notanotherwindow I agree with @shannith - it’s meant to be fun. If we were working towards serious competitive riding, then it would be different. The horse I part-loan has a paddock mate who is a bit arsey, and while he is very good looking and moves well, I’m just never going to get on him - I said no even when DHorse was injured - I don’t have a need to feel the fear and do it anyway at my age.

@Notanotherwindow it works both ways if that makes you feel better. Some horses you just click with. Some the complete opposite. And that's fine - they are all different and for some reason you don't click with this one. Bit like people.

My favourite ever horse to to ride is on paper not my bag. TB mare. Full of beans. For a novice l like me that should be a big fat no.

But I l love her. She's not actually a novice ride at all but for me she's honest, not quiet but listens and she's so much fun.

She's got brakes! That's probably the most important thing - and she wants to please.

I've found myself galloping her full pelt and even urging her on up a track with a very experienced person up front. That TB fifth gear is something else - she flys!

And yet my opinionated 14.2 cob can make me question my sanity.

There doesn't have to be a logical reason - horse are not one size fits all. And if you are nervous and tense around him, he'll pick up on it. So just don't, and don't beat yourself up about it.

You say yourself that you are happy with all the others, enjoy that bit. Don't sweat it and don't ride it

I'm clearly a glutton for punishment as I'm taking scary horse tomorrow and we're going for a hack. My instructor will have him on a lead rein but I really want to do this as otherwise I can't really ride if someone else has a lesson on sweet horse or he is otherwise unavailable. Plus I'm being bloody minded as I am literally scared for no reason and that doesn't sit right with me.

I'm a bit on the chunky side, not huge but too heavy and definitely too tall for any of the bigger ponies or the one other horse there for novices as he is only a small cobby type, about 15 hands.

These two are both big, strong sport horses and on the taller side so the only ones really suited for me to ride. The other larger horse is...spirited. Definitely not a beginner ride.

Plus scary horse is an excellent dressage horse and I'm really interested to learn about that so will want to get on him at some point. Sweet horse is more of a jumper. He'll do a bit of everything but showjumping was his discipline so that's where he shines and the very thought makes me want to gorilla glue myself to the saddle.

Well, DHorse was not feeling mellow today but I stuck on, so all’s well that ends well! Maybe I’ll try no stirrups next week 🤣

Hope it goes well @Notanotherwindow I wonder if something like this resource would help? I used something similar in cd form after a fall when I was anxious getting back on, which i would recommend except i lent it to someone and now can't remember who! Or the name of it 🤦‍♀️

Hi all, hope it went well @Notanotherwindow
I was worrying about nothing I had a great lesson back on the sweet gelding who just wants to please. We spent the whole lesson working on contact and collection and I think its finally starting to make sense so pleased with that progress. Have another lesson on Friday so we will see how it goes.

It didn't actually happen as he was lame again but I am determined to get back on this horse and face my fear. He is prone to laminitis so any hint of lameness and he goes on rest for a week or so.

Hi all, how is everyone doing?

I’ve just had my fourth riding lesson today and still really enjoying myself, the last two lessons I’ve swapped onto something slightly less wide and he’s been an absolute dream, once he realises that you aren’t a ‘ploddy’ rider he ups his game whilst still remaining very safe.
I’ve yet to pluck up the courage to canter, next lesson I’m going to put on my big girl pants and try to get over my nerves and do it.
looking forwards to getting all my own riding gear for Christmas- I’ll have all the gear and no idea 🤣

hennipenni I hope Santa brings you all the riding gear that you want. I'm really hoping he brings me a new pair of breeches. I had some last Christmas and I've about worn them out.

I'm trotting properly now, just practicing bending poles while trotting but still getting the hang of steering him firmly enough without him thinking I want him to stop.

I did get back on scary horse and was fine. I will ride him again at some point.

I hope you get all the nice gear. Sticky seat tights really helped my balance at first.

I’m waiting in my car for my lesson to start. I’m getting more nervous every time. I’m at the point of stopping all together. I can’t work out what’s wrong with me. I love it once I’m done and safe, but I get so nervous—sometimes even the day before I’ll feel sick at the thought of it.

Ive been riding since I was a kid (with a 20 yr break) and was not nervous when I started again 5 years ago.

This thread has helped a bit to see that other people also feel that way. I just wish I could stop the nerves

@theferry i feel exactly the same! I have got a different instructor this afternoon and it’s making me feel sick. I’m not right until I get to the stable and find out who I am riding. I’m not even that bothered about riding at the moment. I would be just as happy going for an hour and doing some grooming, filling hay nets or mucking out. I don’t know if it’s because it’s cold and dark and I’m just waiting for the horses to react in some way?

@Tupperwarelid I have a great instructor who pushes me on, which works 95% of the time.

I managed to fall off! The horse was a bit off balance over a jump. I almost stayed on hanging around her neck but she jumped to the side and that was it! I’m sore as hell. I landed on my lower back, right below the bottom of the body protector. I’ve never hurt myself so much falling off. I did get back on and cantered around a bit, though. I knew I had to do that.

Oh gosh I hope you aren’t too sore and bruised after that. Well done for getting back on x

theferry if it makes you feel any better, I have owned my mare for 12 years. If we are going in a pleasure ride I still get nervous to the point of feeling sick. My daughter is brilliant at talking to me until I calm down. I don't understand it, but you're not alone.

theferry I hope you're not too bruised and sore in the morning.

Sorry to hear about your fall @theferry
I have been riding a different horse the last few weeks and I really like her she is quite forward going but does stop when asked which is nice. We have been working a lot on canter transitions and getting the horse into a proper contact in the trot which I am still really struggling with but hopefully I will get there eventually. I usually manage to get them going nicely in an outline by the end of the lesson but the first 25 minutes of my 30 minutes we are still running round with a head like a giraffe so need to get better at getting the horses working properly quickly instead of after many UN level negotiations
I also sometimes feel nervous, I am fine once i'm at the stables and on the horse but I find myself thinking of how terrible I will be the entire drive their. Hoping it will fade with time

If it is any consolation I've been riding for 35+ years, had own horses for 20 yrs and still get nervous so you definitely aren't alone.

Horses take different lengths of time to warm up and all their muscles need to be thoroughly warmed up before they can work properly. I always warm up on loose rein in walk for 15 mins and it can take another 15 mins of trot/canter for my lad to be warmed up properly to enable him to work into a contact. A good friend has a Grand Prix level dressage horse and he takes up to 40mins to loosen up sufficiently to be ridden into a contact. A lot of horses who immediately out their heads down are doing so cos of previous use of draw reins and gadgets, and that's not anything anyone should be aspiring to!

That is true @twistyizzy the stables I ride at if you can ride proficiently you ride for an hour 20 minutes warming up 10 walk, 10 trot and a little canter then 30 minutes lesson followed by a short walk hack to cool down and it still takes me 25 minutes into the lesson to get them going.
Your message has made me wonder if perhaps I'm not doing the right things when warming up so going to ask my instructor for some advice on that. I usually just do walk on each rein, trotting with some circles and a few transitions and then a lap of canter in each direction.

My DD does a bit of eye rolling at me, especially when I get her to hold the horse when I’m mounting, but in my defense I have joint problems so getting on is a bit challenging. I’m aching so much today. Had to get DH to help me dress this morning. This is the worst I’ve hurt myself, although oddly I’m not feeling nervous for next week (yet!).

Like I said it differs for each horse but I do 5-10 mins of just dimple changes of rein + walk to halt transitions then move on to simple lateral work in walk eg shoulder in, leg yield, quarters in all in walk on a fairly loose contact. After that we move on to shallow loops and half 20m circles in walk before moving into trot. Trot 5 mins loose rein getting him to stretch over his back and no concerns about where the head is. Once I feel I have control over his shoulders and he is free and loose through his back I will do some canter/trot transitions and only after these will I start asking for any collection or contact. Lucinda Green always says do the first 20 mins in walk and I think there is enormous value in this.

Hello all hope you had a lovely christmas!
I went riding on boxing day and had such a great lesson, asked my instructor about warming up and getting the horse working properly pre-lesson and she told me the horse I've been riding is one that takes quite a while to get going and not to stress to much but we went through some exercises I could do in the school once we've done the usual short walk around the yard which was mainly a lot of transition work and circles as thats what the horse needs to relax into a contact. Feeling much more confident in that aspect now.
Then as there was nobody booked after me we carried on and I braved some jumping, So much fun, tiny 50 and 60cm jumps in a mini 6 jump course but I had forgotten the thrill it gives me. The horse was an absolute sweetie and jumped everything I pointed her at even with me as a bumbling sack on her back the first time we went round (tiny cross poles) but the following attempts where much better. Think the jumping bug I had as a teenager might have bitten me again.

Hello - it feels like ages since I rode last .. I had an annoying fall in early December (not from a horse - my foot got stuck in between two mud control mats which hadn’t been cable tied together properly at a Christmas fair - the rest of me kept going but my foot was stuck so I ended up twisting my knee horribly and cutting my lip - and had fetching bruises on my forehead in the shape of the pattern on the mats 😳). I had to cancel the couple of lessons I’d booked in before Christmas and then got an email from the riding school last week saying they were closing with immediate effect 😕. Thankfully the lovely instructor is going to be teaching one day a week at another riding school - not quite as near but shouldn’t take more than 20 minutes to get there, so I will still be able to get my riding fix.

In other news, my dd’s retired pony club horse has now moved in with us 😍. He’s mostly out with his companion but spent the first day in so he could relax and get over the journey. The photo was when he realised he could see us through the kitchen window 😂